An Interview with Kelly Fernández. Fernández specializes in bold, playful hand-drawn graphics and typography, and her debut graphic novel, MANU, was published by Scholastic Graphix in November 2021. Since then, the book has received 4 starred reviews, was a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year and won a silver medal for Best Graphic Novel from the International Latino Book Awards. Her work has been featured in numerous comic anthologies including Dates, Mine!, and Tales from la Vida. In 2017, she received the Cupcake Award from the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE). Read along to discover Kelly Fernández’s journey to graphic novel creation, her inspiration, and her advice for aspiring artists.
An Interview with Kelly Fernández. Fernández specializes in bold, playful hand-drawn graphics and typography, and her debut graphic novel, MANU, was published by Scholastic Graphix in November 2021. Since then, the book has received 4 starred reviews, was a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year and won a silver medal for Best Graphic Novel from the International Latino Book Awards. Her work has been featured in numerous comic anthologies including Dates, Mine!, and Tales from la Vida. In 2017, she received the Cupcake Award from the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE). Read along to discover Kelly Fernández’s journey to graphic novel creation, her inspiration, and her advice for aspiring artists.
An interview with noted graphic novelist Julio Anta, whose five-part comic book series HOME (co-authored with Anna Wieszczyk) explores the real-world implications of a young Guatemalan immigrant with extraordinary superpowers. Anta is also the author of many graphic novels that continue to explore Latinx identity and American life for readers of all ages. These include the Eisner Award-nominated Frontera, This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, and Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Anta currently resides in New York City.
In this interview, award-winning author, cultural producer, and journalist Frank Abe discusses his co-authored graphic novel WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration. He reflects on collaboration and research about this hidden history and why it remains relevant for Americans today.
In November 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with Amy Kurzweil, a New Yorker cartoonist and the author of "Flying Couch: A Graphic Memoir". In 2021, she was a Berlin Prize fellow with The American Academy in Berlin where she worked on her second graphic memoir, "Artificial: A Love Story".
On June 17, 2024, I interviewed the inspiring freelance illustrator, cartoonist, and writer, Nidhi Chanani. Among her many honors, she was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change in 2012. Chanani is the author of many graphic novels aimed at young adults, as well as picture books for children. She is also an instructor in the Master of Fine Arts, Comics program at the California College of Arts.
In this interview, award-winning author and public historian Tamiko Nimura discusses her graphic novel "WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration." She shares the collaborative process of creating the book, the challenges and surprises encountered during research.
