Ben Hatke

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Ben Hatke (born June 4, 1977) is an American cartoonist and children's book illustrator. He is best known for Zita the Spacegirl, a graphic novel series for middle-grade readers that features strong female characters. He also created Mighty Jack, a modern take on Jack and the Beanstalk.

Hatke was born in Lafayette, Indiana, and grew up with sisters. His family were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and he spent much of his childhood outdoors. Influences include Elfquest, Bill Watterson, Maurice Sendak, Leonardo da Vinci, and other artists.

He earned a BA from Christendom College in 2000 and spent a semester in Italy studying Renaissance painting. Hatke contributed stories to the Flight anthologies in 2005 and 2006. Zita the Spacegirl began as a character his wife Anna created in high school; Hatke developed it into the published series, which started in 2011 with First Second Books, followed by volumes in 2012 and 2014. In 2016 Fox Animation acquired the film rights for the Zita trilogy.

Hatke lives in Front Royal, Virginia with his wife Anna and their children. He enjoys role-playing games, archery, fire-eating, and tumbling. His daughter Ida died in 2019 at age four. He has won the Cybils Award (2011) and an Eisner Award (2016).