Comics professionals, don’t forget to vote!

Steve Breen of the San Diego Union-Tribune won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for cartooning. As others have pointed out, the Pulitzer Prize winners this year seem particularly … absurd, given the media woes everywhere. For instance, the Union-Tribune is on the endangered list for daily metropolitan newspapers. Another Pulitzer winner was laid off back in January. Let’s hope the prizes perk things up.

The 13th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize winners have been announced, and for the first time…there was a tie! Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ōoku: The Inner Chamber, and Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s A Drifting Life. Yoshinaga’s science fiction examination of gender roles comes out from Viz in August; Tatsumi’s epic autobiography is out from D&Q any minute now.

Two other prizes were awarded. Hikaru Nakamura won the Short Work Prize for Saint Young Men and Suehiro Maruo won the New Artist Prize for Panorama Tōkitan. (One guesses that this is NOT the Suehiro Maruo who is already a well known horror/fetish artist?)

The Annual Stumptown festival is this weekend and the nominees for the Trophy Awards, recognizing standout new works from exhibiting creators have just been announced. As a festival prize, attendees will be able to vote on the nominees on Saturday, with an award ceremony that night, hosted by KUFO radio personality Fatboy and cartoonist Carolyn Main at 8 pm. The awards take place at Cosmic Monkey Comics (5335 NE Sandy Blvd.).

Nominees for Outstanding Art:
Miriam Libicki - Jobnik!: An American Girl’s Adventures in the Israeli Army; Fierce Ease
Jason Janicki - Wayfarer
Terry Toledo - Sid Love
Mike Lawrence - The Salamander King
James Williams - White Male Neurosis, The Journey of Quetzalcoatlus, Book 1, Drive In
Spike - Templar, Arizona
Kenan Rubenstein - Prologue
Eliza Frye - The Lady’s Murder
Annie Murphy - I Still Live: Biography of a Spiritualist
Scott Mills - Space Devil
Natalie Nourigat - A Room of One’s Own

Nominees for Outstanding Debut:
Karn Piana - Autonoman
Jason Janicki - Wayfarer
Randall Kirby - Cop Comics
Mike Lawrence - The Salamander King
James Williams - Drive In
George Leon - Luchadores in Space
Justin Zimmerman - The Killing Jar, Dr. Holman’s War
Greg Fling - Smaller #1
Philip Barash - Hand Hewn
Scott Mills - Space Devil

(more…)

Noah Berlatsky sums up similar thoughts by David Welsh and Simon Jones on the dearth of manga titles and creators among the recent Eisner Award nominations:

Manga doesn’t need the Eisners. I do wonder, though, whether it’s true that the Eisners don’t need manga. Or, to put it another way — manga has opened comics up to some vastly underserved demographics. It’s inaugurated entirely new genres. It’s helped to change distribution models. It’s vastly changed what comics in America are, and who reads them.

So you would think, maybe, that the industry might want to celebrate that. Maybe comics might want to use their awards show as a chance to point out to the world how things have changed, to embrace new readers, to paint itself as dynamic and exciting and forward looking and inclusive.

But of course the Eisners aren’t all that interested in doing that.

Brigid comes back with a dissenting opinion, but from a more otaku POV:

Take a look at the Best Continuing Series nominations: All Star Superman, Fables, Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, Thor, and Usagi Yojimbo. One of these things is not like the others; Monster is so different in format and concept that I would have a hard time comparing it to All Star Superman. Also, to be honest, manga readers can be as provincial as the Wednesday crowd; I try to branch out a bit, but I haven’t read any of the other series. In fact, Robin Brenner is one of the few manga folks I know who reads superhero comics at all. If the rest of us were handed an Eisner ballot, we would probably just check off the manga, just as the superhero guys would just check off their comics.

To be honest, while Berlatsky stresses the “fresh new” aspect of manga, we’re surprised no one has pointed out that — as great as it is — most manga presented here in the US is reprinted from a wide period of time and has the advantage of presenting the “best of.” Pitting the best works of Tatsumi, Inoue, Urasawa, Tezuka, Taniguchi etc in their prime against SWALLOW ME WHOLE seems a great disservice to emerging voices and talents in the US, although it would certainly up the game a lot. The Eisners are pretty clearly devoted to honoring the best in contemporary *American* comics.

