Strange Fruit, Vol. 1 | Joel Christian Gill | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Joel Christian Gill discusses his graphic anthology, "Strange Fruit," which uncovers forgotten stories of African Americans in a powerful and thought-provoking way.

Transcript

MALE SPEAKER: Well good morning and welcome to Authors at Google in Cambridge, Mass. Today it's my enormous pleasure to introduce Joel Christian Gill. And before I launch into the prepared portion of my remarks, I have to say that Joel is the first author we've ever had in Cambridge whom I've spotted actually selling a copy of his book on the way t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙂 "Strange Fruit" highlights forgotten narratives from black history, shedding light on individuals and events that have been largely overlooked.
• 😒 Joel Christian Gill uses his comics to tell these stories in a visually engaging and thought-provoking way, capturing both triumph and hardship.
• 💱 The title "Strange Fruit" carries a deeper meaning, representing stories that hang outside the mainstream of history.
• 🥰 Joel's digital art process allows for versatility and efficiency in creating the comics for "Strange Fruit."

Questions & Answers

Q: What inspired the title of Joel's book, "Strange Fruit"?

The title was inspired by an article Joel read about a cursed tree that fell, which was the centerpiece of a lynching that happened in Roanoke, Virginia. The title represents forgotten stories and the dramatic narratives of African Americans in history.

Q: How does Joel find the obscure stories for his book?

Joel collects stories through research and people's suggestions. He tries to uncover untold narratives from black history that have been long forgotten or overlooked.

Q: How does Joel create the comics for "Strange Fruit"?

Joel initially did the artwork traditionally, using pencil and paper. However, he later transitioned to digital tools like a Wacom tablet to streamline the process. He combines different layers to create the final images.

Q: Does Joel continue to collect stories for future volumes?

Yes, Joel is working on a second volume of "Strange Fruit," which will include stories about women, people with disabilities, and members of the queer community. He also has another series called "Tales of the Talented Tenth," which focuses on action-based stories of obscure black history.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Joel Christian Gill shares how he came up with the idea for his book and the inspiration behind the title "Strange Fruit."

• He discusses the process of finding obscure stories from black history and how he creates the comics to tell these stories.

• Joel reads and shows a sample story from "Strange Fruit" about a slave named Spotswood Rice who fought to save his children.