“The Judy Blume of graphic novelists:” Raina Telgemeier is having a major moment

Raina Telgemeier is having a major moment, a moment which shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down.

San Diego’s Comic-Con ended a few weeks ago, at which time we reported that Raina won the 2015 Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist for her graphic novel Sisters, and announced her upcoming new title Ghosts (coming Fall 2016!).

Comicbookresources.com recently published a recap of Raina’s Comic-Con panel, which sounds like a fan’s dream-come-true. Raina was introduced by fellow graphic novelist Jennifer Holm, who said that Raina had “fundamentally changed the industry” and then went on to call her “the Judy Blume of graphic novelists.”

Well! For folks like us, who are serious about children’s and young adult literature, being compared to Judy Blume would be, unequivocally, the highest praise one can receive.

The best part of the panel – at least in this fan-girl’s opinion – must have been when Raina got two young members of the audience to do a dramatic reading from Sisters (with Raina providing sound effects).

And later, she gave tips to aspiring young comic artists, of which there many in the audience (not surprisingly). Here is some of the wisdom she shared:

• Start small: “Try writing a moment in time with your characters, try writing the interactions between those characters, because that is where the best stuff comes from.”
• Show your work to people: “For so long, I didn't show anyone my comics and then I threw them away. I wish I hadn't."
• Juxtapose any two objects if you need inspiration: “If you ever get stuck, and you don't know what to write, you don't know what to draw, you don't know what the story could possibly be, take two objects and think of what might happen if you put those two things together.”

Raina truly reigned at Comic-Con and we can’t get enough! Click here to read the full recap of her panel, here to check out her website … and look for Ghosts next fall!