All information about the GINCO-Award

Mission statement

Comics * are one of the most accessible forms of visual media. Their production does not require much capital. Digital publication channels are now open to almost everyone,and can act as an introduction, supplement, or even alternative to traditional publishing.
This allows comics to be in a state of perpetual and dynamic change. They shift aesthetic and formal boundaries, between texts and images, between media and genres, between popular and alternative.

Independent artists, writers and newcomers thus find many opportunities in the independent area (web / self-publisher / micro-publisher) to be creative. In this way, indie comics enrich the German comic landscape with new and more diverse stories, topics and perspectives and keep them up to date, relevant and approachable.

Comic creators deserve recognition and support from the entire scene – financially, symbolically, and publicly. The GINCO Award aims to honor indie comics in an inclusive, transparent and high-profile way, as a complement to and expansion of existing German comic awards and structures.

Above all, we see artists from marginalized groups as an important target group, since they often do not find themselves represented in established systems or receive little attention. In the same way, the work of independent and small publishers should be appreciated, as they often serve marginalized people as the first springboard into the public eye.

The organization of the GINCO Award is based on flexible, unbureaucratic structures and will continue to evolve with the prize. This may concern the prize categories, the jury, the nature of the prize or the location of the award ceremony.

The GINCO Award is an independent prize organized by a non-profit association of different actors in the comic scene.

You can support the project by becoming a supporting member of our nonprofit association.  If you want to support the GINCO Award through a donation in cash or in kind, please contact us to become a sponsorship partner today.

* Comic refers to all types of formats, genres and styles: manga, superheroes, print, digital, etc.