"Not only are we pleased to be working with a world-class company like Wieden and Kennedy, we have been very impressed by the depth of the message The Truth conveys and Jimmy's tireless energy in promoting it," said Dark Horse's VP of marketing, Michael Martens.
Controversial graphic novel The Truth poses grave racial questions
Jimmy Smith, a dreadlocked copywriter who creates Nike basketball shoe ads by day, has just completed his second book, The Truth. The graphic novel is set in the year 2020 in a U.S. dying of the racial cancer we see infecting our country today. The graphic novel includes a soundtrack CD from the new record label, Afroe Pik Wrekords. and is being co-published by Dark Horse Comics, Inc. and Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment.
Smith, who credits Jesus Christ with ghostwriting the book with him, drew on his own experiences as a young African American target of racial prejudice as well as the numerous hate-filled tragedies that have plagued the U.S. in recent years. While "The slaying of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Rodney King beating, the Columbine shootings and far too many other incidents to name motivated me to write this story. It is my hope that it touches others in a way that contributes to the elimination of racial boundaries and hatred."
The book is written as a graphic novel, providing readers with a hard-hitting visual punch to match Smith's provocative storytelling. Smith gives voice to leaders of warring racial factions such as the Asian Persuasion Coalition, the White Right Militia, the Original Man National Party (an all black group), and the Indigenous Revolutionary Party (an American Indian and Latino group). They confront Goyathlay, Jreamer, Dragon and Abol of theband of spirits known as Those B4. Lead character, Freeman Shakur Jackson, III who epitomizes today's searching teens, and The Truth confront Toxen, who is the true and proud father of America, 2020 and the polar opposite of The Truth.
Smith's book is set in a U.S. shattered by color, history and lies. Hate rules and defines people's identities, leading to the Racial Civil War. Smith's book raises difficult questions: "How do we know The Truth?" "How do we know what's real?" "Why do we believe what we're told?" and "What will happen when we finally know The Truth?" The last question plays on both the common meaning of the word and Smith's lead character, named The Truth.
The Truth is drawn by Nolan Woodard, with logo design and art direction by Javier Castillo. The accompanying soundtrack CD was executive produced by Afroe Pik Wrekords whose members include Deirdre Smith, Jimmy's sister; Devin "Poetri" Smith, Jimmy's brother; Keith Eaddy; Bobby Ware and Smith himself. Featured bands include Sonny Bones, Latin Bomb Squad, 4th Avenue Jones, D and Poetri.
The Truth is Smith's second book. His first-"Soul of the Game," published in 1997, - focused on everyday street basketball heroes (www.soulofthegame.com). He is an award-winning copywriter for Nike's basketball, baseball and football lines, employed by Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Oregon.
The Truth makes its comic shop debut November 17, for the retail price of $17.95.
Who is Jimmy Smith?
From the beginning, Jimmy Smith survived and eventually superceded racial strife. He was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1961. His parents, like many adults of that era, were devout followers of the NAACP and Martin Luther King, Jr. and believed in integration. His family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood where he was subjected to a tremendous amount of racial abuse in his early years.
Smith's school peers taunted him, resulting in numerous fights where groups of whites cheered and jeered, "A fight! A fight! A nigger and a white!" Smith notes that this made it feel like he was fighting against every kid at the school.
Smith was even called a "nigger" by adults who didn't like him playing with their kids. Strangers told his few white friends they shouldn't be playing with him because he was a nigger. Then there was the black sixth-grader who would punch the daylights out of second-grader Smith everyday, calling him a "honky-lover" for having white friends.
It was not until junior high school that Smith was finally able to relax after being accepted by his white classmates. He earned good grades and was a star basketball player through high school.
Smith later attended Michigan State where he studied advertising. His first job after college was as a junior copywriter with Burrell Communications in Chicago.
From 1991 to 1994 he was with Muse Cordero Chen in Los Angeles where he attained his goal of working on the Nike "Just Do It" campaign as a copywriter. Smith thrived in the agency's multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment.
He joined Wieden & Kennedy in Portland in 1994 to work on the Nike account, co-conceiving and creating ads such as "Asteroid" with Ken Griffey, Jr., "Maybe, Maybe Not" with Marshall Falk and the award-winning "NYC" campaign. He has won numerous awards for his work from prestigious shows such as Cannes, Clio, Communication Arts, MPA Kelly and The One Show. Smith appreciates the Wieden & Kennedy environment where he says, after all his previous negative experiences, he works alongside some "dope white people." He has also strived to bring some truth to people through his ad work.
Smith believes that Jesus Christ gave him the life experiences he did to prompt him to write The Truth. In fact, Smith credits Christ as ghostwriter.
"I could not have written The Truth without Christ's help," states Smith.
And don't forget to check out The Truth's website at www.The1Truth.com.