Where I'm coming from Selected strips 1991-2005

Barbara Brandon-Croft, 1958-

Book - 2023

"A seasoned cartoonist of epic proportions, Brandon-Croft carves out space for Black women's perspectives in her nationally syndicated strip ... Brandon-Croft appraises popular opinion through nine distinct women in constant dialogue. From diets to daycare to debt to the dreaded microaggressions of everyday racism, no issue is off-limits. This remarkable and unapologetically funny career retrospective holds a mirror up to the ways society has changed and all the ways it hasn't"--

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COMIC/Where
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Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor Comics COMIC/Where Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Humorous comics
Slice-of-life comics
Social issue comics
Comics (Graphic works)
Published
[Montreal, Quebec] : Drawn & Quarterly 2023.
Language
English
Main Author
Barbara Brandon-Croft, 1958- (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"Where I'm Coming From was originally syndicated from 1991-2005. Post syndication comics on pages 157-161 were drawn 2016-2022"--Title page verso.
Physical Description
180 pages : chiefly illustrations (some color) ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (page 180).
ISBN
9781770465688
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

In the 1980s, then Detroit Free Press editor Marty Claus recognized the disconnect between the newspaper and its audience, considered the "overwhelmingly white" staff reflecting "an overwhelmingly white world," and actually did better by making Brandon-Croft the first U.S. syndicated Black woman cartoonist. Brandon-Croft's famous father, Brumsic Brandon, was the third Black nationally syndicated cartoonist; Brandon-Croft became the eighth. Her groundbreaking strips from 1991 to 2005 showcase the quotidian lives of "nine opinionated Black women" (plus one baby) with biting insight, sly humor, occasional regrets, and plenty of joy and laughter. Her fabulous cast uniquely comprises talking heads and animated hands: "I wasn't going to put bodies on my characters. [Except baby Re-Re.] I'm tired of women being summed up by their body parts. . . . Look us in the eye and hear what we're saying, please!" Meet cynical Cheryl, stylish Nicole, volatile Jackie, single-mother Lydia (and Re-Re), empathic Judy, faith-full Alisha, politically conscious Lakesia, sometime-mistaken-for-white Monica, and stand-by-your-man Sonya. The final strips, however, don't end their--or Brandon-Croft's--stories. Thirty additional back matter pages--and multiple voices--make sure the erudite, sharp work continues.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Brandon-Croft, the first Black woman with a nationally syndicated American comic strip, delivers a spirited career compilation cut through with razor-sharp wit. Debuting in the Detroit Free Press in 1989, Brandon-Croft's strip featured a cast of opinionated, wisecracking Black women (drawn with varied expressions, hair styles, skin tones, and tones of voice) relaying everyday life and unfiltered social commentary. This trademark sisterhood of talking heads chatted at the nation through 2005, including syndication in Essence and the Baltimore Sun. For example, feminist Lekesia skewers racial bias and sex scandals in the military, quipping: "I think this country needs to change its recruitment slogan to Uncle Sam wants you... to behave!" No topic escapes critique, from education to dating woes to workplace inequality and voting. The unabashed sarcasm and upbeat playfulness are infectious, while the cast are carefully distinguished with a flip of a hand or a pointed gaze. Snappy dialogue competes for space next to twisted, braided, and coiled hair atop the heads that dominate the panels. The humor befits its era, with references newsy to the 1990s, such as reflections on Rodney King and Clarence Thomas, but the underlying themes hold uncanny relevancy to contemporary America. This trenchant volume easily sits alongside works from contemporary heavyweight Black cartoonists such as Aaron McGruder and Ray Billingsley. (Feb.)

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