SDCC 2016: Comic-Con International announce EISNER AWARD Nominee list

If there’s one place you can guarantee to find Yours Truly at San Diego Comic-Con this year – as I have made it my mission for the last couple of years – it is in the Indigo Ballroom of the Hilton Bayfront Hotel on the Friday night as the great and the good of the comics industry gather to bestow on each other the shiny baubles that are the EISNER AWARDS.

In a slicky produced affair, orchestrated and administrated by CCI Board Member Jackie Estrada, the ‘beautiful people’ sit in the prized VIP section at the front, pampered, wined and dined, while us ‘great unwashed’ get to watch them call the frontrunners of comics to the stage from the back. Hey, it kills an evening.

And some incredible talents are up for the gongs this year: Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (PAPER GIRLS, Image Comics) take on Ryan North and Erica Henderson (THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, Marvel Comics) and Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro (BITCH PLANET, Image Comics) for Best New Series; London-based Sydney Padua is up for Best Writer/Artist AND Best New Graphic Album for THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF LOVELACE & BABBAGE; and Jason Aaron (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, MEN OF WRATH, STAR WARS and more), John Allison (GIANT DAYS), Ed Brubaker (THE FADE OUT) Marjorie Liu (MONSTRESS) and G. Willow Wilson (MS. MARVEL) are all vying for Best Writer – that’s going to be a tough one to call.

Indeed, out of all the nominations, the only name that you can say is the bone-fide winner of this years ceremony, before a single statue has been handed out is Image Comics, the publisher who has racked up an incredible eighteen nominated artists and writers, representing in pretty much every major category, with only a handful of exceptions. Congrats to the Image team who will be celebrating way into the wee hours come that Friday in July, I imagine.

Not as many Brits in this years line-up as in previous years (no return visit for any of the THE WICKED + THE DIVINE gang, which is slightly baffling) but the one’s that are there are very much deserved: Sean Phillips makes an Eisner nomination appearance once again for THE FADE OUT, previous 2014 nominee Jordie Bellaire (Best Colouring) may originally hail from t’States but she now lives in Ireland with partner-in-crime Declan Shalvey so I think it’s okay for us to claim her as one of ours, Andy Murray-style; likewise, Kristyna Baczynski (Best Short Story) may have Ukrainian roots but she grew up in Yorkshire so she’s definitely ours, too! That Short Story? Appears in an outstanding compilation of this years Lakes International Comic Art Festival 24hr Marathon pieces, edited by Dan Berry, called 24 x 7 – and that’s nominated, too, which is excellent news. Especially as I’ve been allowed to accept it on their behalf, if it wins!

@EnglishmanSDCC @thingsbydan as long as you give it back! x

— Comic Art Festival (@comicartfest) April 19, 2016

You can get an idea of the breadth of talent represented in this year list, which consists of…

2016 Eisner Award Nominees – Comic-Con International Presents the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Best Short Story

• BLACK DEATH IN AMERICA by Tom King and John Paul Leon, in Vertigo Quarterly: Black (Vertigo/DC)
• HAND ME DOWN by Kristyna Baczynski, in 24 x 7 (Fanfare Presents)
• IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY by Matthew Inman, in The Oatmeal, theoatmeal.com/comics/plane
• KILLING AND DYING by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #14 (Drawn & Quarterly)
• LION AND MOUSE by R. Sikoryak, in Fable Comics (First Second)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

• A BLANKET OF BUTTERFLIES by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson (HighWater Press)
• I LOVE THIS PART by Tillie Walden (Avery Hill)
• MOWGLI’S MIRROR by Olivier Schrauwen (Retrofit/Big Planet)
• POPE HATS #4 by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse)
• SILVER SURFER #11: “Never After,” by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series

• BANDETTE by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
• GIANT DAYS by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin (BOOM! Box)
• INVINCIBLE by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley and Cliff Rathburn (Image/Skybound)
• SILVER SURFER by Dan Slott and Michael Allred (Marvel)
• SOUTHERN BASTARDS by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour (Image)

Best Limited Series

• CHRONONAUTS by Mark Millar and Sean Murphy (Image)
• THE FADE OUT by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• LADY KILLER by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich (Dark Horse)
• MINIMUM WAGE: SO MANY BAD DECISIONS, by Bob Fingerman (Image)
• THE SPIRE by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM! Studios)

