Miss Lasko-Gross
Melissa Lasko-Gross (known professionally as Miss Lasko-Gross) is an American comics creator, known for her semi-autobiographical graphic novels Escape from "Special" and A Mess of Everything.
Miss Lasko-Gross | |
---|---|
Born | Melissa Lasko 1977 (age 45–46) Boston, Massachusetts |
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Writer, Artist, Publisher |
Notable works | Henni, Escape from Special A Mess of Everything |
Awards | YALSA's 2008 Great Graphic Novels nominee Graphic novel named one of Booklist's Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2010 |
Early life
Melissa Lasko was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1977. She grew up reading comics, with her favorite ones ranging from Fantastic Four to Love and Rockets.[1]
Career
In high school, Lasko-Gross began to create her own self-published comic series, Aim, which she promoted by doing consignments with local comic book stores. It was at this point that she became a member of the comic book community. She said she found more kinship with comic creators than with comic fans, as they could bond over the process of producing a comic.
Lasko-Gross' first two graphic novels were Escape from "Special" and A Mess of Everything, both published by Fantagraphics. The first, based loosely on the author's life growing up as a Jewish girl in the suburbs, was published in 2008 and earned her a nomination for YALSA's 2008 Great Graphic Novel award. A Mess of Everything, a sequel of sorts to her first book, was also well received, as it was named one of Booklist's top 10 graphic novels of the year in 2010.[2]
Lasko-Gross' graphic novel Henni, about "cute animals and religious fundamentalism in a horrible, twisted marriage", was published by Z2 Comics in 2015. She is working on a long-term novel project that chronicles the experience of a burn victim of an explosion.
Bibliography
- (with Kevin Colden) The Sweetness (4 issues, Z2 Comics, 2016)[3]
- Henni. Z2 Comics. January 6, 2015. ISBN 978-1940878027.
- A Mess of Everything (Fantagraphics, 2009)
- Escape from "Special" (Fantagraphics, 2006)
- Aim (self-published, 1993–2001)
References
- "Interview: Miss Lasko-Gross Discusses Henni". Graphic Policy. 2015-01-12. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- Olson, Ray. "Top 10 Graphic Novels: 2010". Booklist Online. American Library Association. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
- Shiach, Kieran (March 28, 2016). "I Only Trust People With Weird Haircuts: Miss Lasko-Gross And Kevin Colden On The World Of 'The Sweetness' [Interview]". Comics Alliance.
External links
- Official website
- Miss Lasko-Gross at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Escape from Special and A Mess of Everything. Fantagraphics
- Miss Lasko-Gross Writers House
- Washington Post Interview