Pavloff

Tatiana Pavloff
Eng 112
Aaron Kashtan
30 March 2015

Writing this paper became increasingly difficult the more I delved into the
subject matter. I initially wanted to write about how he may not have been
received too well in the Hip Hop community. It seemed logical that a comic book
artist wouldnt be accepted into the Hip Hop community. I mean when was the
last time that Stan Lee and Dr. Dre collaborated? But the more I read about Ed
Piskor and his writings and research I learned that he was actually very well
received and praised for his comic. He uncovers and brings to light the side of
Hip Hop that people dont know very well. I also learned that comics and Hip
Hop fit really well together. I also did learn that there was a lot of collaboration
between Hip Hop artists and comic artists on things like cover art, street art, and
advertisements.
I have an absolute love of Hip Hop, and I am warming up towards comics.
I feel that this assignment and this comic have opened a new door for me in the
comic world. It was the first comic that I was actually excited about reading,
because I love the content. There was a lot I learned about Hip Hop history, that I
didnt know before reading this comic. Piskors comic is so well researched and
written, that its a pretty reliable source of history.
Overall I enjoyed this assignment, but I felt like I ran out of things to write
about. All of my sources all pretty much said the same thing, and I think that

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becomes apparent in my essay. I tried to be non-repetitive as much as possible.
That of course leads to a bit of a word shortage. The only sources I could find on
the comic were either book reviews or interviews with the author. The comic is
relatively new and not as popular as some comics. It also takes from two
communities that are pretty isolated in their fan bases, so naturally there arent
as many sources as there might be for Batman or even Saga.

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Hip Hop Family Tree: One Mans Quest to Fit In

When asked to think about comics, people automatically think of
superheroes and villains. This would have been an accurate assumption during
the genesis of comics, but now infinite different protagonists and antagonists
have infiltrated the comic world. Ed Piskor a Pittsburgh native has taken this
image and applied it to the world and origins of Hip Hop in his comic Hip Hop
Family Tree. The Pittsburgh Post- Gazette has noted this as well saying, The
oversized, graphic novel, superhero-comic treatment of the origin of hip-hop
music landed briefly on The New York Times best-sellers list (Hamill). Growing
up just south of downtown Pittsburgh, Piskor was exposed to Hip Hop at an
extremely early age, and has been captivated ever since. Piskors love of
everything Hip Hop and comics has led to this innovative and complementary
combination, which has become exceedingly successful. The comic reproduces a
history of the inception of Hip Hop. Piskor writes on the influential members of
the community and how they all interconnect and work together to form the Hip
Hop culture. He cleverly names the comic Hip Hop Family Tree, because
everyone mentioned has a major part in its inception (Deuben). Through looking
at reviews and interviews with the author, the readers can see that Piskor has
created an extremely accurate depiction of the creation of Hip Hop in Hip Hop
Family Tree.
Ed Piskor is a nerdy white guy, with a love for comic books. He does not fit
the stereotype for a lover of Hip Hop as well. He was constantly exposed to it as a
child, and grew an admiration for the culture that was only matched by his love of

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comics. He has always had an affinity for Hip Hop, but couldnt contribute in a
traditional way. He is not a rapper, or a dj, or even a graffiti artist. In an
interview with Time Magazine he says, ...the only way I can contribute to this
culture is by doing what I know best, which is comics. He desperately wanted to
be relevant within the Hip Hop community. By chronicling the history of Hip
Hop into a New York Times best selling comic, Piskor opens up both cultures to
new audiences. In turn he becomes notable and important within the Hip Hop
community.
The comic culture and Hip Hop culture fit together hand in hand. In an
interview with Southern Californian radio station, Piskor says, But the thing I
like that is similar between both of them is just how they're both kind of cultural
bastard children, and they make parents nervous when their kids are into them
too much (Lanz). He mentions this in a few different interviews. In the Time
interview, Piskor shows the viewers a couple different album covers of prominent
characters in his comic. He demonstrates how a lot of the album covers from the
early eighties use a comic book esque style, and are even drawn by comic artists.
For example in Fig. 1., Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force take on a
superhero persona on the cover of their single Renegades of Funk off of the
Planet Rock album. They are seen busting through a wall, ready to fight crime. It
is even drawn by Bob Camp, the creator and main cartoonist for the popular
television show Ren and Stimpy (Comic Books and Hip Hop). The top left
corner even says Issue #1, mimicking a comic book. You could easily compare
this cover to any superhero comic of that era. So, Piskor is not too far fetched in
his mission to combine these different cultures.

