Barbara Brandon-Croft facts for kids

Barbara Brandon-Croft, born on November 27, 1958, is a talented American cartoonist. She is famous for creating the comic strip Where I'm Coming From. She also made history as the first African-American female cartoonist whose work was shared across many newspapers nationwide.

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Barbara Brandon-Croft was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her father, Brumsic Brandon Jr., was also a cartoonist. He created the comic strip Luther, which was published from 1970 to 1986. Barbara and her father are the only known father-daughter duo to be newspaper cartoonists.

When she was a baby, her family moved to New Cassel, New York, a neighborhood with many Black families. During a time when schools were being desegregated, she traveled by bus to an elementary school in Westbury, New York.

Barbara studied at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. In 1982, she created cartoons for Elan, a magazine for Black women. Later, she worked for Essence magazine as a writer focusing on fashion and beauty. She also drew pictures for The Crisis magazine, published by the NAACP, and for The Village Voice and MCA Records.

Barbara's drawing skills came naturally. As a child, she helped her father with his comics to earn her allowance. She first became well-known for her comic strip Where I'm Coming From. She also created other illustrations, including Sista Girl-Fren Breaks It Down...When Mom's Not Around. Barbara Brandon-Croft also designed a line of greeting cards for a company called OZ.

Where I'm Coming From Comic Strip

Barbara Brandon-Croft began publishing Where I'm Coming From in 1989 in the Detroit Free Press. This comic strip shares the experiences of about twelve African-American women. It gives readers a look into the challenges of being an African-American woman in the United States. The characters, like Alisha, Cheryl, Lekesia, and Nicole, are based on Barbara and her real-life friends.

The artwork in the comic strip is very simple, a style called minimalistic. There are no background drawings; the focus is only on the characters. You only see the upper part of their bodies. The characters do not use speech bubbles. Instead, they talk directly to the reader.

In 1991, Where I'm Coming From began to be shared across the country by the Universal Press Syndicate. This made Barbara Brandon-Croft the first Black female cartoonist to have her work published in many newspapers nationwide. It was also the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear in major newspapers. Between 1989 and 2004, the comic strip was featured in over sixty newspapers. It appeared in papers across the United States, including Essence, The Sacramento Bee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Baltimore Sun. It was also published in The Gleaner in Jamaica and Johannesburg Drum magazine. Barbara stopped publishing the comic strips in 2005 because fewer newspapers were subscribing to it.

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

Personal Life

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

Exhibitions and Art Shows

• 2020 "Still... Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons" (Medialia Gallery, New York City) — This was a joint art show with 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) — Another joint exhibition with her father.

• 2024 "Still... Racism in America: A Retrospective in Cartoons" (University of California-Davis Design Museum, Davis, CA) — This was the most recent joint exhibition with her father.

See also

• Jackie Ormes
• Morrie Turner