Best New Series

• BITCH PLANET by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro (Image)
• HARROW COUNTY by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (Dark Horse)
• KAIJUMAX by Zander Cannon (Oni)
• MONSTRESS by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
• PAPER GIRLS by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (Image)
• THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• ANNA BANANA AND THE CHOCOLATE EXPLOSION by Dominque Roques and Alexis Dormal (First Second)
• LITTLE ROBOT by Ben Hatke (First Second)
• THE ONLY CHILD by Guojing (Schwartz & Wade)
• SHEHEWE by Lee Nordling and Meritxell Bosch (Lerner Graphic Universe)
• WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY HENRIETTA by Liniers (TOON Books)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• BABA YAGA’S ASSISTANT by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll (Candlewick)
• CHILD SOLDIER: WHEN BOYS AND GIRLS ARE USED IN WAR by Jessica Dee Humphreys, Michel Chikwanine and Claudia Devila (Kids Can Press)
• NATHAN HALE’S HAZARDOUS TALES: THE UNDERGROUND ABDUCTOR by Nathan Hale (Abrams Amulet)
• OVER THE GARDEN WALL by Pat McHale and Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!)
• ROLLER GIRL by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books)
• SUNNY SIDE UP by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Scholastic Graphix)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• AWKWARD by Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)
• DROWNED CITY: HURRICANE KATRINA & NEW ORLEANS by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• MARCH: BOOK TWO by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
• MOOSE by Max de Radiguès (Conundrum)
• OYSTER WAR by Ben Towle (Oni)
• SUPERMUTANT MAGIC ACADEMY by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Humor Publication

• CYANIDE AND HAPPINESS: STAB FACTORY by Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, and Dave McElfatrick (BOOM! Studios/BOOM! Box)
• DEEP DARK FEARS by Fran Krause (Ten Speed Press)
• SEXCASTLE by Kyle Starks (Image)
• STEP ASIDE, POPS: A HARK! A VAGRANT COLLECTION by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
• UR, by Eric Haven (AdHouse)

Best Digital/Webcomic

• BANDETTA by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology)
• FRESH ROMANCE edited by Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press/comiXology)
• THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN by Renae De Liz (DC Digital)
• LIGHTEN UP by Ronald Wimberly (The Nib), thenib.com/lighten-up-4f7f96ca8a7e#.u45ffr3l1
• THESE MEMORIES WON’T LAST by Stu Campbell, memories.sutueatsflies.com/

Best Anthology

• DRAWN AND QUARTERLY: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY CARTOONING, COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
• EAT MORE COMICS: THE BEST OF THE NIB edited by Matt Bors (The Nib)
• 24 x 7, edited by DAN BERRY (Fanfare Presents)
• MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD VOL. 3, edited by David Petersen (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
• PEANUTS: A TRIBUTE TO CHARLES M. SCHULZ edited by Shannon Watters (kaBOOM!)

Best Reality-Based Work

• THE ARAB OF THE FUTURE: A CHILDHOOD IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 1978–1984 by Riad Sattouf (Metropolitan Books)
• DISPLACEMENT: A TRAVELOGUE by Lucy Knisley (Fantagraphics)
• HIP-HOP FAMILY TREE, BOOK 3: 1983–1984 by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
• INVISIBLE INK: MY MOTHER’S SECRET LOVE AFFAIR WITH A FAMOUS CARTOONIST by Bill Griffith (Fantagraphics)
• MARCH: BOOK TWO by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)
• THE STORY OF MY TITS by Jennifer Hayden (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Graphic Album—New

