More new commissions!

Here are a few more from my recent batch of commissions— thanks to everyone who’s ordered artwork from me! Please contact Sean at Athenaeum Comic Art (athenaeumcomicart@gmail.com) if you’re interested in either commissioning a piece from me, or if you’re interested in buying pages of original artwork from my books.

First, I did pieces of my two favorite X-Men characters as a set. Presenting Kitty Pryde (and Lockheed):

Paired with her soulmate Illyana Rasputina AKA Magik (in a worn-only-once “graduation costume” designed by my all-time fave Arthur Adams for the influential Uncanny X-Men Annual #10)":

And most satisfying of all, three Asian-American superheroines (Maps Mizoguchi, Silk, Cassandra Cain) combating the fascist forces of ICE, continuing a tradition dating back to Captain America’s early 1941 punchout of H*itler on the cover of his debut issue:

All of these are drawn in india ink and acrylic ink washes on bristol. Art is human-made as a testament to our own humanity. Fuck AI, fuck fascism.

One year since finishing DIANA.

Today marks a year since I completed the story and art in Diana— probably the most Nate Powelly book I’ve ever made, and a serendipitous closing of the last decade’s work on this interconnected triptych of stories. Every day I appreciate the rare fortune of having written and drawn this entire graphic novel on my own terms, without publisher or editorial feedback or attempts to shape it until after the entire first draft of the book was completed. (This, of course, does not include crucial editorial feedback by my wife Rachel, who is an excellent editor in her own right, and who’s the first person to read all of my books in their pencils-only form.)

This book means a lot to me, and a year later it feels even more like a crystallized form of my spirit in ink and paper. Diana will be released on October 6th from Abrams ComicArts (along with new editions of its triptych companions, Come Again and Fall Through, which will be rereleased on September 15th), and all will debut at SPX on September 12th-13th. Please preorder copies if you can— preorders are incredibly important to a book’s healthy start, especially in the eyes of their publishers.

I’m currently booking and organizing events and travels throughout the fall— some are up on my events page, and I’m updating as events are confirmed. Thank you!

Price update for new prints + DIANA preorders

I just mailed off the first batch of orders for my new signed print series— thank you so much!

This is a note that I’ve slightly adjusted the prices to account for shipping costs which were a bit higher than expected— the prints are now $15 each, or all 6 for $60. Thank you for your understanding and support— there are only about a half-dozen left of each print from this limited run, so definitely don’t sleep on em.

If you’d like to preorder copies of Diana, or the reissued editions of Come Again and Fall Through, you’ll find links to order via Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Amazon, and more. You are also invited to order directly from your local comics shop or bookstore— thank you!

Come Again and Fall Through will be rereleased on September 15th, and Diana will be released on October 6th, with a debut for all at SPX in Rockville, MD on September 12-13!

New commissions in progress

Here are a few of the current batch of commissioned pieces I’m finishing up: a cover illustration for Ray Bradbury’s masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes, and a Kate Bishop/ Hawkeye pinup. Plenty more on the way!

If you’re interested in commissioning a piece from me, holler at Sean from Athenaeum Comic Art at athenaeumcomicart@gmail.com and we’ll figure it out— thanks! He also has a wide variety of my original work for sale.

Cover art for Mt. Forever LP-- out today!

I’m pleased to reveal the cover art for the Mt. Forever LP, out today and available here!

Mt. Forever is a heavy blues-laden punk-adjacent band from Richmond VA, featuring my old Memphis friend Jonathan Lee— a fellow HeartattaCk columnist, and formerly of the bands Andere, Souvenir’s Young America, Dead City, The People’s War, and Remus & The Romulus Nation.

I’ve really been enjoying opportunities to return to black & white line art this year, and this is my favorite album cover I’ve ever done.

Please help support independent music & ideas, and order/download a copy if you feel so inclined— the LP is limited to 200 copies on beautiful purple vinyl, so don’t sleep on it. I hope to have a few copies available soon as well.

6 new limited prints now available!

I have a limited run of 6 different 11”x17” signed prints available now!

These are each limited batches of 15— and if this trial run goes well I’ll do an additional printing. They’re available individually (see below) or as a bundle of all 6.

