After a successful run at the San Francisco Main Public Library, the exhibit "Coloring Outside the Lines: Black Cartoonists as Social Commentators" comes to the Laney College Library, 900 Fallon St. in Oakland.

The exhibit - created and curated by Kheven LaGrone - features several black cartoonists whose comic strips appear in newspapers across the country. It runs from Aug. 23 to Oct. 23.

“Cartoonists are the court jesters of modern times," Cartoonist Keith Knight said. "We can get away with things that others can’t because of our ‘cute’ drawings.” "Coloring Outside the Lines" features some of those “court jesters” who share their experiences, inspiration and perspectives as social commentators/provocateurs.

Participating cartoonists Include:

Darrin Bell - "Candorville" is about a brilliant, but under-achieving blogger, a gangsta rapper with a heart of fool's gold and a Latina advertising executive. The two have been friends since childhood and they struggle to stay close even though life's taken them in vastly different directions. They battle backstabbing coworkers, discrimination, crooked politicians, evil vampires, a lazy mainstream media and a hilariously amoral corporate America to get their piece of the American Pie that might've been left out of the fridge a little too long.

Syndicated by The Washington Post Writers' Group and appearing in about 100 papers nationwide, "Candorville" is a continuation of a strip Bell began in high school. Bell is working off a 50-year story arc, in which his characters will age as he ages. The details get filled in later, depending on what's happening in the world.
 
Cory Thomas - "Watch Your Head" chronicles the lives of six students attending Oliver Otis University, a traditionally black college. The strip is told largely through the eyes of Thomas, who’s academically brilliant and socially awkward, especially with girls.

"Watch Your Head" appears in several publications including: The St. Petersburg Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Herald, New York Newsday, Stockton Record and Dallas Morning News.

Jerry Craft - Mama’s Boyz follows the lives of Pauline Porter and her two teenage sons, Tyrell and Yusuf. The strip has been syndicated weekly since 1995 by King Features Syndicate and is sent to more than 1,500 newspapers and magazines around the world. In 2009, "Mama’s Boyz" was named “Best Comic Strip” by the African American Literary Awards Show.

Keith Knight is one of America's most prolific cartoonists. In addition to being a regular contributor to MAD Magazine, he produces three comic strips that appear in more than 100 publications worldwide. They are the Harvey Award-winning "K Chronicles" (Salon.com, The Funny Times, Salt Lake City Weekly); the socio-political single-panel "(th)ink" (96 Hours, San Jose Metro); and the nationally-syndicated daily comic "The Knight Life" (San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Boston Herald).

"K Chronicles" is the winner of the Glyph Award for Best Comic Strip in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. "The Knight Life," also was nominated in 2010. Knight is currently producing a graphic novel about being a Michael Jackson impersonator in high school.
 
Morrie Turner - "Wee Pals" was the first nationally-syndicated racially-integrated comic strip. Created in 1965, initially, few newspapers were interested in a racially-integrated cartoon. After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there was a surge of interest in racial integration and as a result, 100 newspapers published "Wee Pals."

Through the comic, Turner portrays a world without prejudice. It is a world where people's differences - racial, religion, gender, as well as physical and mental abilities - are cherished and not scorned. Turner served as a forum member of the White House Conference on Children in 1970.

Nate Creekmore  "Maintaining" is about life's absurdities and the ways in which a biracial high school student named Marcus tries to make sense of them. At its peak, "Maintaining" appeared in about 40 newspapers nationwide, including The Detroit Free Press, The Portland Oregonian, The Trentonian and Honolulu Star Bulletin.  In addition, the strip appeared in New Delhi, India and London.

Brumsic Brandon Jr. - "Luther" was first syndicated by Newsday Specials and then The Los Angeles Times Syndicate. Based on his social criticism, Brandon was invited to serve (and served) as a forum member of the White House Conference on Children in 1970. Brandon also wrote and illustrated several Luther segments for the children’s television show “Vegetable Soup” and “Bebop Fables” (which was narrated by Dizzy Gillespie).

Later, Brandon created editorial cartoons for Florida Today. Many of his cartoons were included in “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year” from 1996 through 2003.

Barbara Brandon-Croft - "Where I’m Coming From" was internationally distributed from 1991 to 2004 by Universal Press Syndicate. It appeared in more than 60 newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, Sacramento Bee, Atlanta Constitution and Journal and Baltimore Sun. It also appeared in The Gleaner in Jamaica and The Drum in South Africa.

"Where I’m Coming From" voiced social and political commentary through the voices of “the girls” - fictional characters based on Brandon-Croft and her friends. The strip included about a dozen women, ranging from the issues-conscious Lekesia to the self-absorbed, man-obsessed Nicole. Once a week, the cartoon followed the lives and relationships of Alisha, Nicole, Cheryl and the rest. Brandon-Croft is the daughter of Brusmic Brando, Jr.

Makeda Rashidi, a 25-year-old up-and-coming Bay Area-born artist, will present new work inspired by "Coloring Outside the Lines."

For more information, contact Kheven LaGrone at Kheven@aol.com.