James Spooner Explained

James Spooner
Birth Place:Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Partner:Lisa Nola
Website:www.spoonersnofun.com

James Spooner (born 1976) is an American film director, tattoo artist, and graphic novelist. He is best known for his 2003 documentary film Afro-Punk,[1] and for co-founding the Afropunk Festival. He also directed the 2007 narrative film White Lies, Black Sheep. His first graphic novel, titled The High Desert, was published in 2022.[2]

Early life

James Spooner was born in 1976 in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father is a Saint Lucian professional bodybuilder and former Mr. America and his mother is a retired special education teacher. His parents divorced when he was 8 years old.[3] He grew up in Apple Valley, California and New York City,[4] and attended Apple Valley High School[5] and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.[6] He became fascinated with the punk rock scene in the 8th grade, listening to Sex Pistols, Black Flag, and Misfits.[7]

Career

Music

Spooner is the founder of the record label Kidney Room Records.[8] The label put out three records: Frail's single "Idle Hands Hold Nothing", Elements of Need and Jasmine's split single, and Swing Kids' self-titled single.

He worked as a host at On!, a late-night club event in New York City.[9]

In 2021, he was featured on the Broad's three-part documentary video series, Time Decorated: The Musical Influences of Jean-Michel Basquiat.[10]

Film

Spooner directed the documentary film, Afro-Punk.[11] It premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival.[12] The film featured black punk fans and musicians talking about music, race, and identity issues.[13] In the DIY tradition, Spooner toured the film across the country like a band, screening it over 300 times at college campuses and film festivals.[14]

The message boards on Afropunk.com became an online community where the users discuss fashion, film, racial identity, and gender politics.[15] After the release of the film, Spooner curated the party series Liberation Sessions, where the film was screened and the bands performed live.[16]

In 2005, Spooner and Matthew Morgan co-founded the Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn.[17] According to The New Yorker, it was "born of necessity, a reprieve from racism in punk spaces and a chance for black punks to build community with one another."[18] The annual festival has grown and been held not only in Brooklyn, but also in Atlanta, London, Paris, and Johannesburg.[19] In 2008, due to philosophical differences with its direction, Spooner ended his involvement with the festival.[20] [21]

He also wrote and directed the narrative film White Lies, Black Sheep which was never released commercially.[22] It premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.[23]

Writing

Spooner's first graphic novel, titled The High Desert, was published in 2022.[24] The Washington Post included the book in its list of the "10 Best Graphic Novels of 2022".[25] The book also won the 2023 Alex Awards.[26]

Style and influences

In a 2022 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Spooner said: "If there's one song in particular that could really just set the course for my entire life, it's Patti Smith's 'Rock N Roll Nigger'." He added: "If you look at the beginning of my film Afro-Punk, it's dedicated basically to her, without saying her name. When I started the project, I was so angry at punk in general, at the audacious whiteness of my friends, and the song 'Rock N Roll Nigger' encapsulated that audaciousness for me. So I had a pointed anger."[27]

Personal life

Spooner is a vegan.[3] He is also a tattoo artist at Monocle Tattoo, where he and others pioneered vegan-friendly tattooing.[28] He currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Lisa Nola and daughter.[3]

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerCinematographerEditor
2003Afro-Punk[29]
2007White Lies, Black Sheep[30]

