Tara O'Connor is comic maker and illustrator currently residing in Belfast with her partner John and their dog, Brynn. She was born in the year of the Highlander. On any given day there's a 90% chance that every meal was cereal. She drinks way too much tea and coffee.
She's been drawing since before she can remember and has been drawing comics since she was about 14. Most of those comics were awful and never saw the light of day, and very few of them made their way online. In 2010, however, she braved the comics world and self-published her first mini-comic, Puddles.
Since then she’s worked with Oni Press, Boom Studios, IDW/Top Shelf, Scholastic, Andrews McMeel, Aftershock Comics, and Random House Graphic. Her book The Altered History of Willow Sparks is being translated in French by Hachette Romans in 2023.
She’s currently working on her second book with Random House Graphic.
She’s represented by Peter Ryan at Stimola Literary Studio.
Schooling: Graduated from Marywood University with a BA in Art Education, and a minor in Illustration.
Press:
Buzzfeed, 19 Great Books That Capture Living with a Disability, Side Effects, March, 2023
Women Write About Comics, Review, Side Effects, Nov 2022
AIPT Comics, Review, Side Effects, Oct 2022
Multiversity Comics, Announcement, Side Effects, June 2022
Publishers Weekly, Review, Fly By Night, Aug 2021
Kirkus, Review, Fly By Night, Aug 2021
AIPT Comics, Preview, Fly By Night, Sept 2020
Locus, Review, The Agony House, Dec 2018
Publishers Weekly, Rights Report for Fly by Night, Oct 2018
Kirkus, Review, The Agony House, Sept 2018
Doom Rocket, Review, The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Feb 2018
Foreword Reviews, Review, The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Feb 2018
Booklist, Review, The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Feb 2018
Publisher’s Weekly, Review, Roots, Jan 2018
Meet your Maker, Interview, Roots, Dec 2017
Talking Comics, Podcast Review, Roots Nov 2017 (Timestamp: 37:56-40:50)
Top Shelf Catalog, Roots (with blurbs), 2017
Hollywood Reporter, The Altered History of Willow Sparks Announcement, August 2017
Comicon, Top Shelf Announcement, Roots, June 2017
Top Shelf News, Roots Announcement, June 2017
Women Who Draw, Directory, 2017
Publishers Weekly, Rights Report for The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Feb. 2016
Comics Alliance, Hire this Woman, April 2015
Light Grey Art Lab: Artist Interview: Tara Abbamondi, February 2013
Published Work 2015- :
Cry Out Loud, Random House Graphic, TBA
The Swayze Year, Artist, Andrews McMeel Publishing, Sept 2023
La vie renversée de Willow, Hachette Romans, March 2023, 144 pages
Side Effects, Artist, AfterShock Comics/Seismic Press, Oct 2022, 128 pages
Fly By Night, Random House Graphic, November 2021, 320 pages
Adventure Time, Variant Cover Artist, Boom Studios, Feb 2019
The Agony House, Artist, Scholastic, Cherie Priest, September 2018
Confusion is Nothing New, Cover Artist, Scholastic, 2018
The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Oni Press, January 2018, 139 pages
Roots, Top Shelf Productions, September 2017, 176 pages
Dirty Diamonds, Sex, #8, September 2017, 2 pages
Dirty Diamonds, Imagination #7, September 2016, 4 pages
Mine Anthology, July 2016, 1 page
Like Dreamers Do, The Dream Cluster, July 2016, 1 page
Wailing Heights: Spectre Comic, Outsider Games, February 2016
The Revenants, Comic Book Guys, Flatter, October 2015, 28 pages
Roots, Artist & Writer, Self-Published, April 2015, 128 pages
Where is Home, Artist & Writer, April 2015, 4 pages
Published Work 2010-2014 (as Tara Abbamondi):
In Your Wake, Sawdust Press, July 2014, 31 pages
Princeless Short Story, Action Lab Comics, Artist, 2013, 7 pages
On the Morrow, August 2013, 30 pages
The Way We Sleep, Curbside Splendor Press, November 2012, 4 pages
The Stolen Lovelight, Artist, April 2012, 44 pages
I Was a Teenage Gargoyle, Sawdust Press, March 2012, 8 pages
Uncanny Very Near Mint: (500) Days of Mack, Adventuring Company, Artist, January 2012, 5 pages
Unite and Take Over, Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Smiths, Spazdog Press, Artist, November 2011, 8 pages
Panels for Primates, Act-i-vate, 2010, 5 pages
Puddles, April 2010, 30 pages
Awards and Acknowledgements:
2024 Great Graphic Novel, Side Effects, YALSA Great Graphic Novel List
Winner, Young Adult Fiction, Side Effects, 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards
Finalist, Young Adult Fiction, Side Effects, 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards
Nominee, Young Adult Graphic Novel, Fly By Night, 2022 Cybils Awards
Finalist, Young Adult Fiction, The Agony House, 2019 Locus Awards
Gold Standard Selection Award, 2019, The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Junior Library Guild
Maverick List, 2019, The Altered History of Willow Sparks, Texas Library Assoc.
Featured Guest, 2017 Dublin Comic Arts Festival, Dublin Comic Arts
Nominee, Roots, Best Biographical Comic of 2015, Comics Alliance
Nominee, In Your Wake, Best Small Press, 2014 Stumptown Comic Awards (as Tara Abbamondi/Abbamandi)
Nominee, In Your Wake, Best Letterer, 2014 Stumptown Comic Awards (as Tara Abbamondi/Abbamandi)
Nominee, In Your Wake, Best Cartoonist, 2014 Stumptown Comic Awards (as Tara Abbamondi/Abbamandi)
Editorial:
Previously On: How Recaps Changed the Way We Watch Television, The Ringer, August 2018
Can Real Life Compete with Instagram Playground, The Ringer, August 2017
The Secret History of Dion Waiters, The Ringer, February 2017
Group Shows:
Tobeyou, Light Grey Art Lab, March 2017
Cute and Rude, CSA Galleria, July 2016
Bower Bird, Light Grey Art Lab, December 2015
Boss Rush, Light Grey Art Lab, February 2015
Role Models, Light Grey Art Lab, October 2013
Message in a Bottle, Light Grey Art Lab, January-February 2013
GIRLS: Fact or Fiction, Light Grey Art Lab, 2012, Audrey Hepburn
Pokemon Battle Royale, April 2012, #37 Vulpix
Scranton First Friday, Bricolage, February 2009, Forest Rebirth