We recently connected with David G. Brown and have shared our conversation below.

Hi David G., thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

IInitially, the appeal of creating art was a journey of self-expression as a means of exploring my identity, beliefs and values. Secondly, as I developed my skills, I found it allowed me to challenge social norms and inspire change. As I shared my work with others I found I could use my art as a platform to raise awareness and advocate for social justice. I grew up in a household where my mother was artistic along with two of my older siblings who were always writing stories, drawing and creating. One of my brothers, Tony C. Brown, six years my elder, a very talented illustrator and painter, was my first mentor and inspired me to pursue my art. My high school art teacher Mr. Knott, recognized my talent and encouraged me to continue to refine my work. After graduating from High School in 1972, I attended a very small Liberal Arts college in South Jersey called Stockton State College, now Stockton University. The College was only a couple of years old when I enrolled, and they had just started a student newspaper. I became the first political cartoonist for the paper, and it gave me an opportunity to express my and other students’ opinions through my cartoons; often challenging the administration on issues such as more Black Studies, high tuition and overcrowded dorms! Within a year I was promoted to Associate Editor. One of the skills I learned was how to design advertising for local businesses near the campus. That experience led to me learning about the newspaper, media and advertising industries. In addition, while at Stockton, I designed posters for the theatre department, concerts, contributed to Stockpot, the student literary magazine and freelanced for local advertising agencies.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Through the years I have enjoyed a prolific career as an artist, traveling the U.S., guest lecturing, on panels at many Comic Cons, an active member and former Board Member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonist since 2004 and the recipient of numerous awards.

To date I am most proud of my 2009 win of a prestigious NAACP Image Award for my first political cartoon compilation book, “Obama, Race and the Media: Drawing my `own Conclusions.” It is a seminal memoir of President Obama’s first four years in the White House, followed by “Barack, Race and the Media: The Obama Legacy” that documents the end of his presidency. Both books have become collector’s items.
My most recent book (2021), “Pandemic, Race & Media, #Diabolical2020sucked!”, addresses the most politically charged and socially challenging times in our country.
Additionally, Pelican Publishing Company Inc. features my work in their 2005 through 2014 editions of the “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year”. All these books and others are available on my website.
Another career honor was also in 2009 when I was selected as part of a cultural exchange with São Paulo, Brazil. The U.S. State Department and Brazilian Consulate sponsored an art exhibit of my comics and cartoons at the Museum Afro Brazil that enlightened them about artistic trends in America.

For over two decades I have been the political cartoonist for the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper, receiving multiple prestigious Merit Awards for “Best Editorial Cartoon” from the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA). Along with being a featured contributor to the Washington Post, and San Francisco Bay View newspapers these periodicals have given me a platform and “voice” to speak for the community and how they might be feeling about an issue that impacts them.

Political cartoons is just one facet of my art; I am also a workshop facilitator, guest lecturer, publisher, exhibitor, as well as producer of cartoons, graphics novels and comic books. In addition, for 10 years, I was a Career Technical Education Teacher of Arts, Media and Entertainment for the Los Angeles Unified School District, where I taught Design and Animation, certifying students in the Adobe Programs: Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
The California Institute for the Arts engaged me as Instructor of Cartoon Art to facilitate workshops in various Juvenile Halls to bring something socially and emotionally positive to incarcerated youth. It was my way of hopefully inspiring these youth to consider following a different path in life.
My versatility as a commercial artist and designer has produced excellence in other areas including photography, multi-media and illustration through promotional work for clients that include Los Angeles International Airport, Automobile Club of Southern California, Warner Bros., City of Los Angeles, Wells Fargo Bank, Getty Foundation, California African American Museum, U.S. Bank, ABC-TV and others.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had been working for decades in advertising as an Art Director, Graphic Designer, and in the film and television Industry when my life and career took a pivot. That was in 1992 with the police beating of Rodney King and the Civil Unrest that followed.
From my corner office at work, I watched the city burn! I remember turning on my television to see the neighborhood businesses where I lived being looted and afterwards Rodney King asking, “Can’t we all just get along?” It was a challenging time for me dealing with the riots as an adult and I could only image how the children were feeling! The youth didn’t have any faith in the city, police or any kind of authority. In an effort to give Los Angeles youth alternatives to fighting, I created a comic book superhero who resolves conflicts. A hero who uses his intellect to fight crime and restore peace without violence. The LA Phoenix, an African American Superhero, rising from the ashes of the Los Angeles Riots symbolizing the city’s healing, premiered in 1994 and spawned a three-book trilogy. Throughout the series he also addresses graffiti, vandalism, guns, gangs and drugs. The success of the LA Phoenix series paved the way to newspaper and television interviews. Invitations to speak at libraries, schools and community centers followed, engaging young people in meaningful dialogue about the character and what he could teach us. This led to being awarded a grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs as an Artist in Residence to establish the “Tales from the Kids” (TFTK) art program, for the City of Los Angeles Watts Towers Art Center and the Los Angeles Public Library. The TFTK program consists of a series of youth workshops where 11 to 17-year-old youth work with professional artists and writers to produce a comic book. The emphasis is always on peaceful conflict resolution, exploring ways to deal with community issues, mentorship, advancing artistic skills, self-expression, and career opportunities. Through the years I have kept in touch with many of these youth, especially those who have made art their career.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal and mission are to use my craft to inspire, educate and motivate through the power of art. That could be in the form of a lecture, political cartoon, workshop, art exhibit or one of my books.
Part of that journey was when I joined the Board of Directors of the Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles, following an exhibit of my work there. I also served as Chairman of the Board, wrapping up a decade of work helping to brand the Museum to the community.
I am particularly interested in focusing on young people of color, to be that role model to inspire, uplift and empower them. In addition to encouraging their self-expression, high academic performance, strong social-emotional awareness and positive cultural identity. From the lens of a global platform, I seek to use art to enlighten others on the rich ancestry of the African American culture, especially our contributions to this country and the world. Finally, to confirm to humanity that diversity and inclusion is a good thing that can make us all richer and wiser.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.davidgbrown.studio
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgbcomic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.g.brown1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidg-brown-baa9b66/
• Twitter: https://x.com/dgbstudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkLGuccGE0RPt7MrkLXzLIQ

Image Credits

Photo credits: Derek Rothchild, Gary McCarthy and Eric Epperson