Lincoln Peirce is an accomplished American cartoonist, best known for his popular comic strip, Big Nate. Peirce was born on October 23, 1963, in Portland, Maine, and was raised in Durham, New Hampshire. He developed an early interest in cartooning, which he pursued during his time at Colby College in Maine. While in college, Peirce created a weekly comic strip called 'Third Floor' for the school magazine. After graduating, he went on to obtain a graduate degree from Brooklyn College and studied at The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. He subsequently taught art and coached basketball at a New York high school for three years.
Peirce's cartooning career took off with the creation of Big Nate, a comic strip that debuted in 1991 and has since become a staple in more than 400 newspapers worldwide. The strip is also featured online at gocomics.com/bignate. Peirce's work has earned him numerous awards and accolades, including a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. In addition to his comic strip, Peirce has written and illustrated a series of Big Nate novels and compilation books for young readers, published by HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray and Andrews & McMeel Publishers, respectively.
Peirce currently resides in Portland, Maine, with his wife and two children. He enjoys playing hockey with an aged men's league and occasionally gives lectures to college students about cartoon creating. In recent years, Peirce has expanded his creative horizons to include animation and licensing projects. In 2022, a Big Nate animated series produced by Nickelodeon Studios and John Cohen Productions premiered on the Paramount+ Network. A MAX & THE MIDKNIGHTS animated series is also in the works, produced by Nickelodeon Studios and Jane Startz Productions. Peirce remains dedicated to creating books and other content that he would have enjoyed as a child, ensuring that his work continues to resonate with young readers everywhere.