6 months of 'FALL THROUGH'

Today marks six months since the release of my graphic novel, Fall Through— thanks to everyone interested in strange, emotional, subcultural magical stories like this. Thanks to everyone who likes stories that don’t spell everything out for you— for readers who enjoy deepening mysteries which are enriched and transformed by rereading.

These are the stories I like reading and watching, and naturally they’re what I’m drawn toward creating.

Here’s a roundup of some of the praise for Fall Through so far— and I’ll be touring & traveling a lot this fall, so please find me at one of these events and pick up a few books!

  • “Devastating and gorgeous… Perhaps it’s a ghost story, perhaps it’s a fantasy story, but it’s refreshingly oblique. The images are heightened and stylized, the better to pass along that frisson so essential to punk art— rock or otherwise.” — New York Times Review of Books 

  • Fall Through is magical…Conjures the fever dream of years spent playing in punk basements, sleeping on floors, driving for hours to play for a few minutes, falling in love with music and people, turning into someone new along the way. Careening in a ride you created, but can barely control.” —Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder podcast/ The One AM Radio)

  • “Nate Powell has long been one our our finest cartoonists, and with Fall Through he delivers an emotional and visceral tour de force. You’ll feel more alive. Cathartic and powerful. An absolute masterpiece.” — Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth/ Black Hammer/ Essex County)

  •  “Fall Through captures the feeling of ephemera. Like notes reverberating on air, Powell illustrates the intangible. He showcases the stunning power of art to make sense of a fleeting moment— the fleeting nature of love and loss, life and death.” — Irene Velentzas (comics editor & journalist)

  • Fall Through captures so many of the complex dynamics of collaboration that are foundational to the communities we grew up in and continue to inhabit. Nate Powell doesn’t skimp on the joy while remaining true to the contradictions and confusions.” —Guy Picciotto (Fugazi/ Rites of Spring)

  • “Equal parts Love & Rockets, Almost Famous, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, this comic is a joy on every single page and a celebration of making things bigger than yourself, being a part of things bigger than yourself, and never losing yourself in all of that.” — Matthew Rosenberg (We Can Never Go Home/ What’s The Furthest Place From Here?)

  • “The most accurate depiction of ‘the scene’ I’ve ever seen committed to the page. Highly recommended.” — Gwen Static, Razorcake 

  • “As artist and storyteller, Powell is a master of colorful chord progressions that accompany the thump of a punk-rock heart.” — Michael Cavna, The Washington Post

 I’m currently 90 pages finished with Diana, the expansive character-study prequel to Fall Through— just 210 more pages to go. It should be out in 2026, and will complete a trilogy which opens with my currently sold-out 2018 graphic novel Come Again. If you see one in the wild, get it— I don’t have any updates on when/where it’ll be back with a new printing, but expect that to coincide with the release of Diana.

Soophie Nun Squad's unreleased 1993 demo now available digitally!

Behold, perhaps the last remaining still-unheard recordings by Soophie Nun Squad: our very first “real” session for an August 1993 demo tape, recorded on 4-track by Joe Cole at his house! It’s free/pay-what-you-want at my Harlan Records archive on Bandcamp.

Why was it unreleased? Because only one of our two vocalists is on the recording: the previous night, we played our third show ever (and track 7 is live from a VHS recording of that show) and I got in trouble for coming home super-late at night. I had just turned 15 years old. My parents found out I was gonna skip out on a trip to Hot Springs with a friend in order to record the demo, and being suspicious of our punk band's activities, threatened to ground me if I still chose to record. Should I have just skated away and gotten in more trouble? YES. But I didn't. So I missed the sesh.

Anyway, this recording features only Mike Lierly, Mark Lierly, Eli Milholland, and Dustin Clark, plus some bonus verbage by Corey, known in Little Rock's hip hop future as 9th Scientist. This demo shows some of the often-lost early musical influences on Soophie: "PJ Sod" distinctively drawing from Downcast, and "Paula" being an explicit nod to Chino Horde, with a kinship to Moss Icon as well.

Unused cover art by Mike Lierly, who also made up the undiscussed demo title in real time while drawing! This was only a couple of months after we self-published our first five comic books. All of this was happening at the same time!

'FALL THROUGH' original art now for sale

I’ve got a bunch of original pages and extra illlustrations from my new graphic novel Fall Through up for sale via Athenaeum Comic Art here. Thanks for your support!

You can order signed & sketched copies of Fall Through directly from me here— and if you’re going to San Diego Comic Con, buy copies at Abrams booth 1216. I’ll be signing on Sunday, July 28th from 11:00am-1:00pm at Autograph Area table 10. See you there!

New essay about making 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' up at Lit Hub

I’ve got a new essay up at Lit Hub about my process and considerations in adapting James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me, as well as the book’s decades-long relationship to the moment we’re caught in today as we defend our democracy from reality-averse book-ban movements. Thanks for reading!

You can order signed & sketched copies of Lies My Teacher Told Me directly from me here.

If you’ll be at San Diego Comic Con this coming weekend, I’ll be discussing this book and Save It For Later on the “Nonfiction Comics” panel Saturday, July 27th at 2:30pm in Room 10, with a signing immediately afterward at Silver Sprocket booth 1718, and another signing Sunday 11:00am-1:00pm at Autograph Area table 10. See you there!

San Diego Comic Con schedule.

I don’t have a ton of stuff going on at SDCC this year, and I feel this marks a turning point in how I approach larger conventions. Maybe next year I’ll try the expensive risk of exhibiting in my own booth. I’m not sure.

