In today's episode, I talk to Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm—siblings and co-creators of the bestselling, award-winning and trail-blazing Babymouse And Squish graphic novel series. I can't understate just how important their work is to the current-day landscape of graphic novels for young readers. Babymouse: Queen of the World was published in December of 2005—it was one of the very first kids' comics put out by one of the major trade publishers.

Jenni, Matt, and I go way back, but I was so excited to learn more about their history. Let's get into Jenni and Matt's Origin Story!

On today's episode, we'll get to know graphic novelist Nate Powell!

Nate is a highly-acclaimed writer/artist of critically acclaimed books such as Any Empire, Swallow Me Whole and Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest. Nate Powell is an Eisner Award-winning comics artist from Little Rock, Arkansas who focuses on telling stories featuring young people facing difficult situations. In addition to Nate's multiple Eisners and countless literary awards—Nate took home the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, alongside his collaborators Representative John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, for March: Book Three.

Let's learn all about Nate Powell's Origin Story!

In today's episode, I talk to Andrew Aydin about MARCH, his award-winning trilogy about the civil rights movement.

Andrew was a policy advisor for Congressman John Lewis, with whom he co-authored these seminal graphic novels.

Andrew tells us how he got interested in writing and comics and how he convinced Congressman John Lewis he should tell his story via the medium of comics. Andrew also shares some insights into the writing process and what it was like working with Congressman Lewis.

Let's get to know Andrew Aydin's Origin Story!

In this episode, we are going to get to know how tom Angleberger became Tom Angleberger!

Tom made a name for himself with the ORIGAMI YODA books, which were first published in 2010. While Tom has been active creating his own characters, he’s also been entrusted with books on Rocket and Groot as well as Geronimo Stilton. But in the Krosoczka house? He will forever be iconic for his Inspector Flytrap books. Like everything Tom does, those books are laugh-out-loud funny and pure fun. Like Tom himself. One of my most prized possessions in my studio? An Origami Lunch Lady made by Mr. Origami Yoda himself.

I cannot overstate the importance of Cece Bell's EL DEAFO. For both us, as a society, and for the prestige that it brought to graphic novels with the citation of that Newbery Honor, the first graphic novel to earn that shiny silver sticker! Get to know how Cece Bell came to be in her Origin Story!

Nilah Magruder is an absolute joy and an uber-talented author and artist. She was the first Black woman to write for Marvel, illustrated all of the Heroes of Olympus covers for Rick Riordan’s books, and worked extensively in animation. Not to mention the books that she is the sole creator of, which have proven to be legendary in my home.

Robin Ha's ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL is a powerful, powerful graphic memoir. Through Robin's words and pictures, she shares with us what it was like for her to be a kid in her early teens and be taken away from the life she knew in South Korea and planted in Huntsville, Alabama, where she didn't understand the language that was predominantly spoken. She didn't understand the culture. She didn't have friends, she didn't fit in, but she had art. Robin just so beautifully and masterfully uses the speech bubbles to communicate to us what that is like when you only understand bits and pieces of what people are trying to say to you. ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL should be in every single high school classroom so that our students can truly understand the plight of the immigrant experience.

So let's get to know how Robin Ha became Robin Ha!

Lucy Knisely is the award-winning and celebrated and revered graphic memoirist behind such books as RELISH, SOMETHING NEW, and KID GLOVES. She also has picture books for young readers (YOU ARE NEW) and graphic novels for middle-grade readers (STEPPING STONES).

In this episode, we are going to get to know how Jerry Craft became Jerry Craft!

I like to rib Jerry and call him an “overnight success.” Jerry’s first full-length graphic novel, NEW KID, published in 2019. And it did what many in the publishing community thought for years was unattainable—it won the prestigious Newbery Medal. THE GOLD MEDAL—for a graphic novel. While the Newbery is quite arguably the most legendary of the book awards, NEW KID also garnered Jerry a Coretta Scott King MEDAL for writing! Truthfully, I lost count as to how many awards stickers Jerry’s book won. NEW KID is such an important book. We follow Jordan Banks and we get to see the world through his eyes, a young Black man who enters a predominantly white private school. Oh, and why is it ironic to call Jerry an “Overnight success”? Well, you’re about to find out!

Let’s get to know Jerry Craft’s Origin Story!

In this episode, we are going to get to know how Raul the Third became Raul the Third!

Raul blasted onto the comics scene in 2014, with the publication of LOWRIDERS IN SPACE. Written by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Raul, this beautiful graphic novel series celebrates lowrider culture through an action-packed out-of-this world adventure. Raul made his debut as an author/illustrator in 2019 with Vamos! Let’s Go to the Market, a picture book that celebrates Raul’s own origins growing up in a border town in Texas. The Vamos series took off, creating an entire universe of Raul’s making. More picture books, early readers, plushies, and even an animated cartoon in the works!

Let’s get to know Raul the Third’s Origin Story.