Later this month I’m headed to Los Angeles for the Renegade Craft Fair down there. If you’ve got folks out there , tell them to come check me out. I’ll be at booth #117. If you’ve never been to one of these its worth checking out for jewelry, plants, fashion, toys, food, and more. Official website.
You can see my set up from 2024 at the Seattle Renegade Craft Fair.
Peace y’all, I just came back from a cool trip to Philadelphia to read the at the main branch of the public library. This is my first trip to the city and it was great to see it and connect with some old friends. Get ready, there A LOT of photos in this post! The photos in this post were taken by me, Ntanya Lee, and Hanif (Unseen Gallery).
I flew out on the red eye which I will not be doing again cuz I didn’t get much sleep. Once I landed I started hearing Black Thought lyrics in my head though because of street names and things like….
One of the things I loved about the city is the beauty and abundance of murals. I thought the Bay had a lot of walls but Philly is truly the mural capital. I didn’t get to meet up with her but Michelle Angela Ortiz is one of my favorite muralists out there. Another thing I love about the city is the styles of Graffiti which are distinct and historic. They often write tall and skinny tags!
On my way inside the library I met Lynne Haase, a Philadelphian librarian who answered the call when I set out to visit schools and libraries last year for the first time outside of the Bay. Me and my folks headed into the library (its amazing by the way), and headed down to the kids section where we saw lots of letters and drawings from children. Then we went into a theater where the children would listen to me speak.
First it was one classroom, then 2, then 3 whole classrooms full of children from a local school came on in to listen to me read. They had such great energy and questions!
The room was full, I introduced myself and I got down to business asking them questions and trying my best to engage them so they would not just be listening, but talking back and participating. That means questions, call and response, and good interruptions. I read my book Fresh Juice to the kids!
I wish I could show you photos with the faces of the children unblocked but I was not able to get permission slips for each child. But, they were there and thats the important part.
As I usually do, I brought some of the artwork from the book with me because its like a doorway to understanding how stories get made. Its a process and I try to drive that home with kids, not just about my story but about how the video games, cartoons, films, or other forms of media they consume are created.
Ok , the reading was awesome and if you’d like to see more visits I’ve made to schools or libraries I invite you to check out some of these:
After that I walked around the library to check out the art books and music books.
The library is underrated yall. You can check out tools, seeds, films, records, CDs, musical instruments, and so any different types of BOOKS!
I love walking around libraries. Especially kids sections because each librarian, city, and region is different. I love seeing Bay Area creators work up in other cities too. Here are some fotos I took walking around and some of the librarians checking out my prints. If you would like to see my prints, you can see them here.
A few fotos from around the city from the downtown area, West, South, etc. My good friend Ntanya Lee who I stayed with took me to a place called Saad’s Halal Restaurant in West Philly that had some of the best Falafel and bean pie I’ve ever eaten:) My friend also took me on a hike around Cobb’s Creek park. I saw Osage ave, infamous for the bombing of the MOVE family, and I saw the famous Hakim’s Bookstore. One of the oldest Black owned bookstores in the country.
Next, I took a trip to Germantown to see my friend Sarah and Uncle Bobbie’s coffee and bookstore!
Uncle Bobbie’s was a beautiful store w/ lots of light and a strong curation. After that I went for a nice hike in a local park w/ my friend Sarah Kolker who is from Philly but lived in NYC and the Bay, where we met!
Lastly, I went to check out The Philadelphia Museum of Art; one of many museums! I also went to meet w/ my friend Dr. Li Sumpter before heading back to the Bay! BIG shout out to my sis Ntanya Lee who gave me a place to crash and showed me around the city!!
Dig this? Check out my trip to Detroit to read out there:)
Urgent, call your reps to tell them : Vote NO on HR 7661! This is a dangerous bill targeting Queer and Trans kids, families, and books, read the images and go to this link #authorsagainstbookbans
Confused? See my previous post about book banning and how it went from 1-200 a year to over 4000!
Dig this? Check out the film The Librarians which features librarians harrassed, threatened, and fired for stocking diverse books about Queer/ Trans identity or Race/ Criticism of White Supremacy.
Here’s a quick 3 panel comic about taking a break. There are so many things folks are going through. This past weekend I took a break with my family and it was lovely. Sometimes we gotta take a break and step away from all the things so we can recharge and come back better.
Whats this? I’ve had fits and starts with comics since 2007. In 2016 I started working on an epic graphic novel and it was too much, I couldn’t finish. So I took a break and began doing mini comics in 2021 (shorter more manageable stories) so I could do the most important part; finish them. This is a continuation of that. My accountability partner is my cousin and artist; Zhanne Easter.
