Drawn-both figuratively and literally-from his own experiences growing up and teaching art at high schools in inner city Newark, New Jersey, artist Wil Cuba invites readers to experience grinding poverty, race relations, young lust and first love through the eyes of four unforgettable characters.

A series of seven interconnected short stories told both in word and pictures, In 'Da Hood chronicles four adolescent boys and their lives in the projects of Newark.

Meet Cholo, a lovable boy whose weight makes him insecure and who has trouble getting out of the messes in...