The Eisner nominations are upon us! There are a lot of good books getting the nod in here, and I’m excited to see some of these get more recognition. iFanboy favorites Echo, All-Star Superman, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, and one of my new favorites Alan’s War are all up for awards.
For some reason the currently abandoned The Twelve is up for an award, while the incredible Local got completely shut out.
Oh, and once again, the academy refused to recognize the greatness that is iFanboy. Whatever, dude…
Take a look, discuss, learn, gripe and celebrate!
Here are your 2009 Eisner nominees:
Best Short Story
- “Actual Size” by Chris Ware, in Kramers Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)
- “Chechen War, Chechen Women,” by Joe Sacco, in I Live Here (Pantheon)
- “Freaks,” by Laura Park, in Superior Showcase #3 (AdHouse)
- “Glenn Ganges in ‘Pulverize,'” by Kevin Huizenga, in Ganges #2 (Fantagraphics)
- “Murder He Wrote,” by Ian Boothby, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #14 (Bongo)
Best Continuing Series
- All Star Superman. by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
- Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy, and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
- Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
- Thor, by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and various (Marvel)
- Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)
Best Limited Series
- Groo: Hell on Earth, by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier (Dark Horse)
- Hellboy: The Crooked Man, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
- Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
- Omega the Unknown, by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel)
- The Twelve, by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston (Marvel)
Best New Series
- Air, by. G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)
- Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
- Invincible Iron Man, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
- Madame Xanadu, by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend (Vertigo/DC)
- Unknown Soldier, by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli (Vertigo/DC)
Best Publication for Kids
- Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)
- Cowa! by Akira Toriyama (Viz)
- Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)
- Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)
- Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)
Best Publication for Teens/Tweens
- Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
- Crogan’s Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)
- The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)
- Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
- Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
Best Humor Publication
- Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition No. Zero, by Douglas Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby)
- Chumble Spuzz, by Ethan Nicolle (SLG)
- Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)
- Petey and Pussy, by John Kerschbaum (Fantagraphics)
- Wondermark: Beards of Our Forefathers, by David Malki (Dark Horse)
Best Anthology
- An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, vol. 2, edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
- Best American Comics 2008, edited by Lynda Barry (Houghton Mifflin)
- Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
- Kramers Ergot 7, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)
- MySpace Dark Horse Presents, edited by Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn (Dark Horse)
Best Digital Comic
- Bodyworld, by Dash Shaw,
www.dashshaw.com - Finder, by Carla Speed McNeil,
www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics/#/finder/ - The Lady’s Murder, by Eliza Frye,
theladysmurder.elizafrye.com - Speak No Evil, by Elan Trinidad,
www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/SNE/ |
Mirror Site - Vs. by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari,
www.smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/2008/12/08/story-18/
Best Reality-Based Work
- Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
- Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, by Frederik Peeters (Houghton Mifflin)
- Fishtown, by Kevin Colden (IDW)
- A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child, by Rick Geary (NBM)
- What It Is, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album—New
- Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
- Paul Goes Fishing, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
- Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
- Three Shadows, by Cyril Pedrosa (First Second)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
- Berlin Book 2: City of Smoke, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Hellboy Library Edition, vols. 1 and 2, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
- Sam & Max Surfin’ the Highway anniversary edition HC, by Steve Purcell (Telltale Games)
- Skyscrapers of the Midwest, by Joshua W. Cotter (AdHouse)
- The Umbrella Academy, vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite deluxe edition, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
- The Complete Little Orphan Annie, by Harold Gray (IDW)
- Explainers, by Jules Feiffer (Fantagraphics)
- Little Nemo in Slumberland, Many More Splendid Sundays, by Winsor McCay (Sunday Press Books)
- Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles, (IDW)
- Willie & Joe, by Bill Mauldin (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
- Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)
- Creepy Archives, by various (Dark Horse)
- Elektra Omnibus, by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel)
- Good-Bye, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
- Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
