Ursula Vernon Explained

Birth Name:	Ursula Vernon
Birth Date:	28 May 1977
Alias:	T. Kingfisher
Birth Place:	Japan^[1]
Nationality:	American
Area:	Writer, artist, webcomics creator
Notable Works:	Digger, Dragonbreath series, Nettle & Bone
Awards:	Ursa Major Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Mythopoeic Award, WSFA Small Press Award

Ursula Vernon (born May 28, 1977) is an American freelance writer, artist and illustrator. She has won numerous awards for her work in various mediums, including Hugo Awards for her graphic novel Digger, fantasy novel Nettle & Bone, and fantasy novel Thornhedge, the Nebula Award for her short story "Jackalope Wives", and Mythopoeic Awards for adult and children's literature. Vernon's books for children include Hamster Princess and Dragonbreath. Under the name T. Kingfisher, she is also the author of books for older audiences. She writes short fiction under both names.

Career

Ursula Vernon grew up in Oregon and Arizona. She studied anthropology at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she first took art classes.^[2] She first became known for her webcomics and as a freelance artist, particularly for her works containing anthropomorphic animals. She then moved into writing and illustrating a number of children's books, her first being published in 2008, and then books for adults under the pseudonym T. Kingfisher.^{[3] [4]} She decided to start using the pseudonym in order to avoid confusion amongst parents who were only familiar with her as a children's book author,^[5] and chose it because she loves kingfishers (and as an homage to Ursula K. LeGuin, who once joked that the initials "U.K." could stand for "Ulysses Kingfisher").^[6] Vernon has published short fiction under both names, and has won a number of awards for them including the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.

She regularly attends conventions to exhibit and sell her work. She has been a guest of honor at Midwest FurFest 2004 and 2009, and the Artist Guest of Honor at Further Confusion 2010. Vernon was the Author Guest of Honor for Mythcon 45^[7] and a Guest of Honor at Eurofurence 20, both in August 2014. In 2017, she was the Author Guest of Honor at Arisia '17.

Vernon podcasts with her husband, Kevin Sonney.^[8]

In June 2023, Vernon announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer;^[9] however, by December of that year, she announced that her treatment had been successful and she was "cancer-free".^[10]

Works

Books for younger audiences

Vernon is the author and illustrator of the Dragonbreath and Hamster Princess children's book series, published by Dial Books:

Dragonbreath series

• Dragonbreath. (2009).
• Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs. (2010).
• Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Weiner. (2010).
• Dragonbreath: Lair of the Bat Monster. (2011).
• Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts. (2011).
• Dragonbreath: Revenge of the Horned Bunnies. (2012).
• Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad. (2012).
• Dragonbreath: Nightmare of the Iguana. (2013).
• Dragonbreath: The Case of the Toxic Mutants. (2013).
• Dragonbreath: Knight-napped!. (2015).
• Dragonbreath: The Frozen Menace. (2016).

Hamster Princess series

• Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible. (August 18, 2015).
• Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic. (March 15, 2016).
• Hamster Princess: Ratpunzel. (October 18, 2016).
• Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble. (May 9, 2017).
• Hamster Princess: Whiskerella. (January 23, 2018).
• Hamster Princess: Little Red Rodent Hood. (September 25, 2018).

Other children's books

• Nurk: The Strange Surprising Adventures Of A (Somewhat) Brave Shrew. (2008). Harcourt.
• Castle Hangnail. (April 21, 2015) Dial Books.)

Books for older audiences

Written as Ursula Vernon:

• It Made Sense at the Time: Selected Sketches. (November 18, 2004). Sofawolf Press.
• Black Dogs Part 1: The House of Diamond. (March 1, 2007). Sofawolf Press.
• Black Dogs Part 2: The Mountain of Iron. (January 1, 2011). Sofawolf Press.

