The Eisner Awards are a major part of both the comic community and their host-event, the always-fun San Diego Comic Con. This year’s ceremony will go down on [ Friday, July 20th ] . Here are the Eisner nominees, all selected by “a blue ribbon judging panel,” who await the verdict in July:
[ Best Short Story ] ^ “The Fisherman and the Sea Princess,†by David Mazzucchelli, in Little Lit (HarperCollins) ^ “The Gorilla Suit,†by Sergio Aragonés, in Streetwise (TwoMorrows) ^ “Monsieur Jean,†by Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian, in Drawn & Quarterly, vol. 3 (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ “A Prayer to the Sun,†by Edvin Buikovic and Darko Macan, in Weird War Tales Special (Vertigo/DC) ^ “Prince Rooster,†by art spiegelman, in Little Lit (HarperCollins)
[ Best Single Issue ] ^ Finder #19: “Talisman,†by Carla Speed McNeil (Lightspeed Press) ^ Hey Mister: The Trouble with Jesus, by Pete Sickman-Garner (Top Shelf) ^ Lucifer #4: “Born with the Dead,†by Mike Carey, Warren Pleece, and Dean Ormston (Vertigo/DC) ^ Paul in the Country, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Promethea #10: “Sex, Stars, and Serpents,†by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III, and Mick Gray (ABC) ^ Sock Monkey vol. 3 #2, by Tony Millionaire (Dark Horse Maverick)
[ Best Serialized Story ] ^ The Authority #13-16: “The Nativity,†by Mark Millar, Frank Quitely, and Trevor Scott (Wildstorm/DC) ^ Lucifer #5-7: “The House of Windowless Rooms,†by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Ryan Kelly (Vertigo/DC) ^ 100 Bullets #15-18 : “Hang Up on the Hang Low,†by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Rizzo (Vertigo/DC) ^ Preacher #59-66 : “Alamo,†by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (Vertigo/DC) ^ The Red Star #1-4: “The Battle of Kar Dathra’s Gate,†by Christian Gossett and Team Red Star (Image)
[ Best Continuing Series ] ^ Age of Bronze, by Eric Shanower (Image) ^ Berlin, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Eagle, by Kaiji Kawaguchi (Viz) ^ Promethea, by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III, and Mick Gray (ABC) ^ Top 10, by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon (ABC)
[ Best Limited Series ] ^ Blue Monday: The Kids Are Alright, by Chynna Clugston-Major (Oni) ^ Breakfast After Noon, by Andi Watson (Oni) ^ Fortune & Glory, by Brian Michael Bendis (Oni) ^ The Ring of the Nibelung, by P. Craig Russell, with Patrick Mason (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ Sock Monkey, vol. 3, by Tony Millionaire (Dark Horse Maverick)
[ Best New Series ] ^ Eagle, by Kaiji Kawaguchi (Viz) ^ Lucifer, by Mike Carey and others (Vertigo/DC) ^ Powers, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming (Image) ^ The Red Star, by Christian Gossett and Team Red Star (Image)
[ Best Title for a Younger Audience ] ^ Akiko, by Mark Crilley (Sirius) ^ Clan Apis trade paperback, by Jay Hosler (Active Synapse) ^ Little Lit, edited by art spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (HarperCollins) ^ Louis: Red Letter Day, by Metaphrog (Metaphrog) ^ Scary Godmother: The Boo Flu, by Jill Thompson (Sirius)
[ Best Humor Publication ] ^ Fortune & Glory, by Brian Michael Bendis (Oni) ^ Hey Mister: The Trouble with Jesus, by Pete Sickman-Garner (Top Shelf) ^ Post-Dykes to Watch Out For, by Alison Bechdel (Firebrand Books) ^ Snake ‘n’ Bacon Cartoon Cabaret, by Michael Kupperman (HarperCollins) ^ Sock Monkey, vol. 3, by Tony Millionaire (Dark Horse Maverick)
[ Best Anthology ] ^ Drawn & Quarterly, vol. 3, edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Expo 2000, edited by Tom Devlin and others (The Expo) ^ Little Lit, edited by art spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (HarperCollins) ^ Strapazin: Bubbles ‘n’ Boxes and Beyond, edited by Patrizia Crivelli and others (Swiss Institute of New York/Swiss Federal Office of Culture) ^ Streetwise, edited by Jon B. Cooke and John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
[ Best Graphic Album–New ] ^ From Cloud 99—Memories, Part I, by Yslaire (Humanoids) ^ Last Lonely Saturday, by Jordan Crane (Red Ink) ^ Louis: Red Letter Day, by Metaphrog (Metaphrog) ^ Pedro and Me, by Judd Winick (Henry Holt) ^ Safe Area Gorazde, by Joe Sacco
[ Best Graphic Album—Reprint ] ^ Clan Apis, by Jay Hosler (Active Synapse) ^ The Collected Hutch Owen, vol, 1, by Tom Hart (Top Shelf) ^ Dear Julia, by Brian Biggs (Top Shelf) ^ Jimmy Corrigan, by Chris Ware (Pantheon) ^ Julius Knipl: The Beauty Supply District, by Ben Katchor (Pantheon) ^ Mirror, Window, by Jessica Abel (Fantagraphics)
[ Best Archival Collection/Project ] ^ “Gasoline Alley,†by Frank King, in Drawn & Quarterly, vol. 3 (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Lone Wolf and Cub, by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima (Dark Horse) ^ Plastic Man Archives, vol. 2, by Jack Cole (DC) ^ Playboy’s Little Annie Fanny, by Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder (Dark Horse) ^ The Spirit Archives, vols. 1 and 2, by Will Eisner (DC)
[ Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material ] ^ Akira, Book One, by Katsuhiro Otomo (Dark Horse) ^ Eagle, by Kaiji Kawaguchi (Viz) ^ The Extended Dream of Mr. D, by Max (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ From Cloud 99—Memories, Part I, by Yslaire (Humanoids) ^ Lone Wolf and Cub, by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima (Dark Horse) ^ The Nimrod, by Lewis Trondheim (Fantagraphics)
[ Best Writer ] ^ Brian Michael Bendis, Powers (Image), Fortune and Glory (Oni), Ultimate Spider-Man (Marvel) ^ Mike Carey, Lucifer (Vertigo/DC) ^ Garth Ennis, Preacher (Vertigo/DC) ^ Mark Millar, The Authority (Wildstorm/DC), Ultimate X-Men (Marvel) ^ Alan Moore, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong, Top Ten, Tomorrow Stories (ABC)
[ Best Writer/Artist ] ^ Kaiji Kawaguchi, Eagle (Viz) ^ Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Joe Sacco, Safe Area: Gorazde (Fantagraphics) ^ Eric Shanower, Age of Bronze (Image) ^ Yslaire, From Cloud 99—Memories, Part I (Humanoids)
[ Best Writer/Artist–Humor ] ^ Alison Bechdel, Post-Dykes to Watch Out For (Firebrand) ^ Ben Katchor, Julius Knipl: The Beauty Supply District (Pantheon) ^ Michael Kupperman, Snake ‘n’ Bacon Cartoon Cabaret (HarperCollins) ^ Tony Millionaire, Maakies (Fantagraphics), Sock Monkey (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ Pete Sickman-Garner, Hey, Mister (Top Shelf) ^ Judd Winick, The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, 2.0 (Oni)
[ Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team ] ^ Michael Avon Oeming, Powers (Image) ^ Frank Quitely/Trevor Scott, The Authority (Wildstorm/DC) ^ Eduardo Risso, 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC) ^ P. Craig Russell, Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ J. H. Williams III/Mick Gray, Promethea (ABC)
[ Best Painter /Multimedia Artist (interior art) ] ^ Christian Gossett and Team Red Star, The Red Star (Image) ^ David Mack, Kabuki #9 (Image) ^ George Pratt, Batman: Harvest Breed (DC) ^ Jill Thompson, Scary Godmother (Sirius) ^ Charles Vess, Rose #1 (Cartoon Books) ^ Yslaire, From Cloud 99—Memories, Part I (Humanoids)
[ Best Coloring ] ^ Jeromy Cox, Promethea (ABC) ^ Lovern Kindzierski, Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ Patricia Mulvihill, 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC), Nightwing (DC) ^ Lynn Varley, Sin City: Hell and Back (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #14 (Fantagraphics)
[ Best Lettering ] ^ Todd Klein, Promethea, Tom Strong, Tomorrow Stories, Top 10 (ABC); The Invisibles, The Dreaming (Vertigo/DC); Castle Waiting (Cartoon Books) ^ Galen Showman, Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick) ^ Dave Sim, Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim) ^ Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)
[ Best Cover Artist ] ^ Brian Bolland, Batman: Gotham Knights, The Flash (DC); The Invisibles (Vertigo/DC) ^ Duncan Fegredo, Lucifer (Vertigo/DC) ^ Phil Hale, Swamp Thing, Vertigo Secret Files, Flinch #11 (Vertigo/DC) ^ Dave Johnson, Detective Comics (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC) ^ Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics), Jimmy Corrigan (Pantheon), Drawn & Quarterly vol. 3 (Drawn & Quarterly)
[ Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition ] ^ J. Bone (artist, Allison Dare; Solar Stella) ^ Mike Brennan (Electric Girl) ^ Catherine Doherty (Can of Worms) ^ Scott Mills (Big Clay Pot) ^ Alex Robinson (Box Office Poison) ^ Mark Smylie (Artesia)
[ Best Comics-Related Book ] ^ Comic Book Artist Collection, vol. 1, edited by Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows) ^ Comic Book Culture: An Illustrated History, by Ron Goulart (Collectors Press) ^ 50 Years of Happiness: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, by Derrick Bang, with Victor Lee (Peanuts Collectors Club) ^ Tales of Terror!/The EC Comics Companion, by Fred von Bernewitz and Grant Geissman (Fantagraphics/Gemstone) ^ Wonder Woman: The Complete History, by Les Daniels (Chronicle Books)
[ Best Publication Design ] ^ Drawn & Quarterly, vol. 3, designed by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly) ^ Jimmy Corrigan, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon) ^ The Last Lonely Saturday, designed by Jordan Crane (Red Ink) ^ Little Lit, designed by Chip Kidd and art spiegelman (HarperCollins) ^ Wonder Woman: The Complete History, designed by Chip Kidd (Chronicle Books)
[ Hall of Fame ] ^ Judges’ Choices (will be automatically inducted: Dale Messick, Roy Crane ^ Voters will choose four from the following nominees: ^ Gene Colan ^ Reed Crandall ^ Dan De Carlo ^ Will Elder ^ René Goscinny and Albert Udurzo ^ Chester Gould ^ Herge ^ Frank King ^ Bernie Krigstein ^ John Romita ^ E. C. Segar ^ Marie Severin ^ John Stanley ^ Osamu Tezuka
Check out the San Diego Comic Con site for more on the nominees, a complete event schedule, and more. We’ll see you in July!
