Big Nate is created by Lincoln Peirce, who inspired Jeff Kinney, author of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'. Check out the second compilation of classic Big Nate comic strips, originally published in newspapers. Lincoln Peirce is one of my cartooning heroes and Big Nate ranks as a comics classic. Year in and year out, Big Nate is among the best comics on the funny page. Jeff Kinney, author of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'.