Graphic novelist and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang and hybrid book author Lauren Redniss have been named recipients of this year’s MacArthur Foundation Fellows class of 2016. Fellows receive a no-strings-attached stipend of $625,000 paid out over five years, with no stipulations or reporting requirements, which is commonly referred to as a "Genius Grant."

Yang is the author of the graphic novels American Born Chinese (see “'American Born Chinese'”), Boxers & Saints (see “Gene Luen Yang's 'Boxers & Saints' Makes National Book Awards List”), the Secret Coders series (see “Hatke, Sturm, Knisley, Yang”), The Shadow Hero (see “ICv2: ICv2 Interviews Gene Luen Yang”), and Avatar: The Last Airbender (see “ICv2 Interview: Gene Luen Yang on 'Avatar'”). His next graphic novel will be Dragon Hoops, coming in 2018 (see “First Nonfiction OGN from Gene Luen Yang”). Yang was also named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature earlier this year (see “Gene Luen Yang Is National Ambassador for Young People's Literature”).

"I'm so thankful to be named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow! To get to follow in the footsteps of such amazing cartoonists and writers as Alison Bechdel, Ben Katchor, Junot Diaz, and Ta-Nehisi Coates is an honor beyond words," said Gene Luen Yang.

Also named to list was hybrid book author Lauren Redniss. Redniss is an artist and writer who integrates written text, artwork, and design elements in her visual nonfiction books.  Her works include Century Girl, Radioactive, and Thunder and Lightning, which was named to Slate’s top cartoon stories for 2015 (see “Top Graphic Novel Lists of 2015 Round-Up”).

Cartoonist and graphic memoirist Alison Bechdel received a Genius Grant in 2014 (see “Alison Bechdel Wins 'Genius Grant'”).