Read something great.
By MENACHEM LUCHINS, owner, Escape Pod Comics, Huntington, L.I.
Well, it’s about 2 weeks since SDCC and that means that the Eisners were announced almost that long ago.
Now, unlike other industry awards, the Eisners are voted on by everyone involved with comics: sellers, creators, editors, etc. The closest comparison is to the Oscars — except that unlike the Academy, no one from the Eisners is sending out free “screener” copies of the books nominated.
Likewise, no one company is throwing lavish parties or giving out millions of dollars of swag to try and sway the vote. That means, in a way, that the Eisners are more honest than most awards.
The issue unique to the Eisners comes from the same place — many of the people voting (I would hazard to say THE MAJORITY of people voting) are lucky if they’ve read half the books nominated.
All that being said, I find that the awards are a good way to gauge where the industry is going and what sort of direction both creators and companies are looking toward in the future. So, this week, when you go into your local comic shop, choose one of these Eisner winners to take home with you. Maybe you’ve read some of these, but I bet there’s at least one winner here you haven’t:
Best Short Story: “When the Darkness Presses,” by Emily Carroll
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
Best Continuing Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image)
Best Limited Series: Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
Best New Series: Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7): The Zoo Box, by Ariel Cohn & Aron Nels Steinke (First Second)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12): El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17): Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
Best Humor Publication: The Complete Cul de Sac, by Richard Thompson (Andrews McMeel)
Best Digital/Web Comic: The Private Eye by Brian Vaughan & Marcos Martin
Best Anthology: Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, edited by Josh O’Neill, Andrew Carl, & Chris Stevens (Locust Moon)
Best Reality-Based Work: Hip Hop Family Tree, vol. 2, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—New: This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old): Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old):Steranko Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Blacksad: Amarillo, by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: Showa 1939–1944 and Showa 1944–1953: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Writer: Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse); The Shadow Hero (First Second)
Best Writer/Artist: Raina Telgemeier, Sisters (Graphix/Scholastic)
Best Penciller/Inker: Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): J. H. Williams III, The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo/DC)
Best Cover Artist: Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers (DC)
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Hellboy in Hell, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Baltimore, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, Shaolin Cowboy, Aliens: Fire and Stone, DHP (Dark Horse)
Best Lettering: Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: Comics Alliance, edited by Andy Khouri, Caleb Goellner, Andrew Wheeler, & Joe Hughes
Best Comics-Related Book: Genius Animated: The Cartoon Art of Alex Toth, vol. 3, by Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell (IDW/LOAC)
Best Scholarly/Academic Work: Graphic Details: Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews, edited by Sarah Lightman (McFarland)
Best Publication Design: Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, designed by Jim Rugg (Locust Moon)
