Jillian Tamaki

Jillian Tamaki is a Canadian illustrator known for her work in The New York Times and The New Yorker and for the graphic novel Skim, written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki.

Early life
Tamaki was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2003. She teaches illustration at the New York City School of Visual Arts.

Career
Gilded Lilies (2006) is Tamaki's first published book and is a collection of Tamaki's illustrations and comic strips. The first part of the book comprises a carefully selected assemblage of paintings, personal drawings, illustrations and comics. The second part consists of a wordless graphic narrative titled The Tapemines, which tells the story of two children in a surreal landscape featuring "forests of cassette tape."

Skim (2008) is a critically acclaimed graphic novel illustrated by Jillian and written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki. It tells the story of a young high-school girl and touches on themes of friendship, suicide, sexuality, and identity.

Tamaki became the centre of controversy when Mariko Tamaki alone was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award for Skim. The comics community and others circulated an open letter to the Awards Committee that argued for Tamaki as a co-nominee, which was signed by notable comics artists such as Lynda Barry, Dan Clowes, and Julie Doucet.

Indoor Voice (2010) collects Tamaki's drawings, illustrations and comic strips and is part of publisher Drawn and Quarterly's Petit Livre series. The majority of the book is printed in black and white, but it also features some colour illustrations. Indoor Voice was released to mixed reviews.

This One Summer by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki is the highly anticipated follow-up to Skim. The graphic novel centres on the experiences of close friends Rose and Windy, who are on the cusp of adolescence, during one summer holiday. It is due for release in May 2014. On August 18, 2014, This One Summer, which was written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki was nominated for a Ignatz Award.

Wins

 * 2008 Ignatz Award for Best Graphic Novel for Skim
 * 2008 New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books List for Skim
 * 2009 Doug Wright Award Winner, Best Book for Skim
 * 2009 Eisner Award nominee (Best Publication for Teens, Writer, New Graphic Album, Penciller/Inker) for Skim
 * 2008 Best of Books of the Year: Publishers Weekly, Quill & Quire for Skim

Nominations

 * 2008 Governor General’s Literary Award nominee for Skim
 * 2014 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel for This One Summer