Svetlana Chmakova facts for kids

Svetlana Chmakova (born October 7, 1979) is a talented artist who creates comic books. She is from both Russia and Canada. Svetlana is famous for her comic series like Dramacon, Nightschool, and Awkward. These books are popular with readers in North America. She has also been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award twice.

Svetlana's Early Life and Education

Svetlana Chmakova was born in Russia. She first discovered comics there when she found a book called ElfQuest. When she was 16, she moved to Canada. She later studied Classical Animation at Sheridan College, finishing in 2002. After college, she started sharing her manga comics online. Svetlana is married and has a young child. Her husband helps manage her website.

Svetlana's Amazing Comic Books

Svetlana Chmakova has created many popular comic books. Her stories often feature relatable characters and exciting adventures.

Dramacon: A Convention Adventure

Dramacon was Svetlana's first full-length comic series. It tells the story of Christie Leroux, a teenage writer who loves comics. The story follows Christie's experiences at her very first anime convention. She goes with her artist boyfriend, Derek, but soon meets a mysterious cosplayer named Matt Green. The series explores friendships, crushes, and the world of comic conventions.

Nightschool: Magic and Mystery

In 2007, Svetlana announced a new original manga series called Nightschool. This series was published by Yen Press. It takes readers into a world of magic and mystery, following characters who attend a special school that only opens at night.

Awkward and the Berrybrook Middle School Series

Svetlana Chmakova also created the popular graphic novel Awkward, which was released in 2014. This book is about middle school life, friendships, and finding your place. It was so popular that it became the first book in a series set at Berrybrook Middle School.

• Brave, a sequel to Awkward, was released in 2016.
• Crush, the third book in the series, came out in 2017. It won an award for excellence in graphic literature for middle grade readers in 2019.
• The newest book in the series, Enemies, was released in 2022.

These books are known for their great artwork and stories that many young readers can connect with.

Awards and Recognition

Svetlana Chmakova's work has received many awards and positive reviews.

• Dramacon was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2007.
• Nightschool won the Dragon Award for Kids Comics at the Joe Shuster Awards in 2010.
• Awkward was named one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2015 by School Library Journal. It was also listed as a Great Graphic Novel for Teens by YALSA.
• Awkward won the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids' Comics and another Dragon Award for Kids Comics at the 2016 Shuster Awards. It was also nominated for an Eisner Award.
• Brave received many positive reviews and was named one of the Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2017 by School Library Journal. It was also recognized by Amazon.com and ICv2.
• The Weirn Books: Be Wary of the Silent Woods was nominated for a Joe Shuster Award in 2021.

These awards show how much her stories are loved by both readers and critics!