robinha:

Hello there,

I hope everyone is healthy and able to go outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. I can’t believe we are already heading towards the end of 2020. This has been a truly tough and weird year and I just want to congratulate everyone for hanging in there.

My memoir graphic novel, Almost American Girl came out right before the pandemic took over the world. It was heartbreaking to hear one book event cancellation after another, not to mention all the terrible news of economic, political, and health crises happening around the world. But looking back now, I realized that this year brought me closer to my community and I was also able to connect with so many readers virtually. I am so grateful for everyone who has reached out via social media to tell me that my memoir has resonated with them. I am also honored to be invited to be part of so many great virtual book and art events happening all over the states. I have tons of awesome virtual events happening this month which I am excited to share with you guys.

First of all, If you haven’t read my memoir yet, the e-book version of Almost American Girl is having a promotion for only $1.99 till the end of October available on all e-book platforms! For more info on where to purchase the e-book, please check out Harper Collins website.

OCTOBER 7th, Wednesday 6PM EST

Tea & Conversation: Inspired by Hokusai

What makes Hokusai’s visual storytelling special? Explore this question during a conversation about the exhibition “Hokusai: Mad about Painting” with curator Frank Feltens and artist Robin Ha. The Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is widely recognized for a single image—"Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa,“ an icon of global art—yet his work consists of much more than that. In this talk, get a fuller picture of the artist by taking a close look at his dramatic paintings and his Hokusai manga, images that poke fun at everyday life in Japan. Then explore images from contemporary comics and graphic novels to see how Hokusai’s work continues to influence art and culture today.
Frank Feltens is the Japan Foundation Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the Freer and Sackler. He is a specialist in Japanese art with a focus on the late medieval and early modern periods, including Japanese photography and the intersections between painting and ceramics. He is the curator of the exhibition “Hokusai: Mad about Painting” (https://asia.si.edu/exhibition/hokusai-mad-about-painting/).
Robin Ha is an illustrator and cartoonist based in the DC area who shares her cultural experiences through graphic novels. She is the author and illustrator of the New York Times Bestseller “Cook Korean! A Comic Book with Recipes,” and “Almost American Girl,” a memoir about immigration and belonging.
Image credit: Detail, “Thunder God”; Katsushika Hokusai / Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution: Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1900.47.

I am so honored to be part of this event to talk about Hokusai, one of my favorite artist of all time with the curator at Freer + Sackler gallery which specialize in Asian art at the Smithsonian. This is a free event for all ages. You can register here.


OCTOBER 10th,  Satuerday 10:40 AM – 11:10 AM EST

NEW YORK COMIC CON is going virtual this year and it’s happening on Youtube for free on October 8-11th. I am in a panel: TITANS OF GRAPHIC NOVELS, joined by Lily Lamotte and Kathleen Gros, to talk about our process and how we managed to carve out a space in a male-dominated world of comics, moderated by Heidi MacDonald of The Comics Beat. Tune in at  Youtube.com/nycc

Almost American Girl also has been nominated for Harvey Award for Best Children and Young Adult Books. Harvey Award is one of the comic industry’s oldest and most prestigious awards. Recognizing outstanding achievement in multiple categories, the Harvey’s have been a fixture of the comic industry since 1988. The winners will be announced at the end of New York Comic Con. Wish me luck!

OCTOBER 17th, Saturday

I had a pleasure of being part of Bank Street Book Fest for the first time this year. I am in a panel:

All American or Forever Foreigner: The Un-easy Balancing Act of Asian American Voices (Pacific Rim) 11:55 AM – 12:45 PM (EST)

Kao Kalia Yang, A Map Into the World
Christina Soontornvat, All Thirteen: The Incredible Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team
Minh Le, Green Lantern Legacy
Cynthia Kadohata, A Place to Belong
Robin Ha, Almost American Girl
Abigail Hing Wen, Loveboat Taipei

Moderator: Roxanne Hsu Feldman, Librarian, Dalton School
This is an all day virtual bookfest and you can resigeter for it here.


OCTOBER 17th, Saturday 3 PM EST
Artist talk at Gift and Gather Facebook Live.

Gift and Gather is a gift shop in historic town of Occoquan, VA offering unique DC handmade products from stationery, jewelry, kid’s toys, handbags, home decor and cocktail mixers, shrubs. They have been featuring my art prints since the summer of 2019 and invited me to talk about my work and connect with the community on their facebook live. Please come join me and Usa, the owner of Gift and Gather for a virtual cup of tea and ask me any questions! This is a free event. You can watch it here.


OCTOBER 24th, Saturday

I’ve been invited to participate in a panel for School Library Journal Submit.

I Guess This is Growing Up: Coming of Age Stories in Graphic Novel Format
Adolescence is a rocky time, but literature can make it easier. These graphic novel creators will discuss how they crafted stories about growing up, dealing with identity, and learning to carve out a sense of self.
Tyler Feder, Dancing at the Pity Party (Dial)
Robin Ha, Almost American Girl (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)
Matt Lubchansky, Be Gay, Do Comics (IDW)
Ngozi Ukazu, Check, Please and Sticks and Scones (First Second)
Moderated by Mahnaz Dar, Reference & Professional Reading editor

School Library Journal is the premiere publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens. A source of quality journalism and reviews for more than 60 years, SLJ produces award-winning features and news coverage on: literacy, best practices, technology, education policy and other issues of interest to the school library and greater educator community. We evaluate a broad range of resources, from books and digital content to databases, in 6000+ reviews published annually.
This is a free, all day event for all ages. You can register here.


Museum of Women in the Arts has put together an online exhibition: DMV COLOR, featuring book arts made by female artists living in DMV (Washington DC, Maryland, Va) area and my book, Cook Korean!: A Comic Book With Recipes has showcased alongside this beautiful work of arts. To check out the full exhibition, click here.


November is just around the corner and I’ve never been so nervous about an election in my life. I am generally very uncomfortable telling other people what they should or shouldn’t do, but this is an extraordinary time that needs an extraordinary measure for all of us to service. So I was compelled to make a poster to show my support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. If you wanna print this image and use it as your window sign, feel free to download it here.  

Ok, this was a long one. Thank you for reading it through and feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I hope to connect with you soon in these events!

Sincerely yours,

-Robin Ha