Russ Manning Award
Congratulations to the 2026 Manning Award Nominees
Comic-Con is pleased to announce this year’s nominees for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award (commonly referred to as The Manning Award).
They are:
Robert Mgrdich Apelian, writer/artist of Fustuk (Penguin Workshop)
Katie Hicks, writer/artist of Astral Panic (Flying Eye)
Stipan Morian, artist of Our Soot Stained Heart (Mad Cave)
Toril Orlesky, writer/artist of Hotblood (Mad Cave)
Carlos Sánchez, writer/artist of Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces and Rune: The Tale of the Obsidian Maze (Flying Eye)
The nominees were selected by a panel consisting of committee members of Comic-Con International and the San Diego comics community. The winner will be chosen by past Manning award winners and Russ Manning assistants. The recipient will be announced during the Eisner Awards ceremony on July 24 at Comic-Con in San Diego.
The Manning Award has been given out annually at Comic-Con since 1982. It is presented to a comics artist who, early in their career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics. It is named for Russ Manning, the artist best known for his work on the Tarzan and Star Wars newspaper strips and the Magnus, Robot Fighter comic book. Russ was a popular guest at the San Diego convention in the 1970s.
The first recipient of the award was former Manning assistant Dave Stevens, who went on to create The Rocketeer. Other past recipients have included Jan Duursema, Steve Rude, Scott McCloud, Art Adams, Eric Shanower, Dan Brereton, Jeff Smith, Gene Ha, David Petersen, Eleanor Davis, Tyler Crook, Zoe Thorogood, and Greg Smallwood, to name a few.
Previous Award Recipients
2020s
- 2025 Richard Blake
- 2024 Oliver Bly
- 2023 Zoe Thorogood
- 2022 Luana Vecchio
2010s
- 2019 Lorena Alvarez
- 2018 (TIE) Hamish Steele, Pablo Tunica
- 2017: Anne Szabla
- 2016: Dan Mora
- 2015: (TIE) Jorge Corona, Greg Smallwood
- 2014: Aaron Conley
- 2013: Russel Roehling
- 2012: Tyler Crook
- 2011: Nate Simpson
- 2010: Marian Churchland
2000s
- 2009: Eleanor Davis
- 2008: Cathy Malkasian
- 2007: David Petersen
- 2006: R. Kikuo Johnson
- 2005: Chris Bailey
- 2004: Eric Wight
- 2003: Jerome Opena
- 2002: Tan Eng Huat
- 2001: Goran Sudzuka
- 2000: Alan Bunce
1990s
- 1999: Jay Anceleto
- 1998: Matt Vander Pool
- 1997: Walt Holcomb
- 1996: Alexander Maleev
- 1995: Edvin Biukovic
- 1994: Gene Ha
- 1993: Jeff Smith
- 1992: Mike Okamoto
- 1991: Daerick Gross
- 1990: Dan Brereton
1980s
- 1989: Richard Piers Raynor
- 1988: Kevin Maguire
- 1987: Eric Shanower
- 1986: Art Adams
- 1985: Scott McCloud
- 1984: Steve Rude
- 1983: Jan Duursema
- 1982: Dave Stevens