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Some people might be under the impression that Piskor, has no idea what
hes talking about. What could he possibly know about Hip Hop, he draws comics
for a living? Piskor has done extensive research on the subject matter to ensure
that he depicts nothing but the truth. He describes himself as a self-proclaimed
Hip Hop nerd (Rev. of Hip Hop). Many critics praise him, one such says,
Ed Piskor has read all the right books and listened to all the right
people on his quest to craft the definitive chronological chronicle of
hip-hop culture (Ayoub). Piskor was entering into a new realm, and had no
credibility, which he was well aware of it. He said on the subject:
I am a fan, for sure, but I'm handling this in a journalistic
fashion as much as possible, so I need to corroborate my
sources, get this thing to be as accurate as possible. I want to
create something that is highly comprehensive so that if a fan
or scholar or academic who is interested in learning this
history, to get all of this information in one place, they're
forced to use a comic book, which is very important to me
(Lanz).
It was imperative that everything was accurately depicted in order to earn
respect and credibility of the Hip Hop community, especially since this is a work
of non-fiction. He said in his Time interview, Im not interested in debate, Im
not concerned with convincing you why my comic rules, as long as people within
the hip hop community who I respect and adore appreciate the work(Comic
Books and Hip Hop). This quote provides evidence for why Piskor works so hard

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to accurately depict the inception of Hip Hop. With his comic he has earned the
respect and admiration of those he writes about.
One way that Ed Piskor enhances the readers experience is with the style
of drawing he uses in Hip Hop Family Tree. It is very similar to that of street art,
which is a major part of Hip Hop culture. This can be seen in Fig. 2. The
argument can be made that if he had used any other style of art, he would lose
some credibility. He even puts the comic on yellow newsprint, rather than a
traditional white page. This adds time period relevance. His artistic style builds
integrity and authenticity. The washed out tones and retro feel give the allusion of
it being an old comic. It appears to actually be written in the late 70s or early 80s,
when the content takes place, rather than the present. Piskor says that his main
objective was to, look like a comic that was ripped directly from that time, the
only thing that the pages are missing is the smell of old newsprint (Comic
Books and Hip Hop). He accomplishes this successfully.
Piskor mastered the artistry of this comic so well, that there is barely any
criticism. One aspect that he has received some criticism on is the appearance
and relevance of some key characters versus others. The question is often asked,
why did Piskor choose these particular pioneers, as opposed to others? The
answer is simple; Piskor was inspired by a particular story instead of another. He
pays tribute to every major player so far, but he still has quite a few volumes to
complete the history.
Piskor has successfully combined the comic and Hip Hop world in his
creation. He has gained the respect and admiration of people in both
communities, and has helped lead the crusade to bring comics too more than they

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typical audience. In an interview for Comic Book resources Piskor states, The
first book gained some legitimacy in hip hop, so now I have some rappers giving
me their number saying, Whenever my part comes, get in touch, because I want
to look cool and I want you to get things right (Dueben). This was the reaction
that Piskor was searching for. He wanted to be accepted and appreciated in a
community that he loved so much. He was able to accomplish this by accurately
illustrating the most pivotal events in Hip Hop. Piskor has plans to finish out six
volumes of the series (Weingarten). This will be an interesting comic to keep
track of over the next few years, and to see if it receives the same praises.

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Fig. 1. Afrika BamBaataa & Soul Sonic Force Renegades of Funk

single cover.

Fig. 2. Brain Rot: Hip Hop Family Tree, Uptown Meets Downtown pt 2,
Malcolm Mclaren.

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Works Cited:
Hamill, Sean D. Hip Hop Family Tree, Vol. 2: Cartoonist Ed Piskor
continues his quest for the perfect beat. Pittsburgh Post- Gazette (PA)
14 Sept. 2014: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
[Eddie Ayoub Artistic director, Art]. Winnipeg Free Press (MB) 28
Feb. 2015: ??65535. Points of View Refernce Center. Web. 22 Mar.
2015.
"Comic Books and Hip Hop History: Ed Piskor." Time. N.p., n.d. Web. 22
Mar. 2015.
Deuben, Alex. "Ed Piskor Unites Comics and Music with 'Hip Hop Family
Tree.'"
Comic Book Resources. N.p., 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
Weingarten, Christopher R. "See a Raw, Edgy Spike Lee Comic from
'Hip Hop Family Tree' Box Set." Rolling Stone 26 Aug. 2014: n.
pag. Rolling Stone. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

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Lanz, Michelle. "'Hip Hop Family Tree': Comic Book Artist Ed Piskor Inks
a Comprehensive History of Rap Music." 89.3 KPCC. N.p., 4 Mar. 2015.
Web. 22 Mar. 2015.