• LONG WALK TO VALHALLA by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox (BOOM!/Archaia)
• NANJING: THE BURNING CITY by Ethan Young (Dark Horse)
• RUINS by Peter Kuper (SelfMadeHero)
• SAN ZABEL AND THE MAGIC PEN by Dylan Horrocks (Fantagraphics)
• THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF LOVELACE & BABBAGE by Sydney Padua (Pantheon)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• ANGRY YOUTH COMICS by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
• ROSES IN DECEMBER: A STORY OF LOVE AND ALZHEIMER’S by Tom Batiuk and Chuck Ayers (Kent State University Press)
• THE LESS THAN EPIC ADVENTURES OF T.J. AND AMAL OMNIBUS by E. K. Weaver (Iron Circus Comics)
• NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson (Harper Teen)
• SOLDIER’S HEART: THE CAMPAIGN TO UNDERSTAND MY WWII VETERAN FATHER by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• CAPTIVE OF FRIENDLY COVE: BASED ON THE JOURNALS OF JOHN JEWITT by Rebecca Goldfield, Mike Short and Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum)
• CITY OF CLOWNS by Daniel Alarcón and Sheila Alvarado (Riverhead Books)
• GHETTO CLOWN by John Leguizamo, Christa Cassano and Shamus Beyale (Abrams ComicArts)
• LAFCADIO HEARN’S ‘THE FACELESS GHOST’ AND OTHER MACABRE TALES FROM JAPAN adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and Michiru Morikawa (Shambhala)
• TWO BROTHERS by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• ALPHA… DIRECTIONS by Jens Harder (Knockabout/Fanfare)
• THE ETERNAUT by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez (Fantagraphics)
• A GLANCE BACKWARD by Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
• THE MARCH OF THE CRABS by Arthur de Pins (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)
• THE REALIST by Asaf Hanuka (BOOM! Studios/Archaia)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, VOLS. 2–7 by Yusei Matsui (VIZ)
• A BRIDE’S STORY by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
• MASTER KEATON, VOLS. 2–4 by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
• SHOWA, 1953–1989: A HISTORY OF JAPAN by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• A SILENT VOICE by Yoshitoki Oima (Kodansha)
• SUNNY by Taiyo Matsumoto (VIZ)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• BEYOND MARS by Jack Williamson and Lee Elias, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• CARTOONS FOR VICTORY by Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics)
• THE COMPLETE FUNKY WINKERBEAN VOL. 4 by Tom Batiuk, edited by Mary Young (Black Squirrel Books)
• THE ETERNAUT by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lòpez, edited by Gary Groth and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• KREMONS: THE LOST ART OF NISO RAMPONI, VOLS. 1 and 2, edited by Joseph P. Procopio (Picture This/Lost Art Books)
• WHITE BOY IN SKULL VALLEY by Garrett Price, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

• FRANK MILLER’S RONIN GALLERY EDITION edited by Bob Chapman (Graphitti Designs/DC)
• P. CRAIG RUSSELL’S MURDER MYSTERY AND OTHER STORIES GALLERY EDITION edited by Daniel Chabon (Dark Horse)
• THE PUMA BLUES: THE COMPLETE SAGA by Stephen Murphy, Alan Moore, Michael Zulli, Stephen R. Bissette and Dave Sim (Dover)
• WALT DISNEY’S UNCLE SCROOGE AND DONALD DUCK: THE DON ROSA LIBRARY, VOLS. 3–4 edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
• WALT KELLY’S FAIRY TALES edited by Craig Yoe (IDW)

Best Writer

• Jason Aaron (SOUTHERN BASTARDS – Image / MEN OF WRATH – Marvel Icon / DOCTOR STRANGE, STAR WARS, THOR – Marvel)
• John Allison (GIANT DAYS – BOOM Studios!)
• Ed Brubaker (THE FADE OUT, VELVET, CRIMINAL SPECIAL EDITION – Image)
• Marjorie Liu (MONSTRESS – Image)
• G. Willow Wilson (MS. MARVEL – Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

• Bill Griffith (INVISIBLE INK: MY MOTHER’S SECRET LOVE AFFAIR WITH A FAMOUS CARTOONIST – Fantagraphics)
• Nathan Hale (NATHAN HALE’S HAZARDOUS TALES: THE UNDERGROUND ABDUCTOR – Abrams)
• Sydney Padua (THE THRILLING ADVENTURES OF LOVELACE & BABBAGE – Pantheon)
• Ed Piskor (HIP-HOP FAMILY TREE, VOL. 3 (Fantagraphics)
• Noah Van Sciver (FANTE BUKOWSKI, SAINT COLE – Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Michael Allred (SILVER SURFER – Marvel / ART OPS – Vertigo/DC)
• Cliff Chiang (PAPER GIRLS – Image)
• Erica Henderson (JUGHEAD – Archie / THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL – Marvel)
• Joëlle Jones (LADY KILLER – Dark Horse / BRIDES OF HELHEIM – Oni)
• Nate Powell (MARCH, BOOK TWO – Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

