About the Author

Robin Ha grew up reading and drawing comics. At fourteen she moved to the United States from Seoul, Korea. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration, she moved to New York City and started a career in the fashion industry. Her work has been published in independent comic anthologies including Secret Identities and The Strumpet, as well as in the pages of Marvel Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling comic recipe book Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes. Visit Robin online at banchancomic.tumblr.com. Robin Ha grew up reading and drawing comics. At fourteen she moved to the United States from Seoul, Korea. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration, she moved to New York City and started a career in the fashion industry. Her work has been published in independent comic anthologies including Secret Identities and The Strumpet, as well as in the pages of Marvel Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling comic recipe book Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes. Visit Robin online at banchancomic.tumblr.com.

Reviews

"Ha puts a queer and feminist twist on the origins of the Fox Maiden from Korean folklore in this fantastical graphic novel. Across cleanly rendered, digitally illustrated panels with starkly highlighted hues in reds, blues, greens, and yellows, Kai tenaciously attempts to change her fate, encounters a familiar face on a parallel journey, and finds compassion and love along the way." -- Publishers Weekly"Ha employs a limited but versatile color palette to create a world that feels grounded in real history yet imbued with magic. The inkbrush-like digital illustrations are evocative of traditional Asian art and contrast poignantly with the book's contemporary treatment of nonconformity, queerness, and intergenerational trauma. A lushly illustrated fantasy that feels ancient and modern at the same time." -- Kirkus Reviews"Ha's magnificent storytelling reclaims, reveals, and honors [Korean women's] strength." -- Booklist (starred review)"A worthy addition to the canon of myths retold through the female lens that will appeal to any who enjoys the monster's backstory." -- School Library Journal"Action packed and exciting, this family drama is full of unexpected twists and turns. The art is rich with historical details, beautiful nature scenes, and fast paced fight scenes. Lovers of ghost stories, kdramas, and queer retellings of fairy tales will find much to enjoy here." -- Maia Kobabe, author and illustrator of Gender Queer"A book that makes you want to devour the patriarchy. The Fox Maidens is a beautiful dive into Korean history, mythology, and social issues we can all learn from." -- Laura Gao, author and illustrator of Messy Roots
"Robin calls forth her entire self to elevate Korean folklore to a haunting, horrifying, and enchanting epic about what (and who) we would sacrifice for love and redemption. Truly a femme fatale I wish I had growing up." -- Deb JJ Lee, creator of In LimboPraise for ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL: "A powerful memoir that not only shows what it's like to be in a new town or a new school, but what it's like to move to an entirely new country! It's an amazing journey that is sure to promote empathy with readers." -- Jerry Craft, author of New Kid"Incredibly honest, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, Almost American Girl is a treasure." -- Michael Cho, author of Shoplifter"Robin's story is both utterly her own and deeply resonant for anyone who's felt lost in the world and fought to carve out a place for themselves." -- Hazel Newlevant, author of No Ivy League"This heartfelt memoir from an author who shares her honest, personal experiences. An insightful, moving coming-of-age tale." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"A poignant and unvarnished depiction of immigration--both the heartache and the rewards." -- School Library Journal (starred review)"With unblinking honesty and raw vulnerability [and] presented in full-color splendor, her energetic style mirrors the constant motion of her adolescent self, navigating the peripatetic turbulence toward adulthood." -- ALA Booklist (starred review)"Touching and subtly humorous, this emotive memoir is as much about the steadfast bond between a mother and daughter as it is about the challenges of being an immigrant in America." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Ha successfully brings to life the wide range of emotions that both tell the story and provide evidence that the comic medium has been a healing force for her and perhaps could be for readers who have walked similar paths." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Ha effectively uses the comic book format to recall her own memories of dislocation, explore a testy mother-daughter relationship and ultimately chronicle a poignant search for identity." -- San Francisco Chronicle