“Asterios Polyp,” “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “A Drifting Life” were among the comics and graphic novels that won multiple awards at Friday night’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, an annual Comic-Con event often referred to as the Oscars of the comics industry.
With 33 awards plus six hall-of-fame inductions, the Eisners cut a wide swath across the comics world, saluting everything from fantasy (“Oz”) to journalistic reality (Joe Sacco’s “Footnotes in Gaza”) to horror (the zombie-apocalypse tale “The Walking Dead”), from a traditional superhero (Captain America) to a psychic detective (“Chew”) to the denizens of the comic strip Bloom County and the old Mad magazine.
And one day after the film “Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World” had an enthusiastically-received sneak Comic-Con screening, an issue of the comic book on which the film was based won an Eisner for Best Humor Publication.
A slideshow of winners is here.
The awards are named after comics writer and artist Will Eisner, who created “The Spirit” and pioneered the graphic novel.
The Eisner Awards took place in the Indigo Ballroom of the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, and were hosted by Bill Morrison of Bongo Comics, and “Futurama” and “Pinky and the Brain” voice actor Maurice LaMarche.
The winners:
Best Short Story:
"Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in “The Eternal Smile” (First Second)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot):
Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
Best Continuing Series: “
The Walking Dead,” by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Best Limited Series or Story Arc: “
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Best New Series
: “Chew,” by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Best Publication for Kids: “
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Best Publication for Teens: “
Beasts of Burden,” by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
Best Humor Publication: “
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe,” by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni)
Best Anthology
: “Popgun vol. 3,” edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
Best Digital Comic: “
Sin Titulo,” by Cameron Stewart (www.sintitulocomic.com)
Best Reality-Based Work: “
A Drifting Life,” by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Adaptation from Another Work:
Richard Stark's “Parker: The Hunter,” adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Best Graphic Album—New: “
Asterios Polyp,” by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: “
Absolute Justice,” by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: “
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1,” by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: “
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition,” by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: “
The Photographer,” by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: “
A Drifting Life,” by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Writer:
Ed Brubaker, “Captain America,” “Daredevil,” “Marvels Project” (Marvel), “Criminal,” “Incognito” (Marvel Icon)
Best Writer/Artist
: David Mazzuccheilli, “Asterios Polyp” (Pantheon)
Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction
: Joe Sacco, “Footnotes in Gaza” (Metropolitan/Holt)
Best Penciller/Inker:
J. H. Williams III, “Detective Comics” (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art):
Jill Thompson, “Beasts of Burden” (Dark Horse); “Magic Trixie and the Dragon” (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Best Cover Artist
: J. H. Williams III, “Detective Comics” (DC)
Best Coloring
: Dave Stewart, “Abe Sapien,” “BPRD,” “The Goon,” “Hellboy,” “Solomon Kane,” “Umbrella Academy,” “Zero Killer” (Dark Horse); “Detective Comics” (DC); “Luna Park” (Vertigo)
Best Lettering:
David Mazzuccheilli, “Asterios Polyp” (Pantheon)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism:
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com)
Best Comics-Related Book: “
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics,” by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Publication Design
: “Absolute Justice,” designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award:Vault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, Michigan
HALL OF FAME:Burne Hogarth, Bob Montana, Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Michael Kaluta, Mort Weisinger
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Jeannie Schulz
Bill Finger Award for Achievement in Comic Book Writing:
Otto Binder, Gary Friedrich
Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award:
Marian Churchland (“Beast”)
