Goodbye 2017: A New Beginning.

Large Brown Bear and Little Rabbit (by me)

This was the year of Badin. Moreover, it was the year of my graphic novel, Badin and the Secret of the Saami. I sold out at Chicago's largest comic book convention. I presented the book and was an honored guest at the Museum of Ethnography in Sweden and University of Tromsø in Norway. The accomplishment of completing an historical fiction graphic novel was a glorious feat. Very few human beings can make such a claim! However, not all has been wonderful. In fact, it has been somewhat disastrous.

The perception of success and wealth for achieving this goal was the most frustrating aspect. So many people followed my progress as I posted updates and journal entries. They all assumed I was making profits and was well-off (second-hand suits and shirts can be deceiving). Quite the opposite was true. Finding work (in and outside of my industry) was especially difficult because of this false perception. Self-publishing my book—and reaping the consequences of the financial sacrifices required over the past 4 years—have been the final nail in a coffin of 18 years of self-employment.

Would I do it again? No. Would I do it if I had to start all over? Not the way I did it. I believed a little too much in my skill as a salesman, writer and artist. I put too much hope in the concept of getting a literary agent—and put very little effort into a plan of action should I be unsuccessful in obtaining said agent. Without mentioning details, a "perfect storm" of personal, financial and business misfortune brought my family and I into a pathetic financial state of affairs. The good thing about all of this is that I went out as a champion and changed a 200-year old racist narrative about a Black noble of 18th century Sweden. For the entire four years I focused on this book, I never gave up and did my best. Moreover, I do believe if I borrowed all the money needed to print the book in bulk and tour the country's comic book conventions, I could have sold out. However the debt required is a burden I am unwilling to carry. Regardless of intentions and effort, hard work does not always financial ensure success. Also, just because you do something good for humanity, that doesn't guarantee recognition while you live. This is the hard reality of following your passion.

So in January 2018, I retire from leading Photo Grafix and Black Rhino Illustration to start a new career and lift my family out of poverty! My full-time labor as an illustrator, retoucher and instructor will come to an end as I put my customer service skills into a new industry. For someone my age (I am over 40), it is not easy to change careers. I'm lucky that I have good health. I'm also lucky that my new job has a strong labor union, medical benefits and many paths toward more responsibility. I like to count my blessings.

My son and wife will continue serving current customers and manage the stock art portfolio and other on-demand courses and books that I developed over the past 18 years. That includes marketing. I'm passing this all to them and leaving them to decide the direction (and ask me what they want to know). Meanwhile, I will focus on training for my new career. This will also include ongoing continuing education and an attempt to re-enroll in college and obtain the credits required to [finally] earn my undergraduate degree.

My love for art and teaching remains strong, however. There is still the unfulfilled Badin and the Secret of the Saami Book Tour (the fundraiser is still live), a Swedish version of the book (completed, but not repaginated), a Special Edition AND a sequel. There is also my love for creating stock art (I have a portfolio of over 7,000 illustrations represented by agencies around the world). I also enjoy teaching occasional webinars and workshops about photo restoration. So after I finish training for my new position, pass through the probationary period and build up seniority to have a schedule, I will tend to these special projects on a very limited basis.

To those of you who believed in me and my efforts, I thank you! It has been a wonderful journey. I hope and pray that I brought some happiness and enlightenment into your lives.

It is almost over

As I sit in a train car near one of the world’s largest mines, I wanted to assess the value of the past two and a half weeks. The end of my journey in Scandinavia is coming soon. I met, learned from and shared with many people. I proved to others and myself that Badin and the Secret of the Saami is a valuable tool to inspire and teach adults and children. I was blessed with trials and triumphs. If I never return again, I feel at ease that I did my absolute best. 

Natural Allies: The Saami and the Afroswedes



Natural Allies: The Saami and the Afroswedes

You are invited to an open lecture entitled: Natural Allies: The Saami and the Afroswedes with guest lecturer, graphic novelist, Eric C. M. Basir, from Chicago, Illinois. Eric will share his motivation and methods for incorporating South Saami culture into his recently released historical fiction graphic novel Badin and the Secret of the Saami (2017).