Dig this? Check out some of my other mini comics
Check out Art of Rob feat 130 pages of drawings, sketchbook pages, illustrations, etc.
For maybe the 3rd or 4th time I will be at this years @latinxcomicartsfest in Modesto California.
If you’ve never been to this con, there’s an abundance of warm, inviting folks, Raza, Lowriders, comics, kids books, art, indy creators, students, parents, educators, and all types of people from Central Cali, the Bay, LA, AZ, NYC, Mexico, and beyond. Mark your calendar now. More information here.
When: April 3rd & 4th , 11am-6pm
Where: Modesto Jr College (West Campus)
Shout out to the founder and bad ass Professor Dr Theresa Rojas and Modesto Jr College for hosting us. Shout out to Javier Cruz Winnick for this year’s art and Amber Padilla for the art badges!!!
Dig this? Check out San Jose Day or the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair
San Jose Day was really fresh, like 510 day in Oakland or 415 Day in SF it celebrates and champions local artists, musicians, culture, and more. I went there to check it out last year and you should too.
Dig this? Check out these posts about
Here’s a short comic that had me thinking about how a system of government needs and thrives with loyal, unquestioning workers to follow orders. They need folks to not step out of line, to not think. But if they do, keep it to themselves. It does not work without obedience OR ignorance from its citizens. What is the United States rank education wise? So, I wanted to depict a soldier, defense contract worker, and journalists with the words “Stop Following Orders”. Right now, the US and Israeli governments are playing a vicious game with real lives by bombing Iran. Some questions come to mind when I think of this:
Whats this? I’ve had fits and starts with comics since 2007. In 2016 I started working on an epic graphic novel and it was too much, I couldn’t finish. So I took a break and began doing mini comics in 2021 (shorter more manageable stories) so I could do the most important part; finish them. This is a continuation of that. My accountability partner is my cousin and artist; Zhanne Easter.
Dig this? Check out some of my other mini comics
Check out Art of Rob feat 130 pages of drawings, sketchbook pages, illustrations, etc.
This is the cover for author, educator, and filmmaker Robert M. Alexander‘s book “He Hit Me First”.
I did the cover for the first book in this series entitled “She Hit Me First” and I was super excited to get the call to do this one. I illustrate and write picture books but I also love middle grade, especially doing covers! Here’s a bit of process art behind this one. You can purchase the book here.
Written by Dr. Robert Mossi Alexander, educator, counselor, and author of She Hit Me First, this heartfelt story teaches young readers—especially boys—about emotional intelligence, accountability, and the strength found in respecting elders and listening to ancestral wisdom. Perfect for classrooms, mentorship programs, and parents looking to spark important conversations around conflict resolution, masculinity, and healing.
At this stage I usually send my client a bunch of ideas for where people, places, or things could be. Robert chose one, I refined, through some grayscale on it to give an idea of who it would look, then I refined the sketch w/ the typography until he was good with it.
Next were some color directions. I’ve been a freelance illustrator for nearly 20 years and I enjoy adding different ideas for color; not the typical. Lately I’ve really been feeling the combination of purple, orange, and green so I was excited that he picked that one.
And here’s the final artwork for the cover! Wanna know about the story? Here’s the synopsis:
He Hit Me First is a powerful coming-of-age story for readers ages 8–13 that explores cycles of violence, emotional healing, and the power of mentorship. Set in East Oakland, the book follows Elijah, a young boy navigating school, family struggles, and peer pressure. After a schoolyard fight, Elijah is forced to confront the deeper pain behind his anger. With the help of his uncle, a former boxer, and guidance from community mentors, Elijah learns how to channel his energy into personal growth and self-control.
You can purchase the book here.
Dig this? Check out my artwork for
This is from a recent visit to a school in Fremont California called “Lila Bringhurst Elementary”. Its a chinese immersion school in the South Bay and I had a blast reading to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders while I was there.
I caught BART from “Fruitvale” station out to “Warm Springs” in the morning and walked to the school where a parent and PTA member Ina was waiting for me.
I got set up in their huge auditorium and then the students started to file in! The school is big so I did my presentation twice with the students split up into two groups. I read Fresh Juice!
As always I shared a story and a bit of the art that goes into making it. Here’s a video reel I made of the visit. BIG thanks to Ina who took a bunch of photos for me while I was presenting.
Dig this? Check out some photos from other school or library visits
Here’s a quote from emcee Boots Riley from the Bay Area rap group “The Coup” from the song “Head of State”.
A handwritten quote against a blue background which says:
“War ain’t about one land against the next, It’s poor people dying so the rich cash checks”
-Boots Riley
Dig this? Check out this quote from Toni Morrison