Jarrett Melendez

Jarrett Melendez writes comics that taste like comfort food and read like love letters—to food, to genre, and to the people who make both worth savoring. A GLAAD Media Award– and Eisner Award–nominated writer, Melendez has built a career at the intersection of comics, culinary arts, and storytelling that celebrates queer joy with every page.

His breakout work, Chef’s Kiss (Oni Press, 2022), is a queer romance graphic novel co-created with artist Danica Brine. The story of a recent college grad who finds unexpected love—and career inspiration—at a restaurant earned an Alex Award, an Eisner nomination, a GLAAD nomination, and a spot on YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. A deluxe hardcover edition dropped in 2024, and a sequel, Chef’s Kiss Again, is forthcoming in 2026.

Before Chef’s Kiss, Melendez contributed to several notable anthologies: All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World (A Wave Blue World), Young Men in Love (Oni Press), and Full Bleed. He has also written for Image Comics, contributing to Sweet Paprika: Black, White & Pink #2.

Away from comics, Melendez is an accomplished food journalist and cookbook author. His recipes and writing have appeared in Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Saveur, and Food52. He has authored over a dozen cookbooks, including My Pokémon Baking Book, RuneScape: The Official Cookbook, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Official Cookbook. He also created The Comic Kitchen, a fully illustrated, comic-style cookbook that merges his two passions into something entirely his own.

Melendez is currently working on Tales of the Fungo: The Legend of Cep (Andrews McMeel), Fujoshi Warriors, and a licensed Webtoon. He lives in Watertown, Massachusetts, with his fiancé Theo and a collection of Monokuro Boo plush pigs.

Perfect for fans of heartfelt queer romance, food-centric storytelling, and writers like Tillie Walden and Ngozi Ukazu who bring warmth and specificity to their characters.