Showtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem’s Legendary Theater

Ted Fox's graphic novel adaptation of the definitive history of the Apollo brings the legendary Harlem theater to life.

Since its inception as an African-American theater in 1934, the Apollo, and the thousands of entertainers who performed there, have led the way in the presentation of swing, bebop, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, soul, funk and hip-hop―along with the latest in dance and comedy. The Apollo has nurtured and featured thousands of artists, many of whom have become legends. The beauty they have given the world―their art―transcends the hatred, ignorance, and intolerance that often made their lives difficult.

Today, the Apollo enjoys an almost mythical status. With its breathtaking art by illustrator James Otis Smith, this graphic novel adaptation of Showtime at the Apollo brings to life the theater’s legendary significance in music history, African-American history, and the culture of New York City.

Ted Fox is the author of Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem’s World Famous Theater—the definitive and only full-scale history of Harlem’s legendary showplace and the source material for this graphic novel adaptation—and In the Groove, a collection of interviews with those who have shaped the music industry. He is also a producer and manager, most notably for four-time Grammy nominee Buckwheat Zydeco. He lives in Manhattan and upstate New York.

James Otis Smith is a multitalented artist whose work spans illustration, comics, motion graphics, and video. Formerly a member of the Act-i-vate Comics collective, he designed and illustrated the children’s book Madunia: Stories of the Ancient Lands with writer James McCammon, among other titles. Smith lives in Brooklyn, New York.Showtime at the Apollo is his debut graphic novel.