Anyway, here’s my schedule:

Saturday, July 27:

  • “Nonfiction Comics: The Future of History-Based Storytelling” panel w/ Joel Christian Gill, Amy Chu, Sarah Myer, and David F. Walker, moderated by Andrew Aydin— 2:30 pm, Room 10.

  • Lies My Teacher Told Me signing immediately after the panel (TBC) at Silver Sprocket booth 1718.

Sunday, July 28:

  • Fall Through signing (& whatever else)— 11:00 am-1:00 pm, Autograph Pavillion Table 10.

  • Please buy Fall Through at Abrams booth 1216— thank you so much!

Special Guest at CXC this September!

I’m pleased to announce I’ll be returning to the beloved Cartoon Crossroads Columbus this year as a special guest!

I’ve got plenty to discuss regarding my new books Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me— I’ll be selling copies at my own table, and panels/programming will be announced as they’re finalized.

CXC is one of the very best comics events in North America— and free to the public! I hope to see you there.

'FALL THROUGH" & 'LIES' in Top 5 new graphic novels at Washington Post

On Fall Through: “As artist and storyteller, Powell is a master of colorful chord progressions that accompany the thump of a punk-rock heart.”

On Lies My Teacher Told Me: “Powell’s visual depth beautifully adds visceral layers to Loewen’s efforts to undercut scholastic elisions.”

Signed/sketched copies of all my books are available directly from me here. Thanks!

Louisville, KY-- in conversation with Molly Ostertag on June 8th!

Molly Ostertag is a brilliant cartoonist and a creative kindred spirit, and I’ve loved every one of her books. Her new graphic novel, The Deep Dark, is a 500-page masterpiece out this week!

I’ll be in Louisville, KY on Saturday, June 8th to discuss this new book (as well as the Witch Boy trilogy, The Girl From The Sea, and more!) with Molly at the public library (301 York St.)— 6pm. See you there!

New 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' piece up at CBR

There’s a great new piece on the effectiveness of Lies My Teacher Told Me through the medium of comics over at CBR— check it out here!

I’ll be in Louisville KY this evening, discussing Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me at Carmichael’s Bookstore (2720 Frankfort) at 7pm. Check my events page for updated talks & signings— in the next few weeks I’ll be doing stuff here in Bloomington, as well as in Ann Arbor and Detroit!

Columbus, Ohio: SPACE this weekend!

This weekend I’ll be in Columbus, Ohio at SPACE— the Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo— at the Rhodes Center (Ohio State Fair & Expo Grounds) 10am-6pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday. I’ll have both new books, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me, as well as a limited quantity of both signed/numbered Fall Through prints ($20 each, or $30 for both).

I’ll also be doing a talk/slideshow/Q&A on Saturday at 2pm about my work on Lies My Teacher Told Me, and my approach back & forth between fiction and nonfiction over the years.

See you there!

'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' is out today!

Today’s the day!

Four years ago I was locked down in my house just like you, starting work on my adaptation of Lies My Teacher Told Me— utterly uncertain what kind of world the book would be released into. It’s out everywhere today, more relevant and crucial than ever before. My thoughts and gratitude are with the late, great James Loewen for trusting me with his work!

Get a copy from your local book/comics shop, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Amazon, or signed/sketched copies directly from me— and my other brand-new graphic novel Fall Through is still hot off the presses too!

Thanks, everybody.

Praise for 'LIES' & a new 'FALL THROUGH' podcast interview!

What an honor to recieve a 4.5-star review from The Slings & Arrows for Lies My Teacher Told Me: “Powell takes a landmark book (and its updates) and presents a version maintaining its integrity while making it more accessible. It’s important and it’s magnificent.”

Lies My Teacher Told Me will be released this Tuesday, April 16th, and is already available in comics shops! You can also order them both (as well as most of my other books) from me directly, signed & sketched here.

My other brand-new graphic novel Fall Through is still hot off the presses, and here’s a new podcast interview I did with Ryan Zlomek from Meditations podcast.

If you’re in Indiana, I’ll be doing a double-book-release signing for both Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me this Saturday, April 20th at Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th) from 2-4pm. See you there!

One week until 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' hits shelves!

My full comics adaptation of the late, great James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me will be out in just a week!

You can grab one via your local shop, Bookshop, Powells, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or order signed/sketched copies directly from me here. And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of my still-brand-new graphic novel Fall Through, which has enjoyed a tremendous reader response over the last two months!

If you’re in Bloomington, I’ll be doing a double book-release signing at Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th) on Saturday, April 20th from 2-4pm. See you there!

Double book-release signing on 4/20

If you’re around Bloomington, I’ll be doing a double book-release signing for Lies My Teacher Told Me (out April 16th from The New Press) and Fall Through (out now from Abrams) at my local shop, Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th)— Saturday, April 20th from 2-4 pm. If you’re downtown for Record Store Day, come hop over two blocks and grab some books!

I’ll also have a limited quantity of my Fall Through 16”x20” prints at the signing. See you there!

'FALL THROUGH' excerpt up at Publishers Weekly & interview at 'The Substance'

There’s a fresh excerpt of a DIY-recording scene from Fall Through up today at Publishers Weekly’s “Panel Mania”— check it out, and you can order copies of Fall Through directly from me here, or through all the usual outlets linked here at Abrams.

I also recently did an interview for The Substance podcast, covering the breadth of my work but also focusing on Fall Through.