Maaike Hartjes

Maaike Hartjes is a Dutch cartoonist and comics artist best known for her autobiographical and diary-style comics, which blend candid personal reflection with a deceptively simple, expressive line. Born in 1972, she entered the comics scene in the early 1990s and became a prominent voice in the alternative and small-press scenes. Her most-credited works include *Zone 5300*, *Hartjes*, *Maaike's dagboekje*, *Stripburger*, *Flo*, and *Hartenjagen*, where she often served as artist, colorist, inker, letterer, and writer. Her style is characterized by a loose, sketch-like quality and a warm, unpretentious tone that invites readers into her everyday life and thoughts. Hartjes was a key collaborator within the Dutch independent comics community, and her work frequently appeared in the influential anthology *Stripburger*. In 2016, she received the Stripschapprijs, one of the Netherlands' highest honors in comics, recognizing her lasting contribution to the medium. Her legacy endures as a pioneer of intimate, slice-of-life storytelling in Dutch comics, inspiring later generations of autobiographical cartoonists.