--- title: The Nathan Pyle Strange Planet Is Comic Relief for Instagram description: Artist Nathan W. Pyle's weird, wry comics about aliens, Strange Planet, have gone viral on Instagram for their touching humor. canonical: https://time.com/5552655/nathan-pyle-strange-planet/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-03-15T18:44:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:58:07.879Z og:title: Nathan Pyle's Strange Planet Is Comic Relief for Instagram og:description: Here's what you need to know og:url: https://time.com/5552655/nathan-pyle-strange-planet/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Nathan Pyle's Strange Planet Is Comic Relief for Instagram twitter:description: Here's what you need to know twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Nathan W. Pyle's Strange Planet Is Comic Relief for the Instagram Age > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=13b889af-df46-44ce-8c0f-80bcc8721783&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 15, 2019 6:44 PM UTC  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 15, 2019 6:44 PM UTC It can sometimes be hard to find joy on [Instagram](http://time.com/5489132/instagram-sideways-design-test/), with its [myriads of influencers](http://time.com/5551886/sephora-cancels-olivia-jade-partnership/) and carefully curated content, but following artist Nathan W. Pyle can remedy an oversaturation of Internet fatigue. Pyle, who illustrates and writes “Strange Planet,” a quirky comic series about wry and earnest extraterrestials makes the case that life on other planets may not be that much different from our own. Pyle’s aliens experience joy, heartbreak and challenges in many of the same instances that the average human Joe does. Pyle’s comics have struck a chord on the Internet, especially on Instagram, where his Strange Planet has accumulated a viral following, clocking in at a whopping 1 million followers. His otherworldly comics are so popular that Pyle has even launched [Strange Planet-themed merchandise](https://nathanwpyle.threadless.com/), ranging from shirts to beach towels. If you’re looking to bring some joy to your timeline, consider giving Pyle’s account a follow. See some of his best comics below. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5552655/nathan-pyle-strange-planet/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5552655/nathan-pyle-strange-planet/"},"headline":"Nathan W. 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