We recently connected with Kimarley Henry and have shared our conversation below.

Kimarley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I had been enamored with the art of storytelling for as long as I can remember. I have always been drawn to stories about the human experience and how we interact with each other based on the things that we have been through in our lives. Drawing comics were my way of telling stories, though I did not used to think much of it other than the fact that I simply just enjoyed it. It wasn’t until my junior year of high-school that it became apparent that I needed to get my work published for more people than just my family and peers. I began publishing my comic strip in a weekly newspaper in Bloomfield, Connecticut thinking that it would not go much further. However, it happened another week and then another week and here we are four years later. I had a story to tell and despite doubts that it would turn into anything, I continued on knowing that I would regret it if I didn’t.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a cartoonist and animator with a comic strip, titled “Chad”, that has ran in Connecticut newspapers since 2019 and has been turned into a book series with two books, another book on the way, a coloring book, and an upcoming animated short film adaptation. I first drew the Chad character on the back of my science worksheet in the seventh grade (while I should’ve been paying attention to my work). From there, I continued drawing comic strips for myself further fleshing out the world and characters. Family and peers encouraged me to actually get these stories published. In my senior year of high-school, I also started created graphic t-shirts and hoodies based on the comics that I create.
I am most proud of my ability to dream something and turn it into reality regardless of the roadblocks that come in doing so.
The first three books in my series are titled Chad Against the World, Chad: The Nerve of Some People, and Chad: Keepin’ It Real. The coloring book is titled Chad: Scribble Your Destiny. The animated short film adaptation, Chad’s Night Out, was also screened by the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival on November 14 and can now be found on YouTube.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I first started publishing my books, I did not have all the knowledge needed to make it happen. YouTube became my best friend and I had to lean heavily on it to gain some understanding of how to go about the process.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Connecting with the creativity inside of everyone. We are all artists in our own way, whether we believe so or not.

Contact Info:

• Website: marleyentertainment.com
• Instagram: @marley.entertainment @chad.comix @chadsnightout @youngg.km
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimarley-henry-869845205/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marleyentertainment5461
• Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/marleyentertainment

Image Credits
1st image – Halle Jones