Detroit Tradecraft is a collective of creatives in the Detroit metropolitan area that meet, discuss, create comics and comic-related products while maintaining a coordinated space on Facebook Groups. Our members consist of writers, artists, comic creators, and independent comic companies. Our organization has two directives:
1. To encourage and inspire our members to create comics and comic-related products. To this end, we collaborate on group projects and encourage trading, bartering or leveraging comic tasks among its membership, we encourage improvement of skills of our members with instruction, mentoring, and critiques, and we attend comic conventions as vendors and sell our products as a unified front.
2. To be a resource for the people of Metropolitan Detroit, by mentoring young artists and writers. Our group supports education in the areas of comics and creative arts. We support and are open to partner with other organizations in promoting comics and comic production at conventions and various events.
Like many Facebook groups, Detroit Tradecraft promotes posts and communication about comics and pop media, but unlike many of these groups, we meet, in person or remotely, every month to plan out activities and convention appearances throughout the year. The goal is to create new content and products and support the membership to create. These actions make the group more than an online community. We also work with creatives outside the group as well as advocates for comics in the Detroit metropolitan area.
Because Detroit Tradecraft desires to be a strong advocate for the comic media as a profession and a creative outlet, we expect our members to be encouraging and engaging. We desire members who will treat each other with respect and also participate as we all strive to get better and become more professional in the various areas of comic creation.
Full membership in Detroit tradecraft is $25/member per year. The funds are used for marketing, training for the membership, and convention fees at various comic conventions and events. See the following feature perks of membership.
Barter or trade tasks, as available, for comic projects
Social media and market support for comic projects
Access to Google Drive for video tutorials, files and references
Subsidized attendance to conventions, when funds are available, upon request
Shared marketing and sales for contributing artists/writers at conventions
Critiques and mentoring on your comic-related projects
Access and invite to group monthly meetings
Access to Facebook group page upon request
Access to Facebook group Chat upon request
Table presence (at DTC booth) of product at conventions
Yearly group project participation
Yearly group or joint community events
Tutoring and educational events and meetings
Charles P. "Pat" Jackson is the current President of Detroit Tradecraft. He is also the owner of I Below Ground Productions LLC, creator, cartoonist and publisher of the FX Mulrooney Universe. His direct goals include publishing comics, storyboarding, and character design for multimedia projects.
G Walker Teon is a publisher/editor in chief @ GENERATE COMIX & Co-publisher @ RESURGENCE COMICS studied Art, at C.C.S and also Under the tutelage of comic book legend Arvell Jones, went on to write and draw two of Detroit's first Local Superheroes in weekly comics strips for The Michigan Chronicle In the 80's. He co-founded "DETROIT TRADECRAFT".
Mark Dudley is the Managing Partner and Art Director for Imaginos Workshop. A veteran illustrator and sequential artist, Mark has worked in tabletop RPGs for the last 25 years, primarily with Palladium Books. He is currently working with his writing team in pitching stories to streaming services and creating his comic "Juda-fist: Seven Deaths of the Yobi."
Michael Marcus is a bold surrealist and creative anarchist who has written, edited, and published short stories, comics, and zines., He has participated as production and talent in various medias, and even performed hypnosis on stage. He created 'Art War', an illustrated playing card game, 'Sudoku Tactics,' a competitive sudoku-based game.
Marco Evans is the co-publisher and vice president of Generate Comix and an artist and writer for Detroit Tradecraft. He is a native Detroiter and a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he studied graphic design and illustration. He has worked as a freelance artist for the Michigan Chronicle and other creative venues.
Anthony Brown Anthony Brown is the creator and publisher of Brown Brand Entertainment, and he has designed and laid out several murals in Detroit and Chicago. The mural in the Detroit area is located in the lobby of the US Post office at 1401 W Fort street. He illustrated several children's books, story boards and comic books. He pencils, inks, and colors comics.
Oscar "OZ" Wilson Oscar "Oz" Wilson is an award-winning author, comic book writer, and screenwriterwith a story credit for the independent horror film "Fury" among many other screenplays. He is also a former web-reporter for Examiner Magazine. He's also placed as a finalist in the 2004 National Writer’s Network annual competition, winning a semi-finalist award.
Ervin Johnson is a writer and also the co-founder of Shining Otaku Comics. Starting from childhood, there was a desire and willingness to create. Having great interest in Asian culture, he earned a B.A in East Asian Studies, while publishing manga. "Writing is the ability to give someone the experience of imagination. For me, it's a way to provoke thought and challenge!""
David Allen Perrin III is an illustrator, graphic artist, and product designer from Detroit, Michigan. He is a professional toy and package designer working with brands like Lego, Lucasfilm, and Disney, as well as penciler for Marvel and DarkHorse Comics. He is currently working with Resurgence and Generate Comix.
Adeboye Adegbenro is a certified art teacher with a Masters in Art Education from Wayne State University. worked, professionally, for Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and Dreamworks SKG as a 2d special effects animator. Adeboye is currently teaching, working on personal animation projects, and creating a graphic novel called "GBENAKARI".
Andre Batts is the creative director, founder, editor, and publisher of Urban Style Comics, LLC, and is also the coordinator of the Motor City Black Age of Comics Convention. He is also a Spirit of Detroit award-winner. His original stories include Dreadlocks, Blackwatch, Jihad A.D.2166, and Queen Nubia, among many.
Martaz Crutchfield is a Detroit native and a part of one of Detroit Tradecraft's group writing teams. He is also working on his own personal comic entitled "Edgelight."
Lennard Harris is a comic book artist. He is currently working on several independent and personal comic book projects, including "The Set" and "Father Partridge."