Roaming (graphic novel)

Last updated

Roaming is a fictional graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, and published on September 12, 2023.

Contents

The novel follows three Canadian college students visiting New York City for a spring break trip in 2009. [1] [2]

Plot

In the spring of 2009, childhood best friends Dani and Zoe travel from their respective universities in Canada to New York City. Unbeknownst to Zoe, Dani brings along her roommate Fiona, an art student, and the three stay in a hostel, visiting landmarks including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grand Central Station, and the American Museum of Natural History. [3] A romance begins to blossom between Zoe and Fiona, and tensions rise as the five-day trip continues. [4]

Reception

Roaming was a finalist for the 2024 Lambda Literary Awards, and tied for the top graphic novel of Publisher Weekly's annual critics poll. [5] [6]

Roaming won the 2024 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album. In addition, Mariko Tamaki won the Eisner for Best Writer and Jillian Tamaki won the Eisner for Best Penciler/Inker. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Shanower</span> American cartoonist (born 1963)

Eric James Shanower is an American cartoonist, best known for his Oz novels and comics, and for the ongoing retelling of the Trojan War as Age of Bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center for Cartoon Studies</span> Art school in Hartford, Vermont

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) is a two-year institution focusing on sequential art, specifically comics and graphic novels. It is located in the village of White River Junction within the town of Hartford, Vermont. The Center offers a Master of Fine Arts degree, both one and two-year certificate programs, and summer programs. It is "the only college-level training program of its kind in the United States."

Steve Rolston is a Canadian artist and writer of comic books and graphic novels currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia. After working in story boards for various animated series, he got his first break from Oni Press as the penciler and inker of the first four issues of their on-going Queen & Country comic series by praised author Greg Rucka. From 2005 to 2017, Rolston taught a course at Vancouver Institute of Media Arts entitled "Introduction to Comic Book Production".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Second Books</span> Graphic novel publisher

First Second Books is an American publisher of graphic novels. An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, First Second publishes fiction, biographies, personal memoirs, history, visual essays, and comics journalism. It also publishes graphic non-fiction for young readers, including the Science Comics and History Comics collections, and for adults, including the World Citizen Comics, a line of civics graphic books, and biographical works such as The Accidental Czar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Wright Award</span> Annual award for Canadian cartoonists

The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning are literary awards handed out annually since 2005 during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to Canadian cartoonists honouring excellence in comics and graphic novels published in English. The awards are named in honour of Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright. Winners are selected by a jury of Canadians who have made significant contributions to national culture, based on shortlisted selections provided by a nominating committee of five experts in the comics field. The Wrights are handed out in three main categories, "Best Book", "The Spotlight Award", and, since 2008, the "Pigskin Peters Award" for non-narrative or experimental works. In 2020, the organizers added "The Egghead", an award for best kids’ book for readers under twelve. In addition to the awards, since 2005 the organizers annually induct at least one cartoonist into the Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartoonist Hall Fame.

The 2008 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit: Finalists in 14 categories were announced October 21, winners announced November 18. The prize for writers and illustrators was $25,000 and "a specially bound copy of the winning book".

Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the United States-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works that celebrate or explore LGBTQ themes. The awards are presented annually for books published in the previous year. The Lambda Literary Foundation states that its mission is "to celebrate LGBT literature and provide resources for writers, readers, booksellers, publishers, and librarians—the whole literary community."

<i>Skim</i> (comics) Canadian graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki

Skim is a Canadian graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and drawn by Jillian Tamaki. Set in 1993, in a Toronto Catholic girls high school, it is about an outsider girl called Skim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jillian Tamaki</span> Canadian American illustrator and comic artist

Jillian Tamaki is a Canadian American illustrator and comic artist known for her work in The New York Times and The New Yorker in addition to the graphic novels Boundless, as well as Skim, This One Summer and Roaming written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariko Tamaki</span> Canadian writer and artist (born 1975)

Mariko Tamaki is a Canadian artist and writer. She is known for her graphic novels Skim, Emiko Superstar, and This One Summer, and for several prose works of fiction and non-fiction. In 2016 she began writing for both Marvel and DC Comics. She has twice been named a runner-up for the Michael L. Printz Award.

<i>The Fifth Beatle</i> (graphic novel) 2013 graphic novel by Vivek Tiwary, Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker

The Fifth Beatle is a graphic novel by writer Vivek Tiwary, artist Andrew Robinson, and cartoonist Kyle Baker. It debuted in Italy as part as the tenth anniversary of the country's Rolling Stone magazine and was published by Dark Horse Comics in November 2013.

The Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award was a literary award given annually from 1981 to 2016 to recognize a Canadian book of young adult fiction written in English and published in Canada, written by a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

<i>This One Summer</i> 2014 graphic novel by Mariko and Jilian Tamaki

This One Summer is a graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki published by First Second Books in 2014. It is a coming of age story about two teenage friends, Rose and Windy, during a summer in Awago, a small beach town. Rose and Windy discover themselves and their sexuality while battling family dynamics and mental disabilities.

Notable events of 2012 in webcomics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Ferris</span> American writer, cartoonist, and designer

Emil Ferris is an American writer, cartoonist, and designer. Ferris debuted in publishing with her 2017 graphic novel My Favorite Thing Is Monsters. The novel tells a coming-of-age story of Karen Reyes, a girl growing up in 1960s Chicago, and is written and drawn in the form of the character's notebook. The graphic novel was praised as a "masterpiece" and one of the best comics by a new author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Valero-O'Connell</span> American illustrator and cartoonist

Rosemary Valero-O'Connell is an American illustrator and cartoonist. She is known for her work with DC Comics and BOOM! Studios.

<i>Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me</i> Graphic novel

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me is a graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell. It follows Frederica "Freddy" Riley throughout her struggles with her on-again, off-again relationship with the eponymous Laura Dean. The novel was first published by First Second Books on May 7, 2019. A young adult and lesbian teen novel, Laura Dean includes themes about teenage lesbian and queer sexuality.

The Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Comics is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, to a graphic novel with LGBTQ+ themes. As the award is presented based on themes in the work, not the sexuality or gender of the writer, non-LGBTQ+ individuals may be nominated for or win the award.

Zoe Thorogood is a British comic book author. She is most well-known for The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott and It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth.

References

  1. Riedel, Samantha (2023-09-18). "'Roaming' Captures the Wild Queer Wonder of Your First Friends Trip". Them. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  2. Neilson, Sarah (2023-09-11). "Jillian and Mariko Tamaki on Their New Collaborative Graphic Novel, 'Roaming'". Shondaland. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  3. Cooke, Rachel (2023-09-18). "Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki review – a blissful ode to female friendship and New York". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  4. Depenbrock, Julie (September 18, 2023). "Love, identity, and ambition take center stage in 'Roaming'". NPR. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  5. "'Impossible People' and 'Roaming' Top PW's 2023 Graphic Novel Critics Poll". Publishers Weekly. December 20, 2023. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  6. "Current Finalists". Lambda Literary. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  7. "Eisner Award Winners 2024". Roaming (graphic novel) . 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2024-07-27.