Review by Graham Johnstone

Making Non-Fiction Comics, builds on the worthy work of web-comic The Nib. 

As the current volume notes, The Nib published “political cartoons and all manner of non-fiction comics online and in print”, for a decade until 2023. Perhaps its mission had been accomplished: the range of contributors here, their diversity of work, and achievements (New York Times Bestseller, National Book Award, Pulitzer… ), suggest non-fiction comics are now mainstream.

Nib alumni Eleri Harris and Shay Mirk distil years of creating and editing into key themes. The bulk of the 250+ pages comprises ten chapters in comics form, authored by them, and guiding us logically from ‘Research’, through ‘Drawing Non-Fiction’ and ‘Data, Science and Graphic Medicine’, to ‘Sharing and Publishing Your Work’ and beyond. 

Every chapter is authoritative and thorough. ‘Graphic Reportage’ (“comics created from materials largely gathered out in the field”), explores the practical, ethical and personal safety aspects of doing so. ‘Interviewing’, combines practical tips such as a 10-step ‘roadmap’, and a ‘toolbox’, of everything from sketching pencils to transcribing apps, with philosophical considerations, like diversity and sensitivity. They also demonstrate their ideas in practice, including interviewing the authors of Palestine, Kent State, March, and many more. Highlights of these are appended to relevant chapters, along with ‘Pro-Tips’. The sheer volume of expertise is staggering.

However, Harris and Mirk’s style is accessible, less like a lecture than a TED Talk in comics form combining well-honed materials with engaging ‘live’ presence. The authors introduce themselves in opener ‘Drawn From the Margins’, creating strong images for statuesque Shay and silver-haired Eleri (pictured). The pair then co-present, wielding expressive ‘non-verbals’, props, personal asides, and co-host back-and-forth. They typically weave theories through stories they’ve reported on and/or lived, from gender identity to the ethics of wool. The comics form lets them report ‘on location’ – from Australia to the Alps, adding additional appeal.

‘Writing Comics’ starts with Shay delivering a comics course, invoking comics-about-comics pioneer Scott McCloud, before exploring his ideas of simplification. Alongside staples like scripting and ‘thumbnailing’ layouts, they consider choices, authenticity, and personal style. They do this with the help of an Alpine rescue dog, but without… er… dogma, encouraging would-be-creators to tailor their own approaches.

The art is similarly impressive, with sharply-designed pages, seamlessly blending cartooning with infographics. ‘Inked’ black lines aid clarity, while paint effects enrich the colour ensuring a more adult look, and adding greater reality, where needed. Any page here could serve as our ‘sample image’.

So, how do two writer/artists on different continents, create a coherent book with no obvious style changes? They took alternate chapters to draft, before swapping to revise and thumbnail, only editing in the same room when other events enabled it. Eleri was able to grant fund her time and created the final art digitally, while Shay handled business and production. That’s detailed in a closing ‘Resources’ section, alongside example scripts and contracts, and citations for each chapter, exemplifying Harris and Mirk’s thoroughness across all aspects of making this book. 

That thoroughness does make for a demanding read, best consumed a chapter at a time. The Nib connection favours journalism and current affairs, so those tackling historic subjects may need to join some dots, but should still appreciate advice on, say, distilling research into story, and planning, writing and drawing non-fiction comics.

Making Non-Fiction Comics is an ambitious, impressive, and engaging book that might never be bettered. It’s ideal as a stage-by-stage guide for creators, editors, and commissioners of non-fiction comics, but has wider appeal, and deserves to remain in print and in libraries everywhere. Only its niche appeal prevents the full five stars.