Eisner Awards Current Info

JUDGES NAMED FOR 2023 EISNER AWARDS

Six Comics Experts Make Up Nominating Committee

San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC) is proud to announce that the judging panel has been named for the 2023 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which will reward excellence for works published in 2022. The ceremony will be held during Comic-Con on Friday, July 21, 2023.

This year's judges are Moni Barrett, Peter Jones, Jen King, Sean Kleefeld, A. David Lewis, and TJ Shevlin:

 

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Peter Jones is a retired math educator and a lifelong collector of comic books. He is the V.P. and Treasurer of the educational nonprofit IPACE League, which produces the San Diego Comic Fest. Peter attended the first San Diego Comic-Con in March 1970 at the Grant Hotel and has been attending ever since.

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Sean Kleefeld is an independent researcher and journalist who has worked with Marvel Entertainment, Titan Books, Salem Press, and 20th Century Fox. He writes the ongoing “Incidental Iconography” column for The Jack Kirby Collector and has had columns about webcomics and comics fandom with MTV and FreakSugar. Kleefeld’s 2009 book Comic Book Fanthropology addresses the questions of who and what comic fans are, while in 2020, Bloomsbury released the fourth book in its Comics Studies series: the Eisner-nominated Webcomics.

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TJ Shevlin served as manager at St. Mark's Comics in NYC for eight years. He helped establish and run, along with Kevin Eastman, IDW's Comic Art Gallery, curating events and exhibitions. He is currently a product development coordinator at Upper Deck.

Windsor-Smith, Tynion IV Are Top Winners at 2022 Eisner Awards

The top winners at the 34th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held July 22 at the Bayfront San Diego Hilton, during Comic-Con, were Barry Windsor-Smith and James Tynion IV, who each took home three trophies. Smith’s were for his magnum opus, Monsters (published by Fantagraphics), which won for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/Artist, and Best Lettering. Gary Groth of Fantagraphics accepted the awards on Smit’s behalf. Tynion was on hand to thank everyone for his Best Writer award and was joined by his co-creators to accept the Best Continuing Series award for Something Is Killing the Children (BOOM!) and Best New Series for The Nice House on the Lake (DC).

   Other creators with multiple awards were artists Phil Jimenez (Best Single Issue and Best Penciller/Inker for Wonder Woman Historia) and P. Craig Russell (Hall of Fame inductee; Best Graphic Album–Reprint for The Complete American Gods), and writer David F. Walker (Best Continuing Series for Bitter Root, Best Reality-Based Work for The Black Panther Party).

   Because of the Windsor-Smith wins, Fantagraphics brought home four trophies.   DC had three wins plus one shared win (for Tynion), while Image had three wins plus two shared. IDW garnered three awards, including Best Publication for Early Readers for Julie and Stan Sakai’s Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis. Iron Circus’s You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife won both the anthology and short story categories.

The rest of the awards were spread among 17 other publishers. Most of the recipients were there in person to accept.

   Presenters during the gala evening included comic book greats Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Jim Lee; voice actor/comedian Phil LaMarr; actor/writer/director Tom Lennon; Comic-Con special guests Henry Barajas, Amy Chu, and Jock; Eisner nominees John Jennings and Skottie Young; journalist/author Angelique Roché; and Clampett Award winners Bill and Kayre Morrison.

   Denis Kitchen presented the Hall of Fame Awards. The Judges’ choices were Marie Duval and Rose O’Neill (pioneers), Max Gaines (accepted by his great-grandson, Corey Mifsud), Mark Gruenwald (accepted by his widow, Catherine Schuller Gruenwald), and Alex Niño and P. Craig Russell (who both accepted in person). The six elected inductees were Howard Chaykin, Kevin Eastman, Moto Hagio, Larry Hama, David Mazzucchelli, and Grant Morrison. Eastman was on hand to accept his trophy—the rest sent their thanks.

   The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, was presented to Annie Koyama (for). The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to artist Luana Vecchio; it was presented by past Russ Manning Award winner Jeff Smith. Ruth was surprised with a special presentation of an Inkpot Award.

   The 16th annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was presented by Mark Evanier to two recipients: Bob Bolling and Don Rico. Members of Rico’s family accepted the award on his behalf. Maggie Thompson introduced the special In Memoriam video salute to those from the Comic-Con family who died in the past year.

   The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, given to a store that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large, was awarded by Joe Ferrara to Books with Pictures (Portland, OR). Accepting was the owner, Katie Pride.

         The title sponsor for the Eisner Awards this year was HarperAlley. The afterparty sponsor was Tapas Media. The principal sponsor was Gentle Giant Studios. Supporting sponsors were Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas), Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz, CA), Diamond Comics Distributors, and Golden Apple Comic and Art Foundation.

   Eisner Awards Administrator Jackie Estrada opened and closed the ceremony.

Eisner Awards Winners 2022

Best Short Story

“Funeral in Foam,” by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier, in You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez (DC)

Best Continuing Series (TIE)

Bitter Root, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)

Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

Best Limited Series

The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)

Best New Series

The Nice House on the Lake, by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno (DC Black Label)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai (IDW)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

Salt Magic, by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

The Legend of Auntie Po, by Shing Yin Khor (Kokila/Penguin Random House)

Best Humor Publication

Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)

Best Anthology

You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife, edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell (Iron Circus)

Best Reality-Based Work

The Black Panther Party: A Graphic History, by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (Ten Speed Press)

Best Graphic Memoir

Run: Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—New

Monsters, by Barry Windsor-Smith (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

The Complete American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton (Dark Horse)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

George Orwell’s 1984: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Fido Nesti (Mariner Books)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

The Shadow of a Man, by Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten, translation by Stephen D. Smith (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, by Junji Ito, translation by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

Popeye: The E.C. Segar Sundays, vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, edited by Gary Groth and Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

EC Covers Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best Writer

James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Joker, Batman, DC Pride 2021 (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Blue Book, Razorblades (Tiny Onion Studios)

Best Writer/Artist

Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Phil Jimenez, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)

Best Cover Artist

Jen Bartel, Future State Immortal Wonder Woman #1 & 2, Wonder Woman Black & Gold #1, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary (DC); Women’s History Month variant covers (Marvel)

Best Coloring

Matt Wilson, Undiscovered Country (Image); Fire Power (Image Skybound); Eternals, Thor, Wolverine (Marvel); Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters (Oni)

