Maria

Scrivan

Middle Grade Graphic Novelist

New York Times Bestseller

Travels from: New York, NY

“This NYT best-seller’s energy lit lights in my students’ minds.” — School Board Member, Monticello, NY

Maria Scrivan is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning syndicated cartoonist. Her books are filled with humor and heart, and are based on real feelings from her childhood.

Her graphic novel series, Nat Enough (Scholastic/Graphix), was launched in April 2020 and immediately became a New York Times Bestseller. The sequel, Forget Me Nat, was published the following September, and the third book in the series, Absolutely Nat, was published in September 2021, along with the box set, Definitely Nat in October of 2021.

Maria’s laugh-out-loud comic, Half Full, is syndicated by Andrews McMeel Syndication and appears daily in newspapers nationwide including the LA Times and on GoComics.com.

Her work has appeared in many publications including MAD Magazine, Highlights, National Lampoon, American Bystander, Parade Magazine, Wired, Prospect Magazine, Funny Times, Mashable.com and HuffingtonPost.com. She also licenses her work for hundreds of greeting cards to Recycled Paper Greetings, American Greetings, NobleWorks, RSVP, Design Design and more.

While Maria racked up an impressive collection of “Honorable Mentions” in field day, she grew up to compete in two Ironman Triathlons, two marathons, and has ridden her bike from Montreal to Maine and from San Francisco to Los Angeles. She also likes to stand on her head.

Nat For Nothing

Graphix |

February 7, 2023

Graphic Novel

A companion to the New York Times bestselling series that began with Nat Enough!

It’s a best friend battle!

Natalie is having a rough start to the school year. Each student has been asked to join an extracurricular activity, and Nat’s two best friends have no trouble finding activities that interest them. Flo tries her hand at puppetry, and Zoe makes the volleyball team… with Nat’s ex-BFF, Lily! So now Zoe and Lily are always together, and Nat’s over it! Nat’s feeling betrayed, and she still hasn’t found a club to join. But when Nat meets a new student who’s having the same difficulty choosing a club, they decide to create one together. Could this be the solution to her problems?

Female Author, Grades K-5, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Absolutely Nat

Graphix |

September 21, 2021

Graphic Novel

Companion to the New York Times bestseller Nat Enough!

You can stay stuck or go forward, but you can’t go back.

Natalie has just arrived at summer camp and soon realizes it isn’t anything like the brochure. Instead of spending the summer with her best friends, Zoe and Flo, Natalie is stuck with her ex-BFF, Lily, and someone even more annoying than the endless mosquitoes: Millie Flatbottom. Even worse, she’s constantly pushed out of her comfort zone and forced to come face-to-face with some of her greatest fears. Although summer camp isn’t at all what Natalie expected, could it be exactly what she needs?

Female Author, Grades K-5, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Forget Me Nat

Graphix |

September 1, 2020

Graphic Novel

Companion to the New York Times bestseller Nat Enough!

It’s called a crush for a reason…For the first time in her life, Natalie feels confident. Her talents are being recognized, she has supportive friends, and she’s spending a ton of time with her crush, Derek! But when Derek tells Natalie that he just wants to be friends, Natalie’s self-confidence quickly changes to self-doubt. As she tries to recover from her broken heart, Natalie casts aside her talents and even her friends. With no one to turn to, Natalie will have to pull herself out of this mess on her own.

Female Author, Grades K-5, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Nat Enough

Graphix |

April 7, 2020

Graphic Novel

A New York Times bestseller!

Making friends isn’t easy, but losing them is even harder!Natalie has never felt that she’s enough — athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought — now she’s not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn’t, then she might realize she’s more than enough, just the way she is.

Female Author, Grades K-5, Graphic Novels, Young Adult

Nat Enough Series

Maria shares her inspiration for creating the Nat Enough Series, which is based on real feelings and events from her childhood. With childhood photos and stories, Maria shares her own struggles with being her own biggest bully, as well as her love of cartooning at an early age. She shares the importance of being more of who you are, surrounding yourself with people that lift you up instead of putting you down, and how fear can get in your way. She shares her creative process along with the tools and materials she used to create each book, and shares the profound synchronicities fo her creative process.

Creativity

Learn how to tap into your creativity! As a syndicated cartoonist, graphic novelist, magazine cartoonist and greeting card artist, Maria has come up with thousands of ideas. She shares the windy path she took in her artistic career, while never letting go of her childhood dream of becoming a full-time cartoonist. She answers the age-old question, “Where do you get your ideas?” and shares what to do with the ideas once you find them. She discusses productive vs. non-productive procrastination, the “Creativity Gremlins” that can get in our way, how to tap into synchronicity, and creating space for your art, both physically and energetically. Attendees will be inspired and energized to explore their own creativity, no matter the medium.

