Poet imagines Philadelphia with universal healthcare in new graphic novel

Lindo Jones always battled social anxiety. To combat his condition, the Germantown resident often rehearsed anticipated conversations in his head before going to school. He didn’t realize that this coping mechanism would lead to a career path.

“I was always trying to look for the most impactful expressions or ways to say something that led to the best impression of myself, because I felt like a lot of times in high school I was embarrassing myself,” Jones said. “And after a while, a few people said to me, ‘You know, what you said sounded like poetry.’”

Jones fully embraced these compliments and started going to poetry open mics to hone his skills. Soon he was no longer just Lindo Jones, but LindoYes — a spoken word artist.

Last month, Jones released his debut graphic novel, “PawnShop,” expanding on the themes he explores in his poetry, such as mental health and Black identity. From rehearsing conversations to signing a publishing deal, Jones’ success story is proof that supposed flaws can actually become inspirational strengths.

Imagining a better world

“PawnShop” reimagines the city of Philadelphia in which healthcare is universal and emotional equity is governed by entities known as Emojis and Cupids. Emojis regulate happiness by reading people’s emotional levels, while Cupids regulate romantic love by pairing partners and resolving heartbreak.

The graphic novel explores the potential of a utopia, while still reminding people there will always be complex situations to navigate. According to Jones, the themes present in “PawnShop” are intended to challenge the reader to imagine a better world.

“One of the things I have often come across being a part of a writer community and publishing community, is that when you want to say facts, you write fiction,” Jones explained. “The idea of universal healthcare becomes more approachable with the imaginative part about it … people start to imagine that and then have a willingness to act on it.”

“PawnShop” is an Afrofuturist graphic novel, meaning it is a science fiction story that incorporates themes of Black culture. For Jones, writing Black characters in Philadelphia, a majority-Black city, made sense.

“I wrote the book without the idea of the white gaze,” Jones said. “I’m not writing the book in the sense of ‘How do I expect white readers to read this?’ I’m writing this book in the sense of ‘These are Black characters and people are going to read it because Black people exist.’”

A Philadelphia-based collab

Jones collaborated with two Philadelphia-based artists on “PawnShop”: Jovan McKoy created the illustrations while Jaz Malone colored the images.

McKoy, a fellow poet who met Jones at an open mic event, said it was his first time working as an illustrator on a book, but Jones and his ideas made him feel right at home.

“[He was] attentive, caring, and made sure that first and foremost, me and Jaz, the other illustrator, that our hearts were really into the project as well,” McKoy said. “The themes of community, social justice, and just bringing awareness to the city of Philadelphia, and other personal things that had to do with Lindo’s life in the book, is just something that really struck home with me and made me even more passionate to put pen to paper.”

Love for the city

As much as “PawnShop” is a love letter to a better world, it is also emblematic of Jones’ affection for Philadelphia. The first chapter opens in Germantown’s Vernon Park, a location about which Jones admits he is “biased.” The story also includes settings including the intersection of Broad and Olney Streets, and West Philadelphia.

“I love this city with my whole heart, and even when I was fragmented, I wasn’t sure what to do, and I felt in pieces, this city has helped me,” Jones said. “So, even though there’s maybe four or five major characters in this book, the sixth character is Philly as a whole.”

Jones intentionally chose locations throughout the city that are less glamorized than other tourist hotspots.

“I wanted to showcase the city, not just the landmarks that we know of like LOVE Park or City Hall or the art museum steps,” Jones said. “It was really important to show that the majority of Philly is just row homes and corner stores, and that is not what you’re seeing.”

In his home neighborhood of Germantown, Jones will host a release party for “PawnShop” at Braid Mill coworking space on Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. Jones said there will be a DJ and dancing, as well as a book discussion. He is hopeful that his story will inspire others and spark meaningful conversations.

“For me, it’s not just important to have these ideas, but I want to be able to organize around these ideas,” Jones said. “I want to really see how they could be in practice, and not just find myself being an armchair activist.”

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at [email protected].