Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell won a combined three Eisner Awards for their original graphic novel Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, at the annual awards ceremony for the best in comics and sequential art.
Tamaki and Valero-O’Connell graphic novel was awarded Best Publication for Teens and both took home top honors in the writing and art categories, as Best Writer (Tamaki) and Best Penciler/Inker (Valero-O’Connell).
Tamaki was also recognized for her writing on DC’s Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass and Archie Comics long-running flagship title. Archie.
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (from publisher First Second) is a realistic high school story about Laura Dean, the most popular girl school, and Frederica Riley, who sees Laura as her “dream girl”. As the story unfolds, Freddy comes to realize that fantasy and reality don’t always mix and that situations like these often force people to make tough choice about the relationships they are in.