DirkJan

Mark Retera has been the sole writer and artist behind DirkJan since its 2008 debut, a long-running Dutch comic series published by Mandarijn that follows the absurd, deadpan misadventures of its titular character. The series is notable for its minimalist, single-panel gag format and Retera's uniquely dry humor, which has made it a staple of Dutch comic culture. With 18 issues and counting, DirkJan matters as a consistently inventive example of how a simple premise—a man and his mundane, often surreal world—can sustain a beloved series through sharp, observational comedy.