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PHARAOH / NUBIAN7
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I have entered my character GLYPHX in the the Celflux Original Commission Giveaway Character Commission Contest!  

Please VOTE here bit.ly/celfluxga2 .

You may vote once every 24 hours. If you vote everyday, it increases my chances of winning!

Voting closes at midnight eastern time, July 31st, 2016.

Please VOTE here bit.ly/celfluxga2 





GlyphX copy by NKOSI-Publishing
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  I enjoyed his view and his story. Check it out.

Lonnie Lowe Jr.

Lonnie Lowe Jr.

ARTISTIC/DEVELOPMENT

 As it relates to your earliest memory as an artist, did Art choose you or did you choose Art? The Art of writing that is, explain. I think it was a mutual choosing. Where I’m from, my only access to comic books was an old, raggedy carousel in the back of the 7/11 across from my apartments. The restocking was inconsistent as well as the issues. I was lucky to get 2 concurrent issues. What I would do is, write down and imagine what I thought happened, in the issues I missed.

Who or What were your earliest inspirations and present influences that that inspire your art/comics/writing? Milestone Comics!!! I can’t scream it enough. Those folks are damn near, solely responsible, for me even thinking this was possible. You’ve got to understand. There were no heroes who grew up in my conditions and looked like the folks I grew up around until they (Milestone) showed up. Sure, we had a few black heroes but I didn’t know them. I knew Static, shit..I lived two buildings over from The Blood Syndicate. I could relate to those characters! With Icon, I didn’t need Superman and with Hardware, I didn’t need Batman or Iron Man. I still read Batman though, he’s awesome. I also loved Shadow Hawk (prior to me even knowing he was black), Mr. T’s short lived book, X-men (back then), Justice League and some Spiderman from time to time. The new(er) guys I look at and follow are Geoffrey Thorne, Brandon Easton, Ray A. Height, Joe Robinson Currie to name a few. There’s a bunch of new talent though, well new to me anyways.

How important is it to study your art and how do you approach keeping your skills sharp? I think it is just as important, as anything you want to be successful in. I write comics so I read comics. I study comics. I listen to comic related podcasts. I go to conventions and sit in workshops for hours. I email and instant message anyone who’ll answer me. I’m apart of indie groups and websites that I feel can help me progress as a writer and expand my network and brand as a whole.

What are some books that are on your personal shelf? Maaan.. A ton, I can’t think right now because I can’t see them but a few off hand. Death in the Family (newest fav :) ). I have the entire run of Blood Syndicate. I have Icon in graphic novel form. The Killing Joke, The Victories…

Are there any titles that you are currently reading? Midnight Tiger, Prodigal, Blaze Brothers, Route 3, Cronus when I can. E.P.I.C, Quantum and Woody, Justice League, Batgirl (My favorite), Batwing, Nightwing, Teen Titans, Ultimate Spiderman (Miles Morales) and Batman. Now that Lobdells back on Red Hood, I’ll be back. There some transformers but they get a little too political for me. I miss Danger Club and My second favorite title Ever Dynamo 5.

WORK/STYLE

Give us a description of your Creative Lab or Studio where you work and how is the environment a co-creator or partner in ultimately what you create? I live in my head. As a writer, brain space, an idea and motivation is all I’ve ever needed. I have a PC and an 8ft banner of E.P.I.C and that’s all that’s around me. Oh yeah, a bunch of invoices and shirts so just Dark City specific paraphernalia.

If Art can save the world, then that makes the Artist a Superhero; and every Hero needs theme music.  Name the song or songs that you listen to for inspiration as you create?I don’t like to be distracted so whatever it is I’m listening to its really low. Almost like elevator music. There’s enough chaos going on inside of my head to keep me amped up.

What techniques & tools do you employ to bring ideas to life? Pen, pad, phone, tablet, PC a nearby napkin. Anything I can get plot going on.

How would you describe your writing style or artistic technique? I just freestyle it. I have a loose plot or an idea of where I think I wanna go and then I just go. Eventually, I get where I’m going so I just sit back and enjoy the ride.

