The Nib
Available inEnglish
Created byMatt Bors
EditorMatt Bors
Key peopleFeatures editor: Eleri Harris; Associate editor: Mattie Lubchansky; Contributing editors: Sarah Shay Mirk, Andy Warner, Whit Taylor; Designer: Mark Kaufman
URLthenib.com
CommercialNo
LaunchedSeptember 2013; 10 years ago (2013-09)

The Nib was an American online daily comics publication focused on political cartoons, graphic journalism, essays and memoir about current affairs. Founded by cartoonist Matt Bors in September 2013, The Nib was an independent member-supported publisher[1] that ceased operating in September 2023.[2]

Background

Originally published on Medium, the platform underwent changes in May 2015 resulting in The Nib shifting focus and publishing less content regularly. In July 2015, Bors announced The Nib would no longer publish on Medium and stated he would take the title elsewhere.[3] He self-published a collection of comics as a print anthology called Eat More Comics!: The Best of The Nib in September 2015.[4]

In February 2016, First Look Media announced it would partner with Matt Bors to relaunch The Nib.[5] The site officially re-launched under First Look Media in July 2016.[6] In October 2016, First Look Media announced that Topic, the company's multimedia storytelling studio, would produce The Nib's first animated series, also called "The Nib". The series' first episode premiered in June 2017, and its second season launched in March 2018.[7] In September 2018, The Nib magazine was launched at the Small Press Expo.[8]

In June 2019, First Look Media decided to stop funding The Nib and laid off its staff as of the end of July 2019.[9][10] Bors announced he would be continuing to publish comics on The Nib with member support from its subscription service, The Inkwell.[11]

In December 2019, The Nib successfully crowdfunded a new comics anthology Be Gay Do Comics, collecting works by queer artists.[12]

In May 2023, Bors announced that The Nib would cease publishing after the summer of 2023.[13] On September 1st, 2023, the last email publication was sent out.[14][2] Bors intends to keep the website and all of its content accessible online in an archived format.[15][13]

Notable contributors

Awards and nominations

In 2016, The Nib received a nomination for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Anthology.[17]

In 2017, contributors Ted Closson, Sarah Winifred Searle, Eleri Harris, and Ben Passmore received nominations for The Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Web Comic of the Year[18] and contributor Gemma Correll won a National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award.[19]

Also in 2017, contributors Amanda Scurti and Mike Dawson received nominations for Ignatz Awards for Outstanding Online Comic.[20][21] Contributor Bianca Xunise received an Ignatz Award in 2017 for her Nib comic "The Weight of Being Black in America".[22]

In July 2018, Eleri Harris won the Australian Ledger cartooning prize for her serialized Nib comic Reported Missing.[23] Contributor Charis Jackson-Barrios was awarded the 2018 Locher Award.[24] Her winning entry included several Nib pieces. Mike Dawson also received a nomination in 2018 for an Eisner Award for Best Webcomic.[25]

In July 2019, contributor Chelsea Saunders won the Locher Award for her Nib work.[26] In September 2019, The Nib editorial team, including Matt Bors, Eleri Harris, Matt Lubchansky, Sarah Mirk and Andy Warner, were given an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Series for The Nib magazine.[27] Also in September 2019, Matt Bors was given the Transformative Work Award at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) for changing the course of comics history.[28] In 2019, The Nib won the Ringo Award for Best Webcomic.[29]

In 2023, The Nib won an Eisner Award for Best Anthology. This was awarded in the publication's final year of operation, and was awarded to the The Nib because of its printed magazine titles in particular.[30]

References

  1. ^ "The Nib". The Nib. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bors, Matt (August 30, 2023). "The End of The Nib". Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Weissman, Cale Guthrie (July 16, 2015). "Popular comics website The Nib has officially left Medium & has launched a $45,000 Kickstarter". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Mirek, Paul. "Interview with Matt Bors, founder of 'The Nib'". brokenfrontier.com. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  5. ^ "Matt Bors Brings The Nib to First Look Media - First Look Media". First Look Media. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  6. ^ Rainey, James (July 26, 2016). "Pierre Omidyar's First Look Media Relaunches Political Cartooning Site, 'The Nib,' At Democratic Convention". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  7. ^ Schwarz, John. ""Topic" Kicks Off Season Two Of "The Nib"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  8. ^ Nib, The. "The Nib Magazine Fall 2018 « SPX: The Small Press Expo". Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Bors, Matt (July 1, 2019). "The Future of The Nib, Again". Medium. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Spangler, Todd (June 29, 2019). "Pierre Omidyar's First Look Media Shuts Down Topic Magazine, Ends Funding for The Nib Political Cartooning Site". Variety. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "The Nib to be Closed by First Look Media... Long Live The Nib?". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. June 29, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up: Be Gay, Do Comics, Barbarous, and 2 other projects we love". comicsbeat.com. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Bors, Matt (May 22, 2023). "The Future of The Nib" (Press release). The Nib. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  14. ^ Cavna, Michael (September 1, 2023). "The Nib closes down after 10 years of championing comics journalism". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "Donate to The Nib and support our comics". The Nib. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  16. ^ "Trump and Bannon Drag Legendary Cartoonist Pat Oliphant Out of Retirement". The Nib. February 9, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  17. ^ Cavna, Michael (April 19, 2016). "2016 Eisner Awards: 'The Oscars of comics' announces record number of nominations for women". Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  18. ^ Brogan, Jacob. "The 2018 Cartoonist Studio Prize Shortlists". Slate Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  19. ^ "2017 NCS DIVISIONAL NOMINEES!". National Cartoonists Society. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  20. ^ "SPX 2017 Ignatz Awards Nominees | SPX: The Small Press Expo". smallpressexpo.com. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  21. ^ Cavna, Michael (August 17, 2017). "SPX Ignatz Award nominees: Books tackling bigotry top 'the Spirit Awards of comics'". Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  22. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (September 18, 2017). "A Year of Free Comics: Pop music, race and Ignatz Promising New Talent Bianca Xunise". The Beat. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  23. ^ "2018 Award Recipients! | The Ledger Awards". Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  24. ^ "2018 Locher Award Winner". The John Locher Memorial Award. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  25. ^ "2018 Eisner Awards Nominations". Comic-Con International: San Diego. April 23, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  26. ^ "Announcing the 2019 Locher Award Winner!". The John Locher Memorial Award. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  27. ^ "2019 Ignatz Awards Winners Announced". Multiversity Comics. September 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  28. ^ "Eat More Comics: The Best of the Nib". Graphic Medicine. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  29. ^ "Ringo Awards | The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards". Ringo Awards.
  30. ^ Bors, Matt (July 25, 2023). "The Nib won an Eisner". Retrieved September 6, 2023.

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