Best Lettering

Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

WomenWriteAboutComics.com, edited by Wendy Browne and Nola Pfau (WWAC)

Best Comics-Related Book

All of the Marvels, by Douglas Wolk (Penguin Press)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History, by Eike Exner (Rutgers University Press)

Best Publication Design

Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964 (TASCHEN)

Best Webcomic

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)

Best Digital Comic

Snow Angels, by Jeff Lemire and Jock (Comixology Originals) 

Hall of Fame

Judges’ Choices:

Marie Duval 

Rose O’Neill

Max Gaines

Mark Gruenwald

Alex Niño

P. Craig Russell

Voters’ Choices:

Howard Chaykin

Kevin Eastman

Moto Hagio

Larry Hama

David Mazzucchelli

Grant Morrison

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:

Annie Koyama

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award:

Luanna Vecchio

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award:

Bob Bolling

Don Rico

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:

Books with Pictures, Portland, OR

Katie Pryde

HarperAlley Presents: The 2022 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

The 34th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony will be held Friday night, July 22 in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront, just a short walk south from the Convention Center.

The doors of the Indigo Ballroom will open at 7:45, and the ceremonies will get under way at 8:00. Attendance at the event is free to all Comic-Con members with badges and COVID wristbands. Advance seating for VIPs (nominees, sponsors, presenters) will begin at 7:00.

The Eisners: Comics’ “Oscars”

Named for the pioneering comics creator and graphic novelist Will Eisner, The Eisner Awards, considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, will be given out in 32 categories for works published in 2021. A complete list of all the nominees can be found in the downloadable Souvenir Book pdf. All attendees will also get a souvenir program listing the nominees.

Among presenters at this year’s ceremony are comic book greats Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, Sin City, 300) and Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, American Gods), voice actor/comedian Phil LaMarr (MadTV, Samurai Jack, Futurama, Justice League), actor/writer/director Tom Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury, Night at the Museum series), bestselling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama, Guts), comics writer Henry Barajas (Helm Greycastle, Gil Thorpe), Eisner nominee/scholar John Jennings (Best Adaptation: Nnedi Okorafor’s After the Rain), journalist/author Angelique Roché (Marvel’s Voices), nominees Jock (artist, Snow Angels) and Skottie Young (writer, Middlewest, Strange Academy), comics and TV writer Amy Chu (DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, Rick & Morty) and Clampett Award winners Bill and Kayre Morrison. Presenting the Hall of Fame Awards this year is Denis Kitchen, publisher of dozens of Will Eisner’s works.

Sponsors

The title sponsor for the awards this year is HarperAlley, a collaborative, creator-focused publisher of graphic novels for kids and teens that connect with readers of all ages: “Our authors and artists define us through their unique, visual voices and thought-provoking storytelling. Simply put, HarperAlley publishes exceptional graphic novels for all readers, everywhere.”

The principal sponsor is Gentle Giant Studios, which manufactures the Eisner trophies. Supporting sponsors are Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas), Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz, CA), Diamond Comics Distributors, and Golden Apple Comic and Art Foundation (Los Angeles). The afterparty is sponsored by Tapas Media.

Other Awards

The Eisner Awards evening includes the presentation of several other special awards. Since 1984, Comic-Con has been bestowing the annual Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award (to be presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth). This year’s recipient is Annie Koyama, of Koyama Provides. The nominees and winner of the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, which has been handed out since 1982, will be announced by past winner Jeff Smith (creator of Bone). Also being presented is the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award, presided over by Joe Ferrara.

This is the 18th year for presentation of the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The 2022 recipients are Archie writer Bob Bolling (Little Archie, Life with Archie, Betty and Me, Sabrina) and writer/artist/editor Don Rico (many comics, including Jann of the Jungle and Leopard Girl, both of which he co-created); the Finger will be presented by Mark Evanier. The major sponsor for the Finger Award is DC Comics. Supporting sponsors are Heritage Auctions and Maggie Thompson. 

Eisner Awards Nominees List for 2022

Nominees Announced for 2022 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Hall of Fame Select Six

2022 Eisner Nominees

2022 Eisner Judges Selected

 

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022

Best Short Story

“Funeral in Foam,” by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier, in You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus)

"Generations," by Daniel Warren Johnson, in Superman: Red & Blue #5 (DC)

"I Wanna Be a Slob," by Michael Kamison and Steven Arnold, in Too Tough to Die (Birdcage Bottom Books)

“Tap, Tap, Tap,” by Larry O’Neil and Jorge Fornés, in Green Arrow 80th Anniversary (DC)

“Trickster, Traitor, Dummy, Doll," by Triple Dream (Mel Hilario, Katie Longua, and Lauren Davis), in The Nib Vol 9: Secrets (The Nib)

 

Best Single Issue/One-Shot (must be able to stand alone)

Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1, edited by Darren Shan (Marvel)

Mouse Guard: The Owlhen Caregiver and Other Tales, by David Petersen (BOOM!/Archaia)

Nightwing #87: “Get Grayson,” by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)

Wolvendaughter, by Ver (Quindrie Press)

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez (DC)

 

Best Continuing Series

Bitter Root, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)

The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)

Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, et al. (Marvel)

Nightwing, by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)

Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

 

Best Limited Series

Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star, by Daniel Warren Johnson (Marvel)

The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)

Hocus Pocus, by Richard Wiseman, Rik Worth, and Jordan Collver, hocuspocus.squarespace.com

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, by Ram V and Filipe Andrade (BOOM! Studios)

Stray Dogs, by Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner (Image)

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (DC)

 

Best New Series

The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)

The Nice House on the Lake, by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno (DC Black Label)

Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)

Radiant Black, by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa (Image)

Ultramega, by James Harren (Image Skybound)

 

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Arlo & Pips #2: Join the Crow Crowd!, by Elise Gravel (HarperAlley)

Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai (IDW)

I Am Oprah Winfrey, by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos (Dial Books for Young Readers)

Monster Friends, by Kaeti Vandorn (Random House Graphic)

Tiny Tales: Shell Quest, by Steph Waldo (HarperAlley)

 

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

Allergic, by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter (Scholastic)

Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat, by Ben Towle (Dead Reckoning)

Rainbow Bridge, by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, and Valentina Brancati (AfterShock)

Salt Magic, by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House)

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear, by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung (Dial Books for Young Readers)