- Gus and His Gang, by Chris Blain (First Second)
- The Last Musketeer, by Jason (Fantagraphics)
- The Rabbi’s Cat 2, by Joann Sfar (Pantheon)
- Tamara Drewe, by Posy Simmonds (Mariner/Houghton Mifflin)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan
- Cat Eyed Boy, by Kazuo Umezu (Viz)
- Dororo, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
- Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
- The Quest for the Missing Girl, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
- Solanin, by Inio Asano (Viz)
Best Writer
- Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)
- J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)
- Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)
- Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
- Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)
Best Writer/Artist
- Ricky Geary, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child (NBM); J. Edgar Hoover (Hill & Wang)
- Emmanuel Guibert, Alan’s War (First Second)
- Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second)
- Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)
- Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Acme)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
- Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
- Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
- Olivier Coipel/Mark Morales, Thor (Marvel)
- Guy Davis, BPRD (Dark Horse)
- Amy Reeder Hadley/Richard Friend, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
- Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist
- Lynda Barry, What It Is (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Eddie Campbell, The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard (First Second)
- Enrico Casarosa, The Venice Chronicles (Ateliér Fio/AdHouse)
- Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)
- Jill Thompson, Magic Trixie, Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Best Cover Artist
- Gabrial Bá, Casanova (Image); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
- Jo Chen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity (Dark Horse); Runaways (Marvel)
- Amy Reeder Hadley, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
- James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
- Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Grendel: Behold the Devil (Dark Horse)
Best Coloring
- Steve Hamaker, Bone: Ghost Circles, Bone: Treasure Hunters (Scholastic Graphix)
- Trish Mulvihill, Joker (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)
- Val Staples, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
- Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Unbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Body Bags (Image); Captain America: White (Marvel)
- Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)
Best Lettering
- Farel Dalrymple, Omega: The Unknown (Marvel)
- Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! (Renaissance)
- Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)
- Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)
- Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
- Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland
(www.comicbookresources.com) - The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
- The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael
(www.comicsreporter.com) - Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
Best Comics-Related Book
- Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, by Todd DePastino (Norton)
- Brush with Passion: The Art and Life of Dave Stevens, edited by Arnie and Cathy Fenner (Underwood)
- Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second)
- Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier (Abrams)
- The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, by David Hajdu (Picador/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
Best Publication Design
- Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! designed by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)
- Comic Book Tattoo, designed by Tom Muller, art direction by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
- Hellboy Library Editions, designed by Cary Grazzini and Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
- What It Is, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Willie and Joe, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
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Look’s like I have to check out Madame Xanadu.
And does this confirm there will be more All-Star Superman?
I have the first MADAME XANADU trade on my short list.
And no, I don’t believe there is any more ALL-STAR SUPERMAN in the immediate future.
Total travesty about LOCAL getting shut out.
A lot of Thor appreciation & love for Fables in this list.
Matthew
Nice to see Crooked Man got some love.
Is this the first time Todd Klein has not been at least nominated for Best Lettering?
Will 2009 be the year Dave Stewart doesn’t win? He’s probably hoping so, since he’s out of room on the shelf.
You know who got shut out of lettering (besides our good friend Chris Eliopoulos)? Chris Shweizer from Crogan’s Vengeance! He lettered the shit out of that book.
Coloring’s a tough category. Val Staples did some tremendous stuff with Criminal and Incognito this year.
Dave’s won every year. This year….he was still awesome.
Yeah there is a lot of Thor love this year. I’m all for it though, my friend got me into the series (he gave me the first 12 issues) and it deserves all of the love.
JMS deserves the best writer nomination, and Coipel better win for best pencils. Dont get me wrong I would love to see Guy Davis or Gabriel Ba win too, but there is just no way they are better then Coipel.
I’m so happy Willie and Joe is getting some nominations. It’s up for ‘Best Archival Collection/Projects (strips), and ‘Best Publication Design’. They arent the sexiest awards but it is the best of both nominations.
