Entertainment Weekly have revealed Gene Luen Yang’s next graphic novel, “Dragon Hoops,” will be published by First Second Books on March 17, 2020. Yang’s latest book, which is his first effort as writer and artist since 2013’s “Boxers” and “Saints,” will be a memoir focusing on the Dragons, the men’s basketball varsity team at the high school he teaches, and their journey to competing in the California State Championships. Here’s the synopsis:
“Gene understands stories — comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it’s all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’ lives, but his own life as well.”
Yang first announced the book at The Washington Post in 2016. “Dragon Hoops” will be Yang’s first nonfiction book, in contrast to his previous works like the award-winning “American Born Chinese,” which he explicitly stated was not autobiographical, although he acknowledged he drew on experiences from his past.
Head on over to EW for an exclusive look at the first nine pages of the book.
