Matt Bors (born 1983) is an American editorial cartoonist, comics journalist, and editor, best known for his work as the founder and editor of The Nib, an online platform for political and editorial comics. Bors is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for Editorial Cartooning (2012, 2020) and the first alt-weekly cartoonist to win the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning (2012).
Early Life and Education
Matt Bors was born in Canton, Ohio. He attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he began drawing editorial cartoons for the student newspaper, marking the start of his career in political cartooning.
Career
Early Career
At the age of 23, Bors became the youngest syndicated cartoonist in the United States when his work was picked up by Universal Features Syndicate. His cartoons, known for their progressive political stance and sharp satire, have appeared in publications including:
- Los Angeles Times
- The Nation
- The Village Voice
- The Daily Beast
- Daily Kos
The Nib and Comics Journalism
In 2013, Bors launched The Nib, an online publication dedicated to editorial and political comics. Initially part of Medium, the site moved to First Look Media in 2016, where Bors continued as the editor and lead contributor. The platform focuses on a range of political, social, and cultural issues through visual storytelling.
Comics Journalism
In addition to editorial cartoons, Bors has been a pioneer in the field of comics journalism, blending visual art with investigative reporting. He served as the comics journalism editor for the platform Cartoon Movement from 2010 to 2013, overseeing global contributions in the genre.
Key projects include:
- Haiti's Scapegoats (2012): An animated documentary exploring the persecution of the LGBT community in Haiti, created in collaboration with journalist Caroline Dijckmeester-Bins.
- Tents Beyond Tents (2012): A collaborative comics project documenting the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
War Reporting and Graphic Novels
Bors collaborated with journalist David Axe on the graphic novel War Is Boring, published in 2010 by New American Library. The book explores modern conflict zones and the challenges of war reporting.
Awards and Recognition
Matt Bors has received multiple prestigious awards for his work, including:
- Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Editorial Cartooning (2012, 2020)
- Herblock Prize for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning (2012) – First alt-weekly cartoonist to receive the award.
- Sigma Delta Chi Award for Editorial Cartooning (2012, Circulation of 100,000+)
Personal Life
Bors resided in Portland, Oregon for many years before relocating to Ontario, Canada in 2020. In April 2021, he announced his retirement from editorial cartooning to focus more on comics journalism and managing The Nib.
Legacy and Impact
Matt Bors has been a significant figure in both editorial cartooning and comics journalism, influencing the genre by expanding the use of comics for investigative storytelling. His sharp political commentary and commitment to visual journalism have helped redefine modern editorial cartooning.
Matt Bors (born 1983) is a nationally syndicated American editorial cartoonist and editor of online comics publication The Nib. Formerly the comics journalism editor for Cartoon Movement, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and 2020, and became the first alt-weekly cartoonist to win the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning.[1]
Career
Originally from Canton, Ohio,[2][3] Bors attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he first began drawing editorial cartoons for the student newspaper.[4] At 23, his work became syndicated by Universal Features, making him the youngest syndicated cartoonist in the country at that time.[4] His work has since appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, and on Daily Kos. In 2012, US Congressman John Larson used one of Bors's cartoons during a house floor on the Affordable Care Act.[5]
His first graphic novel, War Is Boring, a collaboration with journalist David Axe, was published in 2010 by New American Library.[6]
In September 2013, Bors began working in a full-time capacity as a cartoonist, writer and comics editor of The Nib at Medium.[7] In July 2015 Bors left Medium.[8] In February 2016 First Look Media announced that they had acquired The Nib and would be collaborating with Bors to relaunch the site.[9]
Bors has lived in Portland, Oregon, since 2008,[2] but in late July 2020 he announced that he would soon be moving to Ontario, Canada.[10]
Comics journalism
In addition to his editorial cartoons, Bors has also worked as both editor and journalist in the field of comics journalism. In December 2010, Bors joined the newly launched Cartoon Movement, an online platform for editorial cartoons and comics journalism from around the world, as Comics Journalism Editor.[11] In 2010, Bors travelled to Afghanistan with Ted Rall, his first trip outside of the United States.[3] He filed sketches and editorial cartoons while in Afghanistan which he later expanded to full-length comics published on Cartoon Movement.[12]
In the summer of 2011 he traveled with Cartoon Movement to Haiti, to coordinate a comics project with Haitian cartoonists that would document the effects of the 2010 earthquake one year after the catastrophe.[13][14] The first part of the 75-page comics project, entitled Tents beyond Tents, was published in January 2012.[15] In 2012 Bors released "Haiti’s Scapegoats," an animated documentary short exploring the LGBT community in Haiti, produced in collaboration with Cartoon Movement and video journalist Caroline Dijckmeester-Bins.[16]
In April 2021, Bors announced that he was retiring from editorial cartooning in order to focus more on his work in comics journalism.[17]
Awards
- 2020 – Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning (Finalist)[18]
- 2012 – Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning (Finalist)[19]
- 2012 – Herblock Prize for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning[20]
- 2012 – Sigma Delta Chi Award for Editorial Cartooning (Circulation of 100,000+)[21]
References
External links
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