The “Community Protectors” story and coloring book was developed in partnership with the CDC and CDC Foundation. In it Mr. Eagle and his friends share how they are helping their community stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Community Protectors
Written by James Wallace & Illustrated by Patrick Rolo
James Wallace, author
James is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and currently serves as the Director of Visual Arts, Media and Design for the Chickasaw Nation. He holds a Bachelor of Art in Speech/Theatre from East Central University and a Master of Art in Contemporary Theater Practice from the University of Essex in Colchester, England.
After completing his MA, he worked for Universal Studios as a Talent Supervisor and did background work in film and television. James then moved to New York City where he worked for Nickelodeon and the Random House Publishing Group. James considers himself to be a life-long learner and in December of 2018 he earned a certificate in Business & Entrepreneurship from the Institute of American Indian Arts. James is a graduate of the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Leadership Arts program and was co-chair for (ONEAL) Oklahoma’s New and Emerging Arts Leaders.
Patrick Rollo, illustrator
Patrick is of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe and illustrated the CDC Eagle Book series that serve as the foundation for the coloring book.
Patrick has also worked as a newspaper and magazine illustrator, painter and comic book artist.
He has been a penciller for comics such as “Mortal Kombat,” “Iron Man”, the “All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z” and numerous others.
In addition to the coloring book, OKTEP worked with Native artists to develop activity pages and coloring sheets to further highlight the health promotion and safety efforts of Tribal communities across the United States. An animated version of the Community Protectors story and an Artist’s video were produced by Buffalo Nickel Creative, a Native-owned, Oklahoma-based media production company.
Steven Paul Judd
Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa-Choctaw) creates art that makes you laugh, makes you think and makes you feel pride.
As a visual artist, Judd works across mediums—from canvases to Photoshop to sides of buildings. His humorous and satiric art often reimagines superheroes and American icons as Native.
Judd’s innovative style has earned him a United States Artists Hatch Fellow in Media in 2016 and an Emmy nomination in 2017 and 2019.
Arlo Iron Cloud
Arlo Iron Cloud (Oglala Lakota) has served as the Thunder Valley CDC Social Media Coordinator. Arlo first and foremost describes himself as family man.
He has made his presence known by becoming a voice on the longest running Native American radio station, KILI Radio, where he is still a part time employee. Arlo has converted his skills to many digital mediums, photography, website design, and digital design. His art also consists of making radio and podcasting a medium to reach his audience. Arlo was a 2018 Cultural Capital Fellow.
He and his family “have a passion for revitalizing our culture with nontraditional learning.”
Kaden Tiger
Kaden Tiger is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation.
He is an artist and dancer and uses his art to highlight both traditional and contemporary ways to express Native culture.
Kyle White
Kyle White is of the Towering House Clan. Born for the Tobacco People Clan. The Start of Red Streak are his maternal grandfathers. The Near the Water Clan are his paternal grandfathers.
He is from the Checkerboard Navajo Reservation in Crownpoint, NM. He currently lives in Albuquerque, NM and intends to earn his degree in Biology at CNM/UNM.
He plans to use his studies towards Indigenous food sovereignty and food justice by studying plants on a molecular level. His main hobbies are creating mixed media arts and writing poetry to address current Native issues on climate change, food insecurity, diabetes, and much more.