Temple of the White Rat books

The following books were written under the name T. Kingfisher and take place in what Vernon calls "the Temple of the White Rat world."^{[11] [12]}

• Clockwork Boys. Clocktaur War #1. (November 21, 2017). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• The Wonder Engine. Clocktaur War #2. (February 27, 2018). Red Wombat Tea Company
• Swordheart. (November 27, 2018). Argyll Productions.
• Paladin's Grace. The Saint of Steel #1. (February 11, 2020) Red Wombat Studio.
• Paladin's Strength. The Saint of Steel #2. (February 28, 2021). Red Wombat Studio.
• Paladin's Hope. The Saint of Steel #3. (October 9, 2021). Red Wombat Studio.
• Paladin's Faith. The Saint of Steel #4. (December 5, 2023). Red Wombat Studio.

The Sworn Soldier books

Under the pen name T. Kingfisher:

• What Moves The Dead. (July 12, 2022). Tor Nightfire.
• What Feasts at Night. (February 13, 2024). Tor Nightfire.

Other books for older audiences

Under the pen name T. Kingfisher:

• Nine Goblins. (October 27, 2013). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• The Seventh Bride. (November 11, 2014). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• Bryony & Roses. (May 18, 2015). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• The Raven & The Reindeer. (February 7, 2016). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• Summer in Orcus. (September 2016). Red Wombat Tea Company.
• The Halcyon Fairy Book. (January 19, 2017). NESFA Press.
• Minor Mage. (July 29, 2019). Argyll Productions.
• The Twisted Ones. (October 1, 2019). Simon & Schuster.
• A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. (July 21, 2020). Argyll Productions.
• The Hollow Places. (October 6, 2020). Simon & Schuster.
• Nettle & Bone. (April 26, 2022). Tor Books.
• Illuminations. (November 25, 2022). Argyll Productions.
• A House with Good Bones. (March 28, 2023). Tor Nightfire.
• Thornhedge. (August 15, 2023). Tor Books.
• A Sorceress Comes to Call. (August 6, 2024). Tor Books

Webcomics

Vernon is the author of the Eisner Award-nominated and Hugo Award-winning webcomic Digger.^[13] A fantasy story featuring an anthropomorphic wombat,^{[2] [14]} it is also available in six paperback books published between 2005 and 2011: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5, and Vol. 6, and as Digger: The Complete Omnibus Edition, published in 2013. She is also the writer and illustrator of the webcomic Irrational Fears and the short stories "Little Creature" and "Little Creature and the Redcap".

Illustrations and art

Before becoming a published children's book author Vernon was primarily a freelance artist and illustrator, and she still regularly produces new works of art. Her work includes the creation of digital art as well as the use of more traditional mediums such as watercolour and acrylics, with much of her more recent work being mixed media. Most of her art work is available as prints. Vernon has also taken commercial commissions such as book covers and game art.

The game Black Sheep designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Fantasy Flight Games uses art by Vernon on its playing cards.^[15]

Her artwork titled The Biting Pear of Salamanca became an internet meme in the form of the "LOL WUT pear"^[16] and has been made into a resin figurine due to its popularity.^[17] She has also designed labels for a series of tea and soap products.^{[18] [19]}

