Nationally Syndicated African-American Cartoonist
Keith Knight
Tapped for German & U.S. Speaking Engagements
Featuring His Humorous & Controversial Comics
On Complex Social & Political Situations

• They Shoot Black People, Don’t They?
A Provocative Presentation on Race & Police Brutality
Tours Germany In November 2014

• Additional US Conference, Festival & University Dates
Scheduled for 2015

LOS ANGELES, CA – November 12, 2014 – Nationally syndicated African-American cartoonist Keith Knight has become a sought-after speaker on complex social and political situations through the perceptive and hilarious lens of his storytelling cartoons at college campuses, conventions, festivals, and fundraisers across the US and beyond. Knight has been tapped to tour five German universities, in November 2014, for a series of provocative comic strip slide show presentations, They Shoot Black People Don’t They?, on the topic of police brutality in the US. Knight is the creator of three comic strips, The Knight Life, The K Chronicles, and (th)ink. In his German public performances, the award-winning artist will showcase some of his funniest and most controversial cartoons from the past two decades, which address issues of race, politics, and the importance of social activism in the wake of events from the 1991 beating of Rodney King to the recent fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO.

Knight’s German tour will include stops at University of Siegen, University of Bremen, University of Osnabrück, University of Bochum, and Free University of Berlin. All German events are free and open to the public. Additional U.S. speaking engagements are also scheduled for 2015, including a special guest presentation at the inaugural Black Comix Arts Festival in January, a civil rights panel discussion at the California School Library Association Conference in February, and a presentation/book signing also in February at the University of Arkansas. Please see details and links below. Additional information on Knight and his work can be found at www.kchronicles.com.

In Germany, Knight’s cartoons are being used in universities as a tool to teach students about the African-American experience. The genesis of the German tour dates started with an invitation for Knight to visit the country by Daniel Stein, a professor in University of Siegen’s English Department, who incorporates the cartoonist’s work in his curriculum.

“I like to use Keith Knight’s comics and cartoons in the classroom because they are both extremely funny and extremely witty, skillfully blending the satirical slant of the political cartoon with the humorous potential of comic strip storytelling,” says Stein, who teaches North American Literary and Cultural Studies, “Keith’s work is as topical as it is historically astute in its critical reflections on the continuing presence of race in American culture. As such, it’s a treasure trove for teachers and students alike.”

German University Tour Schedule –
Knight will visit five different universities throughout Germany, with his They Shoot Black People, Don’t They? presentation. The tour schedule is as follows:

• Mon. 11/17/14 (4:00pm) – University of Siegen
• Tue. 11/18/14 (4:15pm) – University of Bremen
• Wed. 11/19/14 (6:00pm) – University of Osnabrück
• Thu. 11/20/14 (8:00pm) – University of Bochum, at Goldkante
• Tue. 11/25/14 (2:00pm) – Free University of Berlin, at the JFK Library

All German university events are free and open to the public.

Additional US Tour Dates –

• Sat. 1/17/15 to Mon. 1/19/15 – Black Comix Arts Festival, San Francisco (special guest)
• Thu. 2/5/15 to Sun. 2/8/15 – California School Library Association Conference, Burlingame (panel on civil rights)
• Fri. 2/20/15 – University of Arkansas (presentation/book signing of Knight Takes Queen, the 2nd Knight Life collection)

They Shoot Black People Don’t They –
Created by award-winning indie cartoonist Keith Knight, a selection from 20 years of his socio-political cartoons are presented in a PowerPoint-based slide show called They Shoot Black People, Don’t They? The cartoonist’s funny and informative material takes a look at police brutality in the African-American community, from the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, MO police officer this past summer.

Keith Knight –
LA-based Keith Knight is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose three comic strips, The Knight Life, The K Chronicles, and (th)ink, can be found currently in over 50 daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers, magazines, and websites worldwide, including Washington Post, Daily KOS, San Francisco Chronicle, MAD Magazine, AlterNet.org, and Medium.com.

While his work is humorous and universal in appeal, it deals with complex political, social, and racial issues.  His comic musings on race have garnered accolades and stirred controversies, prompting CNN to tap him to grade America on its progress concerning issues of race. 90% of the material in his work is based in fact, says Knight, adding, “Whenever I lose a limb or make money, it’s usually made up.”

Knight’s The K Chronicles won the Harvey Kurtzman Award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip as well as multiple Glyph Awards for Best Comic Strip. He was also presented an Inkpot Award
for career achievement at the 2010 Comic-Con in San Diego.

Previous speaking engagements have included a diverse spectrum of venues including Hollywood Improv, American Library Association National Conference, Alameda County Juvenile Hall, the Cartoon Art Museum, San Diego Comic-Con, Afropunk National Tour, Google Headquarters, and the Brooklyn Book Festival.

In addition to creating his ongoing comics and touring, Knight is also working on a graphic novel about his brief career as a professional Michael Jackson impersonator while he was in his teens. He also appeared in The Marginal Prophets, a hip-hop band. Previously a resident of San Francisco, in 2007 he moved to Los Angeles. He was raised in the Boston area.

“I’m hoping my work makes people laugh and/or think,” says Knight, “If I can make them do both at the same time, that’s great. If I can get them to re-think something, that’s the best.”

Links –
• Official Site – www.kchronicles.com
• Tour Calendar – www.kchronicles.com/calendar
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/keefknight

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For more information, photos, or to schedule an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Keith Knight photo [upper right] courtesy of the artist