Tony Puryear, a talented writer and artist, made history as the first African-American screenwriter to pen a $100 million summer blockbuster with his 1996 script for the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Eraser. Throughout his illustrious career, he has written films for prominent directors such as Oliver Stone, Mel Gibson, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Will Smith.
Puryear's television credits include serving as the Staff Writer on the hit USA series Queen of the South, which premiered in 2016. Born and raised in New York, he initially pursued a degree in art at Brown University, where he also worked as a gourmet chef. His artistic talents extended to the advertising world, as he held the position of Art Director at J. Walter Thompson NY and directed Hip Hop music videos.
The creative influences that have shaped Puryear's work include former boss James Patterson and the late comic book legend Jack Kirby, known for his work on The Avengers and X-Men. He was part of the inaugural class of The Walt Disney Company's Writers Fellowship and served as a staff writer on the critically acclaimed Showtime series Street Time from 2002 to 2003, working under the guidance of Executive Producer Richard Stratton.
Puryear's artistic skills have also been recognized in the political sphere. His poster design for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign garnered national attention and is now part of The National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. As a comics artist and writer, he co-created, co-wrote, and drew the critically acclaimed graphic novel series Concrete Park from Dark Horse Comics. This groundbreaking series, which features people of color in a dystopian future, was named one of The Best American Comics in 2013 and won the 2016 Glyph Award for Best Collection.
In addition to his writing and artistic endeavors, Puryear has showcased his political paintings and prints in an art show titled "gankstas!(TM)" at Jason Vass. A resident of Downtown Los Angeles, he has made significant contributions to the entertainment and art industries, leaving a lasting impact on the world of storytelling and visual art.
