I (he/him) am a comic artist and illustrator. Growing up, I lived in the Hague, Bucharest, New York and a small Dutch suburb town and early on became an attentive observer of people. I write stories to try to make sense of the world.
I studied visual arts in Amsterdam and Rhode Island, and since 2003 I live in Berlin, Germany. I have co-founded and worked for long periods in the art collectives Palatti and Chicks on Comics. Starting 2013, Nettmann and me told nothing but the truth about parenting in our webcomic Familienjuwelen, published in book form by Jaja Verlag in 2018.
I used to make a monthly cartoon for transmagazine.nl which appeared in Englilsh and Dutch.
My debut graphic novel, Küsse für Jet, came out in German in 2020 and in English as Kisses for Jet in a newly edited version by Nobrow Press in 2022. Unfortunately Nobrow’s adult comics were discontinued in 2025.
My new fiction graphic novel, Baumschatten was published in German, at the start of 2026 by Edition Moderne.
You can follow me at my bluesky page where I document working processes and share announcements for talks or presentations.
Current and upcoming events 2026:
Podcast Optisch Definiert Folge 26: Casting mit Joris Bas Backer
May 2-June 13, Baumschatten Exhibition in Berlin Bookshop Die Gute Seite (Satelite-exhibition of the festival Comic Invasion Berlin)
May 31, 2 pm, Baumschatten Reading and exhibition at the Linke Buchtage Berlin
June 6, 1-2pm, Comic Salon Erlangen: Lesung von Joris Bas Backer und Gespräch mit Markus Pfalzgraf
June 7, 11am-1pm, Comic Salon Erlangen: Edition Moderne präsentiert: Der Lesemarathon
June 18, 6:30-8pm, Baumschatten Reading Kultursommer am Mehringplatz
Press on the graphic novel Baumschatten, published 2026 by Edition Moderne:
2026 Wenn Sie es gern einfach haben, ist dieser Comic nichts für Sie, Spiegel
2026 Comic des Monats März 2026, radio 3 rbb
2026 Buchkritik von, Deutschlandfunk Kultur
2026 “Erstaunlich ist, wie es Joris Bas Backer gelingt, die verschiedenen Charaktere, Lebensgeschichten und Themen miteinander zu verzahnen und dennoch mit viel Leichtigkeit zu erzählen.” Birte Förster / tip Berlin
2026 “Die verschiedenen Perspektiven der Figuren erlauben eine Auseinandersetzung mit Identitäten, Geschichte und Fragen von individueller und kollektiver Schuld.” Sarah Buron / Der Rabe Ralf
Selected Grants / Awards:
2024 Berliner Senat Arbeitstipendium für Comic /DE
2024 Schreibzeit Stipendium, Stiftung Niedersachsen /DE
2022 Shortlisted for British Book Design and Production Awards (BBD&PAs) 2022/ UK
2022 Work grant Design, Stimuleringsfonds / The Creatieve Industries Fund /NL
2022 Shortlisted for GINCO award, category webcomic / DE
2021 Shortlisted for short story award Plastieken Plunk / BE
2020 Förderung Entwicklungsvorhaben von Stiftung Kulturwerk der VG Bild-Kunst /DE
2020 Startsubsidie Vormgeving van de Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie /NL
2017 Grantee artist loan, Fonds Kwadraat /NL