Carol Tyler, Lee Lai, Jesse Lonergan + more win at the 2026 Ignatz Awards

The annual awards were given out at the Small Press Expo in Maryland this weekend.

The 2026 Ignatz Awards, recognizing the best in small press comics, were presented last night during the Small Press Expo. The event featured a keynote by cartoonist Lisa Hannawalt, which you can watch in the replay of their livestream. I’d also recommend checking out Carol Tyler’s heart-felt acceptance speech at the end as well.

The winners list includes some (now) multiple Ignatz Award winners, including Lee Lai, Jesse Lonergan and Michael DeForge. While many of the winners were self-published, Drawn + Quarterly took home two awards, the most of any publisher.

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:

Continue reading “Carol Tyler, Lee Lai, Jesse Lonergan + more win at the 2026 Ignatz Awards”

Quick Hits | Diamond bankruptcy: Publishers to recover consigned comics after settlement

Plus: News on Dan Boultwood, the 2026 Small Press Expo, San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum, a Marvel Compact Comics line and more.

Legal | After months of stalemate, resolution came this week in the case of Diamond’s trustee Morgan W. Fisher and a group of publishers concerning consigned goods being held by Diamond and Sparkle Pop. The settlement will allow BOOM!, Dynamite, Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly and other publishers to recover their inventory from the Sparkle Pop-controlled warehouse, in exchange for waiving roughly $600,000 in claims. It also resolves a side dispute over money Sparkle Pop collected from unauthorized inventory sales during the fight.

The legal battle followed in the wake of Universal Distribution and Ad Populum’s purchase of several Diamond assets, including the comics distribution business, after Diamond declared bankruptcy. Graphic Policy has more.

Creators | Comic creator Dan Boultwood, who worked on Chu, It Came!, Baker Street Irregulars and more, was sentenced in London after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child. Boultwood was sentenced to to three years’ imprisonment, which will be suspended for two years, as well as to rehabilitation activity, community service and sex-offender notification requirements in the United Kingdom. The offenses occurred in 2010 when Boultwood was 29 and the victim was 15; the case reached court after the victim reported it to police in 2023 and Boultwood was arrested in 2025.

Continue reading “Quick Hits | Diamond bankruptcy: Publishers to recover consigned comics after settlement”

Anders Nilsen, ‘Precious Rubbish’ + more win at the 2025 Ignatz Awards

The annual small-press awards were given out at SPX in Maryland this weekend.

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:

Continue reading “Anders Nilsen, ‘Precious Rubbish’ + more win at the 2025 Ignatz Awards”