Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

Episode notes

Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s latest graphic novel Roaming. Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly.

Jillian and Mariko Tamaki are talented graphic novelists. And if you didn’t already know, the two are also cousins.

They’ve collaborated on three projects so far. Jillian does the illustrating, and Mariko writes. Together, their work covers themes like sexual expression and queerness.

When they co-wrote This One Summer, a beautifully written Caldecott-winning graphic novel, it was challenged and banned in many school districts. But the Tamaki’s continue to push boundaries.

They released a new graphic novel earlier this year. It’s called Roaming.

The book follows three 19-year-olds on their first trip out to New York City. Dani and Zoe, close friends, are joined by Fiona, Dani’s new classmate. The three students navigate their relationship and the new dynamics it’s taken on.

On Bullseye, they chat about their latest graphic novel and the art of under-explaining in comics. Plus, they reflect on what it was like to be thrust into a heated national censorship debate with the launch of their indie graphic novel, This One Summer.

Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s new book ‘Roaming’ is available now at your local bookstore or online here.

In this episode...

Jesse Thorn

Host

Kevin Ferguson

Senior Producer

Jesus Ambrosio

Producer

Richard Robey

Maximum Fun Producer

Daniel Huecias

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Guests

Jillian Tamaki
Mariko Tamaki

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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