Griot Enterprises

Name: Griot Enterprises
Address: 9 East 90th Street, Chicago, IL, 60647, US
Telephone: +17734125133
Price range: $$

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Griot Enterprises

Griot Enterprises is the home of Black Sci-Fi and the future pf entertainment... You better recognize... We didn’t have our Justice League, our Avengers.

We have seen many great African American superheroes in comics, but we never saw an iconic African American superhero team. We, as comic book fans of color, young and old, didn’t have a universe where our heroes reside...
.. Griot Enterprises fills that void. Griot Enterprises’ core form of communication is the comic book, a uniquely American art form. But creating a good story is onl

y half of the battle. In order to give a story life, it must be told to as many as possible. Griot is dedicated to producing product that is at once familiar to the current comic book community, but is not afraid to tackle new concepts and format to reach an audience outside of the typical comic book realm. Comics foster reading comprehension and can be an effective delivery system for lessons and concepts in all subjects. Griot is dedicated to the use of comics for education. The entertainment industry has many innovators. Unfortunately, it has a greater number of imitators. Griot respects its audience and our strong sense of commercial viability. We remain true to our vision and our work while creating a financially viable product. We take no shorts. We create innovative concepts, establish new trends, and produce high-quality products. A Griot concept will always be worth the selling price!

08/03/2026

FINAL WEEK!
Do you like Kung-Fu flicks? Westerns? Unapologetic revolutionary Black Cinema? Then this is the book for you! We’ve got 5 days left in the campaign and only 50% funded with $750.00 from reaching the Promised Land. Celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond (illustrated by Jiba Molei Anderson, Juan Arevalo, Larry Chy, Roberto Goiriz, and more) and make this ’s upcoming birthday a happy one by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today... Link is in the bio!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

08/01/2026

FINAL SEVEN DAYS!

Do you like Kung-Fu flicks? Westerns? Unapologetic revolutionary Black Cinema? Then this is the book for you!

We’ve got 7 days left in the campaign and 50% funded with $750.00 from reaching the Promised Land. Once funded, you ain’t gotta wait more than a month because the book is ready for your reading pleasure!

Celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond and make this ’s upcoming birthday a happy one by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/29/2026

LEO SEASON CONTINUES!

August 17 is this ’s annual rotation. I only ask for one thing:

With this historic season in full gear, 4 Pages 16 Bars presents The Union returns in an updated volume celebrating some of the coolest independent comic book characters from the community. With a story by Tyrell White, written and illustrated by Jiba Molei Anderson, it’s the perfect appetizer for THE comic book event arriving later this year!

We’ve got 9 days left in the campaign and 50% funded with $750.00 from reaching the Promised Land.

Grab this title and celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today… Make this upcoming birthday a happy one and get YOUR presents! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/27/2026

Comics are an exercise in graphic design.

Graphic design is the synthesis of image and text to create a greater message. When people try to break down the importance of art versus story in the hierarchy of comic book creation, they fail to realize that every aspect of the comic book (art, story, lettering, book design) holds equal weight. If one aspect of the product is lacking, then the entire piece falls apart.

It takes time to create the artifact known as the comic book. Indeed, solicitations for books are, at least, three months in advance before the book’s release. Chalk it up to the “assembly line” model of creating comic books in the North American marketplace. This model was adopted in order to meet the monthly demand of comic book distribution. Again, avid comic book fans need that weekly “fix.”

The editor has to juggle different creative personalities and schedules throughout the entire process of producing the artifact. Given the expectations of the audience, the creation timeline is even longer as audiences expect a certain quality level from the product they consume. Most need to take their time to craft their work according to their standards of excellence.

But what if one abandons the monthly model?

What if one has the ability to produce a comic book on their own. What if they had the ability to solely write, draw, color, letter, and design their projects? Some are able to create under that monthly model pressure (i.e., Erik Larsen with his creation Savage Dragon).

That does not bode well for a monthly 32-page periodical, but that does open up space for a larger work; a more personal work that people not conditioned to the weekly comic book purchase model can enjoy.

