Hey ✌️

Laura Gao is the award-winning creator of Messy Roots and Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (In Love)—and living proof that doodling on your homework can actually “get you somewhere” (take that, Mr. Dutton)!

Their work explores the hilariously messy intersections of queer immigrant stories and has been featured by NPR, the Library of Congress, and the Museum of Chinese in America. A Harvey and Goodreads Choice Award honoree, Laura also shapes the next generation of creators as a Professor of Comics at California College of the Arts and co-organizes San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ comics festival, Pride in Panels. However, their proudest achievements still live on their parents’ fridge and a 2004 Nintendo DS.

Laura’s roots spread wide through California, Texas, and China. They are agented by Brenda Bowen at The Book Group, and use she/her and they/them pronouns.

Send bakery recs!

Love letters, doodles, cat pics, hot takes, side quests, and business opportunities are also welcome.

Hey Ma, I made it!

“How a viral tweet turned into a queer coming-of-age graphic novel” - Input Mag

“A Doc About Wuhan's Lockdown Was 'Too Real' For My Wuhan-Born Dad. I'm Glad I Watched” - NPR

“How 3 Women From Wuhan Cope With COVID-19: Rap, Poetry And Mooncakes” - NPR

My book deal with HarperCollins - Publishers Weekly

“'The Wuhan I Know': A Comic About The City Behind The Coronavirus Headlines” - NPR

“Artist Illustrates What Her Hometown Of Wuhan Is Really Like” - Huffington Post

“The flight attendant meme is here to shame your career choice” - Mashable

“Students create 'anti-resumes' to normalize failure at Penn” - The Daily Pennsylvanian

“2018 Best & Brightest 50 Business Undergrads in the U.S.” - Poets and Quants, Forbes

“Penn students’ design to reach new heights aboard the ISS” - Penn Engineering

“The Signal is combatting pre–professionalism one card game at a time” - 34st Street

“Student Spotlight Q&A: Laptop decal designer and Wharton sophomore” - The Daily Pennsylvanian