The Science of Surfing: A Surfside Girls Guide to the Ocean, by Kim Dwinell (Top Shelf)

 

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

Adora and the Distance, by Marc Bernardin and Ariela Kristantina (Comixology Originals)

Clockwork Curandera, vol. 1: The Witch Owl Parliament, by David Bowles and Raul the Third (Tu Books/Lee & Low Books)

The Legend of Auntie Po, by Shing Yin Khor (Kokila/Penguin Random House)

Strange Academy, by Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos (Marvel)

Wynd, by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas (BOOM! Box)

 

Best Humor Publication

Bubble, by Jordan Morris, Sarah Morgan, and Tony Cliff (First Second/Macmillan)

Cyclopedia Exotica, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)

Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)

The Scumbag, by Rick Remender and various (Image)

Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh (Gallery 13/Simon and Schuster)

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, translation by Nova Skipper (VIZ Media)

 

Best Anthology

Flash Forward: An Illustrated Guide to Possible (And Not So Possible) Tomorrows, by Rose Eveleth and various, edited by Laura Dozier (Abrams ComicArts)

My Only Child, by Wang Ning and various, edited by Wang Saili, translation by Emma Massara (LICAF/Fanfare Presents)

The Silver Coin, by Michael Walsh and various (Image)

Superman: Red & Blue, edited by Jamie S. Rich, Brittany Holzherr, and Diegs Lopez (DC)

You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife, edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell (Iron Circus)

 

Best Reality-Based Work

The Black Panther Party: A Graphic History, by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (Ten Speed Press)

Hakim’s Odyssey, Book 1: From Syria to Turkey, by Fabien Toulmé, translation by Hannah Chute (Graphic Mundi/Penn State University Press)

Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula, by Koren Shadmi (Humanoids)

Orwell, by Pierre Christin and Sébastien Verdier, translation by Edward Gauvin (SelfMadeHero)

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, by Kristen Radtke (Pantheon/Penguin Random House)

The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, by Dave Sim and Carson Grubaugh (Living the Line)

 

Best Graphic Memoir

Factory Summers, by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinall (Drawn & Quarterly)

Parenthesis, by Élodie Durand, translation by Edward Gauvin (Top Shelf)

Run: Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)

Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest, by Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)

The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books)

 

Best Graphic Album—New

Ballad For Sophie, by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia, translation by Gabriela Soares (Top Shelf)

Destroy All Monsters (A Reckless Book), by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

In., by Will McPhail (Mariner Books)

Meadowlark: A Coming-of-Age Crime Story, by Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth (Grand Central Publishing)

Monsters, by Barry Windsor-Smith (Fantagraphics)

 

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

The Complete American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton (Dark Horse)

Locke & Key: Keyhouse Compendium, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez (IDW)

Middlewest: The Complete Tale, by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (Image)

Rick and Morty vs Dungeons and Dragons Deluxe Edition, by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub, and Troy Little (Oni/IDW)

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: California Deluxe Edition, by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Becky Cloonan (Dark Horse)

 

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

After the Rain, by Nnedi Okorafor, adapted by John Jennings and David Brame (Megascope/Abrams ComicArts)

Bubble by Jordan Morris, Sarah Morgan, and Tony Cliff (First Second/Macmillan)

Disney Cruella: Black, White, and Red, adapted by Hachi Ishie (VIZ Media)

George Orwell’s 1984: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Fido Nesti (Mariner Books)

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell, adapted by Sophie and Scarlett Rickard (SelfMadeHero)

 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Ballad For Sophie, by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia, translation by Gabriela Soares (Top Shelf)

Between Snow and Wolf, by Agnes Domergue and Helene Canac, translation by Maria Vahrenhorst (Magnetic)

Love: The Mastiff, by Frederic Brrémaud and Federico Bertolucci (Magnetic)

The Parakeet, by Espé, translation by Hannah Chute ((Graphic Mundi/Penn State University Press)

The Shadow of a Man, by Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten, translation by Stephen D. Smith (IDW)

 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Chainsaw Man, by Tatsuki Fujimoto, translation by Amanda Haley (VIZ Media)

Kaiju No. 8, by Naoya Matsumoto, translation by David Evelyn (VIZ Media)

Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, by Junji Ito, translation by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Robo Sapiens: Tales of Tomorrow (Omnibus), by Toranosuke Shimada, translation by Adrienne Beck (Seven Seas)

Spy x Family, by Tatsuya Endo, translation by Casey Loe (VIZ Media)

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, translation by Nova Skipper (VIZ Media)

 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

Friday Foster: The Sunday Strips, by Jim Lawrence and Jorge Longarón, edited by Christopher Marlon, Rich Young, and Kevin Ketner (Ablaze)

Popeye: The E.C. Segar Sundays, vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, edited by Gary Groth and Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)

Trots and Bonnie, by Shary Flenniken, edited by Norman Hathaway (New York Review Comics)

The Way of Zen, adapted and illustrated by C. C. Tsai, translated by Brian Bruya (Princeton University Press)

 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

EC Covers Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Farewell, Brindavoine, by Tardi, translation by Jenna Allen, edited by Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)

Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, edidted by Steve Korté (TASCHEN)

Spain Rodriguez: My Life and Times, vol. 3, edited by Patrick Rosenkranz (Fantagraphics)

Steranko Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artisan Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Uncle Scrooge: “Island in the Sky,” by Carl Barks, edited by J. Michael Catron (Fantagraphics)

 

Best Writer

Ed Brubaker, Destroy All Monsters, Friend of the Devil (Image)

Kelly Sue DeConnick, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons Book One (DC)

Filipe Melo, Ballad for Sophie (Top Shelf)

Ram V, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios); The Swamp Thing (DC); Carnage: Black, White & Blood, Venom (Marvel)

James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Joker, Batman, DC Pride 2021 (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Blue Book, Razorblades (Tiny Onion Studios)

 

Best Writer/Artist

Alison Bechdel, The Secret to Superhuman Strength (Mariner Books)

Junji Ito, Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, Sensor (VIZ Media)

Daniel Warren Johnson, Superman: Red & Blue (DC); Beta Ray Bill (Marvel)

Will McPhail, In: A Graphic Novel (Mariner Books)

Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

 

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Filipe Andrade, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios)

Phil Jimenez, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons (DC)

Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)

Esad Ribic, Eternals (Marvel)

P. Craig Russell, Norse Mythology (Dark Horse)

 