Awards and nominations

scope=col style="min-width: 10em"	Award	scope=col	Category	scope=col	Year	scope=col	Work	scope=col style="min-width: 7em"	Result	scope=col class=unsortable
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=2	British Fantasy Award	Horror Novel	align=center	2020	The Twisted Ones
align=center	2021		The Hollow Places
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=3		Horror Novel	align=center	2020	The Twisted Ones		^[20]
align=center	2021		The Hollow Places		^[21]
	align=center	2021	A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=7			align=center	2012	Digger		^[22]
	align=center	2017	"The Tomato Thief"		^[23]
	align=center	2018	"Sun, Moon, Dust"		^[24]
align=center	2019	“The Rose MacGregor Drinking and Admiration Society”		^[25]
align=center	2021	“Metal Like Blood in the Dark”		^[26]
Series	align=center	2022	The World of the White Rat		^[27]
Novel	align=center	2023	Nettle & Bone		^[28]
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=7	Locus Award	Fantasy Novel	align=center	2017	The Wonder Engine
align=center	2022		Paladin's Strength		^[29]
	align=center	2020	The Twisted Ones
	align=center	2021	The Hollow Places
	align=center	2023	What Moves the Dead		^[30]
	align=center	2021	"Fisher-Bird"
Young Adult Book	align=center	2021	A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking		^[31]
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=3	Lodestar Award	Young Adult Book	align=center	2018	Summer in Orcus
align=center	2020		Minor Mage
align=center	2021		A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=3	Mythopoeic Award		align=center	2012	Digger		^[32]
	align=center	2017	Castle Hangnail		^[33]
	align=center	2021	A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking		^[34]
Nebula Award	Novel	align=center	2023	Nettle and Bone		align=center	^[35]
Andre Norton Award	align=center	2021	A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking		^[36]
	align=center	2015	"Jackalope Wives"		^[37]
scope=row style="font-weight: normal" rowspan=1	World Fantasy Award		align=center	2015	"Jackalope Wives"		^[38]

Vernon has also received the following accolades:

• Her cover for Best in Show won the 2003 Ursa Major Award for Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration.^[39]
• For her work on Digger, Vernon was nominated for the 2006 Eisner Awards in the category "Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition",^[40] and won the 2005 Web Cartoonists' Choice Award for "Outstanding Black and White Art". Digger has also been nominated in the "Outstanding Anthropomorphic Comic" category.^{[41] [42]}
• "Jackalope Wives" (2014), "The Tomato Thief" (2016) and "Metal Like Blood in the Dark" (2020) won the WSFA Small Press Award.^{[43] [44]}

External links

Personal websites

• RedWombatStudio.com
• Bark Like a Fish, Damnit!, public Livejournal blog (last updated 2017)
• Digger webcomic

Socials

• • Ursula Vernon at Goodreads
• UrsulaV, Ursula Vernon's deviantART page

Catalogs

• • • Ursula Vernon at Fantastic Fiction
• Free Speculative Fiction Online, accessed March 4, 2022,

Publishers

• Ursula Vernon at Penguin Random
• Ursula Vernon at Argyll
• Ursula Vernon on Uncanny Mag
• Ursula Vernon on Audible

