Award-winning author/illustrator Jerry Craft introduces his new graphic novel, New Kid and talks about how his own experiences influenced the story and main character.
Check out this fun blindfold Drawing Challenge ft. Jerry Craft and his character from his popular graphic novel, New Kid.
Jerry Craft, born on January 22, 1963, is an African American children’s author and illustrator known for his graphic novels, comics, and picture books. His stories often include events and characters inspired by his own life. In 2020, his groundbreaking graphic novel New Kid (2019) became the first graphic novel to win the prestigious Newbery Medal, awarded to the best children’s book in the United States. It also earned the Coretta Scott King Book Award for its celebration of African American culture.
Growing up in New York City, Craft wasn’t a big fan of reading as a kid, but he loved drawing comics. He later earned a degree in advertising from the School of Visual Arts in New York, which helped shape his creative career.
Jerry Craft started his career as a copywriter and later became a cartoonist and illustrator. Early on, he created the comic strip Mama’s Boyz, which ran in newspapers for nearly two decades and focused on the life of a single African American mother raising her two sons. He also illustrated books by other authors, including The Zero Degree Zombie Zone and My Hair Is Curly.
In 2013, he teamed up with his two sons to write The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention!, a humorous story that tackles bullying.
Craft’s big breakthrough came with New Kid, a story about Jordan Banks, an African American boy adjusting to life at a mostly white private school while staying connected to his roots. The book uses humor and relatable situations to explore identity, belonging, and culture. Its success led to a sequel, Class Act (2020), and The New Kid Sketchbook (2021), which invites readers to create their own stories.
Craft is also the cofounder of the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival, where he celebrates the work of African American comic creators. Through his work, Jerry Craft has inspired countless young readers and artists to tell their own stories.