Harmony Becker
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Harmony Becker is an American graphic novelist and illustrator, known for illustrating George Takei's memoir They Called Us Enemy, as well as for writing and illustrating the graphic novel Himawari House.
Harmony Becker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1] Her mother is Japanese, and she describes growing up in a multicultural household.[1][2][3][4]
After high school, Becker spent time volunteering and studying Korean in Washington, D.C., and South Korea.[5] She briefly attended art school in Columbus, Ohio, before dropping out and instead pursuing comics while working as a waitress.[1][5] Her first professional comics job was illustrating George Takei's 2019 graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, which shares Takei's experiences of internment as a Japanese American during World War II.[1][5] They Called Us Enemy won an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a Silver Reuben Award, an American Book Award, and an Eisner Award, among other honors.[4][6][7][8]
In 2021, Becker published her first solo graphic novel, Himawari House, which deals with a Japanese American girl reconnecting with her heritage at a shared house in Japan.[1][2][9][10] It was based on her webcomic Himawari Share on the Tapas webtoon site.[2][5][9][10] The following year, Himawari House won the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature.[11]
In 2025, she worked with Takei again to illustrate his second graphic memoir, It Rhymes with Takei, which shares his life story and his process of coming out.[12][13]
She has also created the webcomics Love Potion and Anemone & Catharus.[4][6]
Becker cites Studio Ghibli as her greatest creative influence.[1] She is currently based in Mexico City.[1][4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kirichanskaya, Michele (2022-07-27). "Interview with Graphic Novelist Harmony Becker". Geeks OUT. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- 1 2 3 Aquino, Gilcy (2021-11-11). "Four Questions for Harmony Becker". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Scott A. (2019-08-12). "Artist Harmony Becker discusses working on 'They Called Us Enemy' with George Takei". amNewYork. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- 1 2 3 4 DeHart, Jason D. (2022-11-01). "'I wanted to bring readers outside of the English experience': An interview with Harmony Becker". Studies in Comics. 13 (1–2): 145–151. doi:10.1386/stic_00079_7. ISSN 2040-3232.
- 1 2 3 4 Simeon, Laura (2021-10-21). "An Award-Winning Artist Debuts Her Graphic Novel". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- 1 2 "Himawari House By Harmony Becker" (PDF). State Library of Ohio. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ Degg, D.D. (2020-09-12). "74th Annual Reuben Awards – Divisional Winners". The Daily Cartoonist. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ Saka, Rasheeda (2020-09-14). "Here are the winners of the 2020 American Book Awards". Literary Hub. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- 1 2 Leong, Samantha (2021-11-08). "Q&A With Harmony Becker, Himawari House". We Need Diverse Books. Archived from the original on 2021-11-08.
- 1 2 Alverson, Brigid (2021-11-04). "Q&A: Harmony Becker on "Himawari House"". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ "'Himawari House' Wins 2022 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature". School Library Journal. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ Dar, Taimur (2024-10-30). "THEY CALLED US ENEMY creative team reunites for new George Takei graphic novel memoir". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ↑ Schlichenmeyer, Terri (2025-03-15). "Bookstores full of LGBTQ-themed new releases". The Washington Blade. Retrieved 2025-04-03.