Happy 25th Anniversary, Big Nate! Here are 25 Reasons Why We Love You and Your Strip
by GoComicsAs Big Nate celebrates its 25th anniversary, Universal Uclick and Big Nate editor Lucas Wetzel shares insight into the strip's humor and history.
When Big Nate launched in newspapers on Jan. 6, 1991, I was in fifth grade - just one grade younger than the strip's star, 11-year-old sixth-grader Nate Wright.
A quarter-century later, I'm well into my 30s, while Nate is still stirring up all kinds of sixth-grade mischief. Yet even today, Nate still seems like the wiser, older kid to me -the cool but approachable guy who isn't afraid to risk detention, defy his teachers, or let girls know who's the real catch of the class.
This magic suspension of time and place is a testament to the artwork, writing, imagination and humor of Big Nate's creator, Lincoln Peirce, who entertains readers of all ages with the adventures of Big Nate and his friends. I once asked Lincoln where he got his story ideas, and he said that a lot of them come from his own memories of school. I guess it only makes sense that something so relatable and amusing would be grounded in real experiences (though I suspect imagination and creative storytelling have a lot to do with it a well).
So, to mark 25 years since Big Nate first hit newspapers, I'd like to celebrate the occasion with a list of 25 reasons we love Big Nate. Congratulations to Lincoln on this fantastic accomplishment, and here's to (at least!) another 25 years of high jinks, hilarity and humor with Big Nate.
25) Cheez Doodles
Nate's all-time favorite. What more needs to be said?
Chad may look like an innocent bystander, but if there's snow on the ground, watch out!
23) Big Nate: The Musical
In 2013, the Adventure Theatre Company in Maryland put on a musical version of Big Nate, which featured, among other songs, "Even Year-Old Cheez Doodles Are Better Than Love."
2) Hairstyles
As Trudy recently learned, Nate's iconic hairstyle can't be combed into place. In fact, if you look at all the characters, they each have their own distinctive hairstyle.
21) Detentions
Detentions themselves aren't that fun, but watching how Nate lands there is. He might be the only student in P.S. 38 history to get as many as seven detentions in one day.
20) Plastic Bottle Therapy
When Nate faces a tough situation, there's only one thing that can calm him down: The soothing "thunka, thunka, thunka" of hitting his forehead with an empty plastic bottle.
19) Spitsy
Not known as the smartest dog on the block, Spitsy nonetheless has managed to turn the cone into a comical fashion accessory.
18) Pickles
Never mind that Pickles is a cat, Spitsy has a serious crush on her. She's a pretty laidback feline.
17) Artur
The friendliest, most unflappable Belarusian in the funny pages. It's hard to blame Jenny for liking him.
16) School Picture Guy!
A perennial favorite character who pops up in the least likely places. I'll never forget the time School Picture Guy filled in as the DJ as at one of the school dances and ruined Nate's chances by playing "Love Lift Us Up (Where We Belong)" at an inopportune moment.
15) Dad
Even if he's an awful golfer who hands out prunes on Halloween instead of candy, Nate and Ellen's dad is a pretty likable guy.
14) Unrequited Love
Whether it's Nate's hopeless crush on Jenny, or Kim's crush on Nate, romantic attention often goes unreturned. Such is life, especially in the sixth grade.
13) Trudy
However, not all the crushes in Big Nate go unreturned. Most recently, Nate's chance encounter with a cute, friendly girl at the state fair led to a long search and eventual discovery of his soon-to-be girlfriend, Trudy. The plot thickened when she was revealed to be a seventh-grader.
12) Chad
Innocent, chubby and eminently adorable.
11) The two "G"s
Gina and Mrs. Godfrey are Nate's archrivals, and his scraps with these two have landed him in more detention hours than anyone can count.
One of the best band names (if not actual bands) of all time.
9) Confidence
Nate's friends and classmates may roll their eyes at his occasional overconfidence, but for a reader, it's all part of the charm. We can see Nate's blind spots and where he falls short of his bold claims, then have a laugh and cheer him on just the same.
Who could forget the adventures of Dr. Cesspool, the inept matchmaker Dan Cupid, or second-rate country singer Slim Stubby? Nate's comics show a lot of promise, although they might not quite be ready for widespread syndication.
7) School Tours
Instead of just speaking to large audiences, Big Nate creator Lincoln Peirce visits school classrooms and bookstores on every tour, giving fans a chance to connect one-on-one with their favorite author and cartoonist.
6) Hand-drawn
Aside from using Photoshop to do Sunday coloring, Lincoln Peirce still draws every Big Nate strip by hand, using old-school technique to create a classic comic look.
5) Title Panels
Sunday strips include a bonus piece of artwork next to the comic's title, drawn on lined notebook paper (to indicate a drawing by Nate). It's like getting a peek into the character's private sketchbook.
4) Books
Big Nate is the star of an insanely popular series of novels, activity books and comic collections. Check them out here and here.
3) Frequency
TV, movie and book series can take weeks, months or years between episodes. But new Big Nate comics post every single day, along with Big Nate: First Class from further back in the archives.
2) Ensemble Cast
In addition to all the names mentioned above, there are so many great characters in this strip that make Big Nate what it is. It's a great mix of a main ensemble, minor recurring characters, and others who make only brief appearances.
1) Everything!
OK, so it's a bit of a cop-out, but it was just too difficult to pick one top item. When you factor in great writing, artwork, school memories, pranks, crushes, friendships and adventures, what's not to love? You, too, can share in the magic by reading Big Nate on GoComics every single day.
