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A picture is still worth a thousand words!
The best way to grow this force of creativity is to buy our products!
NOTE: February 2022 will be our virtual interglobal convention. The almighty rebranded "BLACK SANKOFA 2.0".
And yes....you do not have to be Black to participate. However it helps to be cool, awesome, intelligent or just plain positive.
BTW! Keep buying our books and other products as we can not do this work without that type of real world participation!
We conquered the industry back in 1993 when we launched our first convention that expanded the industry.
As our Prof. Onli often asks: "How much Diversity, Color, or Alternative was in this industry before we launched our event in 1993?"
That mission took 20 years to complete. Now we welcome you to our next journey as we look both ways. Into the past and into the future.
Last year we went virtual in our annual convention to great success1
Thanks Y'all!
This original indie Black Age of Comics Chicago comic-con was started as a full service and totally welcoming mini-comic-con in Chicago in 1993.
It was the very first event of its kind on planet Earth!
Bold enuff to call itself BLACK!
Yet open enuff to reach out to all positive folks, be they Fluid, Straight, Disabled, BOC, Black, FLKs, White, Asian, LatinX, Green, or Martian.
Killa support was given by the ever-awesome Milestone Media, Herbert Nipson of JPC and it was produced by ONLI STUDIOS LLC. Hosted in the Bronzeville District of Chicago at the historic National Treasure certified South Side Community Art Center.
Truth be Told!
Last year we rebranded to become "BLACK SANKOFA!":
Time for practical reflection and creative production.
Still universally open as only Black can be.
Open to all positive folks from Mars, back yonder, both sides of the tracks, down under, around the way and out back! Moving forward in our virtual platform & program during the month of February each year! Still pushing the glory and story of all things indie in this hybrid nexus of narrative art, literature, creativity, culture, & commerce!
We appreciate all of the generous donations from those of you who generously gave to our killa mission of positive Creativity, Culture, & Commerce! We could not do it without your luv!
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago will feature the original, 1981
"NOG: The Protector of the Pyramides", 1981 and the 1982 'zine, "Future-Funk".
Published by ONLI STUDIOS opening the door to the Black Age of Comics and Afrofuturism.
View the documentary BLACK INK
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.
Prof. Onli often asks the question: "How Black was this industry before we launched in 1993?"
Check out this dynamic Summer 2021 group exhibition called "Chicago Comics: 1960 until Now!"Curated by Dan Nadel
Be safe & be smart!
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"Discover and collect!"
Support our exclusive Fine Art.
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CHICAGO COMICS 1960 Until now!
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We love & appreciate your generous, ever-cool engagement and smart participation.
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A superb and pragmatic way to
expand your dynamic and luscious visual art collection.
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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.
More, More…MORE!!!
Breaking in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Detroit, The Caribbean, and more…
For mobile downloads and more please visit our Store, Gallery and Hype & Reviews pages before you leave.
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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 production values await you at ONLI STUDIOS!
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