Hanco Kolk

Hanco Kolk (born in 1957 in Den Helder, the Netherlands) is an award-winning comic artist and author who has been active since 1984. He studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, where he developed his distinctive approach to visual storytelling. From early on, he has explored the craft of comics from multiple angles, remaining deeply interested in the scope and possibilities of the medium. His work ranges from editorial illustration to daily newspaper strips, from classic Belgian-style slapstick to more experimental graphic novels. Over the years, he has built a strong international following. His first major series, "Gilles de Geus", was created together with his friend and long-time collaborator Peter de Wit. He later developed a markedly different visual language for "Meccano", a series that allowed him to experiment both technically and narratively with each new volume. Together with de Wit, he also produces the daily comic strip "S1ngle", which appears in numerous newspapers across the Netherlands. Although his approach and techniques span a wide range of genres, Kolk’s signature style remains unmistakable. His lines combine elegance, sensuality, and simplicity; his humor is quirky and at times outright surreal—yet always driven by a desire to connect with the reader. His latest book, "Remake: Ikonen der Popkultur", will be published by avant-verlag in summer 2026.