Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in this political hell we live in without The Nib, and I shudder. Sure, there are plenty of places to help me learn about politics, but The Nib is one of the best out there, because it blends facts with figures--drawn figures that is.
Founded in 2013 by Matt Bors, when the idea of a Trump Presidency was just a gleam in the eye of some dedicated (and ultimately successful) bigots, the site originally was on another platform, before coming back later as a part of First Look Media. A collective of creators with a series of regulars such as Bors himself, editors Matt Lubchansky and Andy Warner, Jen Sorensen, Gemma Correll, and Tom Tomorrow, the site features several comics daily, ranging from short, pithy political cartoons of 1-6 panels to long-form essays that dig into the history of a personal or political issue. In addition to the "regulars," Panel Patter alums Whit Taylor and Maia Kobabe are also contributors, along with current writer Michael Sweater. Panel Pals Morgan Pielli, Rachel Dukes, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, Joel Christian Gil, Lucy Bellwood, Dylan Edwards, Kevin Budnik, Box Brown, and others have also done work with The Nib. Other notable contributors also include Rich Stephens, Ben Passmore, Melanie Gillman, Pia Guerra, Rob Rogers, and so many, many more. (Check out the contributor page here.)
There's simply too many articles to shout out here that have been great. I'd suggest looking through our link to Nib comics that we've featured as part of Graphic Nonfiction as a place to start. Some others that I've enjoyed include What Would Yellow Ranger Do? by Shing Yin Khor, Spoiler: On the Campaign Trail with Jill Stein by Sarah Glidden, and Previously on the DNC by Nib editor Eleri Harris.
I'd love The Nib for its extended articles alone, but their shorter gag strips that take on the politics of the day are great, too. Here's a few:
 |
| Matt Lubchansky |
 |
| Pia Guerra |
 |
| Matt Bors |
 |
| Nomi Kane |
At SPX, The Nib will be represented by Matt Lubchansky and Eleri Harris. They have The Nib Collection, "Eat More Comics," a 2018 Calendar, stickers, and pins waiting for you at their table along the wall, the traditional place for webcomic types at SPX. Make sure you go see them, and of course check out the website. I highly recommend subscribing to their newsletter once you do, so you don't miss a single entry from their amazing stable of creators, many of whom, such as Ben Passmore, Kevin Budnik, Rachel Dukes, and Lucy Bellwood, will be at the show this weekend. You could get your stuff from The Nib autographed!
There's also two stories from The Nib Nominated for Ignatz awards, which is awesome. I love that they are getting the recognition they deserve, and I'm very glad Matt didn't give up on things when it hit a rough patch awhile back. The Nib is one of my favorites, and I hope it goes long enough to make fun of the passing of Single Payer, removal of every Confederate Monument, and maybe even not bombing a country for a whole year. (I know, that last one's impossible, right?)
If you can't make SPX, The Nib's site is here. Seriously, go visit it now. You'll learn something, I promise, and not just that the pee tape is real.
