In recent history, Alison Bechdel put the graphic memoir on the map. Her 2006 bestseller Fun Home introduced millions to the graphic format, earned development into a Tony Award-winning Broadway show, and spawned what will no doubt be generations of future writers determined to create their own graphic work. But not everyone has Bechdel's bilateral genius. Comic books, that genre'd cousin of graphic memoir, may present a different type of collaboration. To create them, publishers have paired countless writers and illustrators for generations, helping them tap the best of each other's talents. Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods, Coraline, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, among others, breathed new life into The Sandman series and continues to write graphic novels today in partnership with artists. Other high-profile writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates have even been drawn (no pun intended) to the genre. Following his best-selling memoir, Between the World and Me, Coates now contributes to the Black Panther series for Marvel Comics.