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Federico Bertolucci, Brindille, Love: The Mastiff (Magnetic)

John Bolton, Hell’s Flaw (Renegade Arts Entertainment)

Juan Cavia, Ballad for Sophie (Top Shelf)

Frank Pe, Little Nemo (Magnetic)

Ileana Surducan, The Lost Sunday (Pronoia AB)

Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)

 

Best Cover Artist

Jen Bartel, Future State Immortal Wonder Woman #1 & 2, Wonder Woman Black & Gold #1, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary (DC); Women’s History Month variant covers (Marvel)

David Mack, Norse Mythology (Dark Horse)

Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)

Alex Ross, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain America/Iron Man #2, Immortal Hulk, Iron Man, The U.S. of The Marvels (Marvel)

Julian Totino Tedesco, Just Beyond: Monstrosity (BOOM!/KaBoom!); Dune: House Atreides (BOOM! Studios); Action Comics (DC); The Walking Dead Deluxe (Image Skybound)

Yoshi Yoshitani, I Am Not Starfire (DC); The Blue Flame, Giga, Witchblood (Vault)

 

Best Coloring

Filipe Andrade/Inês Amaro, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios)

Terry Dodson, Adventureman (Image Comics)

K. O’Neill, The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Oni)

Jacob Phillips, Destroy All Monsters, Friend of the Devil (Image)

Matt Wilson, Undiscovered Country (Image); Fire Power (Image Skybound); Eternals, Thor, Wolverine (Marvel); Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters (Oni)

 

Best Lettering

Wes Abbott, Future State, Nightwing, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman Black & Gold (DC)

Clayton Cowles, The Amazons, Batman, Batman/Catwoman, Strange Adventures, Wonder Woman Historia (DC); Adventureman (Image); Daredevil, Eternals, King in Black, Strange Academy, Venom, X-Men Hickman, X-Men Duggan (Marvel)

Crank!, Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Oni); Money Shot (Vault)

Ed Dukeshire, Once & Future, Seven Secrets (BOOM Studios)

Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

 

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)

The Columbus Scribbler, edited by Brian Canini, Jack Wallace, and Steve Steiner, columbusscribbler.com

Fanbase Press, edited by Barbra Dillon, fanbasepress.com

tcj.com, edited by Tucker Stone and Joe McCulloch (Fantagraphics)

WomenWriteAboutComics.com, edited by Wendy Browne and Nola Pfau (WWAC)

 

Best Comics-Related Book

All of the Marvels, by Douglas Wolk (Penguin Press)

The Art of Thai Comics: A Century of Strips and Stripes, by Nicolas Verstappen (River Books)

Fantastic Four No. 1: Panel by Panel, by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chip Kidd, and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)

Old Gods & New: A Companion to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, by John Morrow, with Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)

True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, by Abraham Riesman (Crown)

 

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History, by Eike Exner (Rutgers University Press)

The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse: Taking Risks in the Service of Truth, by Andrew J. Kunka (Rutgers University Press)

Mysterious Travelers: Steve Ditko and the Search for a New Liberal Identity, by Zack Kruse (University Press of Mississippi)

Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comics Imperialism, by Paul S. Hirsch (University of Chicao Press)

Rebirth of the English Comic Strip: A Kaleidoscope, 1847–1870, by David Kunzle (University Press of Mississippi)

 

Best Publication Design

The Complete American Gods, designed by Ethan Kimberling (Dark Horse)

The Complete Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Deluxe Edition, designed by Justin Allan-Spencer (Fantagraphics)

Crashpad, designed by Gary Panter and Justin Allan-Spencer (Fantagraphics)

Machine Gun Kelly’s Hotel Diablo, designed by Tyler Boss (Z2)

Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964 (TASCHEN)

Popeye Vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

 

Best Webcomic

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, by CRC Payne and StarBite (DC/WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/batman-wayne-family-adventures/list?title_no=3180&page=

Isle of Elsi, by Alec Longstreth, https://www.isleofelsi.com/comics/ioe6/page-259/

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1

Navillera: Like a Butterfly, by Hun and Jimmy, translation by Kristianna Lee (Tapas Medie/Kakao Entertainment), https://tapas.io/series/navillera-like-a-butterfly

Unmasked, by Breri and Nuitt (WebToon Factory/Europe Comics), https://www.webtoonfactory.com/en/serie/unmasked/

 

Best Digital Comic
Days of Sand, by Aimée de Jongh, translation by Christopher Bradley (Europe Comics)

Everyone Is Tulip, by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux, everyoneistulip.com

It’s Jeff, by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru (Marvel)

Love After World Domination 1-3, by Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu, translation by Steven LeCroy (Kodansha)

Snow Angels, by Jeff Lemire and Jock (Comixology Originals) 

 

Nominees Announced for 2022 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jackie Estrada

jackie@comic-con.org

DC and Image have the most nominations

SAN DIEGO – Comic-Con is proud to announce the nominees for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2022. The nominations are for works published between January 1 and December 31, 2021 and were chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges.

Once again, this year’s nominees in 32 categories reflect the wide range of material being published in the U.S. today in comics and graphic novel media, representing over 150 print and online titles from some 65 publishers, produced by creators from all over the world.

DC and Image received the most nominations: DC with 15 (plus 7 shared) and Image with 14 (plus 4 shared). Leading the pack for DC with 5 nominations is Nightwing, up for Best Continuing Series, Best Single Issue, Best Lettering (West Abbott), and both Best Penciller/Inker and Cover Artist for Bruno Redondo. Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons garnered 4 nominations: Best Single Issue, Best Writer (Kelly Sue DeConnick), Best Penciller/Inker (Phil Jimenez), and Best Lettering (Clayton Cowles). For Image, Destroy All Monsters (A Reckless Book) garnered nominations for Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer (Ed Brubaker), and Best Coloring (Jacob Phillips). Image has two nominees each for Best Continuing Series (Bitter Root, The Department of Truth), Best Limited Series (The Good Asian, Stray Dogs), and Best New Series (Radiant Black, Ultramega).

Fantagraphics has 11 nominations, dominating the Best Archival Collection–Comic Books category, with 3 of the 6 nods and the Best Publication Design category with 3 of the 5 nominees. In addition, Barry Windsor-Smith’s magnum opus Monsters received nominations for Best Graphic Album–new, Best Writer/Artist, and Best Lettering. IDW with its subsidiary Top Shelf garnered 11 nominations, led by Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia, up for Best Graphic Album­–New, Best U.S. Edition of International Material, Best Writer, and Best Painter/Multimedia Artist.

