Nate Powell

Nate Powell is a New York Times bestselling graphic novelist known for his contributions to the comics and graphic novel industry. Powell began self-publishing at age 14 and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts. For about a decade, he worked as a caregiver for adults with developmental disabilities while simultaneously creating comics. His breakthrough came with the graphic novel "Swallow Me Whole," which received the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut and Outstanding Artist, as well as the Eisner Award for Best Original Graphic Novel.

Powell is recognized for illustrating the "March" trilogy, an autobiographical black-and-white graphic novel series about the civil rights movement, told through the perspective of civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin. The trilogy received the National Book Award, making Powell the first cartoonist to receive this honor. The American Library Association awarded "March: Book Three" the Printz Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, and the Sibert Medal, marking the first time a single book received four ALA awards.

The artistic process behind "March" involved depicting approximately 300 real-life historical figures across the trilogy. Powell developed a visual shorthand for each person, creating a master drawing as a reference template to emphasize unique features and avoid a photo-derived appearance. "March: Book One" debuted at the number-one spot on the New York Times graphic novel bestseller list. While working on subsequent volumes, Lewis, Aydin, and Powell participated in media interviews and spoke at literary festivals and college campuses.

Beyond "March," Powell's body of work includes the graphic memoir and essay collection "Save It for Later," the Ozark horror tale "Come Again," the crime story "Two Dead," "Any Empire," "The Silence of Our Friends," and a graphic adaptation of Rick Riordan's "The Lost Hero." He also released "Fall Through," which follows the interdimensional experiences of a punk band from Arkansas, and a graphic novel adaptation of James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me." Powell has provided illustrations for clients such as Slate, Oxford American, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Wall Street Journal.

Powell's work has received a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, four Eisner Awards, two Ignatz Awards, multiple American Library Association and YALSA awards and distinctions, and two Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist selections. He has discussed his work at the United Nations and appeared on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," CNN, PBS, and Free Speech TV. In addition to his work in comics and graphic novels, Powell has played in punk bands, founded and operates the independent music label Harlan Records, and has participated in sketch comedy, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling and visual art.