Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award

2026 Clampett Humanitarian Award Goes to Richard and Wendy Pini

Comic-Con is proud to announce that the recipients for the 2026 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award are Elfquest creators Richard and Wendy Pini, for donating $500,000 to establish the Wendy and Richard Pini Comics and Cartoon Endowment at Columbia University.

According to Karen Green, the Curator for Comics and Cartoons at Columbia’s Butler Library, “There are three main areas where the endowment will be used: acquisitions, obviously, but also conservation, and stewardship. That last can include processing, digitizing, promoting—anything that makes the collection more accessible.”

Comic-Con’s Humanitarian Award is presented in the name of famed animator Bob Clampett, who created the TV series Beany and Cecil, designed such popular characters as Porky Pig and Tweety Bird, and directed 84 classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Clampett was a regular guest at Comic-Con in the 1970s and early 1980s. After his death in 1984, the award was created to honor those people in comics and the popular arts who have worked to help others. The recipients are chosen by the Comic-Con Committee.

The award will be presented by Ruth Clampett (Bob’s daughter) during the Eisner Awards ceremony on Friday, July 24 at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.

The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award

Comic-Con International’s Humanitarian Award is presented in the name of famed animator Bob Clampett, who created the TV series Beany and Cecil, designed such popular characters as Porky Pig and Tweety Bird, and directed 84 classic Warner Brothers cartoons. Clampett was a regular guest a Comic-Con in the 1970s and early 1980s. After his death in 1984, the humanitarian award was created to honor those people in comics and the popular arts who have worked to help others.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

2010-Present

2025: L.A. Strong Charity Comic
2024: Women in Comics Collective International (WinC)
2023: Beth Accomando and Scott Dunbier
2022: Annie Koyama, Koyama Provides Program
2019: Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez and Kyung Jeon-Miranda, La Borinqueña Grants Program
2019: Lisa Wood (Tula Lotay), Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival
2018: Frederick Joseph, Comics4Kids
2017: Marc Andreyko; Joe Ferrara
2016: Matthew Inman (TheOatmeal.com)
2015: Bill and Kayre Morrison
2014: Joe Field
2013: Chris Sparks and Team Cul de Sac
2012: Morrie Turner
2011: Patrick McDonnell
2010: Jeannie Schulz

2000s

2009: Denis Kitchen
2008: Paul Levitz
2007: Neil Gaiman
2006: Calvin Reid
2005: George Pérez
2004: Mimi Cruz
2003: Alex Ross
2002: Herb Trimpe
2001: Mark Evanier
2000: Peter Laird

1990s

1999: Jerry Robinson
1998: Frank Miller
1997: Joe Kubert
1996: Andrew Vachss
1995: Maggie Thompson
1994: Will Eisner
1993: Jack Kirby
1992: Archie Goodwin
1991: The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
1990: Sergio Aragonés

1980s

1989: Phil Yeh
1988: June Foray
1987: Ray Bradbury
1986: Bernie Wrightson and Jim Starlin
1985: Robert A. Heinlein
1984: Forrest J Ackerman