From my forthcoming book Diana, we have a print of Diana herself from the cover art:

There’s one of Jody from the pages of Diana, in a character-defining moment:

There’s a lovely, haunting Diana/Jody embrace from the back cover of Diana:

Prints of a commissioned illustration I did of the beloved X-Men character Magik, ruler of Limbo:

There’s a print of my cover art for The Twilight Zone #4 (and I have copies of the comic for sale as well):

And a print of a recent commissioned piece inspired by Tillie Walden’s graphic novel On a Sunbeam:

These prints are shipped flat, and they’re $12 each— but I’m also offering a bundle of all 6 prints for $50.

Thanks for your support and interest in my work! To purchase my original artwork, or to order a commissioned piece, please contact Sean at Athenaeum Comic Art (athenaeumcomicart@gmail.com).

Soophie Nun Squad's 1st show cameo in DIANA.

On this day in 1993, my band Soophie Nun Squad played our very first show— and for the sheer joy of it, I fictionalized the moment in a scene from my forthcoming book, Diana, on an “all-new band” bill with Jody and Diana’s bands Old Spice and Diamond Mine, each playing their first shows as well. Our ages ranged between 12 and 16, and yes, our drummer (now of the metal band Pallbearer) was still in elementary school.

In Diana, the show takes place in the kitchen of a punk house modeled after our legendary Rice Street house there in Little Rock (which is where Soophie recorded our demo tape a year later). But in reality, our first show took place in the back yard of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion! The new governor’s daughter went to shows, and asked to have one— so we played alongside Nuisance, Thumbnail, Five O, Drain, Otherwise (later morphing in to William Martyr 17), Jet Jangua, Fuse of Ire, Absorption, and Lime Pit over the course of a mere 4 hours. The police were called multiple times over noise complaints, and so our first show made the front page of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette the next morning: “Noisy Punks ‘Nuisance’ at Mansion.”

Diana will debut at SPX this September, and will be released everywhere on October 6th from Abrams ComicArts. For more info and preordering options, check here!

TWILIGHT ZONE original pages now for sale.

Thanks to everyone for their positive response to my recent issue of The Twilight Zone— it means a lot to me! If anyone’s interested in signed copies directly from me, just order here.

Several pages (including the cover) sold at OAX in late February, but all remaining pages are now up for sale via Athenaeum Comic Art, as well as pages from Fall Through, Come Again, March, Lies My Teacher Told Me, Save It For Later, and more.

Thank you for your support— original artwork sales & commissioned pieces are increasingly central to my being able to make a living doing comics, and I certainly couldn’t do any of this without the faith and support of people who are moved by my work. You are appreciated!

Cover proofs for DIANA.

Cover proofs just arrived for Diana, as well as new editions of Come Again and Fall Through— and they look fantastic!

The entire triptych of books will debut at SPX on September 12-13— it’s the most significant indie comics show in the country, so I hope to see you there!

Diana will be released everywhere on October 6th by Abrams ComicArts. I’ll be doing cons, signings, and author talks throughout the fall to discuss my work on these three books— check for updates here.

April 18th in Carbondale IL-- Saluki Con, talk, signing, art exhibit

If you’re near Carbondale IL, I’ll be there on Saturday, April 18th as a guest of Saluki Con! Here’s my schedule:

11:00am-2:00pm— selling books & prints at my table in the SIU student center (1255 Lincoln Dr.)

2:00-3:00pm— author talk/Q&A/signing

3:00-6:00pm— reception for my joint art exhibit, “Words Unspoken,” in the Sharp Museum (West Gallery, Faner Hall, Door #12, 1000 Faner Dr.)

See you there!

Spring's here, don't sleep.

Definitely in my happy place lately, as spring springs: working on the next batch of commissions, and back to work on a long-delayed book with my friend and visionary, Jonathan Vance. I hope to have the first issue self-published in time for SPX this September (alongside the debut of Diana and rerelease of Come Again!). More on this story over the summer!

Like a comet itself, this is the highly unlikely yet perfectly compatible Moss Icon/ Soophie Nun Squad teamup the universe needs.

