AJ Dungo

AJ Dungo is an American surfer and illustrator who is best known for In Waves, a graphic novel published in 2019. The book began as an art school project about the surfer Tom Blake and grew to take in Duke Kahanamoku, and Surfer magazine read it as a comment on the commercialization of Hawaiian surf culture. Dungo wrote it while working as a designer for a footwear manufacturer, and the death of his partner of eight years from cancer shaped the final story. He names Raymond Pettibon and James Jean as early influences, and his illustrations have appeared in the New York Times, Bleacher Report and Nike's Runner's Journal. He was born in Fort Myers, Florida, grew up in Southern California and attended ArtCenter College of Design.