Illustrating Jamaican Folklore

Henry Grandison was born in Annatto Bay, St. Mary. Throughout his childhood, Grandison was exposed to fine art which was an everyday activity in my home. His Father, a Neo-Impressionist Landscape Painter, and Art Teacher aided his exposure to art. Grandison attended Annatto Bay Primary school and dabbled in life drawing in these formative years focusing mostly on the figure. He then attended St. Mary’s High School where there was exposure to other areas in art. He focused on drawing, graphic design, and imaginative composition.

 After leaving High school Grandison went to Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts where he studied Art Education and Painting. After leaving Edan Manley he taught at Papine High School, where he founded the school’s art and chess club. It was during this time that he started making comics because of his students’ encouragement. He taught myself about the process of making comics and graphic design to create his first comic book. “I consider comic books to be the answer to many reading problems faced by young Jamaicans from the underprivileged environment as well as a useful outlet for them,” Grandison.

Henry spent the next 3 years teaching at Bog Walk high school trying to empower the students in his care to appreciate art. He left the teaching profession to pursue my dream of being a comic book artist where he has been contracted to work along with different writers as the artist for their comic books/graphic novels. Henry currently owns his own comic book publishing company, with the hopes to encourage young people to draw sequential art and create creative worlds with characters that all Afro Caribbean persons can relate to.