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Jillian Tamaki

ジリアン・タマキ

Jirian Tamaki

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1980-04-17 （Ottawa, Ontario）
Nationality
Canadian, American
Languages
English
Residence History
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada → Calgary, Alberta, Canada → New York City, USA → Montréal, Québec, Canada

Career

Occupations
illustrator, comic artist
Active Years
2003-2024
Affiliations
School of Visual Arts, Drawn & Quarterly
Influenced By
Julie Doucet, Chester Brown, Seth, Michel Rabagliati, Will Eisner, Tomer Hanuka, Asaf Hanuka
Nominations
2024 Lambda Literary Award for Graphic Novel (Roaming nomination)

Education

Alberta College of Art and Design
Visual Communication Design / Visual Communication Design
Year of Graduation: 2003
Country: Canada

Awards

Ignatz Award
2014
Work: This One Summer
Category: Outstanding Comic
Organization: Small Press Expo
Result: Winner
Printz Honor
2015
Work: This One Summer
Category: Young Adult Literature
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Caldecott Honor
2015
Work: This One Summer
Category: Illustration
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Eisner Award
2015
Work: This One Summer
Category: Best Graphic Novel
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: Winner
Governor General's Award
2014
Work: This One Summer
Category: Children's Literature - Illustration
Organization: Canada Council for the Arts
Result: Winner
Ignatz Award
2012
Work: SuperMutant Magic Academy
Category: Outstanding Online Comic
Organization: Small Press Expo
Result: Winner
Eisner Award
2024
Work: Roaming
Category: Best Graphic Album
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: Winner
Eisner Award
2024
Work: Roaming
Category: Best Penciler/Inker
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Gilded Lilies

2006 Illustration and Comics Collection

Collection of illustrations, personal drawings, illustrations and comics. Includes wordless graphic narrative The Tapemines.

surrealism

Skim

2008 Graphic novel

Graphic novel about a young high-school girl touching on themes of friendship, suicide, sexuality, and identity. Written by cousin Mariko Tamaki.

friendshipsuicidesexualityidentity

This One Summer

2014 Graphic novel

Graphic novel centering on experiences of friends Rose and Windy on the cusp of adolescence during summer holiday.

adolescencefriendshipgrowth

SuperMutant Magic Academy

2015 Webcomic Collection

Collection of webcomic from 2010 to 2014.

superheroesmagic academy

Boundless

2017 Graphic Novel (Short Stories)

Collection of short stories focusing on the interior lives of unexpected subjects.

introspectionfemale experience

Roaming

2023 Graphic novel

Co-created with Mariko Tamaki.

travelidentity

Bibliography

  • Gilded Lilies (2006)
  • Indoor Voice (2010)
  • Frontier #7: SexCoven (2015)
  • SuperMutant Magic Academy (2015)
  • Boundless (2017)
  • They Say Blue (2018)
  • Our Little Kitchen (2020)
  • Junban (2020)
  • Skim (2008)
  • This One Summer (2014)
  • Roaming (2023)
  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (illustrator, 2014)
  • Gertie's Leap to Greatness (illustrator, 2016)
  • My Best Friend (illustrator, 2020)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
mercurial styleeclecticversatile illustrations
Recurring Motifs
female experiencediverse charactersadolescenceidentity

Legacy

A leading figure in contemporary comics, known for graphic novels co-created with cousin Mariko Tamaki, winning Eisner Awards, Caldecott Honor, and others. Praised for themes of feminism, diversity, and human experience.

Archives

  • Library of Congress

In Popular Culture

  • This One Summer ranked #1 on the list of top ten most banned and challenged books in the US in 2016.

Trivia

  • Cousin of writer Mariko Tamaki.
  • Worked at video game company BioWare after art school.
  • Taught illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York City.
  • Worked on boarding for the TV show Adventure Time.
  • Hand-embroidered three book covers for Penguin.
  • Makes quilts as a hobby.