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Jerry Craft
CARTOONIST / ILLUSTRATOR /
WRITER
 Jerry
Craft is the creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award-winning comic strip
that has been distributed by King Features Syndicate since 1995. He is
currently one of only a handful of syndicated African-American
cartoonists in the country. His first book, Mama's Boyz: As American
as Sweet Potato Pie! was named in “Great Books For African American
Children.” Since then, the strip has been featured in "Chicken Soup For
The African American Soul," "Chicken Soup For The African American
Woman’s Soul," and "The Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing" to name a few.
In 2007 he released his second collection
of strips entitled “Mama’s Boyz: Home Schoolin’ – Because Learning
Shouldn’t Stop at 3 O’Clock,” which was endorsed by both Teachers
Against Prejudice and Comics in the classroom. His third book
Mama’s Boyz: The Big Picture was released in February 2010.
In October of 2006, Jerry left his job in
corporate America as the Editorial Director of the Sports Illustrated
for Kids website where he was responsible producing much of the content
for the popular kids site. This included interviewing athletes such as
Derek Jeter, producing online games, hosting a streaming sports radio
show and creating popular Flash animated cartoons such as “The Randy
Moss Driving School.”
Now, working for his own company, Mama’s
Boyz, Inc., Jerry gets to draw on his passion without leaving the
comfort of his home. Since branching out on his own, he has done
illustrations for Essence Magazine, book covers, and completed two
children’s books; “Hillary’s Big Business Adventure,” which follows the
plan of an industrious 10-year old girl and her friends and she tries to
earn enough money to buy a new bike; and “Looking to the Clouds for
Daddy” which is the true story of three young girls who are coping with
the loss of their father.
In addition to making his readers laugh,
Jerry has used Mama’s Boyz to help spread the word for several
organizations such as helping to fight childhood obesity with the
American Council For Fitness and Nutrition, raising awareness of organ
and tissue donation for Donate Life America, and helping to increase
support for the American Diabetes Association-- which earned him two
Outstanding Supporter Awards. He has also won two African American
Literary Awards Show Open Book Awards for “best comic strip” (2009 &
2004) and received nominations from the National Cartoonists Society as
well as the Glyph awards. In June of 2007, he received a “Conversation
Starter” award from the DC Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy, an
honor granted to advocates who have helped change the conversation about
teen pregnancy from one that places blame and shame on teenagers, to
conversations about what it takes to motivate teens to want to avoid
pregnancy in the first place.
Jerry is a graduate of the School of
Visual Arts where he received his BFA degree in advertising. After
working in the ad world for a dozen years as a copywriter, he got his
first job as a cartoonist working with Barbara Slate on a variety of
comic books and graphic novels for Marvel and Harvey Comics. This was
followed by eight years at King Features Syndicate where he wrote sales
brochures for some of the world’s most popular comic strips. Jerry has
appeared on WCBS’ Sunday Morning show with Mario Bosquez as well as
cable news shows such as Cablevision News 12’s Our Lives with Gwen
Edwards, and in publications like the Stamford Advocate, Norwalk Hour,
Cartoonists Profiles magazine, and the Onion to name a few. Radio
interviews include stations like WNYC, WBAI and WLIB radio in New York
and a guest on the nationally-syndicated Wendy Williams Experience (and
he survived)!!
In March of 2008, he appeared on panel of
experts and comedy practitioners on “The Serious Stuff about Humor –
What is It? Why is It?” at the Michigan Theater. The panel included
noted political cartoonists, New Yorker cartoonists, writers from “The
Daily Show with Jon Stewart” as well as professors and psychologists.
When he is not at his drawing table, or spending time with his family,
Jerry travels to schools, camps and libraries giving his popular
cartooning workshops.
For comments or
questions contact Jerry at
jerrycraft@aol.com
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