The lecture is held in conjunction with HIF-3620 Indigenous Revitalization: Languages, Literatures and Arts course. The lecture is open to everyone, but students and researchers with an interest in Indigenous, diaspora, and minority representation and issues, graphic novels, and transmedial narrative are especially encouraged to attend.

Date: Monday, October 16^th, 2017

Time: 13.15

Room: TEO H4 4.262

On-demand recording: https://youtu.be/m-LTnyC59Wk

 

Official webpage:  http://www.badinsecret.com/

Book press release: http://01753b9.netsolhost.com/BRI/Badinsecret/BadinSecret-PressRelease.pdf

Contact: Ellen Marie Jensen

Lector, Indigenous Studies

Ellen.marie.jensen@uit.no

Special thanks to Ellen Marie Jensen for writing this description.

Going Back to Sweden for Badin

If all goes according to plan, a week from the time I write this, I'll be in Sweden. I hope to post regular updates about the trip and include pictures and video. So far some events are scheduled. Others are not yet confirmed or not public. Some of my time in Norway will be with students at Folkhøgskolan. Here's what I have confirmed so far:

October 4: A Night about Afroswedes at the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm, Sweden. Special thanks to Kitimbwa Sabuni and Michael Law-Barrett for making this happen.

October 16: Natural Allies: The Saami and the Afroswedes at the University of Tromsø in Norway. Special thanks to Åsa Virdi Kroik and Ellen Marie Jensen for arranging everything. I also thank Terry Marttinen for inspiring the title of this lecture. She is a Medical Historian specializing in the history of colonial genetics.

Again, there are many things up in the air and I'd rather not put them out here until they are confirmed. Stay tuned through Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Working For a Better Sweden—and the World

Part of the website promoting my return to Sweden

Four years ago in October, I swore I would never return to Sweden. I hated the country, the white people who lived there—and in the USA—and could not wait to get over the pain of a humiliating experience.

However I did it for my mother and her family. They had lost all contact with relatives in Sweden almost a century ago and I became the bridge to reunite them. That was a worthy sacrifice.

Nowadays, I just hate one white person (he's actually more like an orange person with raccoon eyes and hideous comb-over). However, I have never met a Swede that likes him either.

Much has changed. In fact, thanks to my fellow Afroswedish brothers Kitimbwa Sabuni and Michael Law-Barrett, I have been invited back to Sweden as an honored guest at the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm for a series of events during Black Swedish History Week. However, this time I'm not going as recipient for a gift from the Swedish people. I am going as a gift-giver to the Swedish people: The sharing of a tool to heal the divisions in its society through a completed graphic novel about—and a full vindication of slander for—Sweden's most famous citizen of African descent: Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin.

As a supporter of my work, I need to ask for your immediate help. No, I won't bother you about my 2018 book tour right now. I have something more immediate: If you live in Sweden, I need you to attend this event—and events through October 7. Moreover, I need you to invite politicians, community organizers and religious leaders. This includes media.

Frankly, I have had very poor luck getting any response from anyone! I believe all my email messages are being sent to junk mail. I especially need to meet with the Swedish government's Minister of Culture: Ms. Alice Bah-Kuhnke. I can do this while I am in Stockholm. I hope she and others can come to me while I'm at the museum. However, I think I can arrange ways to meet with them in their offices. It is important that we get the ball rolling for an official government recognition of Badin as a member of the Royal Family and a Prince of Sweden.

One Month Until I Go To Sweden!

A snapshot of the program brochure draft

In a little over one month, I will return to Sweden as a guest panelist for a program at the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm.

I am very excited to be on this panel. We will talk about historical pictures of Black Swedes. This panel will be moderated by Ylva Havel of Södertörn University. With me will be art historian Catherine Anyango-Grünwald and Joachim Östlund from the University of Lund.

It made me so happy to see that Michael Law Barret and the team at the museum used my re-imagined portrait of Badin in the brochure (top-left). I have been studying the Swedish language for 3 years now. So I am hoping it comes in handy, as the other two segments will be in Swedish.