But in the future, all this will be moot. Brigid points to Deb Aoki’s commentary which, to us, has a more telling point—the infiltration of more manga-influenced comics among the nominees:

If we include manga-inspired works by international creators, then Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai and “Murder He Wrote,” Nina Matsumoto’s Death Note / Simpsons mash-up with by Ian Boothby and Andrew Pepoy, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #14 from Bongo Comics bring the total to 10. Also worth noting is multiple nominations for Amy Reeder Hadley, the creator of Fool’s Gold from TokyoPop for her work on Madame Xanadu from Vertigo / DC Comics, and a nod for Jo Chen, creator of Other Side of the Mirror from TokyoPop for her beautiful cover art for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity from Dark Horse.

Aoki also lists some overlooked manga, and we’ll reprint her entire list just to give it as much play as possible:

• Emma by Kaoru Mori (CMX Manga)- A beautifully drawn, elegantly told story of a maid, a young man of the gentry and their class-crossing romance in Victorian England.
• Disappearance Diary by Hideo Azuma (Fanfare-Ponent Mon) - Hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, Disappearance Diary is the kinda true account of one manga artist’s adventures as a homeless person in Japan
• Real by Takehiko Inoue (VIZ Signature) - A subtle, masterfully told story about young men who maintain their passion for basketball, despite being wheelchair-bound.
• Astral Project by marginal and Syuji Takeya (CMX Manga) - Mind-bending, exciting metaphysical mystery from the creator of Old Boy.
• Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical) - Eisner voters have already proven their love for the godfather of manga — so why not this medical manga series, which is one of his best?
• Black Lagoon by Rei Hiroe (VIZ Media) - With its guns, gals and high-octane action, Black Lagoon blows away most mainstream American action comics if only by sheer firepower, adrenaline and its wicked sense of humor.

Finally, we may soon have no choice in the matter: Japan’s PM, Taro Aso, who is well known for courting the otaku vote, hopes that manga and anime will lead Japan towards economic recovery:

While other countries bail out banks, slash interest rates and prop up struggling industries, Japan is pinning its hopes for economic recovery on a less likely source: manga comic books.

As part of 15 trillion yen of fresh stimulus measures unveiled today, Japan hopes to raise the percentage of its exports of “soft power” - manga, animated films, video games and pop music - from 2% of the total to 18% over the next decade, creating half a million jobs.

“Japanese content, such as anime and video games, and fashion draw attention from consumers around the world,” the prime minister, Taro Aso - a self-confessed manga addict - told reporters this week as he waved copies of magazines from China and Taiwan featuring Japanese pop stars on their covers.

“Unfortunately, this soft power is not being linked to business overseas. By linking the popularity of Japan’s soft power to business, I want to create a 20-30 trillion-yen market by 2020 and create 500,000 new jobs.”

Manga is on the march!

Yesterday’s Eisner Award nominees announcement set off the usual round of commentary and reactions. For ourselves, we thought it was a wide-ranging list that hit many of the high spots of the year. There were a few MIAs: Dash Shaw’s BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON was blanked (although BODY WORLD got a webcomic nod), Jeff Smith’s RASL got a pass, and, as Evan Dorkin put it in his remarks, “No love for Love and Rockets vol 1? Really? Wow. How we can so often take Los Bros for granted is beyond me.”

While literary comics did not dominate the list — a fact which is quite arguable — this year, for perhaps the first time, there was no single nomination that made us spew into a paper cup. In fact, there were quite a few that recognized folks who really did deserve a shout-out. We were particularly happy to see Rick Geary get some recognition for the amazing work he’s been doing, year in and year out. Our beloved CAT-EYED BOY by Umezu also got a nomination, so we have nothing to complain about.

Elsewhere, Brigid looks at the relatively meager pickings for manga. Don MacPherson runs down what caught his eye:

The nominees for what is generally seen as the pinnacle of North American comics awards have been announced, and as I read through the list I was struck by how many surprises there were to be found this year. Overall, it’s a solid list of honorees, and I don’t think many in the industry will take umbrage by those chosen for the final cut (for the full list of nominees, click here). I have no doubt that those that step up on stage at the awards ceremony at the 2009 Comic-Con International San Diego on July 24. Here are some random thoughts about the choices that the Eisner judges made this year. Bear in mind, this column isn’t about my picks for the winner, but rather some stray thoughts about the choices and even the categorization themselves.