Finally the easiest award goes to…..Tiny Titans for ‘Best Publication for Kids’. How can that not win?
Madame Xandu is nominated? I read the first couple of issues and thought it was just alright. Maybe I will try out the trade.
Straczynski my ass! Seriously. How you gonna put JMS, and ignore the work Jason Aaron is doing?
Also, Matt Sturges got a little shaft there since he’s co-writing 2/3 of Willingham’s books.
All Star Superman for continuing series makes no sense.
@josh:
1) You put JMS’s Thor or The Tweleve up against Aaron’s Scalped or Ghost Rider? No chance for Aaron there.
2) Agree with you
3) Agree again, ASS is a continuing series? I think Morrison’s ASS left long ago. 🙂
@ TNC. WHAT? JMS’s Thor is better than Scalped? What world do you live in? Yeah, Thor is a pretty good book, but Scalped is amazing on almost every level. Josh is completely right on all three of his points.
@Anson: The same world where the five people who choose for each category didnt vote for Scalped.
Straczynski > Aaron by far at this point. Thor and Twelve are phenomenal and you’re missing out big without these books. 2 of the highest quality books there are. Thor, you have to read all 12 issues for the HUGE payoffs. And Twelve is on it’s own level. I’ve only read Aaron’s Wolverine so far, and it hasn’t been great. Though I hope Weapon X is as good as Invincible Iron Man was in terms of it being about as good as the movie was. I’m excited for Weapon X right now.
I find it somewhat amusing that THE TWELVE has been nominated shortly after it was announced that the book is "on hold".
Hooray for ‘Omega The Unknown’!
I know he may be a bit low-brow but I think Kirkman is a masterful storyteller. I reread the first five trades of Invincible recently and it’s just so brilliant.
Hope Unknown Soldier wins.
Outraged Local fans can use the hardcover as a weapon.
@conor: That doesnt mean anything. As long as issues came out for 2008 (which 8 issues did) then it has a right to be nominated.
Look I know for a lot of people on this site JMS means a lot of mixed opinions. But there’s no doubt that overall in the comic community, not just us, that people loves his run on Thor and loves The Twelve.
@TNC: You’ll notice I didn’t say it shouldn’t be nominated.
@conor: Sorry your right, my bad.
Oh, and speaking of lowbrow, where’s the Goon?
About Local: I have the HC and read it, and I don’t see what all the fuss is.
Gotta co-sign with Josh on this, I read both Thor and Scapled regularly and scalped is WAY better, not to imply by any strectch that Thor is bad, far from it, but Scalped is masterful storytelling. And I just read his Wolverine, great as well.
two things… madame xanadu got a lot of nominations for a book i never hear any one talk about (i do read and enjoy it though) and there arent really any i care about. i guess when they stop nominating Jason Aaron, Burbaker, Bendis, Rucka, etc, its hard to care. o well. to luck to everyone i suppose
@mike: Did Rucka do a lot in 2008? I literally cant think of an ongoing or arc he did last year. I am shocked that Brubaker didnt get a nod but not so much for Bendis….He was very hit or miss during the SI storylines so that’s probably why he didnt get anything
@TNC I can only recall his Daredevil arc with Brubaker.
RABLE! RABLE RABLE!!
Sorry, I just felt like rousing some of that. Maybe I’m an Eisner noob and everyone else is used to this, but… boooo.
I mean, seriously? Thor nominated in 3 different categories? Now, I haven’t read it, but let’s use iFanboy as a barometer. The highest pick percentage has been 27.6% and that was for issue 600, which no offense and I’m sure it was great, probably wooed a lot more people into it because it’s a big, crazy number.
I shall now curl into my defensive position for TNC’s rebuttal.
Val Staples should win best coloring. That guy does amazing work. But he mos def has some stiff competition.
Best writer Joe Hill!! Sweet. More proof you should all be reading that book.
Skim got quite a bit of love, I think I might have to check it out.