E.P.I.C.

E.P.I.C.

SOUL/ART

In terms of personal projects, what is the Flagship creative project for your company and how did you come up with the idea for the concept?   My Flagship character is E.P.I.C. I came up with it in ’08 maybe earlier.

READ the Entire Interview here:
cedpharaoh.com/360BEYOND/creat…

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Andre Batts

Andre Batts

ARTISTIC/DEVELOPMENT

As it relates to your earliest memory as an artist, did Art choose you or did you choose Art? Art chose me at a young age, but the art of writing chose me back in 1996 when I first created Dreadlocks.

Who or What were your earliest inspirations and present influences that that inspire your art/comics/writing?  Stan Lee of Marvel Comics has always been my inspiration as it relates to creating a comic book universe. Todd Johnson was my motivation during the first days of Tribe from Image Comics.

How important is it to study your art and how do you approach keeping your skills sharp?  It is very important to continue reading about the market. I read other stories that are not comic book related, it helps with developing your own story and it keeps them relevant.

What are some books that are on your personal shelf? As far as comics, I collect the Walking Dead graphic novel series and 100 Bullets Series. I have several independents! I read a lot of History, Speculative information, Black Genesis (Robert Buvall) and Egyptian Mysteries such as Metu Neter Volumes 1-4, (Ra Un Nefer Amen), Egyptian Book of the Dead, the whole Muata Ashby collection, all Dr Ben Yochanon and more.

WORK/STYLE

Give us a description of your Creative Lab or Studio where you work and how is the environment a co-creator or partner in ultimately what you create? I’m working out of my home. I create as the day goes on. If something pops in my head, I will stop and jot down the importance of the thought and will expound upon it later.. Everyday life is part of my creativity.

If Art can save the world, then that makes the Artist a Superhero; and every Hero needs theme music. Name the song or songs that you listen to for inspiration as you create.We created a theme song for My character Dreadlocks called Coming of The Firstborn, that would be the theme song. As far as mainstream music, there is so much that you can choose from, but most of the music that my creativity would be influenced by would be Conscious Hip Hop, Reggae and a little Industrial Alternative Rock.

What techniques & tools do you employ to bring ideas to life? Just my computer, pen and pad…

How would you describe your writing style or artistic technique? For the most part, I usually do what I call crash writing of my stories, let it marinate, then go into it and format it as a finished product.

SOUL/ART

In terms of personal projects, what is the Flagship creative project for your company?  My Flagship character is Dreadlocks. My follow up projects are BlackWatch and Jihad A.D. 2166

Talk about the difficulties of being an independent artist and the hurdles you’ve overcome to produce and publish your own works?  There weren’t may obstacles publishing my own works, but there are several obstacles after publishing. Number one is distribution. There aren’t any major distribution networks for independent creators especially those of color. Comic specialty shops are not interested in independent Black Characters unless written by Marvel/ D.C. Which we know how many they have leading the pack.

What is your preferred medium for your stories; comic book, graphic novel, animation or movie? That depends on the title… BlackWatch and Dreadlocks, I prefer a comic book medium. Jihad A.D. 2166 I prefer Graphic Novel. I want all of them to be made as animation projects.

READ the Entire Interview here:
cedpharaoh.com/360BEYOND/creat…

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Peace, it has been a minute since I posted. I’m working on my own project, URBAN MAGE behind the scenes and but there are a few interviews I need to publish. Here is the next interview of a very talented artist that has contributed to my project, Takeia Marie!

Takeia Marie

Takeia Marie

ARTISTIC/DEVELOPMENT

As it relates to your earliest memory as an artist, did Art choose you or did you choose Art? Haha, good question. I’m honestly not sure. I always liked to doodle, but the first time, I remember thinking that I really wanted to draw for the rest of my life was when my cousin first got me into anime. He showed me things like Nausicaa, Vampire Hunter D, Streetfighter the Animated Movie, and others. I remember being blown away by how detailed everything was, on top of being animated. So I guess those influences found their way to me, and then I chose art.