Do you remember my book tour in Sweden? Well, it's still going to happen. Unfortunately, due to my failure to raise enough money in time, it must be postponed until 2018. So please spread the word and contribute. I need your help to inspire a new generation with a new folk hero: Sweden's forgotten Black Prince: Badin.

Comic Book Convention Report (Retcon)

I was thrilled to sell copies of Badin and the Secret of the Saami and do a lecture at the Chicago Retcon earlier this month. I met many new customers and allies. The privilege of speaking about Telling Historical Fiction Through Sequential Art was the highlight. I have posted a video of it from Facebook live to my YouTube channel above.

Fun cosplayer TV-Head with #BadinSecret at RetCon

Retcon was alot of fun. Traffic was a bit slower than I expected. But the staff, volunteers and overall spirit was fantastic. This was their first year and this was my first convention as a creator. It was very affordable, child-friendly and I am looking forward to doing it again. Geeks A Gogo wrote a detailed article about the convention. They even featured me in one of the pictures drawing a doodle.

One of the highlights was a surprise meeting with the man who first taught me how to draw cartoons, Tim Jackson. I hadn't seen him since grade school. I got a picture of us along with his granddaughter at Retcon. He is the author of a fun to read history book: Pioneering Cartoonists of Color.

Tim Jackson (center) with granddaughter

Please check out and support the fascinating people I met (some of who bought Badin and the Secret of the Saami or helped me out):

Kimberly Mosberry, Illustrator
Katie Armentrout, Illustrator.
Monica Gonzales, founder of Geeks A Gogo
Asia Dye, Illustrator
Jon Brown, Illustrator
Alex Hernandez, Writer
Victoria Perez-Segovia, Illustrator
Alejandro Rosado, Illustrator
Markisan Naso, Writer
Dimitri Fisher, Illustrator
Sean Kleefeld, Writer
George Kant, Illustrator
Ben Miller, Illustrator
Rafael Nieves, Writer
Kevin Sheller, Writer
Jessica Lynn, Illustrator
Max Bare, Illustrator
Rebecca Rothschild, Illustrator

My next convention is Wizard World Comic Book Convention in Chicago. I'll be in booth E16 with a fantastic writer and creator of the Yi Soon Shin historical fiction graphic novel, Onrie Kompan.

Lecture: Telling Historical Fiction Through Sequential Art

Please join me at Chicago Retcon, a new and innovative comic book convention on August 12 and 13. I'll be there as a guest speaker and a vendor. If you want an autographed copy of Badin and the Secret of the Saami, I'll be there for that as well.

I am very excited about this because it will be my first lecture about Badin and the Secret of the Saami and artwork. For 15 years I have lectured about photo retouching. But never about writing and illustrating. So I cannot wait to incorporate my speaking experience with this exciting topic about creating historical fiction graphic novels.

Here's the official description for the lecture: From ancient folktales in every part of the planet to modern history, storytellers have inspired future generations to avoid past mistakes, improve themselves and build better societies. There is not one aspect of our lives that is not affected by some precept or idea put forth through a legendary tale. Moreover, every legend, myth or tale owes its existence to an actual historical event. Historical fiction is indeed the most ancient genre. Using his own historical fiction graphic novel, Eric C. M. Basir will share the methods he used to tell a new story about an obscure African man who was adopted by a Swedish queen.

My lecture will be on Sunday August 13 at noon. The convention will be open from 11 am to 6 pm August 12 and 13. Please check out the official Chicago Retcon website and look over all the great things going on. Of course you should buy tickets! There will be plenty for children to do as well!

Call for Articles for the Badin and the Secret of the Saami Special Edition

Businessman Writing by Eric Basir

I want to publish a few short articles by Saami and Afroswedish people in Sweden who want to share their experiences growing up in that country. I would also like to include Swedes of any foreign backgrounds who were adopted by white Swedish families.

Unfortunately, I cannot afford to pay you. However, you will get full credit and a free PDF of the graphic novel which you can read and enjoy at anytime. You will also need to read the graphic novel before writing your article and it needs to be in English.

