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The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago will feature the original, 1981 "NOG: The Protector of the Pyramides" and the 1982 'zine, "Future-Funk".
Published by ONLI STUDIOS opening the door to the Black Age of Comics and Afrofuturism.
Turtel Onli, at the time a Rhythmistic freelance illustrator, was inspired while living and working in the bande-dessinee industry of Paris in the late 1970s to start publishing.
This was ignited by his exchanges with the legendary Moebius of Metal Hurlant. Onli returned to Chicago and transformed his Illustration Studio into an indie publisher of 'zines, Comix & Graphic Novels.
In 1992 Onli coined the term, "The Black Age of Comics" to launch an open genre that celebrates concepts, content, characters and creators derived from the Black, Urban, African, or Indie experience.
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Rhythmistic Art masterpieces are available to the highest bidders via our vibrant Gallery Section.
Art critics & intelligent cultural observers have noted the valuable impact of Rhythmism and its founder, Turtel Onli. Some have determined that Onli seems to have bypassed the politics of the art industry with his broad based practice that spans Fine, Commercial, Educational and Therapeutic applications in the professional visual arts arena.
Challenging their need to commodify art as a limited practice.
Launched way back in the 20th Century at the SSCAC in the historic Bronzeville district of Chicago! Now impacting the entire industry derived from comic books or graphic novels.
The Black Age of Comics is a growing open innovative genre that celebrates creators, concepts and products in this amazing industry that are derived from the Black, Urban, African or Indie experience.
It was launched in 1993 by ONLI STUDIOS in Chicago with the help of a lot of folks.
Prof. Onli asks the simple question: "How diverse were the Graphics Novels & Animation industries before 1993 when we exploded with the indie Black Age bomb? How much "Color" was in these industries?"
"How open was this game back then?"
The answers are proof that the indie Black Age is winning. Is kickin', is raw....and is all about you! The most independent force in comix ever!
This is a competition for minds and markets. Its the Mainstream: Old huge and orthodox. Versus Our Dream: Small, funky, new, innovative and open!!!
One does not have to be Black to participate.....just like you do not have to be Chinese or Mexican to explore their cuisine. We welcome you and yours to sample and share our unique flavors!
We want to thank you for trusting us to open up so many more opportunities in this smart genre.
We could not do it without your support, participation, time and input.
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More, More…MORE!!!
Breaking in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Detroit, The Caribbean, and more…
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"Living' In Da Black Age"
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"Future Funk was first published in 1982. Pre-Afrofuturism. It was an innovative 'zine to promote and present the Arts, innovative illustrations and cartoons, along with a path to the future for all that is visual Funk. I was inspired to do this from my time in Paris working as an illustrator. I was working for MODE Avant Garde and the Paris Metro there in the late '70s and really putting my best hustle on gigging with Metal Hurlant. Moebius was the head at Metal Hurlant, which we knew in the USA as Heavy Metal. He hit me up with a few questions to which the answer was if I wanted it to happen, I would have to publish it!Future Funk was rebooted in 2009..... thanks to serious design work from my fave "Bad-Ash".....Ashley A. Woods. Now it is deconstructed in focused format with a bomb cover treatment by Eric Battle. In 2021 Future Funk will be included in a major exhibition Summer that is, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago called "Chicago Comics: 1960 until Now' Curated by Dan Nadel. What a way to re-open some museum moments in our post Covid re-emergence."
Per Prof. Onli , M.A.A.T. 2021
The BLACK AGE of COMICS is the expansive future of this industry. Why be loyal to characters created in the 1940s and 1960s? Your music and food choices are not that lame. Characters that your grandparents grew up on? Really?
"Why is your music collection Blacker than your Graphic Novels or Comix collection?". This was a question Onli posed in an interview with GQ Magazine a while back. The writer had no answer.
Indie publishers like ONLI STUDIOS have created a path to expansion, excellence, enlightenment, and entertainment with concepts and characters that go where the mainstream does not!
New styles, content a production values await you at ONLI STUDIOS!
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