Peak Oil
Roughly half of the world’s oil supply is used up. How will we use that which remains?
This comic tells the story of M. King Hubbert, an American geologist, who predicted in 1956 that the American oil industry was set to peak and decline in the following 15 years. Hubbert was proved right when the peak occurred in the 1970s, even as the oil industry resisted his observation.
These graphic illustrations by comics artist Stuart McMillen explore life in a society that is at the all-time peak of energy availability.
Medium: Digital Illustrations
Year: 2015
Team
Stuart McMillen
Comics Artist
Stuart McMillen, a comics artist based in Canberra, Australia, specialises in crafting longform social commentary comics rooted in real-life historical events. Since transitioning to full-time comics artistry in 2011, his website (stuartmcmillen.com) has attracted over 1.5 million unique visitors. Notable works include Peak Oil (2015) and Energy Slaves (2017), offering insightful explorations of the societal impact of fossil fuels. In 2023, Scribe Publications enlisted Stuart to develop an expanded adaptation of his online comic about the last town in North America to receive TV reception, titled "The Town Without Television," slated as his debut book, to be published by Scribe in Australia and the United States. Operating as a crowdfunded cartoonist through an ongoing Patreon campaign, reader donations sustain Stuart's role as a self-employed independent comics artist.
