Check, Please!: #Hockey is allllmost here! ???? To celebrate the release of this absolutely adorable and unbelievable swoony new book, we’ve asked creator Ngozi Ukazu to answer some questions about her book.

What makes Eric "Bitty" Bittle Fierce?
Though Bitty would never acknowledge it, he is fearless. He jumps into the world of college hockey—a world traditionally filled with toxic masculinity—and he persists. He exists. He thrives and redefines the locker rooms and rink. Also, he can get very rowdy at a kegster and is extremely commanding on the dance floor. That's fierce!

If you could give Bitty one piece of advice, what would it be?
Well, I'd tell him to figure out why he procrastinates so much . . . this kid. But I'd also tell him that strength comes in many shapes and sizes, and that the strength he has is valid.

What's the strangest/most interesting thing you learned while researching Check, Please!: #Hockey?
How bad hockey gear smells. And that's just a part of life. Hockey folk just accept this.

If you'd met Bitty as a teen, would you have been friends?
I'd hope so! Bitty was uber busy in high school and not quite the nerd, like me. So maybe I'd give him homework help and he'd give me pies?

What's one fun fact most people don't know about you?
I run a lot! Not very fast, though. I do own a Garmin to track pace and distance, and usually try for a half marathon or two a year. A good Saturday morning would be a long run in cool weather with a friend, followed by MIMOSAS.

What's your favorite part of being an author?
Hands down, the readers and their reactions. Being able to share a story and then see its impact is wonderful.

What's the most challenging part of being an author?
I made this chart back in grad school tracking my feelings about drawing a comic over time, from start to finish. Around drawing roughs and doing linework, I always feel like the chapter I'm drawing is the worst chapter ever. As an author you get these "brilliant" ideas in your head, half-formed—and then when you try to execute them, they never compare to the grand vision you had in your mind. The challenge is to work through. And each chapter always ends up all right!

Which 3 fictional characters would you want to live with and why?
Three fictional characters all together? In a type of Real World, Terrace House setting? Okay, imagine this bungalow: me, Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aziraphale from Good Omens, and Reginald Jeeves. Wouldn't that be fun? I'm anticipating a low-drama house where everyone does their chores and we talk about books and movies. Their boyfriends could come over, but they'd have to leave the moment they got annoying.

Describe your book in 3 words.
Gay! Hockey! Pies!

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Check, Please!: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

Helloooo, Internet Land. Bitty here! 

Y’all . . . I might not be ready for this. I may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s checking. And then, there is there is Jack—our very attractive but moody captain.

A collection of the first half of the megapopular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: #Hockey is the first book of a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.

On sale: September 18, 2018