Perhaps the biggest shocker of the announcement was the absence of perennial lettering winner, Todd Klein. With 13 previous Eisner wins under his belt, Klein was quite gracious on his blog:

I’ve already gotten a few emails expressing surprise, but I’ve actually been expecting it for years. I’ve had a good run, lots of nominations, lots of wins. I’m fine with giving others a chance, and look forward to applauding the winner at this year’s ceremony.

Indeed, sitting in the audience will be quite the novelty for Klein. According to his Wikipedia page:

Klein has won thirteen of the last fourteen “Best Letterer/Lettering” Eisner Awards — that’s every Eisner lettering award except one since the award was first was given out in 1993. He has won the Best Letterer Harvey Award eight times, the first time in 1992 and the most recent one in 2005.

They’re up! More commentary in a bit, although we are pleased to see the judges decided to REDUCE the number of categories this year!

The Will Comic Industry Awards 2009 slate of nominees is filled with many newcomers to the ballot, from Canadian cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki (writer and artist of the teen angst graphic novel Skim, published by Groundwood Books) to French biographer Emmanuel Guibert (Alan’s War, published by First Second) to graphic novelist Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole, published by Top Shelf).  

Both Skim (Best Publication for Teens/Tweens, Graphic Album–New, Writer, Penciller/Inker) and Alan’s War (Graphic Album-New, Reality-Based Work, U.S. Edition of International Material, Writer/Artist) garnered 4 nominations. Also on the ballot in 4 spots is Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s The Umbrella Academy (Penciller/Inker, Cover Artist, Coloring, and Graphic Album–Reprint), Vertigo/DC’s Fables (Continuing Series, Writer for Bill Willingham, Penciller/Inker team for Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, and Cover Artist for James Jean), and Vertigo/DC’s Madame Xanadu (New Series, Writer for Matt Wagner, Penciller/Inker for Amy Reeder Hadley/Richard Friend, and Cover Artist for newcomer Hadley). Powell’s Swallow Me Whole has three nominations (Graphic Album–New, Writer/Artist, Lettering), as do Lynda Barry’s What It Is (published by Drawn & Quarterly, nominated for Reality-Based Work, Painter/Multimedia Artist, and Design) and Marvel’s Thor (Continuing Series, Writer for J. Michael Straczynski, and penciller/inker for Olivier Coipel/Mark Morales),  

The creators with the most nominations are Guibert, Barry (the 3 for What It Is plus 1 as editor of Anthology nominee Best American Comics: 2008, published by Houghton Mifflin), and Chris Ware (Short Story for “Actual Size” in Kramers Ergo, and Writer/Artist, Coloring, and Lettering for Acme Novelty Library #19). Creators with 3 nominations include Amy Reeder Hadley, J. Michael Straczynski, Mariko and Jill Tamaki, Nate Powell, and Mike Mignola (Limited Series for Hellboy: The Crooked Man, plus Graphic Album–Reprint and Design for Hellboy Library Editions, published by Dark Horse). 

The publisher emerging with the most nominations this year is Dark Horse, with 13 individual nods and 5 shared. In addition to Umbrella Academy and Hellboy, popular DH titles Usagi Yojimbo (Continuing Series) and Groo (Limited Series) made the ballot, while the company’s Herbie Archives is nominated for both Humor Publication and Archival Project. Past front-runner DC came in second for publisher nominations, with 10 plus 2 shared. Besides Fables and Madame Xanadu, other DC titles on the ballot include Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All Star Superman (Continuing Series), G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker’s Air (New Series), and Art Baltazar and Franco’s Tiny Titans (Publication for Kids). Marvel is right behind DC with 9 nominations plus 2 shared. Joining Thor on the ballot are Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple’s Omega the Unknown (Limited Series), Straczynski and Chris Weston’s The Twelve (Limited Series), Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca’s Invincible Iron Man (New Series), and Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz’s Elektra: Assassin (Archival Project). Other comics publishers with 3 or more nominations include IDW (5), Viz (5, including 3 of the 5 nominees in the U.S. Edition of International Material–Japan category), and Image (3, plus 2 shared). 

Literary and graphic novel publishing houses made a strong showing: Drawn & Quarterly has 10 nominations, First Second has 9, and Fantagraphics has 7. Other such publishers with 3 or more nominations include AdHouse (5), Pantheon (4) Houghton Mifflin (3), Scholastic Graphix (3), and Top Shelf (5). In all 38 publishers are represented on the ballot. 

