It's that time of year again. You know, April 7th. April 6th has come and gone. April 17th is coming up in a bit. And who knows if we'll ever see an April 49th. But sure as sure can be, it's time for the Eisner Award nominations. Named of course after Thaddeus K. Award Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards celebrate the best in comics each and every year.
This year, things are looking, well, Dapper. Jim McCann and Janet K. Lee's Return of the Dapper Men has been nominated for an extraordinary five Eisners, which we believe is an all time record for a single book. Lots of love for the Simpsons, Mike Mignola, and Joe Hill as well as newcomers like Scott Snyder and Nick Spencer. Just a wide swatch of great comics, and a lot of categories where choosing a favorite will be exceedingly difficult.
Biggest shocker? The small number of nominations for Marvel Comics (3), with the usual nominations coming from the Oz books and a short story in I Am An Avenger.
Let's take a look:
Best Short Story
“Bart on the Fourth of July,” by Peter Kuper, in Bart Simpson #54 (Bongo)
“Batman, in Trick for the Scarecrow,” by Billy Tucci, in DCU Halloween Special 2010 (DC)
“Cinderella,” by Nick Spencer and Rodin Esquejo, in Fractured Fables (Silverline Books/Image)
“Hamburgers for One,” by Frank Stockton, in Popgun vol. 4 (Image)
“Little Red Riding Hood,” by Bryan Talbot and Camilla d’Errico, in Fractured Fables (Silverline Books/Image)
“Post Mortem,” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, in I Am an Avenger #2 (Marvel)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
The Cape, by Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, and Zack Howard (IDW)
Fables #100, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and others (Vertigo/DC)
Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1: “Sparrow,” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
Unknown Soldier #21: “A Gun in Africa,” by Joshua Dysart and Rick Veitch (Vertigo/DC)
Best Continuing Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma (Shadowline/Image)
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
Scalped, by Jason Aaron and R. M. Guéra (Vertigo/DC)
Best Limited Series
Baltimore: The Plague Ships, by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Ben Stenbeck (Dark Horse)
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus (Vertigo/DC)
Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Vertigo/DC)
Joe the Barbarian, by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy (Vertigo/DC)
Stumptown, by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth (Oni)
Best New Series
American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC)
iZombie, by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred (Vertigo/DC)
Marineman, by Ian Churchill (Image)
Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma (Shadowline/Image)
Superboy, by Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo (DC)
Best Publication for Kids
Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, by Sara Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney/Hyperion)
Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
Binky to the Rescue, by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press)
Scratch9, by Rob M. Worley and Jason T. Kruse (Ape Entertainment)
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)
The Unsinkable Walker Bean, by Aaron Renier (First Second)
Best Publication for Teens
Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel (Scholastic Graphix)
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch (Amulet Books)
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke (Lee & Low)
Best Humor Publication
Afrodisiac, by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca (Adhouse)
Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book, by Ian Boothby, John Delaney, and Dan Davis (Bongo)
Drinking at the Movies, by Julia Wertz (Three Rivers Press/Crown)
I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler (BOOM!)
Literature: Unsuccessfully Competing Against TV Since 1953, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish Studios)
Prime Baby, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
Best Anthology
The Anthology Project, edited by Joy Ang and Nick Thornborrow (Lucidity Press)
Korea as Viewed by 12 Creators, edited by Nicolas Finet (Fanfare•Ponent Mon)
Liquid City, vol. 2, edited by Sonny Liew and Lim Cheng Tju (Image)
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen (Archaia)
Trickster: Native American Tales, edited by Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum Books)
Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc
The Bean, by Travis Hanson, www.beanleafpress.com
Lackadaisy, by Tracy Butler, www.lackadaisycats.com
Max Overacts, by Caanan Grall, http://occasionalcomics.com
Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil, www.zahrasparadise.com
Best Reality-Based Work
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
Special Exits: A Graphic Memoir, by Joyce Farmer (Fantagraphics)
Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Terrible Axe Man of New Orleans, by Rick Geary (NBM)
Two Generals, by Scott Chantler (McClelland & Stewart)
You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—New
Elmer, by Gerry Alanguilan (SLG)
Finding Frank and His Friend: Previously Unpublished Work by Clarence ‘Otis’ Dooley, by Melvin Goodge (Curio & Co.)
