About

Hazel Newlevant is a Portland-raised, Brooklyn-residing cartoonist. Their comics include If This Be Sin, Tender-Hearted, Sugar Town, and No Ivy League. They edited and published the anthologies Chainmail Bikini and Comics For Choice, and served as a co-editor for the anthologies Puerto Rico Strong (Lion Forge, 2018) and Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans (A Wave Blue World, 2024).

Hazel's newest graphic novel, Queer & How We Got Here, will be available from Little, Brown INK in May 2026!

Hazel worked as an Associate Editor for Lion Forge Comics, and currently does freelance editing for First Second and Street Noise Books.

Hazel's work as a cartoonist and editor has been honored with the Xeric Grant (Ci Vediamo), the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant (If This Be Sin), the Ignatz Award (Tender-Hearted, Comics for Choice), the Eisner Award (Puerto Rico Strong), and the GLAAD Media Award (Becoming Who We Are).

Hazel may be available for freelance work such as:

• Illustration
• Comic art
• Portrait paintings (especially cat portraits)
• Live portrait drawing at events
• Editing
• Artist talks and class visits (preferably virtual)
  

Contact them at hazel@newlevant.com.

Selected Press

"The Graphic Memoir 'No Ivy League' Dares You To Think About Feelings," review by Etelka Lehoczky, NPR

"Hazel Newlevant examines privilege and coming of age in No Ivy League," interview by Avery Kaplan, The Beat

“A Compendium of Resistance: Comics for Choice Fights for Reproductive Justice,” review by Catherine, Women Write About Comics

"Sugar Town," review by Tegan O'Neil, The Comics Journal

“#MeToo, Box Brown, Comics for Choice, Babylon Berlin, Mean Girls, Manga Master Ito, Art/Life Advice | Graphic Novels Reviews,” review, Library Journal

"Comics for Choice Takes on Abortion Stigma," article by Pia Peterson, Bitch Media

"Sugar Town: Hazel Newlevant Explores the Complexities of Relationships," review by Robin Enrico, Broken Frontier

"Sugar Town Review: Young Love and Mix Tapes," review by Molly Barnewitz, ComicsVerse

"Sugar Town," review, Publishers Weekly

"Chainmail Bikini," review, Publishers Weekly

Honors

2025 "Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology"
GLAAD Media Award for Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans

Special Guest
Morristown Festival of Books, October 2022

2019 "Best Anthology"
Eisner Award for Puerto Rico Strong

2018 "Outstanding Anthology"
Ignatz Award for Comics for Choice

Plenary Speaker
Comics Studies Society Conference, August 2018

Special Guest
Boise Comic Arts Festival, August 2018

2017 "Outstanding Mini-Comic"
Ignatz Award for Tender-Hearted

Thesis Defense Advisor
California College of Art, July 2017

2016 "Favorite Anthology"
Autostraddle Comic and Sequential Art Award for Chainmail Bikini

2016 "Best Work - Small Press" Nomination
DINKy Award nomination for No Ivy League #1

2013 Queer Press Grant
Prism Comics Queer Press Grant for If This Be Sin

2012 Xeric Grant
Xeric Foundation self-publishing grant for Ci Vediamo