Who or What were your earliest inspirations and present influences that that inspire your art/comics/writing? I would say my cousin was one of my earliest influences. He also draws, and it made me realize it was something, I could actually do. As I get older, I find myself being more influenced by things that happen around me and the people that I see everyday. As far as artistic influences, my favorite artist hands down is Joe Mad, but I like looking at art that’s even outside of my style range because I think there’s something unique and interesting in different art forms.

How important is it to study your art and how do you approach keeping your skills sharp? I try to sketch something everyday and draw from life. I just try to keep practicing as much as I can.

What are some books that are on your personal shelf? Story by Robert McKee, Invisible Ink by Brian McDonald (I highly recommend that one), some art books like Kim Jung Gi’s 2011 sketch collection, The Legend of Korra art book, and various comics.

Are there any titles that you are currently reading? I’m reading Saga, Watson and Holmes, and Locke & Key

WORK/STYLE

Give us a description of your Creative Lab or Studio where you work and how is the environment a co-creator or partner in ultimately what you create? Haha, I’ll be really happy when I have a room that I can use as my own studio. Right now I live in an apartment and I have my computer desk, which is set up with my Wacom Intuos tablet and a standard and large format printer. I also have a drawing desk which has all my traditional tools.

I like to jump between working digitally and traditionally depending on the project. There are times that I do everything on my computer and there are times when I’ll lay everything out digitally, print it out and lightbox over the layout with pencil or ink traditionally. It really depends on how I feel.

If Art can save the world, then that makes the Artist a Superhero; and every Hero needs theme music.  Name the song or songs that you listen to for inspiration as you create? Everyone knows me to be a big Hip-Hop fan, and I do listen to that sometimes when I draw. But I’ll also listen to Heavy Metal bands like Disturbed, especially when I’m drawing intense action scenes, or sometimes if I’m in a more laid back, chill type of mood I’ll listen to some classic and 90′s R&B and soul music.

What techniques & tools do you employ to bring ideas to life? I work in a hybrid digital/traditional method, depending on what I’m working on. In most cases, it’s going to be my tablet and/or pencils and paper.

How would you describe your writing style or artistic technique? I would say my artistic style can range from comic-bookish to cartoony. Sometimes, I like to switch up the style that I’m drawing in, if for no other reason than to not get bored with doing the same thing over and over.

SOUL/ART

Mel | Character from The Forgotten

mel_character_sheet_low_res_the_forgottenIn terms of personal projects, what is the Flagship creative project for your company and how did you come up with the idea for the concept?  The Forgotten is a story that I’m working on in between other projects. It centers around a young girl and a group of people living in an abandoned city that has been cut off from the rest of the world.

READ the Entire Interview here:
cedpharaoh.com/360BEYOND/creat…

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JEROME WALFORDARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT

As it relates to your earliest memory as an artist, did Art choose you or did you choose Art? The Art of writing that is, explain.  That is a very interesting question. I think it certainly works both ways. In the beginning, I felt a strong desire to pursue the art of storytelling. While there was a strong pull in that direction, at some point it switched. As other opportunities came along and as I met many challenges, I had to make a deliberate ongoing effort to pursue this particular art form and put in the work to make it worthwhile.

Who or what were your earliest inspirations and present influences that that inspired your art/comics/writing?Storytelling in the form of comics is a unique balance between setting up a series of images and text to present something none of the parts could do by themselves. Where the words don’t compete with or detract from the images, and vice versa.

I have been fortunate enough to have read a lot of great literary and comic material that has inspired me. Just a few examples would be “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, “Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I’ve really enjoyed Joss Whedon’s screen work as well, because in many ways comics work like stills from a movie. I’m spending the lionshare of my time developing, “Nowhere Man”. A gritty crime drama, those examples presently rise to the top for me.

How important is it to study your art and how do you approach keeping your skills sharp?  I was a fine art major at Cornell University, and a lot of the Renaissance art I was exposed to, still has an impact on me to this day.

