Jillian Tamaki

Jillian Tamaki (born 1980) is a Canadian illustrator and comics artist known for her work in The New York Times and The New Yorker and for the graphic novels Skim and This One Summer, written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki.

Tamaki was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2003. She teaches illustration at the New York City School of Visual Arts.

Gilded Lilies (2006) is Tamaki's first published book and is a collection of Tamaki's illustrations and comic strips. The first part of the book comprises a carefully selected assemblage of paintings, personal drawings, illustrations and comics. The second part consists of a wordless graphic narrative titled The Tapemines, which tells the story of two children in a surreal landscape featuring "forests of cassette tape".

Skim (2008) is a critically acclaimed graphic novel illustrated by Jillian and written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki. It tells the story of a young high-school girl and touches on themes of friendship, suicide, sexuality, and identity.

Tamaki became the centre of controversy when Mariko Tamaki alone was nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award for Skim. The comics community and others circulated an open letter to the Awards Committee that argued for Tamaki as a co-nominee, which was signed by notable comics artists such as Lynda Barry, Dan Clowes, and Julie Doucet.

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