Nick Pope

Sixteen-year-old Nick Pope was born with prominent birthmarks around both of his eyes and faces teasing and bullying from both classmates and strangers. He also struggles with depression and confusion about his sexual orientation.

Nick finds refuge and release in drawing, and gains tentative confidence that his artistic abilities are worth nurturing and developing. His family moves across the city and he begins his sophomore year at a brand-new high school. On the advice of his ex-therapist, he starts writing and illustrating a diary that tracks his day-to-day adventures at school, at home with his family of two working parents and a precocious little brother, and his burgeoning friendships with fellow outsiders Sharita and Preston.

Beginning in late August 1987, this illustrated diary tracks three months of Nick's life, including his euphoric ups and painful downs. Fatal Attraction, arcade games Crystal Castles and Circus Charlie, and Dolly Parton's new variety TV show all find their way onto the page as Nick reaches a dramatic turning point.

First written by Christopher Stanton more than fifteen years ago and illustrated by Christopher Darling while he was a student at the School of Visual Arts, this brings Nick Pope to the world in a book nearly identical to its first edition. The diary offers a look at a young artist learning to value his own perspective as he uses his creative talent to understand the world and make connections .

The book is a testament to the tremendous talents of its illustrator, who passed away in 2018.

Recommended for mature teens and older. Followed by Nick Pope: Summer of '88 (2026), illustrated by Raymond Klecker.

Christopher Stanton received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. His novel Kings of the Earth, the story of a haunted surfing town on Lake Michigan, and The Underachiever: Collected Stories (2000-2010) are available on Amazon, as is his graphic novel Nick Pope, illustrated by Christopher Darling. His short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines, and his favorite writers include Raymond Carver, Larry Brown, Willy Vlautin, Stephen King and Tove Jansson.

He has shown his paintings and drawings in dozens of exhibitions across the United States. He especially admires the work of David Hockney, Fairfield Porter, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Trina Schart Hyman.