Market Day, by James Sturm (Drawn & Quarterly)
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
Wilson, by Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
The Amazing Screw-on Head and Other Curious Objects, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
Motel Art Improvement Service, by Jason Little (Dark Horse)
The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis, by Ian Boothby, James Lloyd, and Steve Steere Jr. (Abrams Comicarts)
Tumor, by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon (Archaia)
Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)
Best Adaptation from Another Work
Dante’s Divine Comedy, adapted by Seymour Chwast (Bloomsbury)
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, adapted by Joann Sfar (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
7 Billion Needles, vols. 1 and 2, adapted from Hal Clement’s Needle by Nobuaki Tadano (Vertical)
Silverfin: A James Bond Adventure, adapted by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker (Disney/Hyperion Books)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein (IDW)
40: A Doonesbury Retrospective, by G. B. Trudeau (Andrews McMeel)
George Heriman’s Krazy Kat: A Celebration of Sundays, edited by Patrick McDonnell and Peter Maresca (Sunday Press Books)
Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, by Cliff Sterrett, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW)
Roy Crane’s Captain Easy, vol. 1, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
The Horror! The Horror! Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read!, edited by Jim Trombetta (Abrams Comicart)
The Incal Classic Collection, by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius (Humanoids)
Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, edited by Art Spiegelman (The Library of America)
Thirteen “Going on Eighteen,” by John Stanley (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
The Killer: Modus Vivendi, by Matz and Luc Jacamon (Archaia)
King of the Flies, Book One: Hallorave, by Mezzo and Pirus (Fantagraphics)
The Littlest Pirate King, by David B. and Pierre Mac Orlan (Fantagraphics)
Salvatore, by Nicolas De Crécy (NBM)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
Ayako, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Bunny Drop, by Yumi Unita (Yen Press)
A Drunken Dream and Other Stories, by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)
House of Five Leaves, by Natsume Ono (VIZ Media)
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
Best Writer
Ian Boothby, Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book; Futurama Comics #47–50; Simpsons Comics #162, 168; Simpsons Super Spectacular #11–12 (Bongo)
Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)
John Layman, Chew (Image)
Jim McCann, Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia)
Nick Spencer, Morning Glories, Shuddertown, Forgetless, Existence 3.0 (Image)
Best Writer/Artist
Dan Clowes, Wilson (Drawn & Quarterly)
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)
Joe Kubert, Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965 (DC)
Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Studio)
James Sturm, Market Day (Drawn & Quarterly)
Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys (VIZ Media)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Richard Corben, Hellboy (Dark Horse)
Stephen DeStefano, Lucky in Love Book One: A Poor Man’s Story (Fantagraphics)
Rob Guillory, Chew (Image)
Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key (IDW)
Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Lynda Barry, Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book (Drawn & Quarterly)
Brecht Evens, The Wrong Place (Drawn & Quarterly)
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)
Janet Lee, Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia)
Eric Liberge, On the Odd Hours (NBM)
Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage (Fantagraphics)
Best Cover Artist
Rodin Esquejo, Morning Glories (Shadowline/Image)
Dave Johnson, Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain (Dark Horse); Unknown Soldier (Vertigo/DC); Punisher/Max, Deadpool (Marvel)
Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse)
David Petersen, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard (Archaia)
Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)
Best Coloring
Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
Metaphrog (Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers), Louis: Night Salad (Metaphrog)
Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian (Vertigo/DC)
Hilary Sycamore, City of Spies, Resistance, Booth, Brain Camp, Solomon’s Thieves (First Second)
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Lettering
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)
Dan Clowes, Wilson (Drawn & Quarterly)
Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel); Driver for the Dead (Radical)
Doug TenNapel, Ghostopolis (Scholastic Graphix)
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald (www.comicsbeat.com)
Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com)
ComicsAlliance, produced by Laura Hudson (www.comicsalliance.com)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com)
USA Today Comics Section, by Life Section Entertainment Editor Dennis Moore; Comics Section Lead, John Geddes (www.usatoday.com/life/comics/index)
Best Comics-Related Book
Doonesbury and the Art of G. B. Trudeau, by Brian Walker (Yale University Press)
Fire and Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics, by Blake Bell (Fantagraphics)
The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, by Denis Kitchen and Charles Brownstein, edited by John Lind and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse Books)
Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams Comicarts)
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz (TASCHEN)
Best Publication Design
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk (IDW)
Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, designed by Lorraine Turner and Dean Mullaney (IDW)
Return of the Dapper Men, designed by Todd Klein (Archaia)
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, designed by Josh Baker (TASCHEN)
Two Generals, designed by Jennifer Lum (McClelland & Stewart)
Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices:
Ernie Bushmiller
Jack Jackson
Martin Nodell
Lynd Ward
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WOw these are some fantastic nominations. Congrats to all those excellent books!
Man, talk about an eclectic mix. Not a cape or cowl to be found.
Some great stuff here. As a new reader to Chew and American Vampire, I’m rooting for them to grab the Continuing and New awards.
I know the end is nigh (as always), but I think it’s a damn interesting time to be a comic fan.
I think the nearly complete lack of superhero books is a bit of a snub, or pertentiousness. Granted, superhero books have dominated for years, and yes, there are deserving indy books. But, this feels too much of an over-reaction in the other direction.
As for the nominations, I think Scott Snyder should have been nominated for best writer. American Vampire and Detective are amazing. I would have left off Nick Spenser from the list. And, no disrespect to the other nominees, but I hope Joe Kubert wins in his category.
The Cape should win best single issue. It really caught me off guard, just a really well-done story, and I can’t wait to read the mini it’s supposed to spawn.
Good for Skottie Young, Marvel better hold on to him. I think the Twins were robbed, not enough stuff for Daytripper.
Yay for Nick Spencer! Over the past year, he’s been one of the most exciting creators out there.
My congratulations go out to all the nominees, that is a formidable list! Dapper Men is very much deserving of it’s nominations, I was very excited to learn about the sequel in the works!
