George O’ Connor, Tyler Page, and Misako Rocks!
From Myth to Reality and Beyond
Saturday, November 8, 2025
1:00pm, Red Cap Room (located upstairs from the Book Fair)
Don’t miss this panel featuring three amazing creators of middle grade graphic novels, each of whom takes a unique approach to some of their core passions. Bestselling cartoonist George O’Connor has introduced hordes of readers to some of the original superheroes of Greek mythology in his 12-volume Olympians; he’ll be talking about his new Asgardians series and Loki, the third volume in the series (after Odin and Thor, of course!). Minnesota’s own Tyler Page brings things back to reality with his new graphic memoir Extra Large, which tells the story of discovering the difference between building a body that conforms to society’s expectations and one that actually feels good to live in. And anything can happen in manga, so Japanese artist and educator Misako Rocks! joins us to discuss the latest in her Bounce Back series, Sew Totally Nala!, about a kawaii fashion-loving kid who teams up with a very clever squirrel to rise to the challenge of being brave. Whether you’re a young reader, an avid comics follower, or a parent, teacher, or librarian, you’ll want to catch this trio!
About the Authors
George O’Connor is an author, illustrator and cartoonist. Above all, George is a Greek mythology buff and a classic superhero comics fan, and he’s out to remind us how much our pantheon of superheroes (Superman, Batman, the X-Men, etc.) owes to mankind’s original superheroes: the Greek pantheon. Now he has brought his attention to Olympians, an ongoing series retelling the classic Greek myths in comics form. In addition to his graphic novel career, O’Connor has published several children’s picture books, including the New York Times best-selling Kapow!, Sally and the Some-Thing, If I Had a Raptor, and If I Had a Triceratops. George lives in Brooklyn, NY with five terrible cats and one Olympian goddess. Visit him at georgeoconnorbooks.com.
Misako Rocks! is a Japanese manga comic artist who’s published several manga books all over the world, including No Such Thing and Bounce Back, which was selected to be on the list of 2021 Best Graphic Novels For Children by the American Library Association. Visit her at misakorocks.com.
Tyler Page, an Eisner-nominated cartoonist and educator, has worked with national and international clients and publishers in addition to publishing graphic novels of his own. His book Raised on Ritalin was called “essential reading for medical students and those involved in helping address the challenges of ADHD” by the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Tyler lives in Minneapolis with his wife, author/illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, and their two very blonde children.