Notes and References

1. Web site: locusmag. April 12, 2021. Ursula Vernon: Shiny New Idea. April 14, 2021. Locus Online. en-US.
2. Web site: Interview with Ursula Vernon. www.epilogue.net. Vernon. Ursula. Patrick Keith . September 2004. Digger, ... is a fantasy about a wombat . March 6, 2011.
3. Web site: T. Kingfisher. October 20, 2020. Goodreads.
4. http://www.redwombatstudio.com/portfolio/writing/books-for-adults Books for Adults
5. Web site: Interview with Ursula Vernon. February 28, 2021. . January 6, 2015.
6. Web site: Q&A: T.Kingfisher. February 28, 2021. www.thenerddaily.com. October 2020.
7. Web site: Mythcon 45 – August 2014 – Mythopoeic Society. Mythopoeic Society. April 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140406192814/http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-45/. April 6, 2014. dead.
8. Web site: Other media . Red Wombat Studio . July 28, 2019.
9. Web site: Pixel Scroll 6/17/23 Whoever Lives in Glass Pixels Should Not Throw Scrolls . June 18, 2023 .
10. Web site: Pixel Scroll 12/30/23 Always Cool To See A Reference To Big Pixel And The Scrolling Company. December 29, 2023.
11. Vernon . Ursula . UrsulaV . 1227323130156388352 . You do not have to read the other books in the Temple of the White Rat world, this is a fine entry point! But if you like it, we have three other books that you may enjoy afterward in the same universe!.
12. Vernon . Ursula . UrsulaV . 1227368617144127488 . Oh no obtuseness! No worries! Clockwork Boys & The Wonder Engine are a duology in the same universe. Swordheart stands alone but will eventually be a trilogy..
13. Web site: The Webcomic Overlook #127: Digger. Cruz. Larry . July 16, 2010 . best known for Digger . February 17, 2011 .
14. News: CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Comics Escape a Paper Box, and Electronic Questions Pop Out. Boxer. Sarah. August 17, 2005 . . March 6, 2011.
15. Web site: Reiner Knizia's Black Sheep . . April 20, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717092354/http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=57&esem=1 . July 17, 2011. dead . mdy-all.
16. Web site: The Biting Pear of Salamanca. Ursula Vernon. February 27, 2006. March 30, 2009.
17. Web site: Biting Pear (AKA LOL WUT PEAR). www.patchtogether.com. April 20, 2010.
18. Web site: Vernon . Ursula . June 5, 2008 . Tea! Tea! Tea! . March 11, 2022 . Red Wombat Studio . en-US.
19. Web site: Vernon . Ursula . July 12, 2007 . Red Wombat Studio . March 11, 2022 . Red Wombat Studio . en-US.
20. Web site: 2020 Recipients – The Dragon Award. September 14, 2021. Dragon Con.
21. Web site: 2021 Recipients – The Dragon Award. September 14, 2021. Dragon Con.
22. Web site: 2012 Nominees . April 7, 2012 . . World Science Fiction Society . April 7, 2012.
23. Web site: 2017 Hugo Awards . December 31, 2016 . . World Science Fiction Society . April 7, 2017.
24. Web site: 2018 Hugo Awards . March 15, 2018 . The Hugo Awards. World Science Fiction Society . July 28, 2019.
25. Web site: T. Kingfisher Awards . . Locus Science Fiction Foundation . August 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210805040619/http://www.sfadb.com/T_Kingfisher . August 5, 2021 . live.
26. Web site: Announcing the 2021 Hugo Award Winners . December 18, 2021 . . Macmillan.
27. Web site: 2022 Hugo Awards . The Hugo Awards . September 13, 2022 . April 7, 2022.
28. Web site: 2023 Hugo Award Winners . File 770 . October 22, 2023 . October 21, 2023.
29. 2022 Locus Awards Top Ten Finalists . . May 10, 2022 . May 10, 2022.
30. Web site: 2023 Locus Awards Winners . Locus Online . June 25, 2023 . June 25, 2023.
31. Web site: 2020 Locus Award for Young Adult Novel. . June 26, 2021 . June 27, 2021.
32. Web site: Mythopoeic Awards: 2013 Winners Announced . . June 15, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131006191940/http://www.mythsoc.org/news/mythopoeic-awards-201-winners-announced/ . October 6, 2013 .
33. Web site: Mythopoeic Awards . . July 28, 2019.
34. Web site: Mythopoeic Awards — 2021 . . October 17, 2021.
35. Web site: March 7, 2023 . SFWA Names the 58th Nebula Award Finalists . Nebula Awards.
36. Web site: 2020 Andre Norton Award. Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America . June 9, 2021.
37. Web site: 2014 Nebula Award Winners Announced . June 6, 2015 . . June 8, 2015.
38. Web site: World Fantasy Awards 2015 . . Locus Science Fiction Foundation . November 9, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151102162315/http://www.sfadb.com/World_Fantasy_Awards_2015 . November 2, 2015 . live.
39. Web site: Award Winners 2003. Ursa Major Awards. April 20, 2010.
40. Web site: Master Nominee List 2006 Eisner Awards . . April 20, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060614205557/http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners06nom.shtml . June 14, 2006. mdy-all.
41. Web site: 2005 Results . Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards . April 20, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175132/http://www.ccawards.com/2005.htm . March 3, 2016. mdy-all.
42. Web site: 2007 Results . Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards . April 20, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100204090116/http://ccawards.com/2007.htm . February 4, 2010. mdy-all.
43. Web site: . WSFA Small Press Award Winner . October 12, 2015 . October 12, 2015.
44. Web site: WSFA Small Press Award - The History . . October 2, 2021.