Gene Yang
Encyclopedia
Gene Luen Yang is an American comics artist whose graphic novel American Born Chinese
was named a 2006 finalist for the National Book Award
in the young people's literature category and was awarded the 2007 Members' Choice Award from the Asian American Literary Awards
. This was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award. It has also won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award
for young-adult literature, a first for a graphic novel.
refers to as a "cheap tool bravado," using everything from brushes to Sharpie markers to Pigma Micron pens to ballpoint pens. His artwork has been shown in San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum
. Following American Born Chinese, Yang wrote The Eternal Smile, a collection of 3 short stories in comics, done in collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. His latest book is Prime Baby, originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine. In 2011, Yang released "Level Up," with art by Thien Pham.
Yang currently lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area
, where he teaches computer science at Bishop O'Dowd High School
. His father is an electrical engineer from Taiwan and his mother a programmer who grew up in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese is a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. Released in 2006 by First Second Books, it was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Awards in the category of Young People's Literature. It won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award and the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New. It...
was named a 2006 finalist for the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
in the young people's literature category and was awarded the 2007 Members' Choice Award from the Asian American Literary Awards
Asian American Literary Awards
The Asian American Literary Awards are a set of annual awards that have been presented by The Asian American Writers' Workshop since 1998. The awards include a set of honors for excellence in fiction, poetry and nonfiction, chosen by a panel of literary and academic judges; a Members' Choice Award,...
. This was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award. It has also won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award
Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
for young-adult literature, a first for a graphic novel.
Overview
Yang's drawings are created with what Scott McCloudScott McCloud
Scott McCloud is an American cartoonist and theorist on comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium...
refers to as a "cheap tool bravado," using everything from brushes to Sharpie markers to Pigma Micron pens to ballpoint pens. His artwork has been shown in San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum
Cartoon Art Museum
The Cartoon Art Museum is a California art museum that specializes in the art of comics and cartoons. It is the only museum in the Western United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of all forms of cartoon art...
. Following American Born Chinese, Yang wrote The Eternal Smile, a collection of 3 short stories in comics, done in collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. His latest book is Prime Baby, originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine. In 2011, Yang released "Level Up," with art by Thien Pham.
Yang currently lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, where he teaches computer science at Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, James T. O'Dowd . About 44% of students are non-Catholic...
. His father is an electrical engineer from Taiwan and his mother a programmer who grew up in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
External links
- The Humble Comic, San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, May 11, 2008 - Interview with Gene Luen Yang, Kartika Review