Tate Godwin ’16 returned to campus to share his debut graphic novel, Operation: Cover-Up. The story follows two new students—a class clown and a brainiac—who swap identities. This sets off a series of hijinks that lead to a powerful lesson about embracing who you truly are. During his visit, Tate spoke with us about his journey to becoming a published author—one shaped by authenticity and perseverance.
Hi, Tate! Thanks for returning to campus and donating copies of Operation: Cover-Up to our libraries. We’ve got a lot of students excited about your graphic novel.
Thanks for having me! Now that it’s out in the world, it’s great getting to see readers interacting with it and (I hope) feeling inspired by it. It’s honestly kind of lonely working on a book all the time by yourself. These school visits have been my favorite part of the whole process.
Tell us about what inspired Operation: Cover-Up.
I came up with the story by thinking about what I would have wanted to read as a kid. Operation: Cover-Up follows two fifth graders, Syd and Nick, who both start at a new school in the middle of the year. It’s funny and fun, but also authentically based on the real challenges I faced when I had to switch schools growing up.
I wanted to make something that showed resilient middle-school characters facing their fears and overcoming them.
You transitioned to Carolina Friends in middle school, right?
Right, and the middle school years are tough regardless. One thing that really helped ease my transition was my Middle School Advisee Group. My advisor was [Middle School art teacher] Jamie Charles. He is not only a great listener and someone I could really talk to, he’s also super creative and a great illustrator. At the time, there weren’t a lot of kids’ graphic novels out there, so I appreciated being able to connect with him about that particular interest of mine. Getting to know Jamie and taking his comics class was really cool and inspiring.
Did you always know you wanted to be an author?
I always had writing in the back of my mind as something that I’d really love to do, but after I graduated from Carolina Friends School, I chose to major in economics at Guilford College. It seemed like a practical path, and I had a lot of encouraging teachers. One professor in particular was super passionate about economics. I enjoyed his classes because of his enthusiasm, but eventually I realized I didn’t actually share it.
Then what?
I tried to think of something that I would be really excited about doing and I came back to making a graphic novel—which is definitely not as practical as economics! I was lucky I had parents that supported me to go for it.
What did that path look like for you?
I transferred to UNC and majored in studio art, which ended up being really valuable. Much like art classes at Carolina Friends School, UNC gave me the chance to experiment with a variety of mediums. Even if I don’t use watercolor now, learning about it helped me think more about color. And having some experience in 3D sculpture has helped me visualize space as I’m illustrating. Outside of class, I also got some valuable experience working for The Daily Tar Heel as a cartoonist.
Then COVID hit, and I got a windfall of time to create. I spent that time writing and drawing a few graphic novels and looking for an agent.
Former Middle School teacher and current staff clerk Ida Trisolini surprised Tate with a graphic novel that he created in her sixth grade class. “I loved seeing Ida and was so touched that she’d held onto my work for all those years,” said Tate.
In your presentation to our students, you showed a drawing you made of your rejection-letter pile stacked so high it reached outer space. What helped you stay motivated throughout the publishing process?
Well, it helped to expect a lot of rejections. It’s painful, but in the midst of the rejections, a few editors replied with feedback. I took that as a sign to keep trying.
I feel lucky that Carolina Friends School wasn’t a high-pressure, GPA-driven environment. After college, I worked as a coach and I saw how much pressure so many kids are under. Many of them feel like they can’t take risks or make mistakes. There are a few lessons for students in my presentation and two of them are: follow your heart and keep going!
That leads to my last question: What advice would you give your younger self?
I’d say try not to compare yourself to other people. I definitely wasn’t the best artist in middle school and would get discouraged. Stay true to yourself and do what you like to do! In middle school, kids can feel embarrassed about what they’re into, but I’d tell my younger self to just embrace it!
The sequel to Operation: Cover-Up, Operation: Make a Splash will be released on February 25, 2026. Follow Tate and his characters at tatecartoons.com and on Instagram at @tate_cartoons.
— Erin Reitz Adams