The nominees for the 2024 Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday and one of them was created right here in Cola.
“Nimona,” nominated for Animated Feature Film, is based on the comic of the same name by A.C. Flora High School graduate ND Stevenson. Stevenson created the Nimona while still a student at Maryland Institute College of Art and further during summers at home in Cola.
First published as a web comic on Tumblr, the comic quickly gained popularity leading to its publication as a full-length graphic novel in 2015. The book’s acclaim led to an option for a feature-length film by 20th Century Animation, resulting in an Oscar nomination eight years later.
Released on Netflix last summer (94% positive rating), the film made its Columbia debut at The Nick Theater last December. At the screening, ND shared with Cola Daily, “I used to go to the theater all the time as a kid, and I knew the manager and he’d get me in for free and I just would watch every movie that came here, so it’s pretty special being back.”