The awards are voted on by professional talent within the comics industry and the awards themselves are handed out at the annual Baltimore Comic Con. This is one of the comic mediums biggest awards, almost like the Golden Globes to what the Eisners are to the Oscars. This years nominees are:
BEST WRITER
Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams books
Ed Brubaker, CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Grant Morrison, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
My pick: While some of his other works of the past year such as Batman and Final Crisis have been met with very mixed reviews from both critics and fans, I think everyone is in agreement that Grant Morrisons All-Star Superman is easilly one of the best Superman stories of all time.
BEST ARTIST
Gabriel Ba, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics
Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Jason Kruse, WORLD OF QUEST, Yen Press
Frank Quitely, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
My Pick: Again, I'm giving it to the All-Star Superman team. Quitely has a "love it or hate it" style of artwork, but his involvment in this title was key. Quitely did what he does best, he made the tale both over the top and human at the same time.
BEST CARTOONIST
Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Thom Zahler, LOVE & CAPES, Maerkle Press
My Pick: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, easy. This book is everywhere, as it rightfully should be. It's a lot of fun for all ages and should easily take this category if Love & Capes doesn't.
BEST LETTERER
Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Rob Leigh, THE SPIRIT, DC Comics
Doug Sherwood, LOCAL, Oni Press
John Workman, MARVEL 1985, Marvel Comics
Thom Zahler, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
My Pick: Marvel: 1985 has a great look to it, and the lettering really evokes the time, and reminded me a lot of what was used in the seminal Marvel tale, Marvels.
BEST INKER
Rich Faber, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Mark Morales, THOR, Marvel Comics
Ryan Winn, THE DARKNESS, Image Comics
My Pick: This was honestly a tough one. I really want to pick Rich Faber on this as I grew up reading his work on Green Lantern, and I've also been a fan of Mark Morales stuff with Steve McNiven, but I have to give it to Jamie Grant. The detail and steady hand necessary to ink Quitelys work is insane.
BEST COLORIST
Frank Cammuso, OTTO'S ORANGE DAY, Raw Junior, LLC
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Laura Martin, THOR, Marvel Comics
Wil Quintana, THE MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
Dave Stewart, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics
My Pick: While I don't read it, I have to say Thor is a beautiful book. I think all the others have an almost too flat look to them.
BEST COVER ARTIST
Frank Cho, BUZZBOY: SIDEKICKS RULE!#3, Sky Dog Press
James Jean, FABLES, Vertigo Comics
Jay Lynch, MINDSHAFT #23, Mindshaft Publishing
Ken Rocafort, PILOT SEASON: CORE #1, Top Cow
Alex Ross, JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, DC Comics
My Pick: As one of my favorite artists, let alone comic artists, I have to say James Jean hands down. His work is amazing and I miss his covers to Fables. I'm sorry Alex Ross, I'm over the photo referenced, static look of all your stuff.
BEST NEW SERIES
THE DREAMER
ECHO
HIGH MOON
NIGHT OWLS
SUPERTRON
My Pick: I'm shocked to see two Zuda titles on this list but I have to say High Moon. This is not only horror, best western done right.
BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics
My Pick: Yeah, I'm going with All-Star Superman. It was an amazing book and well deserving of the award.
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
DRAW!, edited by Mike Manley, Twomorrows Publishing
HOW TO MAKE WEBCOMICS, Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett,
Scott Kurtz, and Kris Straub, Image Comics
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES,
edited by Dean Mullaney, IDW
WORDLESS BOOKS: THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVELS,
edited by David A. Berona, Abrams Books
My Pick: I haven't honestly read any of these, but on name recognition alone, Mark Evanier has done some really good stuff.
BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL
BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!, Tim Rickard, Tribune Media Services
GET FUZZY, Darby Conley, United Features Syndicate
MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
THE NORM, Michael Jantze, Uclick Gocomics
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, Stephan Pastis, United Features Syndicate
My Pick: Is it wrong to say that I really enjoy Mutts?
