Celebrate Black History Month With A Gift Of Historical Significance From Thomas Blackshear's Award-Winning Collection

Ripon, CA (PRWEB) January 7, 2010

Now that the holiday season is over, what better way to ring in the New Year than to start making plans for a Black History Month Celebration? Only a few weeks away, the month of February is set aside to focus on the many momentous events and courageous feats of Black Americans. Just in time to commemorate some of these great contributions, internationally acclaimed artist, Thomas Blackshear unveils several new designs of historical significance. Each piece of his collection can be purchased from Collector Hub for yourself or as a thought-provoking gift that will arouse interest and inspire style for any decor.

Barack Obama figurine & bust

Beginning with the highest office in the land, Blackshear presents a handsome figurine of our 44th President and Commander in Chief, Barack Obama, an artistically detailed rendition produced by the famous Lenox China Company, our president stands in front of two American flags as he looks toward the future as Leader of the Free World.

In a candid interview, Thomas explains the inspiration that led him to create the Obama figurine. "The reason why I wanted to do the Obama piece was because something was happening in this country that had never been done before. This was a piece of history that was unfolding right before our eyes. Who ever thought that we would have a black president in our life time, and it's already happened."

Winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, Obama's election was a historic event, not only for Black History but for the history of the United States. In addition to the figurine, Blackshear is introducing the Barack Obama Bust, a stately sculpture that adds distinction to any room. Both presidential pieces ship February in plenty of time to celebrate Black History Month.

The Tuskegee Airmen

Taking a step back in time, Blackshear salutes The Tuskegee Airmen of WWII, dedicated, determined young black men who enlisted to become America's first black military airmen. Part of the award winning Ebony Visions collection and a first in its series, The Airman is a realistically detailed figurine that portrays the proud courage of those brave men who fought for America while battling racial injustice both here and abroad. History buffs and military collectors will appreciate the authenticity of the airman's flight gear. An honorable piece that is sure to incite intelligent conversation and in-depth studies into the historic contributions of Black Americans.

African-American Nativity Series

Another new addition to Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions, collection is the much awaited and highly anticipated Wise Man and The Nativity Camel. The fifth and sixth pieces in the Nativity Series that also includes Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, and the Angel Gabriel along with The Nativity Donkey and Sheep with Lamb figurines. Each piece is painstakingly detailed and brought to life in full color. Like all of Blackshear's Ebony Visions collection, the Nativity features a blend of African culture and Art Nouveau that Thomas refers to as Afro-Nouveau, as he explains, "Ebony Visions is inspired by art deco works that have been practiced for centuries, all I did was put a black face on it."

Four-Part Military Series

Rounding out these poignant pieces of the Ebony Visions collections is the first of its series, United We Stand--Army. Blackshear does a splendid job of capturing the bravery and integrity of a young soldier and what better time than Black History Month to honor our heroic men and women in the armed forces? This four-part military series will eventually include the Navy, Air Force and Marines figurines.

Mother Teresa United States Postal Stamp

Award-winning artist, Thomas Blackshear is widely known for his many works including illustrations for the United States Postal Service. His most recent contribution is a portrait of Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Prize honoree, she was known worldwide for her humanitarian efforts of ministering to the poor and indigent. On August 26, 2010, Mother Teresa's 100th birthday, the USPS will honor her life's work with the release of a commemorative stamp featuring Blackshear's heart-warming portrait of her.

About Thomas Blackshear

Bringing history to life, Blackshear describes his work with the U.S. Postal Service as a blessing from God. Thomas says he will always remember the day he received a message from Jerry Pinkney, a well-known black illustrator he had always admired, asking if he would be interested in finishing a series of illustrations for the U.S. Postal Service's Black Heritage stamp series. Beginning with number 10 in the series, Thomas illustrated stamps from 1986 until 1989. These works include Jean Baptiste, James Weldon Johnson, Asa Philip Randolph, and Ida B. Wells. In 1990, the post office released a group of 50th anniversary movie poster stamps also illustrated by Thomas such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Stagecoach, Beau Geste, and Dracula. In 1991 he was commissioned by the United States Postal Service to illustrate a book called "I Have A Dream," (A Collection of Black Americans on U.S. Postage Stamps). Today this is a sought after collectible item in the philatelic world.

