James Burks author page

James Burks biography

James Burks is an American author–illustrator and former animator best known for graphic novels for children. After working for years in feature and TV animation, with credits that include The Iron Giant, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet and Nickelodeon’s Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, he moved into children’s publishing, writing and illustrating original series and picture-led stories.

Burks created the seven-book graphic novel sequence Bird & Squirrel for Scholastic/Graphix, beginning with Bird & Squirrel on the Run. He later launched the younger–middle grade spy series Agent 9 with Penguin Random House, published to date in two volumes: Flood-a-Geddon! and Mind Control! His first graphic novel, Gabby & Gator, appeared with Yen Press in 2010 and was reissued in 2020 by JY. Other author–illustrator titles include the picture book Beep and Bah, and he is the illustrator of Tara Lazar’s picture book The Monstore.

Publisher and author sources note international editions of his work and ongoing school events focused on drawing and storytelling. Burks has also announced a forthcoming graphic novel project, Boxtales, with First Second Books.

Selected works: Bird & Squirrel series (Scholastic/Graphix); Agent 9: Flood-a-Geddon! and Agent 9: Mind Control! (Penguin Random House); Gabby & Gator (Yen Press/JY); Beep and Bah; illustrator of The Monstore (Tara Lazar).