With 8 nominations, VIZ Media came through with 5 of the 6 nominations in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia category. Marvel Comics received 7 nominations (plus 5 shared), and BOOM! has 7 (with 3 shared). The leading title for BOOM! is The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V and Filipe Andrade, nominated for Best Limited Series, Best Writer, and Best Penciller/Inker and Coloring.

Other publishers with multiple nominations include Abrams (with 5), Dark Horse (5), Mariner Books (5), Magnetic Press (4), and Oni (2 plus 2 shared). Fifteen companies have 2 nominations each, and another 37 companies or individuals have 1 nomination each.

Among projects with 2 nominations are Not All Robots (AWA Upshot), Superman: Red & Blue (DC), Popeye: The EC Seger Sundays (Fantagraphics), Bubble (First Second/Macmillan), You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus), Alison Bechdel’s The Secret of Superhuman Strength (Mariner Books), Will McPhail’s In (Mariner Books), Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man 1962–1964 (TASCHEN), Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection (VIZ Media), and Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (VIZ Media).

When it comes to creators, James Tynion IV has 5 nominations: 2 for Best Continuing Series (Department of Truth, Something Is Killing the Children) plus Best New Series (The Nice House on the Lake), Best Publication for Teens (Wynd), and Best Writer. Creators with 3 nominations each include Redondo, Windsor-Smith, Melo, Cavia, Andrade, and Daniel Warren Johnson (Best Short Story, Best Limited Series for Marvel’s Beta Ray Bill, Best Writer/Artist). Another 16 creators have 2 nominations,

Named for acclaimed comics creator Will Eisner, the awards are celebrating their 34th year of bringing attention to and highlighting the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels. The 2022 Eisner Awards judging panel consists of comics writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel, author/art historian Kim Munson, writer/editor/journalist Rik Offenberger, librarian Jameson Rohrer, comics journalist/historian Jessica Tseang, and retailer Aaron Trites.

Voting for the awards was held online. The deadline for voting was June 8. Questions about the voting process should be sent to the Eisner Awards administrator, Jackie Estrada at jackie@comic-con.org

The Eisner Award trophies will be presented in a gala awards ceremony to be held during Comic-Con on the evening of July 22.

Judges Select Six for 2022 Eisner Hall of Fame

Voters Will Select 4 More Inductees

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) has announced that the Eisner Awards judges have selected six individuals to automatically be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2022. These inductees include two deceased comics artists: EC founder/publisher Max Gaines (who devised the first four-color, saddle-stitched newsprint comic in 1933) and writer Mark Gruenwald (legendary Marvel Comics editor); two pioneers of the comics medium: British illustrator Marie Duval (co-creator in 1867 of the British cartoon character “Alley Sloper,” considered the first recurring cartoon character); cartoonist Rose O’Neill (creator of The Kewpies in 1912) and two living legends: Filipino American artist Alex Niño (DC, Marvel, Warren, Heavy Metal etc.) and artist P. Craig Russell (best known for Elric, his adaptations of opera to graphic novels, and his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, including on The Sandman, Coraline, American Gods, and Norse Mythology).

            The judges have also chosen 17 nominees from whom voters will select 4 to be inducted in the Hall of Fame this summer. These nominees are Howard Chaykin, Gerry Conway, Kevin Eastman, Steve Englehart, Moto Hagio, Larry Hama, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, David Mazzucchelli, Jean-Claude Mézières, Grant Morrison, Gaspar Saladino, Jim Shooter, Garry Trudeau, Ron Turner, George Tuska, Mark Waid, and Cat Yronwode. More information on the nominees can be found here. 

            Voting for the Hall of Fame is being held online. A two-step voting process has been put in place for enhanced security. The first step is for prospective voters to apply at www.comic-con.org/eisnervote . After filling out a form, eligible voters will be invited to go to the ballot and cast their votes. Individuals who were approved to vote in 2021 will be sent an invitation to participate and do not need to reregister. Those who are eligible to vote include comic book/graphic novel/webcomic creators (writers, artists, cartoonists, pencillers, inkers, letterers, colorists); comic book/graphic novel publishers and editors; comics historians and educators; graphic novel librarians; and owners and managers of comic book specialty retail stores. The deadline for voting is May 11. New voters must have registered by May 5 in order to be invited to the ballot. Questions about the voting process should be sent to the Eisner Awards administrator, Jackie Estrada at jackie@comic-con.org

      The 2022 Eisner Awards judging panel consists of comics writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel, author/art historian Kim Munson, writer/editor/journalist Rik Offenberger, librarian Jameson Rohrer, comics journalist/historian Jessica Tseang, and retailer Aaron Trites.

      The Eisner Hall of Fame trophies will be presented in a gala awards ceremony to be held during Comic-Con on the evening of July 22.

2022 Eisner Nominees

Judges’ Choices

Max Gaines (1894–1947)

In 1933, Max Gaines devised the first four-color, saddle-stitched newsprint pamphlet, a precursor to the color-comics format that became the standard for the American comic book industry. He was co-publisher (with Jack Liebowitz) of All-American Publications, a seminal comic book company that introduced such enduring fictional characters as Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Hawkman. He went on to found Educational Comics, producing the series Picture Stories from the Bible. He authored one of the earliest essays on comic books, a 1942 pamphlet titled Narrative Illustration, The Story of the Comics. After Gaines' death (in a motorboating accident) in 1947, Educational Comics was taken over by his son Bill Gaines, who transformed the company (now known as EC Comics) into a pioneer of horror, science fiction, and satirical comics.

Mark Gruenwald (1953–1996)

Mark Gruenwald was hired by Marvel Comics in 1978 and stayed there until his death. During his tenure, he worked on a variety of books before becoming their executive editor and keeper of continuity for much of the 1980s. Gruenwald had a knack for remembering every bit of minutia about Marvel Comics. The publisher even opened up a challenge for readers to stump him but had to discontinue it when it became clear nobody could beat him. Gruenwald is most recognized for his work on a new team of heroes known as the Squadron Supreme. The Squadron’s characters had been around, but Gruenwald decided to focus on a new set of the heroes in an alternate reality. The Squadron Supreme received a 12-issue miniseries and is considered a precursor to highly popular deconstructionist superhero parables like Watchmen, Kingdom Come, and The Boys. Sadly, Gruenwald died of heart failure in 1996. He had long told his wife he wanted his ashes to be a part of his work. When Squadron Supreme was collected into a trade paperback, his ashes were mixed into the ink.

