Hip Hop Family Tree (Comics)

* HHFT (cover 1)
* HHFT (cover 2)

***Hip Hop Family Tree*** is a series of educational and historical comic books written and illustrated by Ed Piskor that documents the early history of hip hop culture. Originating online with *Boing Boing*, the series was published in print form by Fantagraphics Books. The first collection was a 2014 *New York Times* Graphic Books Best Seller (#7) and was listed in *The Washington Post* Top 10 graphic novels of 2013. The second collection won the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work in 2015. Piskor's artistic style in *Hip Hop Family Tree* — including his use of Ben-Day Dots — hearkens back to the comic book styles prevalent during the period being retold. Robert Crumb is openly referenced as an inspiration to Piskor, who cites Crumb's "Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country" trading cards as an influence. Crumb and Piskor are similar in their commemorations of key artists and musical figures, and the informative narration of their chosen genre's historical evolution.

## Started

Began on *Boing Boing* in January 2012 as a one-page "semi-regular ongoing feature".

## The Guardian

" Hip-hop did not always bestride the pop world. Ed Piskor’s warm and vivid *Hip Hop Family Tree* series charts the genre’s febrile early years, when rap, graffiti and breakdance inched their way from the city streets to the mainstream. Volume 3 covers 1983 and 1984, as Beastie Boys leave punk for rap, Whodini, the Fat Boys and Slick Rick emerge and a young man called “Chucky D” meets Flavor Flav. Behind the scenes, DJ Rick Rubin and promoter Russell Simmons join forces to create Def Jam. It’s a very enjoyable look at a scene that mixed the swagger of funk and disco, the then-novel sounds of scratched vinyl and electronica and the bravado and nimble wordplay of young men and women. " - The Guardian

## Hip Hop Gods

Hip Hop Gods accepted young content creator/ artist Skhoso aka Kew OhSo, in the HHGs Family October 26, 2022; due to how his craft in Anime/Manga Hip Hop is of similarity, to Hip Hop Family Tree Comics legacy & continuation; also how much of an impact with his his sub-genre & respect to the culture, as well to the OGs of Golden Era Age Hip Hop.

## XXL Magazine

"Though hip-hop and comic book culture have often borrowed from one another, there has been relatively little in the way of direct intersections. Other than one-issue takeovers of existing series, the worlds have remained, for the most part, mutually exclusive. That's all changing now, with the announcement that Ed Piskor's *Hip Hop Family Tree* will become a monthly comic book series. Since it was first published in 2012, *Hip Hop Family Tree'*s two books have presented an exhaustive history of rap's early days, featuring stories about Lovebug Starski, Grandmaster Flash, the famed  1977 New York blackout and more. The new, more frequent edition will continue chronologically, each issue with variant covers. The third book will cover the years 1983 and 1984, and focus largely on Run-DMC, The Fat Boys and The Beastie Boys. According to Piskor, each of the variant covers will be inspired by Marvel's 25th anniversary cover promotion from 1986. Book 3 of *Hip Hop Family Tree* will be published this August. " - XXL Mag