She arranges her comic books in a way that will have you come back and read more and learn while you read. Her comics are sought after and recognized by many aficionados in around the area.

In her retirement, Vell Trueheart has penned “Eliza’s Promise,” the sequel to her debut self-publication, last year’s “Lil Eliza and the Underground Railroad.”   

WHAT YOU SEE—Author Vell Trueheart explains her work to a young reader during the Pittsburgh Comicon at the Monroeville Expo Mart.

At her first convention last year, Pittsburgh Comicon 2007, many who came to her table and bought her book left amused, amazed, and aware.

“Many of the young people do not know what our people had to live through in those days of slavery,” she said.

She was inspired because many people asked what happened to the little girl. Did her parents come back for her? Did her parents keep their promise? In the new book, “Promise,” her parents escape to freedom in Canada. They began to pull themselves up, and they have a child. “ This child is born free, he will not know the horrors of the auction block.”

Trueheart came from humble beginnings, where her God-given talents inspired her to shine. “I felt the whole city of Washington, D.C. should see my arts,” she said. However, as Trueheart grew up she was encouraged to get a job to pay the bills.

So for the next 40 years she worked at a variety of jobs. “I worked from doing secretary work to senior management.”

Following retirement she reinvented herself and became a creative writer. “I was always interested in Black history,” Trueheart said. Her books are geared to ages five to 12 years old and offer pages that can be colored in by the reader. “This is an important piece of Black history,” said Trueheart.

Slavery, she said, is an American story and not just a Black story; it draws many white people because their forefathers were slave owners.

The convention, held last month at the Monroeville Expo Mart, was the 15th anniversary for the comic book convention (and the second consecutive one for Trueheart).  This year more than 300,000 people poured in over the course of the weekend to catch deals and resale some of their own books.

“I have met with some important officials in the past who have taken a tremendous interest in my books,” she said about her participation. “I have great potential at schools and after school programs.”

To her credit, all the script and original sketches, storylines are Trueheart’s. But the layout, cover art and publishing was by N.J. Comic Entertainment Group, owned by Nate Johnson 27, of McKeesport, Pa. Johnson has been in the business for 15 years and is the creator of ASH (African Super Hero) and Defcon 04 (for more details about www.njcomix.com).

According to Johnson, “My demographics cross all races and colors. To my surprise the market for African-American writers, artists, and creators is very fertile.” Johnson also added that anyone looking to get into the industry should not hesitate but he should educate himself about the industry.

(To contact Trueheart or to order her books, write to P.O. Box 100164, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15233 or call her at 412 322-3237.)