BEST ANTHOLOGY
COMIC BOOK TATTOO, edited by Rantz Hoseley, Image Comics
FLIGHT VOLUME 5, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Villard
MOME VOLUME 10, edited by Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics Books
PIXU #1, edited by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, Self-Published
POPGUN VOLUME 2, edited by Joe Keatinge and Mark Andrew Smith,
Image Comics
My Pick: Comic Book Tattoo, just because of the sheer amount of talent behind it.
BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - ORIGINAL
BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON, Fantagraphics Books
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, Amulet Books
ESSEX COUNTY: THE COUNTRY NURSE, Top Shelf
SKIM, Groundwood Books
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN, Top Shelf
WORLD OF QUEST: VOL. 2, Yen Press
My Pick: The sampler I read of Too Cool To Be Forgotten was good, but I'm going with Diary Of A Wimpy Kid still, too much fun.
BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
AMELIA RULES!: FUNNY STORIES, Renaissance Press
M, Abrams Books
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE MICE TEMPLAR: VOL. 1, Image Comics
QUEEN AND COUNTRY: VOLUME 3, Oni Press
SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST (HARDCOVER), Adhouse Book
My Pick: Nat Turner. I'm shocked that Kyle Baker wasn't up for Best Cartoonist, but this works just as well.
BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #19, Self-Published
FIRST BORN: AFTERMATH #1, Top Cow
LOVE AND ROCKETS, VOL. 3 #1, Fantagraphics Books
M, Abrams Books
NASCAR HEROES #5, NASCAR Comics
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE AMAZING REMARKABLE MONSIEUR LEOTARD, First Second
Y: THE LAST MAN #60, Vertigo Comics
My Pick: Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra made me cry with Y: The Last Man #60. You bastards.
BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS, IDW
COMPLETE PEANUTS, Fantagraphics Books
COMPLETE TERRY AND THE PIRATES, IDW
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES, IDW
WACKY PACKAGES, Abrams Books
My Pick: Just because of his contributions to the world of comic strips, Charles Schultz's Complete Peanuts. These are some really classy looking books too.
BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL
GUS AND HIS GANG, First Second
POCKET FULL OF RAIN, Fantagraphics Books
RED COLORED ELEGY, Drawn and Quarterly
SOLANIN, Viz
WITCHBLADE TAKERU MANGA #'s 11 & 12, Top Cow
My Pick: Im not too big on foreign comics, so just out of familiarity I'd have to say Witchblade, even though it's psudeo-tentacle porn. I think.
BEST ON-LINE COMICS WORK
BLACK CHERRY BOMBSHELLS, Tony Trovarello and
John Zito, www.zudacomics.com
HIGH MOON, Scott O. Brown, www.zudacomics.com
LEAST I COULD DO, Lar deSouza and Ryan Sohmer, www.leasticoulddo.com
NIGHT OWLS, Bobby & Peter Timony, www.zudacomics.com
PVP, Scott Kurtz, www.pvponline.com
My Pick: High Moon is fantastic, but I feel like Scott Kurtz might get this. He's a big name in the web comic world, the strips are being collected by Image Comics and he's the host of the awards ceremony, so it's possible he could walk away with this.
SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO, www.leasticoulddo.com
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
David Malki, WONDERMARK, www.wondermark.com
My Pick: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. Yeah, same reasons as before.
SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
COMPLETE LOCAL: HARDCOVER EDITION, Ryan Kelly and
Brian Wood, Oni Press
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
QUEEN AND COUNTRY: VOLUME 3, Greg Rucka, Mike Norton,
Steve Rolston, and Chris Samnee, Oni Press
TALL TALES, Al Jaffee, Abrams Books
WONDERMARK, VOL. 1: BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS,
David Malki, Dark Horse Comics
My Pick: I really hope Local gets this. I love Brian Wood and while I don't think this book was as strong as Demo or Couriers, it's a solid book.
BEST NEW TALENT
Matt Cassan, NASCAR: HEROES, nascar comics
Bryan J.L. Glass, THE MICE TEMPLAR, image books
Laura Innes, THE DREAMER, Idw
Tim Sievert, THAT SALTY AIR, top shelf
Bobby Timony, NIGHT OWLS, www.zudacomics.com
My Pick: I'm honestly not blown away by any of this talent, no offense. Maybe Bryan Glass for Mice Templar, even though the book doesn't have the same effect on me as say Mouse Guard does.
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