About Nate Fakes
Yes, that really is my last name.
Where to begin?
I'm a cartoonist, illustrator, animator, and all-around creative guy. I've spent most of my life drawing cartoons, coming up with ideas, writing, and figuring out ways to make people laugh. Somehow, I've managed to turn all of that into a career.
It all started in fifth grade when I sold my first drawing for five bucks. I figured I was onto something. After all, five bucks was a lot of money back then, which was well spent on candy.
Since then, I've been fortunate enough to work with some pretty amazing people and companies.
Early in my career, I landed an internship at MAD Magazine in New York City. That eventually led to writing and drawing cartoons for MAD for over a decade. Not a bad gig for someone who is a massive fan of the magazine.
My work eventually brought me to the L.A. area, where I became the full-time cartoonist for Red Bull at Kastner, an advertising agency in Los Angeles. While there, I concepted, wrote, illustrated, and storyboarded cartoons for Red Bull's iconic "Gives You Wiiings" campaign, with work appearing in advertisements worldwide.
Over the years, I've worked with brands and publications including The New York Times, Scholastic, Parade Magazine, 21st Century Fox, the NFL, NBA, MLB, Costco, and plenty of others.
These days, I write and illustrate Break of Day, my daily cartoon syndicated by King Features. It appears in over 140 publications worldwide, reaching millions of readers.
Along with cartooning, I work in animation, storyboarding, character design, and creative development. I also earned my B.S. in Animation from The Los Angeles Film School, graduating summa cum laude in 2026.
In 2022, my graphic memoir, A Fade of Light, was published by West Margin Press. I'm also a member of the National Cartoonists Society and ASIFA-Hollywood.
When I'm not drawing, writing, or working on some new idea, I'm usually hanging out with my family and our five cats. Yes, five. And yes, they love to scratch things in my studio.
Oh, and I've appeared on Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, and Let's Make a Deal. Apparently, I enjoy embarrassing myself on national television.
I'm always up for working with studios, agencies, creative teams, and anyone who needs a good idea brought to life.
Have a project in mind? Get in touch!