CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Charles J. Martin founded Literati Press Comics & Novels in 2010 to give a platform to progressive storytelling in Oklahoma. In 2016, he took over as the gallery manager for the Paseo Plunge, later building out the Literati Press Bookshop which started with two modest bookcases by the front door and has since sprawled deeper and deeper into the building with no end in sight.

BOOK BUYER

After embarking on a 3 year adventure across the United States in their trusty RV, (and a brief hiatus thanks to Covid) Melissa, her husband, and their three kids found their haven in OKC, a place where they have forged wonderful connections and gained a true sense of home.

Melissa pinged on the Literati Press radar with her fantastic Instagram series, @stickynote_bookrecs as well as her frequent trips to our shop. Eventually, we roped her into the crew to help with spare hours. We soon realized she was a voracious reader and loved talking, selling, and curating books. Her role expanded into lead book buyer in 2023.

EDITOR AND BOOK CONCIERGE

Kristen Grace is a journalist for 405 Magazine and Art Focus and a graduate from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA program. She has authored a picture book, The Stepmother Who Believed in Feathers, as well as Wings, a collection of feminist fairy tales, through Literati Press. She has recently published poems in Focus Magazine, Mid/South, Freezeray, Behind the Rain Anthology and other literary journals.

BOOK CONCIERGE

I am a native Texan, but have lived in Oklahoma 6 years (the first time) and another 19 years the second time. My daughter Sarah Atlee is an OKC fiber artist and painter, and my little dog, Flower, helps out at Literati as a Bookshop Dog.

I spent my professional life designing and producing books for University Presses in New Mexico, Indiana, and Oklahoma, thereby accumulating a vast store of esoteric trivia. I am enjoying learning the other side of the book business, and also the ringside seat for Literati Press's new venture, the Creative Writing Center.

BOOK CONCIERGE AND EVENTS

Ashley is a soon-to-be graduate from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA in Creative Writing, with a focus on memoir and creative non-fiction. She started working at the bookshop in August 2024.She has lived in Oklahoma for almost 20 years and loves exploring all the amazing food and activities available in the city and beyond. She’s always ready to recommend a book, restaurant, or boba shop for you to try.When not at the bookshop or exploring Oklahoma City, Ashley works full-time at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences campus in student affairs. She has a M. Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Oklahoma.

EDITOR

Chloe Harrison has always loved a great story. Her reading tastes range from speculative young adult titles to cerebral, genre-bending adult fiction—the weirder the better. In an effort to put her penchant for correcting other people's grammar (sometimes against their will) to better use, Chloe completed a master’s degree in Publishing from Roehampton University London. When she's not reading or editing other people's stories, she's typing away at her own. As the Managing Editor of Brick & Mortar Press, Chloe would love to guide your book every step of the way from idea to the printed page.

ART DIRECTOR

John Eric Osborn is an Oklahoma-based artist/designer/teacher who has artwork in comic shops, schools, newspapers and stores throughout the country. He is the creator of the sci-fi graphic novel "Enigma Machine," the story of an ex-soldier and a robotic little girl and “Hiro Doggie: Space Corgi,” a canine/alien space adventure. He now works as the Art Director of Literati Comics.

ART DIRECTOR
WRITER/ILLUSTRATOR/TEACHER

The co-creator of Glamorella’s Daughter and beloved mainstay of Oklahoma comics has become an important mentor for the state’s growing comic book community.
He’s created work for Stan Lee, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Disney, and Dreamworks. Jerry is now focused on writing his own graphic novels focused on the middle grade audience.

WRITER/ILLUSTRATOR

The creator of The Black-Jack Demon is among the most accomplished artists working with Literati Press. He’s long career as an oil painter with a whimsical and humanist take on the Western mythos dove-tailed perfectly into his genre-busting and celebrated revenge tale releasing through Literati Press.

STRATEGIST

Buck Berlin started reading comics in 1989 and hasn't stopped ever since. At 17, he started his first job at the place he loves most on earth, New World Comics. A short 5 years later, he bought the business he most loved. Over the years he learned how the industry worked and the finer points of comic book retailing. His years of experience make him an ideal chief strategist. Also, his favorite animals are goats.

WRITER

Blaze Stark is Zoning Analyst and aspiring writer / comic book creator from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. No, that is not a nickname. In between his day job and his creative ventures, Blaze enjoys playing pinball (and currently owns four machines). Having started writing at the age of fourteen, he has written short stories, screenplays, and has most recently settled into writing and partially coloring comic books and graphic novels.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Fellow Paseo Arts District merchant and gifted graphic designer, David Woods, has worked as a creative professional for over 20 years. His client roster boasts clients from around the globe and includes companies such as Polydor Records, CVS Health, The Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie Centers, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and many more. As patient as he is intuitive and innovative, David consistently creates standout design focused on his clients' needs. “My goal is to make graphic design the easiest part of your day.

ILLUSTRATOR

Jorian comes to us with a background in printing that began when she was still in high school in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She went on to study illustration at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. Her training as a caricature artist taught her not only how to draw human features, but also how to make people feel comfortable and open in her presence. Jorian’s art reflects a passion for shape and line and a sharp, carefree state of mind. Her playful compositions reflect the themes that recur in her favorite stories: comedy, emotional expression, and darkness overcome by the power of friendship and love.

ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Co-Creator of Aliengaged, Greg White has been a favorite artist of the store from our very beginnings. His OKC district designs fly off the shelves in poster, sticker, and coaster form; yet many don’t realize Greg also created one of the funniest sci-fi comedies on the market in Aliengaged with his best friend, Colin Ingersol.

”I'm passionate about the power of art to communicate new ideas, to foster empathy, and to bring about a greater sense of humor, beauty, and understanding among society.

I bring my ten plus years of experience to create illustrative work for clients, as well as gallery work and commercial prints. My work includes illustrations for the New York Times Best Seller "It Starts with Food," multiple children's books, movie posters, comic books, corporate art, and murals. “

ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Editor and designer of Storybook Shorts and Storybook Anthology, Justin’s established himself as one of the community’s most active illustrators.