Please send your article through the form at the Badin and the Secret of the Saami contact page.

Those which I cannot fit into the book will be published in a special page on the Badin and the Secret of the Saami website.

Where Do We Go From Här?

Truly, the revolution begins after the first shot of liberation.

Four years ago I embarked on a journey just to reconnect my mother's family with their lost Swedish relatives.

A year later I decided I would start a new journey to take Badin aka Cousche out of the dustbin of Swedish history and elevate him to the much deserved status of Legend.

As of May 1, 2017, Badin was liberated from 200 years of slander, emasculation and racist misinterpretations through the historical fiction graphic novel, Badin and the Secret of the Saami.

Now that the graphic novel is complete and on sale worldwide, it is time for the next step. That is, will I choose to create a sequel, spin-off or other story? While doing the graphic novel, I have simultaneously created a "special edition" of the graphic novel full of director notes, teacher guide and character diaries. Right now I am aggressively exploring various options by reading articles by writers—along with dissecting various books, TV shows and movies related to various genre.

One thing for sure, it will be focused on middle grade readers. Obviously, you can expect to see more of Badin. What kind of "next" would you like to see?

Those who are curious about the "Här" in the title should know that is the Swedish word for "Here."

Badin: A New Royal Portrait

Before and after: Reimagined portrait by Eric Basir

It has been almost 200 years since the death of Sweden's forgotten Black Prince, Badin. He was intentionally and unintentionally emasculated and buried in racist stereotypes until 2017 when I released the historical fiction graphic novel Badin and the Secret of the Saami.

Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin, né Couchi, known as Badin, was Queen Lovisa Ulrika's adopted African son. She adored him and was undoubtedly his soulmate. Although he was just a child, in him she saw a little bit of herself: Eager to learn and a stranger in a strange land (she was born in Prussia—a large area now part of several western European countries).

The above (left side) portrait by Court painter Gustaf Lundberg is most likely a partial fabrication. That is, the feathers and quiver were probably added after the sketch of Badin was complete. Such embellishments were common for all royalty in 18th century Europe. Intrinsically, the choice of the feathers and arrows are rooted in gross stereotypes of African (and other non-white) men as lustful savages ready to rape and pollute the white race. The late Allan Pred's The Past is Not Dead explains this in more detail.

As of recently, there is no historical documentation I could find which points to Badin having a fascination with archery or feathers. However, there is proof that he was an avid reader, writer and chess master. So the chessboard is appropriate. However, as part of my full frontal assault on the stereotypical and racist portrayal of this intelligent and honorable Swedish man, I recreated this famous portrait for the graphic novel, Badin and the Secret of the Saami.

So I chose to enhance the ideas behind Badin's literacy and genius by replacing the chess theme with one of writing. I also freed up his Masonic uniform and crown by removing the feathers. Now those familiar with his membership in the Freemasons can be interpreted without distraction. It is possible that Lundberg resented that Badin was a Freemason and added these items to debase Badin.

I would hope more  artists would "reimagine" Black figures in Europe. They were great men and women—and they lived under great scrutiny. It is our job to elevate them—and when appropriate—redeem them through new stories to inspire new generations.

This new portrait is displayed in the first act of the Badin and the Secret of the Saami graphic novel. 

Badin and the Secret of the Saami Official Press Release

Screen shot on top half of the new press release

I took a big plunge into hiring an experienced writer to compose a press release for Badin and the Secret of the Saami. It took me awhile to find the right one. I think this is something every self-published author should consider. The writer, Eartha Watts-Hicks completely tapped into the heart and soul of the story and its connection to me as the writer and illustrator. She also provided a slew of tips and corrections to help make this project more presentable online. She called me multiple times to read the copy and ask me questions about my ideas and thoughts regarding the story and its importance in popular culture. You can download the press release as PDF or Word documents. Please spread the word. I need your support.

Six more days

I am ready. Are you ready? 2017 has been a tumultuous year for this graphic novel. Some wonderful news has come my way regarding Badin and the Secret of the Saami. But I will wait awhile before I share it…In about 6 days.