Alex Niño

Alex Niño was among the Philippine comics artists recruited for U.S. comic books by DC Comics editor Joe Orlando and publisher Carmine Infantino in 1971. Niño’s earliest DC work was drawing stories for House of Mystery, Weird War Tales, and other supernatural anthologies, as well as the jungle-adventure feature “Korak” in Tarzan. He moved to the U.S. in 1974. Over the next several decades, Niño drew all types of stories for DC, Marvel, Warren (Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella), Heavy Metal, Byron Preiss, Dark Horse Comics, and other publishers. Starting in the 1980s, Niño branched out into movies and video games, doing design work and concept art for Hanna-Barbera, Sega, and Walt Disney Pictures (Mulan and Atlantis). Niño received an Inkpot Award in 1976.

P. Craig Russell

P. Craig Russell has spent 50 years producing graphic novels, comic books, and illustrations. He entered the comics industry in 1972 as an assistant to artist Dan Adkins. After establishing a name for himself at Marvel on Killraven, Dr. Strange, and Elric, Russell began working on more personal projects, such as adaptations of operas by Mozart (The Magic Flute), Strauss (Salome), and Wagner (The Ring of the Nibelung). Russell is also known for his Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde series and his graphic novel adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, Coraline, Murder Mysteries, and American Gods. His most recent project has been Gaiman’s Norse Mythology for Dark Horse. Russell received an Inkpot Award in 1993 and has won several Harvey and Eisner awards.

Pioneers

Marie Duval (1847–1890)

“Marie Duval” was born Isabelle Emilie Louisa Tessier in Marleybone, London in 1847. Tessier was one of the first female cartoonists in Europe. Her fame rests on her contributions to the Ally Sloper comic pages created with her husband Charles Henry Ross in the comic periodical Fun, and reprinted in a shilling book, Ally Sloper: A Moral Lesson (full title: Some Playful Episodes in the Career of Ally Sloper late of Fleet Street, Timbuctoo, Wagga Wagga, Millbank, and elsewhere with Casual References to Ikey Mo) in November 1873. This work is often called “the first British comic book.” The idea of a recurring, familiar cartoon character—so basic to comics and cartoons as we know them now—appears to have begun with Ally Sloper. The wildly popular character (a hard-drinking working class shirker) is thought to have inspired both Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp persona and W. C. Fields. Besides Ally Sloper, Marie Duval drew a range of comic fantasies (“caricatures”) for the magazine Judy, a Victorian rival to Punch.

Rose O’Neill (1874–1944)

Rose O’Neill was an American cartoonist and writer who, at a young age, became the best-known and highest-paid female commercial illustrator in the United States. A four-panel comic strip by O'Neill were featured in a September 19, 1896, issue of Truth magazine, making her the first American woman to publish a comic strip. She earned her international fame and fortune by creating the Kewpie, the most widely known cartoon character until Mickey Mouse. Her Kewpie cartoons, which made their debut in a 1909 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, were made into bisque dolls in 1912 by J. D. Kestner, a German toy company. The dolls became immediately popular and are considered to be one of the first mass-marketed toys in the United States.

2022 Nominees

Howard Chaykin

After working as an assistant for the likes of Gil Kane, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, and Gray Morrow, in the early 1970s Howard Chaykin became a freelancer for such publishers as Marvel, DC, Warren, and Heavy Metal. In 1974, he created “Cody Starbuck” for Star*Reach. Chaykin pioneered the graphic novel with Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination and Samuel R. Delaney’s Empire, among others. In 1977, prior to the movies, he drew the first Star Wars comics with scripts by Roy Thomas. In 1983, he created the hit series American Flagg! at First Comics. His 1980s output included Black Kiss (Vortex), The Shadow and Blackhawk (DC) and his postmodern graphic novel Time² at First. Subsequent projects have included Twilight, Power and Glory, American Century, Mighty Love, The Divided States of Hysteria, and Hey, Kids! Comics!

Gerry Conway

Gerry Conway is best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher (with artist Ross Andru) and Ms. Marvel (with John Buscema), and for scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man. He is also known for co-creating DC Comics’ Firestorm, Power Girl, Killer Croc, and Jason Todd. HE wrote  Justice League of America for eight years and for scripted the first major, modern-day intercompany crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man.

Kevin Eastman

Writer/artist/publisher Kevin Eastman co-created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. The duo published the comic themselves starting in 1984, under the imprint Mirage Studios. The Turtles quickly made the leap to other media and went on to star in multiple movies, animated TV series, and toy lines over the years. In 1990 Eastman founded Tundra Publishing, which funded and published creator-owned comics by talent such as Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie, Eddie Campbell, and Mike Allred, until 1993. Eastman also owned Heavy Metal magazine for more than 20 years, until 2014, and he continued to serve as its publisher until 2020.

Steve Englehart

Steve Englehart began writing for Marvel Comics in 1971, with long runs on Captain America, The Hulk, The Avengers, Dr. Strange, and a dozen other titles, co-creating the characters Shang-Chi, Star-Lord, and Mantis along the way. He was finally hired away by DC Comics to be their lead writer and revamp their core characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Green Lantern). He did, but he also wrote a solo Batman series with art by Walt Simonson and Marshall Rogers (immediately dubbed the "definitive" version) that later became Warner Brothers' first Batman film. In 1983 he created Coyote, for Marvel’s Epic imprint. Other projects he owned (Scorpio Rose, The Djinn) were mixed with company series (Green Lantern, Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four). In 1992 Steve was asked to co-create a comics pantheon called the Ultraverse. One of his contributions, The Night Man, became not only a successful comics series, but also a television show. That led to more Hollywood work, including animated series such as Street Fighter, GI Joe, and Team Atlantis for Disney.

Moto Hagio

Moto Hagio is one of a group of women who broke into the male-dominated manga industry and pioneered the shōjo (girls’ comics) movement in the early 1970s. Hagio’s 1974 work Heart of Thomas, inspired by the 1964 film This Special Friendship, was one of the early entries in the shōnen-ai (boys in love) subgenre. Hagio’s linework and dramatic imagery have influenced many manga artists, and she helped shape the style of emotional and symbolic backgrounds that many manga artists draw today. Her major works include A Drunken Dream, They Were Eleven, and Otherworld Barbara. She’s won the Japanese Medal of Honor with the Purple Ribbon (the first woman comics creator to do so), received Japan’s SF Grand Prize, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award Grand Prize, and an Inkpot Award, among other accolades.

