Named one of the Root’s 100 most influential African Americans and BET’s 100 entertainers and innovators of the year,

Leatrice “Elle” McKinney, writing as L.L. McKinney, is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing,

and the creator of the hashtags #PublishingPaidMe and #WhatWoCWritersHear. 

​

A lover of comics, anime, video games, sci-fi, and fantasy, she strives to push these mediums toward representation

that better reflects the diverse world we live in. Elle lives in Kansas City, spending her free time plagued by her two cats:

Sir Chester Fluffmire Boopsnoot Purrington Wigglebottom Flooferson III, esquire, Baron o'Butterscotch

and Lord Humphrey Blepernicus Zoomerson Wailingshire Toebeanstein Chirpingston IV, Breaker of Things I Love.

Or Chester and Humphrey for short.

​

Her works include the Nightmare-Verse books, Nubia: Real One through DC,

Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood, Power Rangers: Heir to Darkness, and more.