Meanwhile, I wanted to share these image of Badin and Crown Prince Gustav III that I created for a new series of tee shirts featuring the major characters. What do you think?

Graphic Novel Launch: 28 More Days!

I cannot believe I have come this far in one year. Just 12 months ago I was planning for it. Total concentration and sacrifice resulted in a finished product.

Right now the paperback edition is at Lulu and the digital edition is at Comixology. Of course they are not available until May 1.

The more I work on this project—trying to bring attention to it—the more I believe it will not be appreciated until I am long dead. It is just too profound and unconventional. Getting feedback has been like pulling teeth. Asking someone to read a 114 page graphic novel about an obscure African child of Swedish nationality and his Indigenous male mentor just is not very "sexy." Nonetheless, I persist. Some just want to support me because they know my heart is in the right place.

However, I did not write and illustrate this graphic novel to satisfy appetites for the hottest trends (i.e. zombies, vampires and transgender). I wrote a story that redeems a slandered and emasculated people (African and Saami) and paints a positive future for the human race. I knew what I was getting into, and yes, I was disappointed to receive no help from literary agents and publishers. I was disappointed because they claimed to want "diversity" and "relevance to contemporary issues" but could not see that in my story.

So I have gone the independent path. That means the paperback will be costly (probably $45 USD). That seems to be a high price, but I will only make about $1 USD for sales on Amazon. Yet the story is magnificent and the inspiration you will receive from reading it will be worth the cost. The good news is a digital edition will be $14.95 USD. 

I hope you will support this effort. Sharing these articles would be a great start!

Translating Badin and the Secret of the Saami and Changing History

Please play this very short 2 minute video to learn about this very important project. It is in English and Swedish.

100 Reasons...

For the final 100 days leading up to the May 1st release of Badin and the Secret of the Saami, a daily internet "meme" is released featuring a sneak-peak of the graphic novel pages. Along with each image is a one-sentence reason why you should read this story. You can follow these updates on Facebook and Twitter.

New Cover for Badin and the Secret of the Saami

The final cover

Inspired by the Star Wars Rogue One poster (a movie I really want to see), I created a new cover for the graphic novel, Badin and the Secret of the Saami. It's not a copy. However, the placement of the main character and villain was heavily inspired by Rogue One.

Badin is frontmost. He is holding a special book. Behind him is the villain (read the Kraken or the Mini-Sagas Compilation to learn more about him). Below Badin, from left is Queen Lovisa Ulrika, Crown Prince Gustav III, South Saami elder Gaaktu, Princess Sofia Albertina and Anna Olsdotter.

The other characters—including the owl—were carefully placed along the Golden Spiral, Golden Ruler and Golden Ratio. It includes scenes from the graphic novel. An abstract of the Swedish flag is in the sky. The flag is based on the Christian cross and is placed along the top section on the Rule of Thirds. The background scenes contain some reindeer, a South Saami earth dwelling (Goahti) and a deep cave with four figures approaching it. Of course, all of this was created in Clip Studio Paint.

Since the graphic novel is in the hands of a second assistant editor, I have been putting energy into promotion and planning for a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a final editor and Swedish translator. I have given up trying to get a literary agent for this book. They want stuff I don't want to make and they aren't sure how to sell a story about an 18th century Black Swedish child and his Saami mentor.

Badin and the Secret of the Saami is a story I wanted to tell. So I used comic book art as the medium. I know this is a beautiful story. I know the artwork helps tell it. I believe in it and that is all that matters. I will not sit and hope or wait that someone will believe in it.

This story is about belief—belief in sacrifice for the good of other than one's self. It's about history and redemption. It is a story that can heal the wounds of social, racial and religious strife. It is about the importance of indigenous culture for the survival of our species and how the most foreign—or different—among us, can be the ones who usher in a new and better society.

Well, I hope you believe in what I'm doing. If you do, please share the official website for Badin and the Secret of the Saami. The graphic novel is due to be released in just 100 days from tonight!