Joost Swarte
Joost Swarte (born 24 December 1947 in Heemstede) is a Dutch cartoonist and graphic designer. He is best known for his ligne claire or clear line style of drawing, a term he coined. Comic series and characters by Swarte include Katoen en Pinbal, Jopo de Pojo, Anton Makassar, Dr Ben Cine and Niet Zo, Maar Zo- Passi, Messa.
Also recorded as J. Swarte
Joost Swarte

DWDD · CC BY 3.0
- Birth Name
- Joost Swarte
- Birthplace
- Heemstede, Netherlands
- Nationality
- Dutch
- Born
- 24 December 1947
- Occupation
- writer · graphic designer · illustrator · postage stamp designer · comics artist · poster artist · animator · graphic artist
- Fields
- graphic design · postage stamp design
- Honours
- P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs · Stripschapprijs · Marten Toonderprijs · Prix Grand Boum
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Documentary summary
Joost Swarte (born 24 December 1947 in Heemstede) is a Dutch cartoonist and graphic designer. He is best known for his ligne claire or clear line style of drawing, a term he coined. Comic series and characters by Swarte include Katoen en Pinbal, Jopo de Pojo, Anton Makassar, Dr Ben Cine and Niet Zo, Maar Zo- Passi, Messa.
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wikidata · Q950648 · wikipedia · Joost Swarte
In this article
Biography
Biography
He is however more famous for his numerous drawings, stamps, posters, cards, LP and CD covers, and for his magazine covers (most noteworthy the Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland, the American magazine The New Yorker, and the Belgian magazine HUMO and the Italian architecture magazine Abitare.)
The recorded working language is Dutch. The field of work recorded is graphic design and postage stamp design. Places of work recorded in the authority are Haarlem. Work by Joost Swarte is recorded in the collections of CODA Museum, Stichting Kunst in de Publieke Ruimte in Arnhem, Nationaal Archief, Eye Filmmuseum and Nieuwe Instituut. Distinctions recorded are P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs, Stripschapprijs, Marten Toonderprijs and Prix Grand Boum.

Joost Swarte + Joost Veerkamp
Fotopersbureau de Boer · Extracted from Joost Swarte + Joost Veerkamp, Noord-Hollands Archief / Deelcollectie Kleinbeeld, NL-HlmNHA_1478_33854K00_31
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Joost Swarte • Birthplace — Heemstede, Netherlands • Nationality — Dutch • Area — Artist, Writer, Graphic Designer • Cartoonist — y • Notable Works — Swarte, Hors Serie Modern Papier • Website — http: www.joostswarte.com • Born — 24 December 1947
Background and early work
Background and early work
Swarte, born 24 December 1947 in Heemstede, studied industrial design in Eindhoven and started drawing comics in the late sixties. In 1971 he started his own comic magazine Modern Papier and made regular contributions to the Dutch comic magazine Tante Leny Presenteert.
Increased recognition
Increased recognition
International recognition started around 1980 when Swarte took part for the first time in the international comic show Salon International de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême (France). His work has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. Swarte, Hors Serie, a survey of his work, was published by Futuropolis (Paris) in 1984. In 1985, he founded the publishing house Oog & Blik with Hansje Joustra. Joost published his own comics and silkscreens, as well as books by other cartoonists and a large number of Dutch translations of foreign comics. In 1992, Swarte initiated the Stripdagen, a biennial international comic event held in Haarlem. In recent years, Swarte has created many illustrations for the New Yorker magazine. In 2007 Swarte, a former scout, designed the Dutch 2007 Europa stamp with the subject one hundred years of scouting. Swarte has produced a restored collection of almost all of his comics work (excluding the several hundred pages of the "Katoen en Pinbal" children's series), an English-language version of which will be released in late 2011 by Fantagraphics Books under the title Is That All There Is?. The cartoonist and critic Scott McCloud, in Understanding Comics (1993), wrote that "Joost Swarte's crisp elegant lines and jazzy designs speak of cool sophistication and irony."
Work outside comics and graphic design
Work outside comics and graphic design
• Illustration — Schuur Haarlem (theatre building), designed by Joost Swarte, 1996 Apart from comics and graphic design, Swarte has also designed furniture, leaded and stained glass windows, murals and other objects. For his hometown Haarlem he designed a theatre building (Schuur, formerly Toneelschuur) that was built in cooperation with Mecanoo Architects.
Awards
Swarte received numerous international prizes for his work. In 2004, Joost Swarte received a knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. • 1981: Best Foreign Artist at the Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium • 1998: Stripschapprijs, Netherlands • 2008: Communication Arts Award of Excellence, United States • 2012: Marten Toonder Prize for his entire oeuvre • 2018: Vlag en Wimpel (Dutch children's books) for En toen De Stijl
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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