Ngozi Ukazu is an American cartoonist and graphic novelist. In 2013, she created the webcomic Check, Please!, which later became a New York Times-bestselling graphic novel.

Ngozi Ukazu
Ukazu at the 2018 Texas Teen Book Festival
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Cartoonist, Writer
Notable works
Check, Please!
Awards"Digital Book of the Year" Harvey Award (2019)
"Outstanding Comic" Ignatz Award (2019)
http://www.ngoziu.com

Early life

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Ngozi Ukazu grew up in Houston, Texas.[1][2] She attended Bellaire High School, where she contributed to the school’s newspaper, The Three Penny Press, as the comics editor. She is the daughter of Nigerian parents.[2] She studied computer science, obtaining a degree in Computing and The Arts from Yale University in 2013[3] and earned a masters degree in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015.[4]

Career

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Ukazu launched Check, Please! as a webcomic in 2013 after writing a screenplay about Eric "Bitty" Bittle, a gay college freshman and champion figure skater who joins a hockey team.[5][6]

Ukazu created a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to print the first volume of the comic; the campaign resulted in the highest-funded comics project in Kickstarter's history.[7] In 2018, the first installment, Check, Please!: #Hockey, was published by First Second Books.[1] The sequel, Check, Please!: Sticks & Scones, was a New York Times bestseller in May 2020.[8]

For DC Comics she created the graphic novel Barda in 2024, both writing and illustrating.[9]

Publications

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  • 2018: Check, Please!: #Hockey
  • 2020: Check, Please!: Sticks & Scones

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ a b Brenner, Wayne Alan (2018-09-05). "Ngozi Ukazu Hip-Checks This Year's Staple! Expo". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  2. ^ a b Hagerty, Michael (2018-11-01). "Check, Please! How a Web Comic About Hockey and Baking Went Viral". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  3. ^ "Check, Please!". Tumblr. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  4. ^ "Ngozi Ukazu". Ngozi Ukazu. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  5. ^ Romano, Aja (2016-06-29). "Why queer hockey webcomic Check, Please! is stealing the internet's heart". Vox. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  6. ^ Lehoczky, Etelka (30 September 2018). "Life, Love and Hockey (Oooh, And Pie) In 'Check, Please!'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  7. ^ "Get a first look at the conclusion to Ngozi Ukazu's 'Check, Please' books". EW.com. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  8. ^ "Graphic Books and Manga - Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  9. ^ FCBD Announcement
  10. ^ Staff, Beat (2019-10-09). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  11. ^ "And the Winners of the 2019 HARVEY AWARDS are..." Newsarama. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  12. ^ Globe, The Boston. "Best 2018 books for children". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  13. ^ "Best Young Adult Books of 2018 From Kirkus Reviews – Children's Book Council". 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  14. ^ "The New York Public Library Unveils Its Best Books of 2018 for Kids, Teens, and Adults". The New York Public Library. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  15. ^ "Best Reason to Care About Hockey (Besides the Texas Stars): Ngozi Ukazu". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  16. ^ "The Harvey Awards Reveal Nominees for 2018 - The Harvey Awards". www.harveyawards.com. 2018-08-09. Archived from the original on 2020-06-14. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  17. ^ "71st Annual Reuben Award Winners Announced!". Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  18. ^ Weldon, Glen; Mayer, Petra (12 July 2017). "Let's Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics And Graphic Novels". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
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  Media related to Ngozi Ukazu at Wikimedia Commons