There was some good superhero stuff this year. Nothing for Hickman, Slott, Remender, Giffin & Winnick, not to mention all the great art…etc etc? I’m not saying it should be all big two, but there was good stuff being done on a mainstream level which i think is harder…i sense a taste of it being a bit “pitchfork-y”.
As someone who has been enjoying the title on a certain level, Superboy has no business being nominated for best new series. The writing is solid and deserving, the art isn’t.
Good to see Naoki Urasawa rack up a bunch of noms again this year.
I would like to see SCALPED, TINY TITANS, ALTER EGO do well! also it is always nice to see Darym Cooke there, but nomination for Parker?
How Hickman didn’t get nominated for anything is beyond me. No nomination for Brave and the Bold 33 either, one of the best single issues ever.
Two people whose names should be on that list are Brian Hurtt and Cullen Bunn. The Sixth Gun is a damn good book. I didn’t even realize it until a few months ago but Hurtt even does the lettering himself, dude’s a beast.
I am glad to see Stumptown get nominated. It may have taken awhile to come out but when you read it all at once it really is a great crime comic.
No nomination for the outfit? madness!
Go Chew!!!!
Rooting for Scalped out of that top quality grouping of Best Continuing Series.
Love to see Superboy get a nod, Juanjo Guarnido for Blacksad and I wanna see Scottie Young get Pencil/Inker. My biggest toss-up is Darwyn Cooke and Joe Kuburt; Loved Cooke’s Outfit — but I was just amazed at the quality of work still coming from Joe Kuburt (he seems to get better and better.)
Great list of Noms this year.
(Also still amazed that I wrote Mr. Kubert’s name wrong above- twice.)
Daytripper had better win an Eisner.
Really great mix of creators and series nominated this time. Can’t complain about the list. Although I will say who I want to win:
Best Single Issue: Hellboy, Double Feature of Evil (Not even my pick for best single issue in my pile but clearly the only one I want to see win)
Best Continuing, Writer, Pencillier: Chew (Easily the best series to come out in 2010 and both creators deserve their due again)
Best New Series: American Vampire (Excited to see Superboy on the list but come on, Snyder all the way with this)
Best Graphic Album-Reprint: Simpsons/Futurama: Crossover Crisis (Definitely a must buy for any fan of the series but it seriously is a gorgeous looking trade with a ton of extras)
Best Cover Artist: Dave Johnson (A tough one this year. Mignola is great as always but Shimizu’s covers for Unwritten are always gorgeous to look at. But Johnson puts so much style and effort into each cover it’s amazing he doesn’t repeat himself every year)
Also, what does it take to get this site nominated for best periodical journalistic….thingy award?
If Taschen’s DC 75th book doesn’t win those categories the fix is in! Seriously that thing is epic.
Rooting for Unknown Soldier #21, Scalped, Daytripper, Izombie, Drinking at the Movies, and Joe Hill.
@ctrosejr Agreed – I was hoping Snyder would be nominated for writer, but I guess he hasn’t paid enough dues yet. I expect him to be there next year though! And I also hope Kubert wins, he deserves it.
Some stiff competition in some of those categories. Congrats to all!
Superboy in there over SHIELD, Sixth Gun, THUNDER Agents, Darkwing Duck, etc. etc. really grinds my gears.
Really hoping both Afrodisiac and Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard take home Eisner Awards!
Great nominations all. Congrats to everyone.
I really hope Dapper Men wins a few Eisners. Loved that book.
These are the nominations for the previous year. I think a lot of us live in the now. We’ve already had close to 12 weeks worth of comics in 2011. If your favorite creator didn’t get nominated, reflect on whether the stories you have in mind came out this year or last. Maybe guys like Snyder, Hickman, etc. will get the nod next year for the work they’re doing now.
I’m glad to see such a diverse mix in here. I might have to check a few of these things out.
Osamu Tezuka for the win on best U.S. edition of international material from Asia!
@Neb True, it’s easy to forget when something came out. I expect a writer nod for Snyder in next year’s noms.
Some glaring omissions though – Brave And The Bold #33 should have been nominated.
R.M. Guerra isn’t going to get any love on this list until Scalped ends.
Locke and Key! Joe Hill! Gabriel Rodriguez! Lots of great comics in these nominations. I’d have a hard time picking a lot of categories. But it’s time for Locke and Key to get some love. I’m rooting for these guys all the way.
Also, Daytripper’s gotta win for best limited series. Just sayin.
Elmer by Gerry Alanguilan is nominated! Woo!
You guys should really check it out. It’s from our country the Philippines.
Woo!
No Jason Aaron for Best Writer? WTF?
@ibagree AGREED!!! Those guys are so damn talented!
The Eisner Awards stick the middle finger up to superheroes! Yus! *grin*
While I’m excited for Dapper Men, how is it possible that Daytripper and iFanboy are getting so little recognition? Those Brazillians (and these writers!) are far too sexy and talented to not get some industry love!
Disappointed to not see Dustin Weaver or Jonathan Hickman on the list….