Gene Yang

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Gene Luen Yang (born in Alameda, California) [1] 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. [2] This was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award.[3] It has also won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult literature, [4] a first for a graphic novel.[5]

American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang, a son of Chinese immigrants, who struggles to assimilate at a predominately white school after moving from San Francisco's Chinatown to the suburbs. Jin's story is interwoven with the legend of the Chinese folk hero Monkey King, and a sitcom starring buck-toothed Chinese stereotype Cousin Chin-Kee.[6] The Miami Herald called American Born Chinese "brilliantly written and designed, sophisticated and wise."[7] In naming it one of their ten best books for young adults, the Chicago Sun Times wrote that "Visually astute teens will find the tale of suppressed identity as compelling as a movie."[8] American Born Chinese was originally published as a webcomic on Modern Tales.[9]

Yang's drawings are created with what Scott McCloud refers to as a "cheap tool bravado," using everything from brushes to Sharpie markers to Pigma Micron pens to ballpoint pens.[10] His artwork has been shown in San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum. [1] His next project is a collaboration with Thien Pham called Three Angels. [11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Contra Costa Times staff (January 29, 2006). "Sunday A&E big calendar". Contra Costa Times, Pg. F4
  2. ^ Yang, Jeff (October 25, 2006). "ASIAN POP: See you in the funny pages". San Francisco Gate
  3. ^ Bosman, Julie. (October 12, 2006). "National Book Award Finalists Chosen". The New York Times, Pg. E2
  4. ^ American Library Association. Michael L. Printz Award. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  5. ^ Goodnow, Cecelia (January 23, 2007). "The Oscars of kids books Newbery and Caldecott Medals awarded in Seattle". Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Pg. D1
  6. ^ Guthmann, Edward. (October 23, 2006). "National Book Award finalist fills in the blanks with identity-driven graphic novel". The San Francisco Chronicle, Pg. D1
  7. ^ Pachter, Richard (January 16, 2007). "Graphic Books". The Miami Herald, Pg. E10
  8. ^ Cruze, Karen (December 17, 2006). "The Last Page: The year's 10 best books for teens and young adults". Chicago Sun Times, Pg. B8
  9. ^ Contino, Jennifer M. (June 3, 2003). "Life, Religion, & Making Comics: Gene Yang's American Born Chinese". The Pulse. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  10. ^ McCloud, Scott (2006). Making Comics, New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-078094-0. Pg. 211
  11. ^ Reid, Calvin. (September 19, 2006). "First Second Signs Three New Books". PublishersWeekly.

[edit] External Links


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