Larry Hama

Larry Hama is a writer/artist/editor/actor who is best known as the writer of Marvel's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, G.I. Joe: Special Missions, and Wolverine comics in the '80s and '90s. He has also written, edited, or drawn for Avengers, Conan, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Spider-Man, and dozens more. His illustrations and cartoons have appeared in National Lampoon, Esquire, New York and Rolling Stone. His most recent novel is The Death of Captain America. He also scripted Batman Shadow of the Bat and Wonder Woman for DC Comics' Convergence Event, as well as Call of Duty: Black Ops III for Dark Horse and of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero for IDW.

Jeffrey Catherine Jones

Jones (1944–2011) began creating comics in 1964. While attending Georgia State College, Jones met fellow student Mary Louise Alexander; the two began dating and were married in 1966. After graduation, the couple moved to New York City but split up in the early 1970s. (Writer/editor Louise Jones Simonson was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 2020.) In New York Jones found work drawing for King Comics, Gold Key, Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella, as well as Wally Wood’s Witzend. Jones painted covers for more than 150 books, including the Ace paperback editions of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series and Andre Norton's Postmarked the Stars, The Zero Stone, Uncharted Stars, and many others. In the early 1970s when National Lampoon began publication, Jones had a strip in it called Idyl. From 1975 to 1979 Jones shared workspace with Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Michael Wm Kaluta, collectively named The Studio. By the early 1980s Jones had a recurring strip in Heavy Metal titled I'm Age. In the late 1990s, Jones started taking female hormones and had sex reassignment surgery. She passed away in May of 2011.

David Mazzucchelli

David Mazzucchelli started working in comics in the early 1980s, first at Marvel Comics where he became the regular artist on Daredevil. He worked with writer Denny O'Neil and culminated his work on this title with the Daredevil: Born Again story arc, written by Frank Miller. He collaborated with Miller again on Batman: Year One, considered one of the best Batman stories ever produced. Mazzucchelli moved on to focus on more personal projects, including his own independent anthology, Rubber Blanket and an adaptation of Paul Auster's City of Glass. In 2009, Pantheon Books published Mazzucchelli's graphic novel, Asterios Polyp, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and three Eisner Awards.

Jean-Claude Mézières

Jean-Claude Mézières (1938–2022) was a French comic strip artist and illustrator. Educated at the Institut des Arts Appliqués, upon graduation he worked as an illustrator for books and magazines as well as in advertising. A lifelong interest in the Wild West led him to travel to the United States in 1965 in search of adventure as a cowboy, an experience that would prove influential on his later work. Returning to France, Mézières teamed up with his childhood friend, Pierre Christin, to create Valérian and Laureline, the popular, long-running science fiction comics series for which he is best known and which has proved to be influential on many science fiction and fantasy films, including Star Wars. Mézières has also worked as a conceptual designer on several motion picture projects—most notably the 1997 Luc Besson film, The Fifth Element—as well as continuing to work as an illustrator for newspapers, magazines and in advertising. Mézières has received international recognition through a number of prestigious awards, most notably the 1984 Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême award.

Grant Morrison

Grant Morrison started writing comics in the early 1980s on various titles for British publishers, including Warrior, Dr. Who, and 2000 AD. Morrison’s first U.S. hit was Animal Man for DC, followed by Doom Patrol. In 1989 DC published Morrison and Dave McKean’s highly successful graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. In the 1990s Grant produced several titles for DC’s Vertigo line, including The Invisibles, Sebastian O, Flex Mentallo, The Mystery Play, and Kill Your Boyfriend. Also at DC, they wrote JLA, The Flash, and DC One Million. In 2000–2001 Morrison moved over to Marvel, writing Marvel Boy, Fantastic Four 1234, and New X-Men. Grant’s DC works in recent decades include The Filth, W3, Seaguy, Seven Soldiers, Final Crisis, the award-winning All-Star Superman (with Frank Quitely), The Multiversity, the graphic novel JLA: Earth 2, and the ongoing Batman title. Morrison’s most recent projects have included Happy!, and Nameless for Image, 2015, Klaus and Proctor Valley Road for BOOM!, and Green Lantern, Wonder Woman: Earth One, and Superman and The Authority for DC.

Gaspar Saladino

Gaspar Saladino (1927–2016) worked for more than 60 years in the comics industry as a letterer and logo designer. According to former DC publisher Paul Levitz, “His work on Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson’s Swamp Thing run established a new level for what lettering could do to add to storytelling in periodical American comics, bringing more drama with his innovative style.” Saladino began as a letterer at DC in 1949. Titles he worked on included Justice League of America, The Flash, Strange Adventures, Mystery in Space, G.I. Combat, Hellblazer, and Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. He also designed and lettered the DC house ads and hundreds of covers. Among logos that Saladino designed were Green Lantern, House of Mystery, Batman, Swamp Thing, Teen Titans, Metal Men, Adam Strange, and Phantom Stranger. For Marvel he did the logos for The Avengers and Captain America and the Falcon, among others. He was active until around 2002.

Jim Shooter

At age 14, Shooter began selling stories to DC Comics, writing for both Action Comics and Adventure Comics. In January 1976, he joined the Marvel staff as an assistant editor and writer, and in 1978 he succeeded Archie Goodwin to become Marvel's ninth editor-in-chief. Marvel enjoyed some of its best successes during Shooter's nine-year tenure, including Chris Claremont and John Byrne's run on the Uncanny X-Men, Byrne's work on the Fantastic Four, Frank Miller's series of Daredevil stories, and Walt Simonson's crafting of Norse mythology with the Marvel Universe in Thor. Shooter also institutionalized creator royalties, starting the Epic imprint for creator-owned material in 1982; introduced company-wide crossover events, with Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions and Secret Wars; and launched a new, albeit ultimately unsuccessful, line named New Universe, to commemorate Marvel's 25th anniversary in 1986. Shooter left Marvel in 1987 and founded Valiant Comics. He and several of his co-workers went on to found short-lived Defiant Comics in early 1993, followed two years later by Broadway Comics.

