Gene Luen Yang began making comic books in the fifth grade. He has since written and drawn a number of titles. His 2006 book, American Born Chinese, was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album—New. His 2013 two-volume graphic novel, Boxers & Saints, was nominated for both the National Book Award and the LA Times Book Award. Gene currently writes the graphic novel continuation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Shadow Hero, his comic book series with Sonny Liew, revived the Green Turtle, an obscure 1940s character who is arguably the first Asian-American superhero. The Shadow Hero is now available as individual digital issues via Amazon Kindle.
