Nathan Lee Powell is an American graphic novelist and musician. Born in 1978 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Nate spent his childhood in different parts of the country, as his family moved around following his father's duties as an Air Force officer. Powell became active in the punk rock scene since his teenage years. He performed in several bands over the years, and even owned a DIY punk record label. At the same time, he developed an interest in visual arts and majored in Cartooning at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York.

For about ten years, Powell worked as a caregiver for adults with developmental disabilities, while also drawing comic books. His major break came with the graphic novel Swallow Me Whole, which won an Ignatz Award and an Eisner Award for Best Original Graphic Novel. He also illustrated the March trilogy, an autobiographical series written by U.S. Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, which received the 2016 National Book Award. This achievement made Powell the first cartoonist to receive the award.