Apropos of nothing, here are several things that "Goodbye for the Summer" (the Zimbits Kiss) came out before in February, 2016:
Heartstopper (September, 2016 for the comic debut; April, 2022 for the tv series; 5.5 years between debut and adaptation)
Yurii!!! On Ice (October, 2016)
Love, Simon (March, 2018; the book, Simon vs. the Homo Sapians Agenda, did come out prior in April, 2015; 3 years between publish and adaptation)
Heated Rivalry (March, 2019 for the book; November, 2025 for the tv series; also the first book of the Game Changers series came out in October, 2018; 6.5 years between publish and adaptation)
Red, White and Royal Blue (May, 2019; July/August 2023 for the film; 4 years between publish and adaptation)
Check Please! got publishing rights in 2017, and concluded in April, 2020. So as of this post, it's been over 5 years since the comic concluded.
CHECK PLEASE YEAR FIVE!!!!?!!!!?!? GAY HOCKEY IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK AND THE ANGELS ARE LOOKING OVER SAMWELL UNIVERSITY AND THEY LOOK LIKE ANTHROPOMORPHIC WELLS
Ukazu says, a rising tide lifts all boats, including the S.S. Check, Please! She’s hopeful that the success of Heated Rivalry, as well as another queer romance graphic novel-turned-TV show Heartstopper, will make the dream of seeing her work onscreen into a reality: The book has been optioned for adaptation. — Vanity Fair
Check, Please! has been optioned for a film/television adaptation. A while ago, actually—and that’s lovely. Nevertheless, the vast majority of options do not become television because it takes a million things going right to get projects off the ground.
That being said.
Ahem.
Speaking of getting projects off the ground...
From when Bitty first stepped out into the rink at Faber, to when he kissed the ice at graduation, we've all been part of this fun, weird, magical world of Samwell hockey. But when I left the world of Samwell hockey, I left knowing Jack and Bitty's story was done. Bitty's journey as the first openly gay NCAA Division I hockey captain was done. We baked the last pie; we shut off the lights at the kegster; the story was complete.
…But as I looked around I realized, I had one more story to tell.
Which is why I'm thrilled to announce that a brand new volume of Check, Please! will be serialized in 2026. Dozens of new comics, exciting update drops, your favorite characters with brand new storylines, and characters you've yet to meet.
Hello, Internet Land—SMH is coming home.
This fifth year of Check, Please! will be filled with shenanigans, drama, hockey, pies, Haus parties, and a new message of acceptance that is near and dear to me. And it's been brewing over the last year and half! But with the latest boom in queer hockey stories, I figured, hey! ¯\(ツ)/¯ Here's another one to look forward to. :)
Marginalized athletes still face harmful bigotry, and for this reason, queer sports stories are more important than ever. I love Samwell hockey and how each of you has embraced this roster of athletes.
There's so much more to come.
Ngozi
🏒🥧❤️
=
MORE NEWS? SURE:
I’ll be at Emerald City Comic Con 2026, and yes, I will be dropping exclusive details about Check, Please! Year Fived during my spotlight panel: Ngozi Ukazu - From Check, Please! to DC and Back! (Be there!)
Follow me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes on the making of Check, Please!: Year Five. I'm gonna livestream...a lot.
If only there were an original mm romance that you could read right now while you wait for more Year Five updates! Good news—John Rich & The Big Picture is very cute and laugh-out-loud funny and you can read it now, for free.
My latest graphic novel FLIP has made the best-of lists for the New York Public Library, the A.V. Club, Kirkus Books, School & Library Journal—and more. Get it here.
"well, they were a pretty big deal. like, demolishing-all-of-junior-hockey's-stats kind of deal. like patenting the zimmermann-parson no-look one-timer kind of deal."
Mad and I will be on tour for BUNT next month!! (Dates & times here!)
I never got a proper book tour for Sticks & Scones (pandemic 🙃), so DEFINITELY drop by, bring your Check, Please! books, and listen to me and Mad talk about:
