Welcome to the Saturday edition of Comic-Con Today, your guide to the latest and greatest of Comic-Con@Home.
Are You Up for the Challenge?
This year Comic-Con@Home is asking you to show off your super skills and talents by entering our 2021 challenges. What do you win? Cash and prizes? Sadly, no, but you do win bragging rights, and we think that’s pretty great. Full details for all of the challenges are given on the Challenges page.
This year, we’re working with Pinterest to create a Comic-Con@Home 2021 Hub, where challenge creations can be featured. All of these challenges began yesterday at 9:00 AM (PDT) and end tomorrow at 4:30 PM (PDT), so there’s still time to get involved.
Cosplay Challenge
The Comic-Con@Home Cosplay Challenge returns for 2021. Whether you're a veteran cosplayer or this is your very first costume, we’d love to see it. Some of our favorite entries from the categories below will be shared on the official Comic-Con website starting Monday, July 26, 2021. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate. Last year, a few of our fans included pets, and we loved it. If your Pekingese likes to dress up as Catwoman, we want to see it.
Favorite participants will be selected in the following categories:
- Best Makeup
- Best Mashup
- Best Group
- Best Use of Household Items
- Most In-Character / Best Likeness (Canon Character)
- Best Classic Comic Character (before 1985)
- Best Modern Comic Character (after 1985)
- Most Humorous
- Best Duo
To play:
- Cosplay creations must be family-friendly.
- No nude or lewd images.
- No advertisements or promotions.
- Share a photo of your cosplay on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.
- Pinterest: Direct message us at @Comic_Con with the subject "Cosplay Challenge Submission" and attach a photo.
- Make sure to tag us and include the hashtag #ComicConAtHome2021Cosplay so we see your entry.
- Images only. No videos, please.
For inspiration, check out last year’s winner for Best Use of Household Items, Green Lantern by Cosbrarian (pictured above).
Food As Art Challenge
Show off your food artistry and your culinary skills with the Food As Art challenge. Grab your spatula, break out your pots and pans, preheat the oven, or even create a cool non-cooked dish. It can be anything from your famous Justice League gingerbread cookies to a Totoro-themed sushi plate.
Show us what you can do with vegetables, fruits, meat, or any other food items in the pantry. Some of our favorite entries will be shared on the official Comic-Con website and/or social media feeds starting Monday, July 26, 2021.
To play:
- Food creations must be family-friendly.
- No advertisements or promotions.
- Share a photo of your Food As Art on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.
- Make sure to tag us and include the hashtag #ComicConAtHome2021FoodArt so we see your entry.
- Pinterest: Direct message us at @Comic_Con with the subject “Food As Art Challenge Submission" and attach a photo.
- Images only. No videos, please.
Create Your Own Hero Challenge
Imagine you are a hero, what would your superpowers be? Use pyrokinesis to fight crime and have an alter ego who uses it to operate a gourmet BBQ food truck? Use super speed to start a shop-at-home site that would give Amazon a run for its money? (Pun intended)
Share your best hero creations by posting photos, drawings, and/or descriptions of your original heroes online. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate. You may be featured on the official Comic-Con website and/or social media.
To play:
- Hero creations must be family-friendly (no lewd or nude images).
- No advertisements or promotions.
- Any medium can be used (paintings, illustrations, comic strips, costumes, photos, etc...)
- Make sure to tag us and include the hashtag #ComicConAtHome2021Hero, so we see your entry.
- Pinterest: Direct message us at @Comic_Con with the subject "Hero Challenge Submission" and attach a photo.
- Images only. No videos, please.
Art For All Challenge
The Art For All Challenge encourages people of all ages and skill levels to create something to share with the world. Whether it's painting, illustration, papier-mache, or sculpture made out of Peeps, we want to see it. All you need to do is create some art and share it with us. A few creative entries will be shared on the official Comic-Con@Home 2021 website.
To play:
- Your art must be family-friendly. No nude or lewd images.
- No advertisements or promotions.
- Share a photo of your art on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.
- Make sure to tag us and include the hashtag #ComicConAtHome2021Art so we see your entry.
- Pinterest: Direct message us at @Comic_Con with the subject "Art for All Challenge Submission" and attach a photo.
- Images only. No videos, please.
