Pitch Black: Dont be Skerd by Youme Landowne and Anthony Horton

“I was born to people who didn’t want me. So they gave me away. But I guess the people they gave me to didn’t want me either. No one wanted me. That’s how I ended up on the streets alone and uneducated.” This is how Anthony Horton begins to tell Youme Landowne the story of how he made a home for himself in NYC’s subway tunnels. As storyteller, Anthony invites Youme down into his home in this black and white graphic novel. Letting the artwork tell much of the tale, the sparse text focuses on the lessons Anthony learned and the family he found underground. Students are drawn to this book because it is a true story, verifying the oft-rumored reality of NYC’s homeless living underground. A Brooklyn Eagle interview with Landowne works as a great supplemental text that addresses how these two artists collaborated. Highly recommended for readers of all levels looking for a quick and engaging read.

Landowne, Youme and Anthony Horton. Pitch Black: Don’t Be Skerd. El Paso, Texas: Cinco Punto Press, 2008.