Making a Graphic Novel

Learn the finer points of making a graphic novel from concept to finished product. Maria discusses how to come up with an idea, outlining a story, the elements of story in a 5 plot point structure, character design, sketching, inking and color. She discusses a variety of materials including traditional and digital media and shares some of her favorite graphic novels as inspiration. This can also be presented in a workshop format where kids make their own mini-graphic novel story. Maria will share her illustrated book that she made in sixth grade.

Cartooning and Comics for Kids

Learn how to draw cartoons from concept to final cartoon. This workshop explores panel comics, three-panel cartoons, character design, speech bubbles, cartoonist shortcuts, sound effects, expressions and more. Maria takes her experience from being a syndicated cartoonist, magazine cartoonist, greeting card artist and graphic novelist, and shows kids how to make their own cartoons.

Live Drawing Demo

While answering student questions at in-person events, Maria does a drawing demonstration that can be viewed with typical AV equipment (projector/screen, and she brings her own device).

Self-Worth, Self-Acceptance, and Getting Out of Your Own Way”

Taking lessons from the Nat Enough series, Maria discusses the importance of self-worth, self-acceptance and getting out of your own way. Through childhood stories and photos, she illustrates the adversity she met in following her dream of being a cartoonist, and the windy path she took to achieve her dream. She illustrates the importance of art and creativity in her life and the impact it has on young children.

Mario Orsatti, www.TMTalks.org
Maria’s got the gift for speech in spades! Her energy, enthusiasm, and wonderful personal story are extremely engaging. I loved interviewing her, and so did the thousand or so viewers to my weekly webcast.

John Schu, Book Joy Live
“Maria Scrivan was a guest on Book Joy Live, a weekly virtual program I host that celebrates books, story, and school libraries. Her passion for comics, her humor, and her kind heart imbued my heart and the viewers’ hearts with pure JOY. Thank you, Maria!

Melissa Jones, Girls Positivity Club
“Maria was an amazing speaker to the small group of girls in my youth organization, Girls Positivity Club. She shared her writing process, showed us the real-life dog character, Treat, and spoke with the girls about following their passions and not giving up when faced with rejection. She elaborated on the questions the girls asked and was naturally genuine and responsive to the girls. One girl in my group was so excited to meet Maria because she has 3 Learning Disabilities and Nat Enough is the first unassigned book she has ever finished reading with success from cover to cover. That in itself paired with meeting her in ‘virtual’ person, was a priceless moment that she will cherish from her childhood. The messages in her books and in her speaking encourage kids to be who they are and to focus on the good qualities each person brings to the world.

Mike Cavallaro, Instructor, School of Visual Arts, NYC
“Maria brought an exuberant jolt of personality to my undergrad cartooning class. My students get plenty of “how-to” during the regular sessions, so I enjoyed watching them open up and engage with Maria’s instantly relatable story of her own artistic journey, including the challenge of finding one’s way after art school, a tale of particular interest for students about to graduate and enter the field, told with attention to both the creative and business aspects. Maria left many students with a renewed sense of the possibilities available in the field of cartooning, at a critical time in their own development. I’m hoping to have her back each semester, if she’s willing!

Tara Russell Ethridge, International School of Prague Librarian
“Our 3rd-6th grade students met with Maria online, and she is amazing with kids! We learned about her writing/drawing process, heard about her journey to becoming a cartoonist, and also learned how to draw Nat alongside her. Lots of rave reviews at our school from kids and teachers alike!

Angie Zhao, Events & Social Media Coordinator, BBGB Books
“Maria weaves fun, easy-to-follow drawing tutorials into honest discussions on feelings of inadequacy and later materializing her passion as a cartoonist/illustrator. Students left visits inspired, creative, and excited for what’s next for Nat!

School Board Member, Monticello, NY
“Amazing assembly with the incomparable Maria Scrivan. This NYT best-seller’s energy lit lights in my students’ minds sharing her writing process and growth mindset! We used our sketchnotes to chronicle our amazement!

Maria’s Coloring Pages

Maria’s “Half Full” Comic

Maria’s Greeting Cards

Maria’s Porfolio

Maria’s Travel Sketches

Marie’s Illustrations in Mad Magazine

Honors, Awards & Recognition

#1 NYT Bookseller
Canadian Bestselling Author
Named one of the year’s best (graphic novel) books by Washington Post
Sakura Award Nominee
Best New Graphic Novel of 2020, SheKnows.com
”A Mighty Girl” Recommended Book
NCS Award
Society of Illustrators

Media clips

Greenwich Time | Greenwich native draws on memory for Nat Enough graphic works

Comics Beat | Half Full’s Maria Scrivan to make her graphic novel debut with Nat Enough

Patch | Stamford Cartoonist Living the Dream, Featured Nationally

Media Kit

By clicking the link below your will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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Scrivan

Nat For Nothing

Absolutely Nat

Forget Me Nat

Nat Enough

Nat Enough Series

Creativity

Making a Graphic Novel

Cartooning and Comics for Kids

Live Drawing Demo

Self-Worth, Self-Acceptance, and Getting Out of Your Own Way”

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Media clips

Media Kit

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