Dave Roman (born May 26, 1977) is an American writer and artist of webcomics and comics.
Career
Roman attended the School of Visual Arts in New York.[1] He started working in comics as an intern at DC Comics, then got a full-time job at Nickelodeon Magazine as a comic editor for 11 years, until the magazine ceased publishing in 2009.[1]
Roman is the co-creator and writer of Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden, a webcomic co-created and drawn by John Green. The webcomic was first published in 1997;[citation needed] two books of the webcomic were published, subtitled Borrowed Magic and Separation Anxiety respectively.[2] Roman also co-created Teen Boat with John Green.[3] Two stories were published in print, while three are available online as a webcomic.[4][5][6]
Roman has published three books in his "Astronaut Academy" series,[7] which started as a webcomic.[8] The first, Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity (First Second, 2011) is about a young boy who leaves behind life as an intergalactic superhero to go to middle school.[1]
Roman created the graphic novel Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery, and in 2008 Paramount Pictures optioned the film rights. In the novel, the title character turns sixteen and inherits an estate and an ability to see and communicate with the dead.[9] In 2009, Del Rey Manga released X-Men: Misfits, which Roman co-authored with his then-wife, Raina Telgemeier. It spent at least five weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list for Paperback Graphic Books.[10]
According to a 2011 article, Roman mainly earned a living "by touring the country and speaking to children in schools, libraries and bookstores about the joys of making comics."[1] He has said that he loved to draw and tell stories as a kid and is now "trying to inspire that passion in other kids".[1]
The webcomic Teen Boat #6: Vote Boat won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut in 2004.[3] A reviewer for Geek Dad said that they "thoroughly enjoyed" book one of Teen Boat.[15] However, a reviewer for Kirkus Reviews criticized book one, saying, "[Its h]umor is often sophomoric, and most of the girls—with the exception of Teen Boat’s best friend—are busty caricatures. While some of the jokes will indeed induce a chuckle or two, many are stretched to the point of exhaustion".[16] Of the second book, Kirkus said, "Bright spots aside, this parody of self-obsessed teen protagonists is so successful it gives readers no cause to root for the hero."[17]
Keith Mayerson, formerly a professor of comics and illustration at the School of Visual Arts, said that Roman was one of the school's "most successful and beloved alumni” and that "many of our students were familiar with their work long before they ever met them."[1]
