Ben Hatke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ben Hatke |
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Ben Hatke at the 2016 Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival
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| Born | June 4, 1977 Lafayette, Indiana, U.S. |
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Notable works
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Zita the Spacegirl Mighty Jack |
| Awards | Cybils Award, 2011 Eisner Award, 2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Anna |
| Children | 6 |
Ben Hatke is an American artist who writes and draws amazing graphic novels and children's books. He was born on June 4, 1977. He's famous for his Zita the Spacegirl series, which are popular middle grade graphic novels. Ben Hatke's stories often feature brave and strong girl characters.
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About Ben Hatke
Ben Hatke was born in Lafayette, Indiana. He grew up with his sisters and spent a lot of time playing outdoors. His family was part of a group called the Society for Creative Anachronism. This group enjoys recreating parts of the Middle Ages.
What Inspired Him
Ben Hatke was inspired by many artists and stories. One of his early favorite comics was Elfquest by Wendy and Richard Pini. Other artists who influenced him include Bill Watterson, who created Calvin and Hobbes, and Maurice Sendak, who wrote Where the Wild Things Are. He also looked up to famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci.
His Education
Ben Hatke went to Christendom College and finished his studies in 2000. While he was in college, he spent some time in Italy. There, he studied Italian Renaissance painting, which is a style of art from a long time ago.
Ben Hatke's Work
Ben Hatke started his career by contributing short stories to comic anthologies. An anthology is a collection of stories by different artists. His story "The Plank" was in Flight volume 2 in 2005. Another story, "The Edge," appeared in Flight #3 in 2006.
Mighty Jack Series
Ben Hatke also created a character named Mighty Jack. This character is a modern version of the classic fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk." In his stories, Mighty Jack goes on new adventures with a magical beanstalk.
Zita the Spacegirl Series
Zita the Spacegirl is one of Ben Hatke's most popular series. It's about a girl named Zita who becomes a hero in space. Her adventure begins when her friend is taken by an alien group. On her journey, Zita meets many strange creatures. She rides a giant mouse, talks to humanoid chickens, and makes friends with robots and a blob-like creature.
How Zita Was Created
Ben Hatke says that the idea for Zita actually came from his wife, Anna. She created the character when she was in high school. When Ben and Anna met in college, he started to develop the character further. He first worked on Zita as webcomics. Then, a short story called "Zita the Spacegirl: If Wishes Were Socks" was published in a book called Flight Explorer in 2008.
Zita's Books and Movie
The first Zita the Spacegirl book came out in 2011. The second and third books in the series were released in 2012 and 2014. In 2016, a movie studio called Fox Animation bought the rights to make movies based on the Zita trilogy. This means Zita's adventures could come to life on the big screen!
Ben Hatke's Life
Ben Hatke lives in Front Royal, Virginia. He lives there with his wife, Anna, and their five daughters. He enjoys playing role-playing games, which are games where you pretend to be a character. He also likes archery, which is shooting with a bow and arrow. Ben Hatke is also skilled at fire-eating and is an amateur tumbler.
Awards and Recognition
Ben Hatke's work has won several important awards:
- In 2011, he won the Cybils Award for Zita the Spacegirl.
- In 2016, he received the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers for his book Little Robot. The Eisner Awards are like the "Oscars" for comic books.
