The History of the hip-hop duck!
This is the very first design of Jam Quacky, circa 1990. Created by Reggie Byers, Jamal Quacklum started out as a "dreadlocked duck who wanted to Fight The Power."
He wore a "Quackrifa" pendant around his neck and was an aspiring rapper.
The character gained a small, but loyal following in Norristown, Pennsylvania as Byers airbrushed the character on jean jackets, t-shirts and overalls. Byers and his wife owned and ran a custom airbrush shop, where the duck was the store mascot.
GENE McDANIELS
Enter Gene McDaniels. Gene was an
American singer, producer and songwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960's, reaching number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" and "Tower of Strength," both hits in 1961. He had continued success as a songwriter with titles including "Compared to What" and Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love."
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McDaniels met Reggie Byers in 1990, where he expressed an interest in co-publishing a JAM QUACKY comic book series. Gene desired to write the stories along with his then partner Carrie (Coltrane) Thompson.
A year later, the first issue of JAM QUACKY THE HIP-HOP DUCK was a
reality.
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Gene McDaniels passed away in 2011 but left his unique signature on Jam's personality and direction of the wacky yet wonderful creation.
