The 2025 Ignatz Awards, which recognize the best in small press comics, were presented last night as part of this weekend’s Small Press Expo festivities. The event featured a keynote by cartoonist Mimi Pond, which you can watch in the replay of their livestream.
Creator Anders Nilsen took home two awards for his supplemental comic to his Tongues series, while Kayla E. won the graphic novel category for Precious Rubbish. While most of the winners were self-published, Fantagraphics took home two awards and Silver Sprocket received one.
The Ignatz Awards have been presented since 1997 and celebrate the outstanding achievements of independent comics, graphic novels and minicomics. They are named for the brick-throwing mouse that appeared in the Krazy Kat comics by George Herriman.
Congratulations to this year’s winners:
OUTSTANDING ARTIST
- Sarah Airriess, The Worst Journey in the World (Iron Circus Comics)
- Deb JJ Lee, Death Fiddles and We Dance (Self-Published/Shortbox)
- Kazimir Lee, Low Orbit (Top Shelf Productions)
- Lomig, JOHN MUIR: To the Heart of Solitude (NBM Graphic Novels)
- WINNER: Tongues Supplement #1 by Anders Nilsen (NoMiracles)
OUTSTANDING ANTHOLOGY
- Braba: A Brazilian Comics Anthology ed. Rafael Grampá and Janaína de Luna (Fantagraphics)
- Come Find Me ed. Will Dennis and Sean Edgar (DSTLRY)
- Datura Magazine vol. 3 ed. Sunmi and Mar Julia (Self-Published)
- Loud: Stories to Make Your Voice Heard ed. Brett Israel (Dark Horse Comics)
- WINNER: Rust Belt Review vol. 6 by Sean Knickerbocker (Self-Published)
OUTSTANDING COLLECTION
- I Ate the Whole World to Find You by Rachel Ang (Drawn and Quarterly)
- Milk White Steed by Michael D. Kennedy (Drawn and Quarterly)
- Preparing to Bite by Keiler Roberts (Drawn and Quarterly)
- Them-Shaped Cloud by Max Huffman (CRAM Books)
- WINNER: World Within the World by Julia Gfrörer (Fantagraphics)
OUTSTANDING COMIC
- Belly Full of Heart by Madeline Mouse (Silver Sprocket)
- Big Gamble Rainbow Highway by Connie Meyers (CRAM Books)
- Lucky Cap Scouts by O. Stevens (Silver Sprocket)
- The Re-Up #6 by Chad Bilyeu and Juliette de Wit (Bistro Books)
- WINNER: Tongues Supplement #1 by Anders Nilsen (NoMiracles)
OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC NOVEL
- Adrift on a Painted Sea by Tim Bird (Avery Hill Publishing)
- Land of Mirrors by María Medem (translated by Aleshia Jensen & Daniela Ortiz) (Drawn and Quarterly)
- WINNER: Precious Rubbish by Kayla E. (Fantagraphics)
- Processing: 100 Comics That Got Me Through It by Tara Booth (Drawn and Quarterly)
- Skin by Mieke Versyp and Sabien Clement (Fantagraphics)
OUTSTANDING MINICOMIC
- WINNER: Allodynia by Violet Kitchen (Self-Published)
- Big Apple Matinee by A. T. Pratt (Self-Published)
- The Connoisseurs by Alex Swift (Frog Farm)
- The Mole by Arantza Peña Popo (Self-Published)
- Szarlotka by Jas Hice (Frog Farm)
OUTSTANDING ONLINE COMIC
- 3rd Voice by Evan Dahm
- An Ode to People by KC Councilor
- WINNER: Home by the Rotting Sea by Otava Heikkilä
- Jake Spooky by Michael Grover
- Kiss the Cook by Barbara Perez Marquez and Rhinosnax
OUTSTANDING SERIES
- Disciples of Soil by B. Mure (Avery Hill Publishing)
- PeePee PooPoo by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket)
- The Re-Up by Chad Bilyeu & Juliette de Wit (Bistro Books)
- Tongues by Anders Nilsen (NoMiracles)
- WINNER: Wedding Juice by Sanika Phawde (Self-Published)
OUTSTANDING STORY
- A Pillbug Story by Allison Conway (Black Panel Press)
- Ballad for Black Cassandra by Olivia Stephens (Self-Published)
- WINNER: Boy Island by Leo Fox (Silver Sprocket)
- How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico (Tundra Book Group)
- Ruin of the House of the Divine Visage by Spire Greenwood and Eve Greenwood (Self-Published)
PROMISING NEW TALENT:
- Trishelle Jeffery, Best Breasts in the West (Fieldmouse Press)
- Mili St. John, The Edge of Autumn (Self-Published)
- Ricky Lima and Daniele Aquilani, Undergrowth (Top Shelf Productions)
- Connie Meyers, Big Gamble Rainbow Highway (CRAM books)
- WINNER: Vicky Yang, Unmoored (Self-Published)