12 Indie Comic Artists to Watch in 2025 and Beyond

By: Tod Caviness

Published April 08, 2025

It’s 2025, so let’s dispense with the usual qualifiers and explanations about the independent comics scene. Indie comics aren’t just an “alternative” to the superhero fare of Marvel, DC, and Image. They’re an established form of art with a long tradition of breaking norms, a perfect incubator (and in many cases, a thriving home) for artists with a unique message.

Want proof? In no particular order, here’s 12 artists we think are primed for great things in the coming year. Their work runs the gamut from sparse, concise webcomics to splashy and violent graphic novels that have already drawn the attention of the “Big 3” publishers. Take a look, and give them some support. Their art provides a window into a bustling underground where comics creators – and the subjects they tackle – are as diverse as all humanity.

S.R. Arnold

Slices of life don’t come any sharper than the ones served up by this Philadelphia-based artist. In his 2022 comic “Perry Midlife” and its sequel “Perry Shitlife,” Steven Arnold tackles aging and ambition (or the lack thereof) with an honesty that recalls the later work of Daniel Clowes. Arnold’s edgy surrealism is definitely its own thing though, and his Eisner nomination for “I Wanna Be a Slob” (from the punk anthology “Too Tough to Die”) is hopefully a sign of more delicious heartbreak to come.

Anton W. Blake

Straight out of Austin, TX, Anton Blake’s “Zethia Space Witch” (from Cosmic Lion Productions) is as fun and fanciful as the title implies. Still, there’s a tantalizing sense of melancholy under all the intergalactic whimsy. That’s just as apparent in Blake’s writing as in the kinetic art, which reflects his background as a cinematographer. These days, Blake has been splitting his talents between comics and game design, but we can’t wait to see more of Zethia.

Chloe Brailsford

Another Austin artist with a strong background in film, Chloe Brailsford began their transition from screen to page with the self-published “My Life to Live” in 2019. Since then, they’ve put out more and better art each year, to the point where they’re now at the tip of the spear for the sex-positive trans movement in the indie comics world. Check out Chloe’s gritty, gore-spattered work in the horror anthology Viscere #1.

Mari Costa

This Brazilian creator’s Studio Ghibli influences can be seen in her work as an animator and freelance concept artist, but it’s her comics work that has quietly been earning her accolades in recent years. Costa explores lesbian themes with clean linework and affectionately blows apart fantasy tropes in The Fade (Boom! Box Studios, with writer Aabria Iyengar) and her own graphic novel Belle of the Ball.

Nick Forker

On his YouTube series Comics People with Mike Shea-Wright, Nick Forker is a cheerleader for indie art of all stripes. He’s hardly doing it from the sidelines, though. In his own series “Eyeland,” the Brooklyn-based artist filters the anxieties and struggles of his life as a teacher through the single, giant eyeball of a grotesque protagonist. The results are pure fun and relatable to anyone who has experienced the grind of big city life.

Daniel Gete

In “Skin Police” (with writer Jordan Thomas), Daniel Gete crowds the panels with urban action better than anyone since Geoff Darrow, and we are here for it. Gete cut his teeth at Avatar Press, quickly becoming their go-to artist for dark sci-fi and horror titles like “Crossed.” But “Skin Police” is his first with Oni Press, and we feel like his entire career has been a rehearsal for this kind of high-concept noir. It’s already a breakout hit, so scoop up the back issues while you can.

Angela Guyton

Don’t get us wrong: This passionate polymath produces everything from watercolor paintings to video documentaries from her home in Portugal, and she doesn’t “dabble” in any of them. But her comics work is especially deserving of wider attention, since it provides a look into both her worldview and attention to detail. Most recent and notable is “Nothing Rhymes With Rats,” (with frequent collaborator Ramsey Janini) a kaleidoscopic trip into nihilism and mortality with two escaped lab rats as the tour guide.

Ethan Llewellyn

Good luck finding issues of “Naff,” Ethan Llewellyn’s self-published comic / zine. It’s well worth the hunt, though. At first glance, the big heads and sweaty demeanor of this Bristol, UK artist’s characters might invite comparisons to Daniel Clowes. Turn a couple pages, though, and you’ll see that Llewellyn is less interested in midlife angst than white-hot punk rage.

Mitch Lohmeier

We’re not sure if we’re helping or hurting Mitch Lohmeier here, to be honest. The Toronto artist first went viral after he began serializing the depraved adventures of a very familiar-seeming cartoon duo on his Instagram. The full story was later collected in “Michael Mouse” by Floating World Comics, which brought more recognition along with unwanted legal attention from a certain mouse-based media empire. More power to Mitch, though. The thrills of “Michael Mouse” run much deeper than just seeing beloved mascots walk the mean streets, although his art style is perfectly suited to that task.

Rebecca Mock

This Brooklyn artist has both the hustle and the talent needed to make it in the world of modern indie comics. Her 2021 young adult fantasy “Salt Magic” (with Hope Larson) picked up an Eisner award and plenty of accolades, but Mock isn’t resting on her laurels. Her signature, anime-inspired characters can be found everywhere from book covers to indie video games, and you can pick up one of her hilariously racy zines if you’re lucky enough to find her on the convention circuit.

Noriz Mora

Long before it was X, artists have embraced Twitter as a platform for short-form webcomics. Few do it as effortlessly as Noriz Mora, though. Artists especially will get a kick out of “Gifted Young Artist,” Mora’s ongoing tale of inflated egos, thwarted ambition and art school shenanigans. You can also find her precise but madcap style on display in homegrown tabletop RPGs that she helps produce in her native Philippines.

Anna Readman

For British comic artists, there’s no better benchmark of success than having your work in the seminal sci-fi mag “2000AD.” Leeds creator Anna Readman has cleared that hurdle and then some, producing award-winning indie comics as well as collaborations with British writers like George Pooley. Her chiaroscuro panels really sing in black and white, and she’s equally at home doing horror or brooding slice-of-life.

The big takeaway? Clearly there’s a lot of room in the indie comics world for experimentation. With enough talent and work, any message can find an audience. Creator Collective is here to help comics creators (and any artist) find theirs with direct sale resources and community.

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