Veles once again became a stage where stories come to life through drawing, colour and creativity. The XXIII International Comics Colony “Veles 2026” opened at Europe House Veles, bringing together comic artists, illustrators and lovers of the ninth art.
The Salon featured a selection of comics submitted to the traditional international “Golden Comic” competition, along with the announcement of this year’s winning authors and works. This year, the competition attracted 497 comic works from authors from around 30 countries, reaching a record number of submissions and confirming the international interest in this art form.
The variety of styles, ideas and visual languages once again proved just how powerful a few frames can be. From drawing and scriptwriting to colour and experimental expression, each comic offered its own way of storytelling and its own unique perspective.
Europe House Veles once again supported the Colony, organized by the Macedonian Comics Centre – Veles, as well as the young authors who turn their ideas and stories into comics, helping create opportunities for their work to be seen, recognized and further developed.
But the stories did not end with the exhibition. The programme continued with the 8th International Comic Art Colony Veles 2026, bringing together 14 female comic artists from five Balkan countries and creating another space for artistic creation, exchange and connection through comics.
Award-Winning Authors and Works
Main “Golden Comic” Awards
- First Prize: “Eternal” – Marko Stojanović (script, Serbia), Milorad Vicanović Maza (art, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Aljoša Tomić (colour, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Second Prize: “The Winter of the Arapahos” – Kristian Sekulić (Novi Sad, Serbia)
- Third Prize: “Love Is Hard Work” – Duda Vukojev (script, Serbia) and Dragan Pavasović (art, Croatia)
Special Awards
- Best Script: “The World Belongs to All of Us” – Hulya Koluk (Türkiye)
- Best Drawing: “Daydreaming” – Aleksandar Tanchovski (Skopje, North Macedonia)
- Best Artistic Expression: “At the Border” – Marko Stojanović (script) and Marko Nikolić (art), Serbia
- Special Award for Experimental Expression: “Sand in the Throat” – Filipa Sara Popova, Ana Knežević and Marko Trpeski (Skopje, North Macedonia)
- Best Debut Comic: “Star Mission” – Hristina Krstinovska (Resen, North Macedonia)
- Best Mentor: Šener Dalipovski (Resen, North Macedonia
Congratulations to the award-winning authors, and to all the artists whose work was part of this year’s Salon!