To continue growing as an artist, it is very important to study all kinds of art and to learn from the greats of the past, as well as our contemporaries.

Art is truly a discipline that needs to be exercised everyday. I put in the effort each day. Sometimes it’s a little, sometimes it’s a lot, but after a certain period of time, I can step back and see all the progress I’ve made. The other amazing part of it is, that there is a certain muscle memory that develops. Not only can I work a little faster, but I can also produce better art as a result all those practice hours.

What are some books that are on your personal shelf? My shelf is cluttered with reference books, but I also keep a few literary books and graphic novels close. My small collection includes two copies of “Watch Men”, given to me by two friends on the very same birthday. I keep the copies side by side. I also have: Jack Kirby’s “Fourth World Omnibus”, Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman”, “Truth: Red, White and Black” and some books I’ve gotten through various projects on Kickstarter.

Are there any titles that you are currently reading?  I am currently re-reading some of my favorites, which include a few books by Jean Giraud (Moebius) and Neil Gaiman, as well as some anthologies, such as “Flight” and “Comic Book Tattoo”.

Nowhere Man - Glyph 2014 Winner

WORK/STYLE

Give us a description of your Creative Lab or Studio where you work and how is the environment a co-creator or partner in ultimately what you create?  I do most of my work on the computer and occasionally, I pull away and rough something out at the drawing table. I think one’s environment can encourage, shape or even hinder one’s creativity. Having a healthy working environment is very important. I try to keep my workspace as organized as possible, although from time to time the clutter does build up. It is a delicate balance between having reference material within reach and not being able to find what you’re looking for at the moment.

What techniques & tools do you employ to bring ideas to life?  Being inspired by a cool idea is only the very first step. There is still 99 percent of the work that needs to happen. For me, working digitally, I can get a lot done in a relatively short period of time. If I’m at work or on the subway, and I get an interesting idea, I jot it down. Then, when I get a moment, I go back and flesh it out with further notes. If I feel attached to a certain idea, but it’s just not flowing in a literary way or in a manner I can translate visually, I try to move on to something else. If that idea was sound enough it will get reshaped in a way I can use at some point.

Step two is setting aside a large block of writing time, where I unplug from everything. I sit in a small café somewhere and just write, script or edit for three to four hours. The key is unplugging from the normal distractions of the day.

If the writing session is for a comic, step three would be to create rough storyboards, key frames or comic spreads of the story.

Slowly, over the course of several months, those roughs are translated into finished comic pages. I incorporate the dialogue and narration from the script, often with little changes that help the text work better with the finished art. Then it’s off to colors and getting additional feedback from editors and friends.

How would you describe your writing style or artistic technique?  The process often gets more organic and iterative. Sometimes doing and re-doing various scenes, as well as cutting away certain parts that might bog down the story. I try to keep my eyes on the long term vision and theme that drives the heart of the story.

Some folks would call my style character-driven. I try to maintain a strong plot behind my stories, but I’m more intrigued by how the characters act and react to each other, as well as how they change over the course of the narrative.

SOUL/ART

Jack Macguire

Jack Macguire

In terms of personal projects, what is the Flagship creative project for your company and how did you come up with the idea for the concept? 

The main project I’m working on at the moment is an indie graphic novel series titled “Nowhere Man”. It is being published by Forward Comix, a small publishing brand I started in 2012.

Nowhere Man” is story of Jack Maguire, a detective based in New York City who has been granted powers through the use of advanced technology. 

READ the Entire Interview here:
cedpharaoh.com/360BEYOND/creat…

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Featured

Please Help me Win and VOTE Everyday For GLYPHX! by NKOSI-Publishing, journal

Interview with Lonnie Lowe Jr. - Comic Publisher by NKOSI-Publishing, journal

Interview with Andre Batts - Comic Publisher by NKOSI-Publishing, journal

Interview with Takeia Marie - Artist/Designer by NKOSI-Publishing, journal

Interview with Jerome Walford - Comic Publisher by NKOSI-Publishing, journal