In the Digital Comics category, nominees range from Dash Shaw’s long work-in-progress Bodyworld and Carla Speed McNeil’s ongoing Finder series (published on the shadowline.com website) to three complete short stories: Eliza Frye’s “The Lady’s Murder,” Elan Trinidad’s “Speak No Evil: Melancholy of a Space Mexican,” and Joe Infurnari and Alexis Sottile’s “Vs.” 

Named for acclaimed comics creator the Will Eisner, the awards are in their 21st year of highlighting the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges. The 2009 judging panel consists of Amanda Emmert (owner of Muse Comics & Games in Missoula, MT), Mike Pawuk (teen services public librarian for the Cuyahoga, Ohio County Public Library), John Shableski (Diamond Book Distributors sales manager), Ben Towle (graphic novelist and comics arts educator), and Andrew Wheeler (comics and manga reviewer at ComixMix.com). 

This year’s judges made a few changes to the ballot, resulting in a reduction in the number of categories from 29 to 26. They eliminated the Single Issue category, combined the Writer/Artist and Wrtier/Artist–Humor categories, and dropped the Special Recognition category. They also changed Best Publication for Teens to Best Publication for Teens/Tweens. Voting in one Eisner Awards category, Hall of Fame, is already completed. The judges chose the nominees earlier this year, and voting was conducted solely online, with voting ending on March 26. 

Ballots with this year’s nominees will be going out in mid-April to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers. A downloadable pdf of the ballot will also be available online, and a special website has been set up for online voting. The results in all categories will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 24 at Comic-Con International. 

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International, San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture. Jackie Estrada has been administrator of the Awards since 1990. She can be reached at jackie@comic-con.com.  

More information about the Eisner Awards can be found at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml. 

 

2009 Eisner Awards Nominees 
 

Best Short Story

“Actual Size” by Chris Ware, in Kramers Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)

“Chechen War, Chechen Women,” by Joe Sacco, in I Live Here (Pantheon)

“Freaks,” by Laura Park, in Superior Showcase #3 (AdHouse)

“Glenn Ganges in ‘Pulverize,’” by Kevin Huizenga, in Ganges #2 (Fantagraphics)

“Murder He Wrote,” by Ian Boothby, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #14 (Bongo) 

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Best Continuing Series

All Star Superman. by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)

Fables,  by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy, and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)

Thor, by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and various (Marvel)

Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse) 

Best Limited Series

Groo: Hell on Earth, by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier (Dark Horse)

Hellboy: The Crooked Man, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)

Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

Omega the Unknown, by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel)

The Twelve, by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston (Marvel) 

Best New Series

Air, by. G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)

Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)

Invincible Iron Man, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)

Madame Xanadu, by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend (Vertigo/DC)

Unknown Soldier, by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli (Vertigo/DC) 

Best Publication for Kids

Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)

Cowa! by Akira Toriyama  (Viz)

Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)

Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)

Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC) 

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Crogan’s Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)

The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)

Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books) 

Best Humor Publication

Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition No. Zero, by Douglas Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby)

Chumble Spuzz, by Ethan Nicolle (SLG)

Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)

Petey and Pussy, by John Kerschbaum (Fantagraphics)

Wondermark: Beards of Our Forefathers, by David Malki (Dark Horse) 

Best Anthology

An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, vol. 2, edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)

Best American Comics 2008, edited by Lynda Barry (Houghton Mifflin)

Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)

Kramers Ergot 7, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)

MySpace Dark Horse Presents, edited by Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn (Dark Horse) 

Best Digital Comic

Bodyworld, by Dash Shaw, www.dashshaw.com

Finder, by Carla Speed McNeil, www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics/#/finder/

The Lady’s Murder, by Eliza Frye, http://theladysmurder.elizafrye.com

Speak No Evil: Melancholy of a Space Mexican, by Elan Trinidad, www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/SNE/

Vs., by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari, www.smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/2008/12/08/story-18/ 

Best Reality-Based Work

Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, by Frederik Peeters (Houghton Mifflin)

Fishtown, by Kevin Colden (IDW)

A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child, by Rick Geary (NBM)

What It Is, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly) 

Best Graphic Album—New

Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

Paul Goes Fishing, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)

Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)

Three Shadows, by Cyril Pedrosa (First Second) 

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Berlin Book 2: City of Smoke, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Hellboy Library Edition, vols. 1 and 2, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)

Sam & Max Surfin’ the Highway anniversary edition HC, by Steve Purcell (Telltale Games)

Skyscrapers of the Midwest, by Joshua W. Cotter (AdHouse)

The Umbrella Academy, vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite deluxe edition, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse) 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

The Complete Little Orphan Annie, by Harold Gray (IDW)

Explainers, by Jules Feiffer (Fantagraphics)

Little Nemo in Slumberland, Many More Splendid Sundays, by Winsor McCay (Sunday Press Books)

Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles (IDW)

Willie & Joe, by Bill Mauldin (Fantagraphics) 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

Creepy Archives, by various (Dark Horse)

Elektra Omnibus, by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel)

Good-Bye, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse) 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

Gus and His Gang, by Chris Blain (First Second)

The Last Musketeer, by Jason (Fantagraphics)

The Rabbi’s Cat 2, by Joann Sfar (Pantheon)

Tamara Drewe, by Posy Simmonds (Mariner/Houghton Mifflin) 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan

Cat Eyed Boy, by Kazuo Umezu (Viz)

Dororo, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)

Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)

The Quest for the Missing Girl, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Solanin, by Inio Asano (Viz) 

Best Writer

Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)

J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)

Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC) 

Best Writer/Artist

Ricky Geary, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child (NBM); J. Edgar Hoover (Hill & Wang)

Emmanuel Guibert, Alan’s War (First Second)

Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly)

Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second)

Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Acme) 

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Olivier Coipel/Mark Morales, Thor (Marvel)

Guy Davis, BPRD (Dark Horse)

Amy Reeder Hadley/Richard Friend, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books) 

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

Lynda Barry, What It Is (Drawn & Quarterly)

Eddie Campbell, The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard (First Second)

Enrico Casarosa, The Venice Chronicles (Ateliér Fio/AdHouse)

Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)

Jill Thompson, Magic Trixie,  Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (HarperCollins Children’s Books) 

Best Cover Artist

Gabrial Bá, Casanova (Image); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

Jo Chen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity (Dark Horse); Runaways (Marvel)

Amy Reeder Hadley, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Grendel: Behold the Devil (Dark Horse) 

Best Coloring

Steve Hamaker, Bone: Ghost Circles, Bone: Treasure Hunters (Scholastic Graphix)

Trish Mulvihill, Joker (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)

Val Staples, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Unbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Body Bags (Image); Captain America: White (Marvel)

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme) 

Best Lettering

Faryl Dalrymple, Omega: The Unknown (Marvel)

Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! (Renaissance)

Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)

Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme) 

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com)

The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)

The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael (www.comicsreporter.com)

Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox) 

Best Comics-Related Book

Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, by Todd DePastino (Norton)

Brush with Passion: The Art and Life of Dave Stevens, edited by Arnie and Cathy Fenner (Underwood)

Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second)

Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier (Abrams)

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, by David Hajdu (Picador/Farrar, Straus & Giroux) 

Best Publication Design

Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! designed by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

Comic Book Tattoo, designed by Tom Muller, art direction by Rantz Hoseley (Image)

Hellboy Library Editions, designed by Cary Grazzini and Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)

What It Is, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)

Willie and Joe, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

The 2009 Joe Shuster Award nominees, presented to the best in Canadian comics, have been announced. It’s a long list, so see them all in the cut. More info, including the nominee committees here.

Between January and March 2009, the Nominees were selected from master lists of eligible works originally published in English and/or French in 2008. Canadian citizens living at home or abroad, as well as permanent residents were eligible for consideration. Now that the list of nominees has been finalized, nominated creators will have their work reviewed by a jury, who will ultimately decide the winners. Winners will be announced at a public ceremony in Toronto on June 27th, 2009.

