Stripdagen Haarlem and Cross Comix jointly organize the Small Press Award each year for independently published comics and graphic narratives. The winner of the 2026 Small Press Award was announced during the opening of Stripdagen Haarlem on 29 May 2026. The jury consisted of Menah Wellen, Moos Boeke, Tonio van Vugt, and Mara Joustra.
First Prize: Artists’ Collective Led by Una Jongenelis
The collective led Una Jongenelis, with Charlie Jermyn, Jonghwan Jeong and Cato Douwes Dekker convincingly claimed the first prize with Curious Dot, Vol. 4.
The jury said: “This is not the work of a single creator, but of a collective. That’s nothing new for the Small Press Award. In fact, it may even be called a trend. One we are excited about. Not every great book needs to be made by a lone genius, sitting on a rock in deep contemplation. When people join forces, energy is released. And that is exactly what you have done. The joy of collaboration leaps off every page. Perhaps that was not the case at all and you secretly hate each other — but Curious Dot certainly gives no sign of it.
The work bursts with the joy of drawing and the power of collaboration. A comic about a dot, filled with pools of ink and swift brushstrokes. The mysterious story is drawn with remarkable fluidity, yet crafted and produced with meticulous care down to the smallest (and most curious) detail.
This submission also achieved something else: seeing so much creative pleasure made us want to start drawing ourselves. Your collaboration felt welcoming – open, expansive, something that can continue to grow. A book that achieves that is something special.”
More publications by this collective can be found here.
Second Prize: Romy van Kaam
Second prize went to Romy van Kaam for Ozzy’s Passionflower. The jury commented: “A truly unique submission. For once, this work is not drawn at all. Every panel, every creature and every petal in this comic has been cut and assembled from felt. Romy, this wonderfully headstrong approach made us very happy.
In Romy’s felt-crafted world, Valentine’s friend Ozzy sets out in search of a passionflower. We follow him on a journey filled with obstacles, where he repeatedly has to explain where he is trying to go. All of this unfolds without words – the booklet contains no text at all. That broadens its audience and makes it especially suitable for young children.
Yet when a gigantic felt earthworm appeared and Ozzy continued his journey riding on its back, seen from a bird’s-eye perspective, we burst out laughing. So Ozzy is certainly a book for adults as well. It is the work of someone with humour, a clear artistic vision, and an ironclad — or perhaps stainless-steel — dedication. And hopefully someone who still feels inspired to cut out many more stories for us.”
Third Prize: Wouter Gresnigt
Third prize was awarded to Wouter Gresnigt for his visual poem Boem Paukeslag. The jury said: “Wouter, you presented us with a piece of ‘onomatopoetry’ – perhaps even ‘onomatovisual art’. We spent quite some time delighting in those terms.
The work is based on a sound poem by Paul van Ostaijen, inspired by his experiences during the First World War – a subject that has only become more relevant in recent years.
You have amplified its primal expressiveness with bold, contemporary imagery. Your drawings and typography echo the sounds of the poem, reinforcing them, driving them home. And when you examine the dust jacket up close, you discover that it has been printed magnificently as well. Flecks of gold ink flash across the retina like sparks from an explosion. It feels as though you are witnessing a detonation — only one made of rhythm, language and image.”
More of Wouter’s work can be found here.
All photographs by Michelle Urbiztondo.