Magik commission & X-Men gallery

Here’s my most recent commission: classic New Mutants-era Magik, complete with the Sienkiewicz sword.

More commissioned pieces on the way— and if you’re interested in one of your own, holler at Sean at Athenaeum Comic Art (athenaeumcomicart@gmail.com) and we’ll make it happen.

Here’s a little gallery of beloved X-Men pieces I’ve done over the years— an official movie poster, some personal fan art and various commissions.

Shop updated w/ out-of-print and new books!

I just updated my shop with the very last copies of several titles which have recently gone out-of-print: Swallow Me Whole, Any Empire, and You Don’t Say. I also have some copies of a boxed set featuring all three of these books at a lower price than buying them all individually— and as a bonus, the Omnibox cover features the first published appearance of my main characters from Fall Through and Diana!

I also added the brand new, single-volume March omnibus softcover. All of these are signed & sketched, mailed directly from me, with a very limited stock on the older titles, so don’t sleep on em!

Cleveland events, March 20th-21st

I’ll be in Cleveland, OH on March 20th-21st, doing a variety of events:

Friday, March 20th: I’ll be doing a lunchtime interview at the Cleveland Institute of Art from 12:15-1:30pm in the Peter B. Lewis Theater.

Saturday, March 21st: I’ll be the “Artist in the Atrium” at the Cleveland Museum of Art from 11:00am-3:00pm, making art live— and I’ll bring some materials for others to create with too. See you there!

Saturday, March 21st: I’m doing a signing at Superscript Comics and Games in nearby Lakewood from 5:00-7:00 pm. Hoping to bring some limited new prints and original artwork for sale, if anyone’s interested!

Jack & Roz Kirby Award for Independence!

To my absolute surprise, last weekend at the Original Art Expo, I was the inaugural recipient of the Jack & Roz Kirby Award for Independence— alongside a powerhouse lineup of fellow cartoonist recipients Bill Sienkiewicz, John Romita Jr., Kevin Nowlan, Walt Simonson, Zoe Thorogood, and John Byrne.

Fittingly, most of the other recipients also happened to be creators on the touchstone comics work of my life, Claremont-era X-Men— and whose work inspired me to start making comics in the first place, with Jack Kirby himself as the co-creator of the title (and the Marvel Universe as we know it)!

The final, individualized awards are currently being hand-crafted by the visionary Carlos Soca of Manifest Sculpt— but I was lucky enough to see his meticulous prototype while at OAX:

Thank you to everyone involved for even considering me among such talented company. I’ll keep doing my thing!

And I had a great time at OAX— thanks to everyone who bought some original artwork (you can find more here), and for all the new friendships developed over the weekend.

Proxy bidding now open for my John Lewis/Kitty Pryde/Nightcrawler piece.

I’ll be selling original artwork at OAX in Orlando on February 20-22 at table A39, with more of my originals available nearby at Athenaeum Comic Art’s booth— and on Saturday evening, the below piece featuring my late, great friend and hero John Lewis flanked by Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler will be auctioned.

If you’re interested but aren’t attending the show, proxy bidding is open now.

Expanded reissue of COME AGAIN this fall!

Weaving my literary universe together, I’m happy to reveal the new cover of my Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel Come Again— to be reissued as an expanded paperback from Abrams ComicArts on September 15th, available for preorders now anywhere books are sold!

Come Again is a horror-tinged 1970s Ozark fairy tale, originally released by Top Shelf in 2018 and nominated for Eisner Awards for both Best Graphic Novel and Best Writer/Artist. Along the way, there’s a scene in the book debuting the punk band Diamond Mine, producing an on-page time paradox which exploded onto the pages of Fall Through and Diana.

"Rendered in fluid, magical brushwork tinted in the colors of a sunrise and filled with mysterious shadows and crannies... this enchanting solo effort reveals even greater depths to Powell’s gift for visual storytelling and creating appealing, human characters." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Spooky and off-kilter, Come Again shows Nate Powell's virtuosity... it's a delight to accompany such a fertile imagination." — NPR (Best of 2018)

"Rich with mystery, magic, and a depth of understanding about human relationships—and the color and line work is just gorgeous." — Publishers Weekly Critics Poll (Best of 2018)

"Even the word balloons can give you chills in Come Again. In fact, they do so with startling regularity, looping and crashing across negative space, bearing letters that slip in and out of consciousness as the story unfurls. Nate Powell... presents his first solo masterwork." — Vulture (Best of the Month)

Through a combination of corporate apathy and global pandemic, the original publisher’s parent company effectively killed Come Again a year after its publication, backing out of any efforts to keep the book in print (thankfully, my contract for all my solo work has expired with IDW) or pursue potential tv/movie interest— and at last, this one returns to print alongside Fall Through and Diana to make an interconnected triptych.

Come Again will be an expanded paperback reissue, with a new 18-page section covering my creative process and shedding light on the long path toward this idea’s final form as a published work. Fall Through will also be reissued as a paperback alongside Come Again, hitting bookshelves just a few weeks ahead of Diana.

My utmost thanks to everyone at Abrams ComicArts for helping this ambitious, time-hopping, feelings-heavy saga make its way into the world— please spread the word and preorder!

I’ll be touring and doing plenty of events during the fall for these books— stay tuned.

Announcing DIANA-- the triptych is complete!

At long last, I’m proud to reveal the cover of my forthcoming lovely monster of a graphic novel, Diana— out October 6th from Abrams ComicArts! It’s available for preorders now, anywhere books are sold (ISBN 9781419790867).

Diana is both a self-contained graphic novel and a prequel to Fall Through, weaving these stories together with Come Again to make an interconnected triptych. This book idea took me by complete surprise, transforming my understanding of these characters I’ve grown to love so deeply— and making Diana was the most fulfilling creative experience of my life.

Diana largely takes place in the year before Fall Through, delivering us on that book’s doorstep— but not unscathed. Yes, there’s music, bootleg magic, relationship drama, curses, demons, queerness, and punk. But if Fall Through is fundamentally about connection, then Diana is about isolation. It’s about the dangers of rigid thinking and mythologizing. It’s about the slow-motion tragedy of a loved one rejecting opportunities to choose differently, instead digging deeper into the destructive allure of self-alienation. Above all, it’s about love as an ever-expanding openness in direct opposition to control.

This story was built around embracing the sense of mystery I pursue— not a set of unknowns to be solved and revealed, but a deepening sense of journeying into the unknown. People are hungry for strange things in a monochrome world, for the radical uniqueness of being alive, for the thrill of not knowing and not being told how to think about a story.

In that sense, my writing was guided by the perspectives of both Ursula K. Le Guin and David Lynch when pressed about the content and meaning of their own stories. But Diana is also about young adults trying to live their ideals while also being short-sighted, self-serving, horny idiots. It’s about the fog generated by attraction.

Diana also performs a bit of quantum-magic for us as readers, retroactively transforming our understanding of events in both Come Again and Fall Through— making them different books before and after reading Diana. I look forward to everyone being able to have this flexible reading experience.

There’s more to announce this week regarding Come Again and Fall Through— stay tuned, and thank you for your continued faith and support!

Happy birthday to 'Fall Through'

My most recent graphic novel, Fall Through, was released two years ago today— and was, in many ways, the book I’d been trying to make all along. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s read this book and allowed it to resonate with them.

But Fall Through is only the end.

I’ll be making a big announcement just a few days.

(In the meantime, you can order Fall Through directly from me, through your local comics shop, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, Powell’s, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold— thank you!)

New this week: 'The Twilight Zone' #4 and 'March' omnibus

Two books out this week— one old and one new:

Out today in bookstores & online, tomorrow in comics shops: an economically-priced single-volume March omnibus. While there’s nothing new in here content-wise, this omnibus is a great option for schools & libraries at the high school & college level, and for community reading programs & book clubs, as well as just being handy on the bookshelf.

Out tomorrow in comics shops: The Twilight Zone #4, written and drawn by me! I’m really happy with how this turned out, and there are limited variant covers by the amazing Nicole Goux and Francesco Francavilla.

If you’re in the Bloomington area, I’ll be doing a book-release signing this Saturday, Feb. 7th at Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th) from 2-4pm. See you there!

More announcements (including my forthcoming graphic novel!) coming soon.