I’m really unsure as to why Omega is on that list. I read it in issues, and it just wasn’t very good.
I’m also wondering why Scalped failed to get a writer nod.
No Geoff Johns nod? Are they crazy? What more does that poor man have to do????
You have to submit your own work to be nominated. That’s what I’ve heard. And some people don’t want to do that. Bendis said he hasn’t submitted work in years, since he already won several Eisners consecutively.
Walking Dead and Powers. But I haven’t read all the nominees.
The only one I am at all invested in is Tiny Titans.
And does anyone else think some of the catagory changes are a little ridiculous? Tweens, seriously?
Great to see ‘Locke & Key’ getting some love. Joe Hill for best writer is what I’d vote for off that list. Strange that L&K doesn’t seem to get any props here at ifanboy either ??? Or did I miss it.
Sad to see ‘Scalped’ being shut out. That is the best on-going monthly comic, nuff said.
Best New Series
TOLD YOU!!!
what about the best single issue?
@sunhero your right that doesn’t seem to be there./
What the hell happened to The Twelve? It stopped after issue 8 and was REALLY GOOD, but it’s supposed to be a 12 issue series.
As far as the comparison between Thor and Scalped, there is no contest. No really, there isn’t. They are two COMPLETELY different books. Best case of apples and oranges.
Maybe they need to break it down into more genre specific work? Superhero, Crime, Comedy etc. If nothing else this definately gives the indy guys some great attention they deserve.I would be fine if no one from the big two wins since we are all already well aware of their work.
That being said Alphaflightfan is right, Johns got screwed.
Best Writer?
Joe Hill! Hands down. I love me some Thor and Straczynski, but Locke and Key is the best series out right now. Every month is amazing.
That said, Coipel should win best artist. His pages and panel layouts alone are amazing.
From comic-con.org’s Eisner section (emphasis added):
This year’s judges made a few changes to the ballot, resulting in a reduction in the number of categories from 29 to 26. They eliminated the Single Issue category, combined the Writer/Artist and Writer/Artist–Humor categories, and dropped the Special Recognition category. They also changed Best Publication for Teens to Best Publication for Teens/Tweens.
And re: All-Star Superman as a "continuing series:" for nominating purposes, 50% of a limited series must be published in 2008 to qualify, whereas only two issues of a "continuing series" had to come out last year to qualify. Slotting ASS as a continuing series is the only way it gets any kind of series nomination.
In other news: Wow, that artists category is spectacular. A lot of my favorite current artists are on that list. Also, I apparently need to read more manga. And Alan’s War.
@ScottB – JMS got so busy with his movie (ie – high paying) work that he couldn’t complete the book, so it’s shelved for the indefinite future.
@Parker – They don’t break down Academy Awards by genre, and they shouldn’t do it here. That’s my opinion. I’ve read half of Thor, and I didn’t like it that much. It was OK, sure. But it’s subjective obviously. That’s for judges to decide.
I think there’s just so much good in the industry right now, it’s easy to feel that certain books and creators are getting the perverbial shaft.
You know what would be crazy dope: iFanboy based awards voted on by the guys and the readers, which are then presented to creators at cons or whatever and then filmed on video. That’d be some fun stuff.
From what I see here, I think there’s some good picks in each category and there’s definitely some new things on my radar. As much as I love Dave Stewart, I hope Val Staples wins because the coloring on Criminal and Incognito is pretty amazing.
And I’m completely serious here:
iFanboy not getting nominated is seriously bullshit.
This seems to be one of those "you don’t understand it, so it must be good" kind of things. I read Madame Xandau for the first three or four issues, and I love Wagner’s stuff, but this was just impenetrable. Same thing with Air and Omega the Unknown – just because something is incomprehensible (or nonsensical) doesn’t mean it’s good.
I’ll also join the "these should have been nominated" cause for Geoff Johns, Brian Bendis, Local, Scalped, Eric Powell, and the American Flagg HC.
