ComicsDC: PR: SPX Announces 2025 Ignatz Award Nominees and The Ignatz Archive

2025 Ignatz Awards Nominees

2025 Ignatz Awards logo by Léa Murawiec.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Warren Bernard

Bethesda, Maryland – The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce the 2025 nominees for the annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards, a celebration of outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning.

Small Press Expo Announces The 2025 Ignatz Nominees

Ignatz Awards nominees are determined by a panel of comics professionals. We are most grateful for the efforts of this year's team of jurors:

Denis Kitchen
Carol Tilley
Isabella Rotman
Jonathan Baylis
Beth Hetland
Olivia Li

Voting for the Ignatz Awards will be opened to anybody on the SPX email lists and anyone requesting a ballot. There will be no in-person voting at the show, as voting for the prestigious Ignatz Awards is open to all fans of indie comics.

The Ignatz Awards ceremony will be held at 9:30PM on Saturday September 13 in the White Oak Room of the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

Other information about SPX 2025 and the Ignatz Awards, can be found at www.smallpressexpo.com.

BALLOT & VOTING INFORMATION

Voting for the 2025 Ignatz Awards will be by email ballot only, there will be no on-site voting.

Ballots will be emailed on Thursday August 14 to everyone on SPX's email lists.

If you wish to vote for the Ignatz Awards and are not on our email lists, signup for a ballot and get added to our email lists at the SPX website.

Please check your spam folder if you do not see your ballot.

Voting ends on Friday September 12 at 8:00Pm (EDT).

2025 IGNATZ NOMINEES

Additional information about this year's nominees can be found here.

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)
Anders Nilsen, Tongues Supplement #1 (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)
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)
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)
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)
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

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
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)
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)
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)
Vicky Yang, Unmoored (Self-Published)

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Key Dates for the 2025 Ignatz Awards

August 14 - Initial ballots emailed and voting begins
September 12 • 8:00 PM (EDT) - Voting for the 2024 Ignatz Awards ends
September 13 • 9:30 PM (EDT) - Presentation of Ignatz Award winners, the White Oak Room at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

Small Press Expo (SPX) is the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together more than 550 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The expo includes a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests.

The Ignatz Awards are held every year by SPX, with the awards recognizing outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning.