Kazu Kibuishi

Kazu Kibuishi is a successful American graphic novel author and illustrator, who was born on April 8, 1978, in Tokyo, Japan. He moved to the United States with his brother and mother in 1982, when he was just four years old. Kibuishi comes from a long line of Japanese Americans, as his mother and her parents were all born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York.

Kazu Kibuishi is perhaps best known for creating the popular comic anthology Flight and for his webcomic Copper. He has also garnered critical acclaim for his work on the Amulet series, which has become a New York Times Bestseller. The series, published by Scholastic Graphix, has seen eight volumes released so far, with the latest book, Amulet 8: Supernova, published in Fall 2018. Kibuishi's work has been praised by fellow webcomic artist and noted critic Scott McCloud, who has said that some of his illustrations are so beautifully drawn that "it hurts my hands when I look at it".

In addition to his work on Amulet, Kibuishi has worked as the editor, art director, and cover artist for the EXPLORER and FLIGHT Comic Anthologies. He has also provided the cover illustrations for the Harry Potter 15th Anniversary Edition paperbacks from Scholastic. Kibuishi's debut graphic novel, Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, was published in 2005 and received widespread critical acclaim, winning a YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award. His webcomic Copper, which was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2005, was later published as a graphic novel by Scholastic Graphix in 2009. The book was a Junior Library Guild selection for Fall 2009.

Kazu Kibuishi earned his degree in Film Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2000. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. However, he eventually found his calling in graphic novels and now works as a full-time graphic novelist. Kibuishi currently resides near Seattle, Washington with his wife and two children.