Publications

Books

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Boyer . Maurice . Afropunk Goes Graphic Memoir: 'PW' Talks with James Spooner . Publishers Weekly . April 20, 2022 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220501182418/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/89090-afropunk-goes-graphic-memoir-pw-talks-with-james-spooner.html . May 1, 2022 . dead.
  2. Web site: Lemke . Meg . Spring 2022 Announcements: Comics & Graphic Novels . Publishers Weekly . December 3, 2021 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182536/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/88062-spring-2022-announcements-comics-graphic-novels.html . January 18, 2022 . dead.
  3. Web site: Nwangwa . Shirley Ngozi . An Illustrated Life . Departures . January 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220618194328/https://www.departures.com/arts/james-spooner-the-high-desert-afro-punk . June 18, 2022 . dead.
  4. Web site: Yu . Mallory . New graphic memoir shows how punk rock helped a young Black man find his identity . NPR . May 31, 2022 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706110230/https://www.npr.org/2022/05/31/1102260641/new-graphic-memoir-shows-how-punk-rock-helped-a-young-black-man-find-his-identit . July 6, 2022 . dead.
  5. Web site: Britt . Bruce . The graphic memoir of an Apple Valley 'Afro-Punk' mirrors cross-racial journeys like mine . Los Angeles Times . August 25, 2022 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220901024946/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2022-08-25/the-graphic-memoir-of-an-apple-valley-afropunk-mirrors-cross-racial-journeys-like-mine . September 1, 2022 . dead.
  6. Web site: 06 James Spooner - Tattoo Artist / Afropunk Founder / Filmmaker / Cartoonist (Kidney Room Records / Zine) . Killed by Desk . November 3, 2020 . February 17, 2023 . https://archive.today/20230217115844/https://killed-by-desk.simplecast.com/episodes/06-james-spooner-afropunk-founder-filmmaker-cartoonist-kidney-room-records-zine-tattoo-artist-zCh9zyoZ/transcript . February 17, 2023 . dead . i went to laguardia high school (13:40-14:00).
  7. Web site: Richardson . Nikita . How Afropunk Became a Full-Blown Movement . Racked . August 20, 2015 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170629153952/https://ny.racked.com/2015/8/20/9180091/afropunk-festival-history . June 29, 2017 . dead.
  8. Web site: Kendrick . Monica . Music Notes: say it proud–I'm black and I'm loud . Chicago Reader . August 7, 2003 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211026022115/https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/music-notes-say-it-proud-im-black-and-im-loud/ . October 26, 2021 . dead.
  9. Web site: Owen . Frank . Followers of Fashion . The Village Voice . June 1, 1999 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809052638/https://www.villagevoice.com/1999/06/01/followers-of-fashion/ . August 9, 2020 . dead.
  10. Web site: Ray . Lexis-Olivier . How Music Steered the Art of Jean-Michel Basquiat . Hyperallergic . March 2, 2021 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210921132016/https://hyperallergic.com/626271/jean-michel-basquiat-time-decorated/ . September 21, 2021 . dead.
  11. Web site: Harvey . Dennis . Afro-Punk: The 'Rock N Roll Nigger' Experience . Variety . September 18, 2003 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220303161327/https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/afro-punk-the-rock-n-roll-nigger-experience-1200539190/ . March 3, 2022 . dead.
  12. Web site: Tillson . Tamsen . Toronto fest clocks 'Time' world preem . Variety . August 14, 2003 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220116195805/https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/toronto-fest-clocks-time-world-preem-1117890881/ . January 16, 2022 . dead.
  13. Web site: Pressler . Jessica . Truly Indie Fans . The New York Times . January 28, 2007 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170407043025/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/fashion/28Blipsters.html . April 7, 2017 . dead.
  14. Web site: Brown . August . Outsiders, not entirely by choice . Los Angeles Times . July 9, 2006 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210126062907/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jul-09-ca-afropunk9-story.html . January 26, 2021 . dead.
  15. News: Anderson . Stacey . August 20, 2014 . Rebellious Diversity in Song . en-US . The New York Times . February 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150707023320/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/arts/music/afropunk-festival-hosts-60-acts-over-two-days-in-brooklyn.html . July 7, 2015 . dead . 0362-4331.
  16. Web site: Carter . Mocha . Has Afro-Punk Lost Its Soul? . HuffPost . October 20, 2016 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210413084209/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/has-afropunk-lost-its-sou_b_12248212 . April 13, 2021 . dead.
  17. Web site: Maloney . Devon . Afropunk Started With a Documentary. Ten Years, Two Websites, and Eight Festivals Later... . The Village Voice . August 21, 2013 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211217012058/https://www.villagevoice.com/2013/08/21/afropunk-started-with-a-documentary-ten-years-two-websites-and-eight-festivals-later/ . December 17, 2021 . dead.
  18. Giorgis . Hannah . Gentrifying Afropunk . The New Yorker . August 26, 2015 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180902011946/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/gentrifying-afropunk . September 2, 2018 . dead.
  19. Web site: Holley . Santi Elijah . 'We still need to be seen': behind the rise of black punk culture . The Guardian . August 15, 2019 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210627100526/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/15/we-still-need-to-be-seen-behind-the-rise-of-black-punk-culture . June 27, 2021 . dead.
  20. Web site: Bryant . Taylor . Looking for the Punk That's Gone Missing from Afropunk . Nylon . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180901090421/https://nylon.com/articles/afropunk-punk-roots-2017 . September 1, 2018 . dead.
  21. Web site: Josephs . Brian . Is Afropunk Fest No Longer Punk? . Vice . August 17, 2015 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210612183543/https://www.vice.com/en/article/qbxjx7/is-the-afropunk-festival-no-longer-punk-813 . June 12, 2021 . dead.
  22. Web site: Harvey . Dennis . White Lies, Black Sheep . Variety . September 18, 2007 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202100739/https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews/white-lies-black-sheep-1200556218/ . February 2, 2023 . dead.
  23. Web site: Tillson . Tamsen . Toronto sets international debuts . Variety . August 15, 2007 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202101645/https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/toronto-sets-international-debuts-1117970299/ . February 2, 2023 . dead.
  24. Web site: Reid . Calvin . Panel Mania: The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. by James Spooner . Publishers Weekly . May 4, 2022 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220606155513/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/89206-panel-mania-the-high-desert-black-punk-nowhere-by-james-spooner.html . June 6, 2022 . dead.
  25. News: Cavna . Michael . 'The 10 best graphic novels of 2022 . The Washington Post . November 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207101459/https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/11/17/best-graphic-novels/ . December 7, 2022 . dead.
  26. Web site: Segarra . Edward . Amina Luqman-Dawson's 'Freewater' wins Newbery, more books honored at 2023 Youth Media Awards . USA Today . January 30, 2023 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202115433/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2023/01/30/2023-youth-media-awards-winners-list/11150855002/ . February 2, 2023 . dead.
  27. Web site: Greenidge . Kaitlyn . The Beauty and Freedom of Black Punks . Harper's Bazaar . December 8, 2022 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207182838/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a42025045/the-beauty-and-freedom-of-black-punks/ . December 7, 2022 . dead.
  28. Web site: Scardelli . Larell . Did Your Tattoo Come With A Hidden Side Of Animal Suffering? . Rodale's Organic Life . September 6, 2016 . February 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160910163854/http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/home/did-your-tattoo-come-with-a-hidden-side-of-animal-suffering . September 10, 2016 . dead.
  29. Web site: Afro-Punk . Rotten Tomatoes . July 11, 2006 . January 30, 2023.
  30. Web site: White Lies, Black Sheep . Rotten Tomatoes . January 30, 2023.
  31. Web site: 2022-12-14 . Black Punk Now . 2023-11-09 . Soft Skull Press . en.

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