Eisner Awards FAQ

Die Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards gelten als die "Oscars" der Comicwelt. Benannt nach dem bahnbrechenden Comic-Schöpfer und Graphic-Novel-Autor Will Eisner, werden die Preise in über 30 Kategorien jedes Jahr während einer Zeremonie auf der Comic-Con International verliehen: San Diego.

Die Nominierten in jeder Kategorie werden von einer hochkarätigen Jury ausgewählt, die jedes Jahr im Frühjahr in San Diego tagt.

The judging panel, which changes each year, consists of six people representing various aspects of the comics industry. Usually included are a comics creator, a critic/reviewer, a graphic novel librarian, a comics retailer, and a scholar. The judges are selected by a special awards committee within Comic-Con International. This committee is open to input from a variety of sources.

Anfang Januar wird eine Aufforderung zur Einreichung von Beiträgen veröffentlicht, in der das Verfahren für die Einreichung von Beiträgen und die erwarteten Kategorien aufgeführt sind. Die Aufforderung zur Einreichung von Beiträgen ist als PDF-Datei auf der Eisner Awards-Webseite verfügbar und wird auch per E-Mail an die Verlage verschickt.

Gedruckte Werke müssen zwischen dem 1. Januar und dem 31. Dezember des Vorjahres in den Vereinigten Staaten verbreitet worden sein. Online-Material muss im gleichen Zeitraum erstmals veröffentlicht worden sein.

Die Verleger sind aufgefordert, bis zu fünf geeignete Nominierungen in jeder Kategorie einzureichen. Auch Urheber, die ihre Werke im Selbstverlag veröffentlichen oder Grund zu der Annahme haben, dass ihr Verlag ihr Werk nicht einreicht, können Nominierungen einreichen.

No, only one copy of each comic or book is needed, no matter how many categories it is being submitted for. For online material, providing appropriate URLs is a must, but printouts can also be helpful for the judges. Please ensure any digital links or folders do not expire.

You can send either a physical or digital copy, regardless of category, whichever you feel represents the work best. You are welcome to submit both a physical and a digital copy, but please ensure that any digital links or folders do not expire.

You can send physical copies of the creator’s work for the year. You are also welcome to send a digital file or folder of said work. For cover artist, painter, and art-based categories, you are also welcome to include any process files or an explanation of the artistic process for the judges to review.

• Best Short Story
  A short story is a story within an anthology or a bigger work or else appears online. (It isn’t a single issue.)

• Best Single Issue/One-Shot
  Works can range from small (16 pages) to as many as 48 or more pages. Single issues of ongoing comics qualify only if they can stand alone as a separate story.

• Best Continuing (Comic Book) Series
  At least two comic book issues must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

• Best Limited (Comic Book) Series
  At least half of the series must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

• Best New Series
  At least two issues must have been published starting between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year. This category is for continuing comic book series only and does not include book series or manga series.

• Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
  These can be comic books or graphic novels.

• Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)
  These can be comic books or graphic novels.

• Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17)
  These can be comic books or graphic novels.

• Best Humor Publication
  This category can include previously published items (such as comic strip collections) and can range from single-issue comics to graphic novels to archival works.

• Best Anthology
  This category is for collections of work by a variety of creators, so it does not include collections of stories by one person. (It can be one author with multiple artists.) Note: The submission letter should include the editor but not a list of contributors.

• Best Reality-Based Work
  This category should include only “real-life” nonfiction stories and not works that happen to be set in a historical period or those “based on” something but with fictional elements.

• Best Graphic Memoir
  This category is for autobiographical works. It is separate from the Reality-Based category.

• Bestes Grafik-Album - Neu
  Diese Kategorie ist in erster Linie für Werke gedacht, die normalerweise als "Graphic Novels" bezeichnet werden, kann aber z. B. auch Sammlungen von Kurzgeschichten einer Person umfassen. Das Werk sollte zu mindestens 50 Prozent aus neuem Material bestehen, zu mindestens 50 Prozent aus Graphic Storytelling (im Gegensatz zu Prosa oder illustrierter Prosa) und mindestens 64 Seiten lang sein.

• Best Graphic Album—Reprint
  This category is for reprints of material that was first published within the last 20 years. The judges take into account whether there is added material or other “added value” to the original version.

• Best Adaptation from Another Medium
  Adaptations can be from novels, films, stage shows, or even song lyrics. Works need to be direct adaptations and not “reimaginings” or something set in the same “universe” but otherwise all new.

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material
  Material can have been published in other countries earlier than the previous year; it’s the U.S. edition that must be published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
  This category includes works from Japan, Korea, India, China, and other areas of Asia.

• Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
  At least 50 percent of the material must be 20 or more years old.

• Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
  At least 50 percent of the material must be 20 or more years old.

• Best Writer
  This is for writers who do not do their own art. It can be for comics or graphic novels (but not academic works or comics-related books).

• Best Writer/Artist
  This is for “cartoonists”: creators who write and draw their own works.

• Best Penciller/Inker oder Penciller/Inker Team
  Dies ist für Künstler, die nicht die Autoren des Werkes sind.

• Bester Maler/Multimediakünstler (Innenkunst)
  Dies ist für diejenigen, die ihre Kunst mit Farbe oder Multimedia erstellen (im Gegensatz zu Buntstiften/Tinten).

• Best Cover Artist
  This is for artists who create multiple covers and tend to be for comic books only.

• Best Coloring
  This is for coloring that is added to already pencilled/inked work.

• Best Lettering
  This can be for hand or computer lettering.

• Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
  This category encompasses both printed periodicals and online sites; it can also include individual journalists.

• Best Comics-Related Book
  This category is for books about comics history or comics creators, geared toward the general reader or fan.

• Best Academic/Scholarly Work
  This category is for works about comics geared to an academic audience.

• Best Publication Design
  Books from any print category are eligible for this category.

Publishers/creators can suggest the categories for their submissions, but the judges have the discretion to determine the most appropriate categories. Each year, some categories are added and others are combined or dropped, so the final category list will reflect the publishing patterns of that year. Please try to ensure due diligence in submitting in only categories that the work is qualified for.

They are if they were distributed in the United States. These works are eligible in all of the regular categories as well as in the specific categories of Best U.S. Edition of International Material. Works must be published in English.

For the Best Webcomic category, works must be longform—that is, comparable to comic books or graphic novels in storytelling or length. If the work spans several years, please include links and information for the submissions that would be eligible. For the Best Digital Comic category, online works should be in comic book or graphic novel format and usually available as pdfs. Digital comics should have a unique URL, be part of a webcomics site, or otherwise stand alone (not be part of a blog, for instance).

Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, does not qualify for submission. If there are questions, the Eisner Awards administrator and the Eisner judges will be the sole judges of acceptability.

Voting is open to comic book/graphic novel/webcomic creators (writers, artists, cartoonists, pencillers, inkers, letterers, colorists, translators); all nominees in any category; comic book/graphic novel publishers and editors; comics historians and educators; graphic novel librarians; and owners and managers of comic book specialty retail stores. Voters must apply before the nominees are announced. Once the nominees have been announced (usually in May), voting opens on the online ballot site, and registered voters are able to cast their ballots. If you are unsure if you are registered, you can reach out to the Eisner administrator.

Die Gewinner werden im Rahmen einer Gala auf der Comic-Con International bekannt gegeben: San Diego. Die Preisverleihung findet am Freitagabend der Comic-Con im Indigo Ballroom des Hilton San Diego Bayfront statt.

The ceremony is open to anyone with a Comic-Con four-day or Friday badge. There is also a special seating area for those with Comic-Con professional badges.

Yes, all nominees, presenters, sponsors, and special guests have dinner seating in the front area of the ballroom with a timely RSVP. All nominees who wish to attend the ceremony should contact the Eisner Awards administrator, Laura Jones/laura@comic-con.org

Sponsorships are available to any company that would like to support the Eisner Awards program. Sponsorship information can be obtained from Eisner Awards administrator Laura Jones/laura@comic-con.org

You’ll get a souvenir program as you enter the ballroom on Friday night. During the course of the evening you can expect to see top creators from the comics industry as well as celebrity presenters announcing the nominees in each category and handing out the trophies to the winners. The onstage festivities and nominated works are projected on giant screens in the beautiful Indigo Ballroom. Be sure to hold on to your program so that you can keep notes on titles that pique your interest. In addition to the Eisner Awards, you’ll see presentations of the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award, the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, and the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. No-host bars are available both inside and outside the ballroom area and, at the conclusion of the awards, you can mingle with the greats of the comics industry at the afterparty in the ballroom foyer.

Alle nominierten Werke sind in der Kunstausstellung im Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel zu sehen.

Since 2023 a separate group of judges, all experts on the history of comics, have chosen automatic inductees along with nominees to be voted on. The judges’ choice inductees include significant figures from the Bronze, Golden, and Silver Ages of comics, international creators, newspaper cartoonists, and underground comix creators. The judges also choose 16 nominees to be voted on by comics professionals, with the top 4 being inducted. The Hall of Fame ceremony is held in the convention center on the Friday morning of Comic-Con.