JOE SHUSTER AWARDS 2009 NOMINEES for Work Published in 2008

Artist/Dessinateur

* Marc Delafontaine - Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
* Dale Eaglesham - Justice Society of America #12, 14-15, 18-22 (DC Comics)
* David Finch - Ultimatum #1-2 (Marvel Comics)
* Karl Kerschl & Serge LaPointe - Teen Titans: Year One #1-6 (DC Comics)
* Jacques Lamontagne - Les Druides, Tome 4 : La Ronde des Géants (Soleil Productions)
* Steve McNiven - Amazing Spider-Man #546-548, Wolverine #66-70 (Marvel Comics)
* Steve Rolston - Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), “Familiar” - House of Mystery #4 (DC/Vertigo), You Ain’t No Dancer #3 (New Reliable Press)
* Stephen Sadowski - Avengers/Invaders #1-7 (Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment), Superpowers #0 (Dynamite Entertainment), Jack the Lantern: Ghosts #2 (Castle Rain Entertainment)

Cartoonist/Créateur

* Grégoire Bouchard - Vers les Mondes Lointains (Paquet)
* Darwyn Cooke - “Chapter X: The Greater Good” Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, The Spirit #12 (DC Comics)
* Francis Descharnais - Burquette (Les 400 coups)
* Jean-Paul Eid - Des tondeuses et des hommes (La Pastèque)
* Michel Gagne - “The Saga of Rex” Chapter 4 - Flight Vol. 5 (Ballantyne Books)
* Faith Erin Hicks - The War at Ellsmere (Slave Labor Graphics)
* Jeff Lemire - Essex County Vol. 3: The Country Nurse (Top Shelf)
* Seth - “Thoreau MacDonald” Kramer’s Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)
* Dave Sim - Glamourpuss #1-4, Judenhaas (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

(more…)

Wimpy Kid unsurprisingly won two of the inaugural Nickelodeon Magazine Comics Awards, but Naruto got beaten by Pokémon. The winners:

+ Favorite Graphic Novel: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series), by Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books/Harry Abrams
+ Favorite Comic Book Series: Simpsons comics, Bongo Comics
+ Cutest Comic Character: Snoopy–from Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz (United Feature Syndicate)
+ Favorite Comic Strip: Garfield by Jim Davis (Universal Press Syndicate)
+ Best Hair in Comics: Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (Universal Press Syndicate)
+ Favorite Manga Series: Best of Pokémon Adventures, by Hidenori Kusaka and Mato (Viz)
+ Grossest Thing in Comics: The Cheese from Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books/Abrams)
+ Favorite Fantasy Graphic Novel: Bone (series), by Jeff Smith

Via PR:

Nickelodeon Magazine, the leading entertainment and humor magazine for kids, announces the winners of the first Nickelodeon Magazine Comics Awards. The eight winners, chosen by more than 17,000 readers, are featured in the April 2009 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine– currently on newsstands. The Nickelodeon Magazine Comics Awards–the first major comics awards for kids–honors the best comic books, strips and graphic novels for kids published across the U.S.

“Our readers have spoken, and thousands have cast their votes,” said Laura Galen, Editorial Director of Nick Magazine. “This contest presented us with a great opportunity to engage our readers and make them a part of the editorial process. We hope they’ll enjoy seeing their favorites in print.”

Over a six week period (Nov. 24–Dec. 31, 2008), readers cast their votes for their favorite comics and characters across eight categories through a mail-in print ballot and online at http://www.nickmag.com. Readers selected their favorite graphic novels, fantasy graphic novels, comic book series, comic strips, manga series, cutest comic characters, best hair in comics and grossest thing in comics.

The Harvey Awards nominations close Friday, so if you haven’t organized your voting tong yet, hurry up! Ballots are downloadable at the above link.

Via PR, submissions for this prestigious award for emerging artists are now due:

Comic-Con, the nation’s largest comic book and popular arts convention, announces that submissions are now being accepted for the 27th annual Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. Started in 1982 as a joint presentation of Comic-Con International and the West Coast Comics Club, this award honors a comics artist who, early in his or her career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics.

To qualify for the award, an artist must be a newcomer to the comic field, having had no professional work published prior to January 2004. Exceptions to this rule are:
1. Work done as an unaccredited assistant to another artist
2. Fanzine publications
3. Small press with a print run of 2000 or less
4. A one shot in a new talent anthology comic

In the spirit of revered artist Russ Manning (Tarzan, Star Wars, Magnus Robot Fighter), the most important criteria for selection are storytelling ability, clarity of expression and narrative flow, and illustrative flow. Writing is not a consideration except in a tie. A nominee from last year may be resubmitted if he or she meets the criteria.




