BOONE, N.C.—On April 24, nationally renowned cartoonist Keith Knight will visit Appalachian State University. While on campus, he will be the focus of two events that are free and open to the public.

The first event is “Fear of a Black Magic Marker: Cartooning as Art and Practice,” where Knight will speak about his career as a comics artist with Dr. Craig Fischer, a professor of English at Appalachian. This interview will take place at 2 p.m. in Room 155 (Tater Hill Room) in the Plemmons Student Union.

Knight also will present “They Shoot Black People, Don’t They?,” an eye-opening comic strip presentation on 20 years of police brutality on people of color. This presentation will be at 7 p.m. in the Gordon Gathering Hall in the Reich College of Education Building. Immediately following the presentation there will be a reception and book signing in the Multicultural Center in the Plemmons Student Union.

Knight has performed “They Shoot Black People, Don’t They?” at college campuses, comedy clubs, libraries, churches, art spaces and community centers worldwide. “Expect a painfully funny update on the state of race in America,” Fischer said.

Knight, also a rapper and a social activist, is one of the funniest and most highly regarded cartoonists in America. He is the creator of three popular comic strips: “The Knight Life,” “(th)ink” and “The K Chronicles.” For nearly two decades, this multi-award-winning artist has brought the funny to the funny pages with a uniquely personal style that is a cross between “Calvin and Hobbes” and underground comix.

Knight’s comic musings have garnered accolades and stirred controversies, prompting the NAACP to recognize him as a 2015 History Maker, and CNN to tap him to grade America on its progress concerning issues of race. His art has appeared in various publications worldwide, including The Washington Post, Daily Kos, The San Francisco Chronicle, Medium.com, Ebony, ESPN magazine, L.A. Weekly, MAD magazine and The Funny Times. Knight was a guest of honor at the 2016 Comic Con International in San Diego, and he is currently finishing up his first long-form graphic novel, titled “I Was a Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator!”

Knight’s visit is sponsored by several Appalachian entities. These include the Children’s Literature Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English, Multicultural Student Development, Reich College of Education and Richard T. Barker Friends of the University Library.

For more information, contact Fischer at 828-262-2325 or [email protected].

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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