Jerrod K. Smith

Believe it or not, I graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Clemson University. My comp-sci career was short-lived however, as I only halfheartedly pursued it for about a year. Once my brother, Willie J. Smith, and I began the BlackGuard comic, I knew I wasn’t cut out for a life as a programmer.

We launched BlackGuard as an online comic book in 2010. I did the writing, lettering, and web design. Will handled the artwork and storyboarding. This was where I first began developing my skills as a storyteller. After completing seven issues, our friend, Ferguson Winston – an animator for Rick & Morty, and various other shows – approached us about pitching it as a TV show. We eventually renamed it Project BlackGuard and produced a five minute animated short as a sample.

A few years after we started the comic, I also tried my hand at stand-up comedy. What started as an experiment soon turned into a hobby, then a passion, and finally a profession. I started out just doing local open mics in Savannah. Eventually, I co-founded and hosted the Savannah Comedy Underground with fellow comedian, Brendan Townend, at Totally Awesome Bar. Later, I was offered a job as a comedian for the Boo Y’all Comedy Ghost Tour with Old Savannah Tours. Through this company, I also became a character actor, and even a writer for character scripts.

It was through the Savannah stand up scene that I linked up with partner in crime, Jay Bogus, and became a part of 21 Nuke Salute. Within a few months, we started a podcast and began entering the 48 Hour Film contest. Since then we have produced numerous short films, sketches, and other media content in which I have both written and acted. We also have a weekly podcast titled Black Mass Radio.