Speaking of design…

With 10 days left in our campaign, we’re 46% funded and a little over $800 from our goal. Help celebrate the legacy and art of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/24/2026

What are comics?

A lot of people will tell you that comic books are a product, and they would be correct.

The thing that I feel a lot of people forget is that comics are an artform.

The product they, we, consume is art. Think about it like this: comics are many children’s first exposure to the visual and literary creative practice. The people who create the artifact one holds in their hands are artists (that includes the letterer, colorist, and so on).

The reason why people respond to these products is because of the art and craft inherit in their creation. People don’t buy comic books out of necessity. They buy them because of a desire to connect with something outside of themselves. Comics are a practical artform. They are not “art for art’s sake.” Comic books are intentional. They serve a purpose.

Speaking of art…

With 14 days left in our campaign, we’re 42% funded. We make goal, every backer gets the print-ready PDF Nine-Panel Grid Portfolio illustrated by yours truly.

Help celebrate the legacy and art of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/22/2026

And now for something completely different…

LEO SEASON BEGINS!

I had the extreme honor to design the graphics for this exhibition which is still on display until the end of August. I also have the extreme honor to have one of my works included in this exhibition. My comic book work hangs alongside the work of Black Arts Icons like Gordon Parks, Lorraine Hansberry, and Richard Wright.

If you’re in the Chicago area, stop by the Woodson Regional Library on 95th and Halsted… And celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/21/2026

This weekend, the San Diego Comic Con International will host the 38th annual Eisner Awards. This year’s comic book “Oscar” awards ceremony is a historical one. This year, 30 Black artists and writers have been nominated for awards in multiple categories including Best Writer/Artist (Juni Ba for Monkey Meat Summer Batch, The Boy Wonder, & The Fable of Erkling Woods and Jamal Campbell for Zatanna), Best Reality- Based Work (Fela: Music Is the Weapon, by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery), Best Anthology (Noir Is The New Black), Best New Series (Temporal, by Stephanie Williams and Asiah Fulmore), Best Ongoing Series (Storm, by Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, and others) Best Writer (Stephanie Williams for Street Sharks, Roots of Madness, and Temporal) and more.

In June, 10 Comic Book Stores, all Black-owned, joined forces to become The Ink Alliance founded on the belief that collaboration is the greatest strength. By bringing Black-owned comic retailers together, the Ink Alliance is building an ecosystem where businesses grow stronger, creators have greater opportunities, and our collective success helps shape the future of comics.

That same month, a new website emerged. Black Comic Previews established a hub where people could seek out comics, mainstream and independent, created by Black hands and Black Minds.

Welcome to Black Comix Summer.

Speaking of…

WE'RE AT 41% OF OUR FUNDING GOAL AND LESS THAN $1000 FROM BEING FULLY FUNDED!

With 17 days left in our campaign, be a part of Black Comix Summer and celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/19/2026

WE'RE AT 40% OF OUR FUNDING GOAL AND LESS THAN $1000 FROM BEING FULLY FUNDED!
Catch up and grab some of our other releases in the Griot Enterprises library and celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/16/2026

It doesn’t take much to support The BLAM Collection. It doesn’t take much to get a reward for your efforts!

For only $1.00, backers will receive the 2026 Griot Enterprises catalog, which features all of the books in the Griot Enterprises library. Can’t get them all right now? At least you’ll know what you want to grab in the future!

We’re almost at 40% of our funding goal. Help us get to the halfway mark this weekend and celebrate the life and legacy of La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

07/13/2026

“La Morris was a fan of the Shaw Brothers, Tsui Hark, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan and other classic kung-fu film directors. Canton Kid is a mash-up of everything he loved, and an homage to everything he thought was cool, in those films.”

In less than a week, we’re currently 32% funded. Help celebrate the legacy of legend La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jazintellect/the-blam-collection

Address

9 East 90th Street
Chicago, IL
60647

Telephone

+17734125133

Website

http://www.griotenterprises.com/

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