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This year’s Doug Wright Awards nominees, honoring the finest in Canadian cartooning, have been announced. And they are:

The 2009 finalists for Best Book are:

Burma Chronicles Guy Delisle (Drawn and Quarterly)
Drop-in Dave Lapp (Conundrum Press)
Paul Goes Fishing Michel Rabagliati (Drawn and Quarterly)
Skim Jillian & Mariko Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

The 2009 finalists for Best Emerging Talent are:

Kate Beaton (History Comics)
Caitlin Black (Maids of the Mist)
Jesse Jacobs (Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow)
Jason Kieffer (Kieffer #2)
Nick Maandag (Jack & Mandy)

The finalists for the DWAs second annual Pigskin Peters Award, which recognizes avant-garde comics and non-traditional works, are:

Hall of Best Knowledge Ray Fenwick (Fantagraphics)
Ojingogo Matthew Forsythe (Drawn and Quarterly)
All We Ever Do is Talk About Wood Tom Horacek (Drawn and Quarterly)
Small Victories Jesse Jacobs

Established in 2008, the Pigskin Peters Award is named after a popular character in the classic Canadian comic strip Birdseye Center by cartoonist Jimmie Frise. In 1948, Doug Wright inherited Frise’s strip and would continue to draw it for the next two decades.

This year, the Wright Awards will induct Frise (who died in 1948) into The Giants of the North Hall of Fame for Canadian cartooning.

The DWAs are also pleased to announce that filmmaker Don McKellar will host this year’s awards ceremony, which will be held at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s (AGO) Jackman Hall. A Gemini- and Tony-award-winning actor, writer and director, McKellar is a long-time comics’ fan and served as a jury member for the inaugural Wright Awards in 2005.

The winners of the Best Emerging Talent and Best Book trophies will de decided by the 2009 DWA jury which includes; Bob Rae (Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and 21st premier of Ontario), Andrew Coyne (national editor for Maclean’s and political panelist on CBC Television’s The National), Martin Levin (books editor for The Globe and Mail and contributor to What I Meant to Say), cartoonist Joe Ollmann (author of the 2007 DWA Best Book This Will All End in Tears) and cartoonist Diana Tamblyn, the Ignatz-nominated author of several mini-comics including The Rosie Stories and There You Were.

A featured event of the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF), the 2009 Doug Wright Awards will take place on Sat. May 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

Art above: Ojingogo © Matthew Forsythe

Today is the deadline for publishers to submit books to be considered for nominations:

Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts event in the United States, announced today that submissions are now being accepted for consideration by the judges for the 2009 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards. Publishers wanting to submit entries should send one copy each of the comics or books they wish to nominate and include a cover letter indicating what is being submitted and in what categories. There are no entry fees for any submissions.

[snip]
Publishers may submit a maximum of five nominees for any one category, and the same item or person can be submitted for more than one category. Each imprint, line, or subsidiary of a publisher may submit its own set of entries. There are no entry fees.

All submissions should be sent to Eisner Awards, Attn: Jackie Estrada, Eisner Awards Administrator, 8340 Allison Ave., La Mesa, CA 91941 before the deadline of March 13, 2009.

Nate Powell’s SWALLOW ME WHOLE is the first graphic novel since MAUS to earn a nomination for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. According to a press release from publisher Chris Staros:

SWALLOW ME WHOLE is one of five official finalists in the category of Young Adult Fiction, making it the first graphic novel to be nominated for this prize, in any category, since Art Spiegelman’s MAUS won the Fiction category in 1992! “I’m honored just to be considered,” says Powell, “and feel dizzy having my book even placed in the same sentence as MAUS.”

Although SWALLOW ME WHOLE was not created exclusively for young adult readers, it is fundamentally a story about the dark, quiet corners of adolescence. The book follows two teenage stepsiblings, Ruth and Perry, through the ups and downs of school, family, and suburban restlessness — all complicated by the insect armies, swirling visions, and haunting voices that no one else can perceive.

“To be a young person is to be surrounded at all times by frightening transition and the terror of losing touch with a safe and familiar world,” says Powell. “Sometimes the only salvation from that terror is in what a teenager can create for themselves.”

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Jon Foster (above) and Aleksi Briclot (below) won the Gold and Silver, respectively, in the Spectrum Awards Comics division. The Awards honor the best in fantasy art each year in a number of categories, including Illustration, Concept Art, Comics, and Books. The complete list of winners is in the jump.

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