2021 Eisner Award Results
Best Short Story: “When the Menopausal Carnival Comes to Town,” by Mimi Pond, in Menopause: A Comic Treatment (Graphic Medicine/Pennsylvania State University Press)
Best Single Issue: Sports Is Hell, by Ben Passmore (Koyama Press)
Best Continuing Series: Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (IDW)
Best Limited Series: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (DC)
Best New Series: Black Widow, by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande (Marvel)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8): Our Little Kitchen, by Jillian Tamaki (Abrams Books for Young Readers)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12): Superman Smashes the Klan, by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (DC)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17): Dragon Hoops, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Humor Publication: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (DC)
Best Anthology: Menopause: A Comic Treatment, edited by MK Czerwiec (Graphic Medicine/Pennsylvania State University Press)
Best Reality-Based Work: Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio, by Derf Backderf (Abrams)
Best Graphic Memoir: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album—New: Pulp, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Seeds and Stems, by Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Superman Smashes the Klan, adapted by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (DC)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Goblin Girl, by Moa Romanova, translation by Melissa Bowers (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: Remina, by Junji Ito, translation by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: The Flapper Queens: Women Cartoonists of the Jazz Age, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: The Complete Hate, by Peter Bagge, edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
Best Writer: James Tynion IV, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); Batman (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Razorblades (Tiny Onion)
Best Writer/Artist: Junji Ito, Remina, Venus in the Blind Spot (VIZ Media)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Michael Allred, Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Anand RK/John Pearson, Blue in Green (Image)
Best Cover Artist: Peach Momoko, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19, Mighty Morphin #2, Something Is Killing the Children #12, Power Rangers #1 (BOOM! Studios); DIE!namite, Vampirella (Dynamite); The Crow: Lethe (IDW); Marvel Variants (Marvel)
Best Coloring: Laura Allred, X-Ray Robot (Dark Horse); Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)
Best Lettering: Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
Best Comics-Related Journalism/Periodical: Women Write About Comics, edited by Nola Pfau and Wendy Browne, www.WomenWriteAboutComics.com
Best Comics-Related Book: Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books, by Ken Quattro (Yoe Books/IDW)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work: The Content of Our Caricature: African American Comic Art and Political Belonging, by Rebecca Wanzo (New York University Press)
Best Publication Design: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist, designed by Adrian Tomine and Tracy Huron (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Digital Comic: Friday, by Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
Best Webcomic: Crisis Zone, by Simon Hanselmann, https://www.instagram.com/simon.hanselmann/
Hall of Fame
Pioneers:
- Thomas Nast
- Rodolphe Töpffer
Judges’ Choices:
- Alberto Breccia
- Stan Goldberg
- Françoise Mouly
- Lily Renée Phillips
Selected by Voters:
- Ruth Atkinson
- Dave Cockrum
- Neil Gaiman
- Scott McCloud
Other Awards
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Mike and Christine Mignola
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:
The Laughing Ogre, Columbus, Ohio
Chris Lloyd, owner
Comic-Con@Home Virtual Masquerade Today
Tumblr will once again be the site for this year’s 47th annual Masquerade costume competition. Contestants have uploaded photos and videos to best show off their amazing creations. The link to the costume entries on the Tumblr site will go live by 10 am (PDT) this morning. See the Masquerade page for more information and a link to the Comic-Con@Home Virtual Masquerade on Tumblr.
Our Master of Ceremonies is 5-time Hugo Award-winning writer-artist Phil Foglio and his wife, Kaja Foglio, who are providing a video intro and outro to the event. A panel of guest judges viewed the entries shortly before the convention, choosing the most outstanding in several categories. The winners will receive not only our elegant Comic-Con trophy medallions but also free badges to our 2022 Comic-Con. Trophies will be awarded for Best In Show, Judges’ Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Most Beautiful, Best Group, and Most Humorous.
The Frank and Son Collectible Show, of the City of Industry, California, will present to one outstanding costume entry in our Comic-Con@Home Virtual Masquerade a generous award of $1,000. Frank and Son is a giant one-stop show for all things collectible at their bi-weekly mini-cons and has supported fan costuming at our conventions with generous cash prizes for many years.
The UCLA David C. Copley Center for The Study of Costume Design will generously present $500 in Amazon gift cards as The David C. Copley Award for Most Innovative Costume, as judged by Copley Center Director Deborah Nadoolman Landis.
The Costume Designers Guild IATSE Local 892, representing Hollywood costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators working at the highest levels of expertise in motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos, and new media, will again be presenting to their favorite Masquerade entry a Costume Designers Guild Spotlight Award of a costume design book, a copy of CDG Magazine, and a $100 gift card to Mood Fabrics, the large online fabric store for designers and anyone who sews. The CDG is part of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.).
Want to make all of your friends jealous? Check out all of the cool merchandise at the Comic-Con Merch store.
Some limited items have already sold out, so try to shop early. Offerings include both new designs as well as vintage logo merchandise. In addition, some fun items like flip flops, a glow-in-the-dark dice set, and a Toucan Fighter zipper bag (featuring the art from our Toucan Tip graphic to the left) are also available.
*The Maltese Falcon plays tonight, 8:10-9:50 pm (PDT) in Films.
Comic-Con Today is soliciting fan photographs. Submit photos of you and your friends and family exemplifying the best spirit of Comic-Con@Home here. A Google account is required, and you may need to disable popup blocking. Please include a caption with submissions and the name of the photographer.
Do bear in mind that captions are subject to editing, and photos are subject to cropping.
We can't wait to see what you send us.
MISSION STATEMENT: The SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION (Comic-Con International) is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for charitable purposes and dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, including participation in and support of public presentations, conventions, exhibits, museums and other public outreach activities which celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.
All content is the property of Comic-Con® International © 2021. Visit www.comic-con.org for more information.
Comic-Con® and the Comic-Con logo are registered trademarks of Comic-Con International.
Photographer credits as indicated. All photos © 2021 SDCC.
Comic-Con Today
Editor-in-Chief – Chris Sturhann
Editor/Writer – Brian Norquist
Editor/Photographers:
Christopher Machado
Justin Hurt
Publication Designer – Daniel Tideman