"One of the driving forces that make Mr. Blackshear's art so attractive to collectors is its constantly escalating value on the secondary market," exclaims Larraine Covington, Community Director of Collector Hub. "The Storyteller, one of the most sought-after pieces of all time from the Ebony Visions collection, has been sold out since 1996. It originally sold for $ 410 in 1995, and is currently trading on the secondary market for up to $ 5000."

Winner of the coveted International Collectible Artist award, Thomas Blackshear's work has won him worldwide recognition as one of the hottest contemporary collectible artists in the world. His Black Heritage works premiered at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. He has also been featured on The 700 Club, Ebony/Jet Showcase, and in The Saturday Evening Post. In addition to his designs for the USPS, Blackshear has created works for Disney, Coca-Cola, National Geographic, and Universal Studios, just to name a few.

About Collector Hub

Established in 2001, we are the internet's pre-eminent gathering place for fans and collectors of internationally acclaimed African-American artist Thomas Blackshear. Our goal is to continue to be the most comprehensive Thomas Blackshear community by providing the essential link collectors need to interact and share ideas and information, and conveniently and confidently purchase Thomas Blackshear products online. Visit our web site at http://www.CollectorHub.com or call us at (209) 599-8599.

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Black Rooster Launches With Viral Campaign, Zombies, Superheroes, andBugs?

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 18, 2011

Black Rooster Creations has launched its website with a viral campaign and three major book releases written by screenwriter Jim Beck featuring zombies, superheroes, and yes, even bugs.

The first release, Patient Zero, serves as a cautionary tale that mixes old school zombies with new school technology. Narrated by the zombie virus itself, the story follows single father Robert Forrester, who is brought back to life as one of the living dead after a botched experiment involving nanotechnology. His transformation is slow, first appearing as a skin rash and advanced arthritis, and he quickly begins to lose control.

Featuring a cover quote by Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of such zombie fare as his own Patient Zero and Rot & Ruin, Jim Beck's Patient Zero is currently available through Amazon and Smashwords as a digital download and will soon be available for such formats as Apple's iBooks and Barnes & Noble's Nook.

Accompanying the release will be a viral campaign through Facebook and Twitter beginning on October 18th, and will feature the main characters inner thoughts as his infection escalates. Details are available on the Black Rooster Creations website (blackroostercreations.com).

Beck stated, The idea for Patient Zero came to me after ingesting numerous forms of zombie lore and realizing that many of them shared the same basic formula of an unexplained outbreak, followed by a group of people trying to survive. I wanted to tell a more personal story about a single father trying to protect his son and defend their home while coming to grips with his own transformation. I also liked the contrast between zombification and nanotechnology, and telling the story from the point of view of the virus will provide readers with an insight rarely seen in the world of zombies.

The second and third releases coincide with the introduction of TV in Prose (TM), an exciting new venture that brings television into the world of books. Each series will be split up into seasons and episodes similar to a televised series and will include season-long arcs, season finales, and even cliffhangers. Current plans are for each series to have four seasons, with 6-8 episodes each. New releases will take place every 1-2 months.

The first TV in Prose title is Alter Ego, the story of a homicide detective who discovers that his demure wife is a superhero charged with defending their city against those who would do it harm. The second title is Pest Control, a cartoon of sorts that follows the adventures of a cockroach private eye as he tries to get back into the detective game after an eighteen-month hiatus.

Beck commented, I love television and I love books, and I thought someone should finally mix the two formats in a way that hasnt really been done before. Alter Ego and Pest Control have been pet projects of mine for several years, and I am excited to allow readers the opportunity to see whats in my head.

To celebrate their website launch, Black Rooster Creations is offering the first episode of each TV in Prose series for free. For details on where to go for a free copy, please visit their website (blackroostercreations.com).

Beck also added, With the formation of Black Rooster Creations, we hope to bring unique, original stories into the fold and are determined to have fun while we do it.

ABOUT BLACK ROOSTER CREATIONS

Black Rooster Creations is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, founded in 2011 by Jim Beck. The company specializes in the creation of unique and intriguing concepts for various forms of entertainment.

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