• Federico Bertolucci (LOVE: THE TIGER AND LOVE: THE FOX – Magnetic Press)
• Colleen Coover (BANDETTE – Monkeybrain)
• Carita Lupattelli (IZUNA – Humanoids)
• Dustin Nguyen (DESCENDER – Image)
• Tony Sandoval (A GLANCE BACKWARDS – Magnetic Press)

Best Cover Artist

• David Aja (HAWKEYE, KARNAK, SCARLET WITCH – Marvel)
• Rafael Albuquerque (EI8HT – Dark Horse / HUCK – Image)
• Amanda Conner (HARLEY QUINN – DC)
• Joëlle Jones (LADY KILLER – Dark Horse / BRIDES OF HELHEIM – Oni)
• Ed Piskor (HIP-HOP FAMILY TREE – Fantagraphics)

Best Coloring

• Laura Allred (LADY KILLER – Dark Horse / SILVER SURFER – Marvel / ART OPS – Vertigo/DC)
• Jordie Bellaire (THE AUTUMNLANDS, INJECTION, PLUTONA, PRETTY DEADLY, THE SURFACE, THEY’RE NOT LIKE US, ZERO – Image / THE X-FILES – IDW / THE MASSIVE – Dark Horse / MAGNETO, VISION – Marvel)
• Elizabeth Breitwiser (THE FADE OUT, CRIMINAL MAGAZINE, OUTCAST, VELVET – Image)
• John Rauch (THE BEAUTY – Image / BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT, EARTH 2: SOCIETY – DC / RUNAWAYS – Marvel)
• Dave Stewart (ABE SAPIEN, BPRD: HELL ON EARTH, FIGHT CLUB 2, FRANKENSTEIN UNDERGROUND, HELLBOY IN HELL, HELLBOY & THE BPRD – Dark Horse / SANDMAN: OVERTURE, TWILIGHT CHILDREN – Vertigo/DC / CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE – Marvel / SPACE DUMPLINGS – Scholastic Graphix)

Best Lettering

• Derf Backderf (TRASHED – Abrams)
• Steve Dutro (BLOOD-C, MIDNIGHT SOCIETY, PLANTS VS ZOMBIES – Dark Horse)
• Lucy Knisley (DISPLACEMENT – Fantagraphics)
• Troy Little (HUNTER S. THOMPSON’S FEAR AND LOTHING IN LAS VEGAS – Top Shelf/IDW)
• Kevin McCloskey (WE DIG WORMS! – TOON Books)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• ALTER EGO edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• BACK ISSUE edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
• COMIC RIFFS blog by Michael Cavna, washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/
• HOGAN’S ALLEY edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
• JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)

Best Comics-Related Book

• HARVEY KURTZMAN: THE MAN WHO CREATED MAD AND REVOLUTIONISED HUMOR IN AMERICA by Bill Schelly (Fantagraphics)
• KING OF THE COMICS: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF KING FEATURES SYNDICATE edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• ONLY WHAT’S NECESSARY: CHARLES M. SCHULZ AND THE ART OF PEANUTS by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)
• OUT OF LINE: THE ART OF JULES FEIFFER by Martha Fay (Abrams ComicArts)
• WILL EISNER: CHAMPION OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by Paul Levitz (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

• THE BLACKER THE INK: CONSTRUCTIONS OF BLACK IDENTITY IN COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART edited by Frances Gateward and John Jennings (Rutgers)
• BOYS LOVE MANGA AND BEYOND: HISTORY, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY IN JAPAN edited by Mark McLelland et al. (University Press of Mississippi)
• GRAPHIC MEDICINE MANIFESTO by M. K. Czerwiec et al. (Penn State University Press)
• SUPERHEROES ON WORLD SCREENS edited by Rayna Denison and Rachel Mizsei-Ward (University Press of Mississippi)
• UNFLATTENING by Nick Sousanis (Harvard University Press)

Best Publication Design

• BEYOND THE SURFACE designed by Nicolas André, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
• THE ETERNAUT designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
• EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING CONNECTS designed by Loris Lora, Sam Arthur, Alex Spiro and Camille Pichon (Nobrow)
• KING OF THE COMICS: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF KING FEATURES SYNDICATE designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/LOAC)
• ONLY WHAT’S NECESSARY: CHARLES M. SCHULZ AND THE ART OF PEANUTS designed by Chip Kidd (Abrams ComicArts)
• SANDMAN GALLERY EDITION designed by Graphitti Designs and Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti Designs/DC)