Garry Trudeau

Trudeau attended Yale University, where he was a cartoonist and writer for The Yale Record. He also created a comic strip called Bull Tales, which moved to the Yale Daily News in 1969. Universal Press Syndicate bought the strip and started selling it nationwide to over 400 newspapers under the title Doonesbury. In his long career, Trudeau has made several political statements within his comics, and has been groundbreaking in dealing with topics like homosexuality in comic strips. He also has been a strong advocate of cartoonists’ rights. In 1975, Trudeau was the first comic strip artist to win the Pulitzer Prize, followed by the Rueben Award in 1996. Doonesbury was made into an animated short film in 1977 and a Broadway musical in 1984.

Ron Turner

Ron Turner founded Last Gasp in 1970: a San Francisco-based book publisher with a lowbrow art and counterculture focus. Over the last 52 years Last Gasp has been a publisher, distributor, and wholesaler of underground comix and books of all types. Although the company came onto the scene a bit later than some of the other underground publishers, Last Gasp continued publishing comix far longer most of its competitors. In addition to publishing notable original titles like Slow Death, Wimmen's Comix, Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, Air Pirates, It Ain’t Me Babe, and Weirdo, it also picked up the publishing reins of important titles such as Zap Comix and Young Lust from rivals that had gone out of business. The company publishes art and photography books, graphic novels, manga translations, fiction, and poetry.

George Tuska

George Tuska (1916–2009) finished his studies at the National Academy School of Art at age 21. In 1939, he became assistant on the Scorchy Smith newspaper strip. At the same time, he joined the Iger-Eisner Studio, whe worked on stories for a variety of comic book titles, including Jungle, Wings, Planet, Wonderworld, and Mystery Men. In the 1940s, as a member of the Harry “A” Chesler Studio, he drew several episodes of Captain Marvel, Golden Arrow, Uncle Sam, and El Carim. After the war, he continued in the comics field with memorable stories for Charles Biro’s Crime Does Not Pay, as well as Black Terror, Crimebuster, and Doc Savage. He also became the main artist on Scorchy Smith from 1954 to 1959, when he took over the daily and Sunday Buck Rogers pages, which he continued until 1967. In the late 1960s, Tuska started working for Marvel, where he contributed to Ghost Rider, Planet of the Apes, X-Men, Daredevil, and Iron Man. He continued drawing superhero comics for DC, including Superman, Superboy, and Challengers of the Unknown. In 1978, along with José Delbo, Paul Kupperberg and Martin Pasko, Tuska started a new version of the daily Superman comic. Tuska worked on this series until 1993.

Mark Waid

Mark Waid got his start in the comics industry writing for Amazing Heroes and Comics Buyers' Guide. In the mid-1980s he joined the staff of Amazing Heroes as a writer and editor. From there, he jumped to the big time, joining DC Comics as an editor in 1987, then went freelance in 1989. Hebecame the main writer on The Flash from 1992 through 2000, while also writing Captain America. In 1997, Waid teamed with Alex Ross for DC’s award-winning Kingdom Come. In 1999, he joined with several peers to form the short-lived Gorilla Comics, then became part of CrossGen, another start-up publisher. That was followed by a three-year run writing Fantastic Four. In 2003 Waid returned to DC for Superman: Birthright: The Origin of the Man of Steel. From August 2007 to December 2010, Waid served as editor-in-chief and later chief creative officer at BOOM! Studios; he is currently publisher for Humanoids.

Catherine “Cat” Yronwode

In 1980, Cat Yronwode worked as an editor for Ken Pierce Publishing, editing and writing introductions to a line of comic strip reprint books. She also began a long-running column titled "Fit to Print" for the Comics Buyer's Guide. The column led to freelance editing jobs at Kitchen Sink Press, for which she wrote The Art of Will Eisner in 1981. In 1982 she began a partnership with Dean Mullaney, who with his brother Jan had co-founded Eclipse Enterprises. With Yronwode as editor-in-chief during a period of expanding attention to the artform, Eclipse published many innovative works and championed creators' rights in a field which at the time barely respected them. During her tenure, Eclipse published such works as Miracleman by Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens, Zot! by Scott McCloud, and The Magic Flute by P. Craig Russell.  In 1985, Eclipse published Women and the Comics, a pioneering book on the history of female comic strip and comic book creators, by Yronwode and Trina Robbins.

 

JUDGES NAMED FOR 2022 EISNER AWARDS

Six Comics Experts Make Up Nominating Committee

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) is proud to announce that the judging panel has been named for the 2022 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which will reward excellence for works published in 2021. This year's judges are Barbara Randall Kesel, Kim Munson, Rik Offenberger, Jameson Rohrer, Aaron Trites, and Jessica Tseang.

The judges are chosen by Comic-Con’s awards subcommittee, made up of individuals from the board of directors, staff, and various departments. The judges are selected to represent all aspects of the comics industry.

The judges will determine the nominees that will be placed on the Eisner Awards ballot in some 30 categories. The nominees will then be voted on by professionals in the comic book industry, and the results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony at the San Diego Comic-Con in July.

 

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Kim Munson has been in love with comics ever since her dad gave her Wonder Woman and Captain America comics as a lure to get her interested in figure drawing. She is an art historian, author, artist, and curator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the editor of the 2021 Eisner Award–nominated anthology Comic Art in Museums (University Press of Mississippi) and the curator of the touring exhibition Women in Comics (New York, Rome, and Naples).

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Jameson Rohrer, a librarian for Sacramento Public Library, has been working in libraries for 17 years, including correctional, genealogy, academic, and public libraries. In 2020 and 2021 he served on the inaugural Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading Committee for the American Library Association, which establishes the best comics and graphic novels geared specifically toward an adult audience for libraries, library staff, and the public. He is also a board member of the California Library Association’s Graphic Novels Interest Group and runs Grownups Unite! A Graphic Novel Club for adults that meets virtually each month

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Jessica Tseang is an international comics historian and public speaker on pop culture. She has appeared on AMC’s Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics, and Nerdist’s award-winning documentary The Impact of Black Panther. She has been a moderator and panel discussion producer for over 500 panels at pop culture and comic conventions around the world. Her notable panels include “The Forgotten Trio: Colorists, Inkers, and Letterers,” “The 75th Anniversary of Moomin,” and “Native American Representation in Comics and Pop Culture.” Her panels have been covered by CNN, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and other international outlets