Barbara Brandon-Croft facts for kids

Barbara Brandon-Croft was born on November 27, 1958. She is a talented American cartoonist. She is most famous for creating the comic strip Where I'm Coming From. She also made history as the first African-American female cartoonist to have her work shown in newspapers all over the country.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Barbara Brandon-Croft was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Brumsic Brandon Jr., was also a famous cartoonist. He created the comic strip Luther. This comic strip was popular from 1970 to 1986. Barbara and her father are the only known father-daughter cartoonists to have their work in newspapers.

When Barbara was a baby, her family moved to New Cassel, New York. This neighborhood had mostly Black residents. During a time when schools were being desegregated, she traveled by bus to an elementary school in Westbury, New York.

Barbara studied at Syracuse University. She attended the College of Visual and Performing Arts. In 1982, she created cartoons for Elan magazine. This magazine was for Black women. Later, she worked for Essence magazine. She wrote about fashion and beauty. She also drew pictures for The Crisis magazine, published by the NAACP. Her drawings also appeared in The Village Voice and for MCA Records.

Barbara's talent for drawing came naturally. She helped her father with his comics when she was young. This was how she earned her allowance. She first became well-known for her comic strip Where I'm Coming From. She also created other drawings, like Sista Girl-Fren Breaks It Down...When Mom's Not Around. Barbara also designed a line of greeting cards for a company called OZ.

Where I'm Coming From Comic Strip

Barbara Brandon-Croft started her comic strip Where I'm Coming From in 1989. It first appeared in the Detroit Free Press newspaper. The comic strip shares the stories of about twelve African-American women. It shows the challenges they face living in the United States. Characters like Alisha, Cheryl, Lekesia, and Nicole are featured. These characters are based on Barbara and her real-life friends.

The artwork in the comic strip is very simple. It does not have detailed backgrounds. The focus is only on the characters. You only see drawings of their upper bodies. The characters do not use speech bubbles. Instead, they talk directly to the reader.

In 1991, Where I'm Coming From started appearing in newspapers across the country. This was through the Universal Press Syndicate. This made Barbara Brandon-Croft the first Black female cartoonist to be nationally syndicated. It was also the first comic strip by a Black woman to be in major newspapers. The comic strip was featured in over sixty newspapers. It appeared between 1989 and 2004. It was in newspapers like Essence, The Sacramento Bee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Baltimore Sun. It also appeared in The Gleaner in Jamaica and Johannesburg Drum magazine. Barbara stopped publishing the comic strips in 2005. This was because fewer newspapers were subscribing to it.

The work of Barbara Brandon-Croft and her father is kept in the Library of Congress. Their comics are also featured in Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year books.

Personal Life

Barbara Brandon-Croft is married to Monte Croft. They have one child named Chase. She lives in Queens, New York.

Exhibitions

• 2020 "Still... Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons" (Medialia Gallery, New York City) — a show with both Barbara Brandon-Croft and her father Brumsic Brandon Jr.

• 2022 "Still... Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons" (Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Columbus, OH) — a show with both Barbara Brandon-Croft and her father Brumsic Brandon Jr.

• 2024 "Still... Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons" (University of California-Davis Design Museum, Davis, CA) — a show with both Barbara Brandon-Croft and her father Brumsic Brandon Jr.