The only way I know to approach these things is to be happy if something I like got nominated, and take note of names I wasn’t familiar with. I find playing ‘who got left out?’ wearying — by definition, a lot of worthy books and creators get excluded — though your mileage may vary.
So, well, yay for ‘Invincible Iron Man’ and ‘Echo’ and ‘Comic Book Tattoo.’ And maybe I ought to check out ‘Alan’s War’ and ‘Madame Xanadu.’ (I have no idea what those things are; I just like the names).
It’s weird to see what mainstream Marvel and DC stuff that the Eisners respect: Thor? Really? I’ve heard it’s okay, but they’re really saying that it’s better than anything else that Marvel and DC put out (except for like 2 issues of All-Star Superman)?
And as a Fables fan, I have to say that this past year has been the among the weakest in the book’s history. And yet the series is still getting as if it were 2005 and the series was still as original/imaginative as it was back then… I don’t read Scalped, but I could see if it were nominated–that would be less puzzling to me than to see Fables nominated instead.
Last thing, though, even though I’m not a big fan of any of the writers who were nominated, THANK GOD THAT BRUBAKER AND BENDIS WEREN’T. I’ve been saying for a year now that those two have been putting it on cruise control and just mailing their work in (to mix cliche metaphors, appropriately, since most of what Bendis and Brubaker have done lately has been quite cliche in my opinion). Those two writers’ best work is long, long, long behind them, and I applaud the Eisners for not recognizing them this year. No Johns either? Gee I guess the Eisners don’t want to reward the best (plus) writer of the most typical (minus) least genre-expanding (minus) superhero comic books today–good for them. No Morrison, though (besides All-Star Supes)? Well–haha–at least that’s one less argument for the internets to waste all of our time on.
Well, I think walking dead should be up there. Also Scott Pilgram. Love that shit.
@Ohcaroline-Word. I enjoy seeing the books I read and the creators I love being nominated, and then I take note of what else I might want to pick up and try. Aside from Skim, I am hoping to check out Madam Xanadu in the future. And Yay for Invincible Iron Man!!! You, me and JJ; virtual high five! (and anyone else that loves that book to death)
Great to see Stan Sakai pullin’ down the noms even after 25 years of UY!! That book continues to be in my all time top 5 series.
Hey, I just noticed Crogan’s Vengeance got a nom! I love that book!
Alan’s War is the best graphic novel I’ve read in the last year….easy! There will be a Vault show about it in the future.
All – I dunno if I’d put Madame Xanadu on my awards list, but it IS deserving of wider recognition. I was teetering on dropping it for the first few issues, but it’s quickly become an enjoyable read that I look forward to every month. The series basically follows Madame Xanadu through history, from Arthurian era England to 1940’s America (thus far). And if you’re a fan of DC continuity, you’ll find plenty of easter eggs. The book prominently features Phantom Stranger, but the most recent issue has had Jim Corrigan and Zatara, and previous issues have featured or alluded to Dr. Fate, Etrigan, and even Alan Scott’s green lantern lamp.
Also glad to see Fraction’s Iron Man getting recognition. It’s a smart, well-made book. Definitely the best thing to happen to Tony Stark in the past few years. 😉
Joe Casey and Eric Canete would disagree about that last sentence.
I would, too. Still Fraction’s book is aces.
I hope All-Star Superman grabs the win.
It’s fine if you guys love Scalped. But clearly not everyone is a fan of the series.
Thor by JMS (and I will bet my entire life savings on) is more generally loved and respected in the industry then Scalped by Jason Aaron. In all seriousness, this is the only site I know of that continually gives love or ‘works of art’ type of comments for Scalped. Not to say no body else likes it (just talk to the 6,000+ people who buy it every issue) but there is definitely a bias in favor of Scalped.
While there is also a bias against JMS on this site. I know you stated josh you were okay with his Thor….but we know your not a huge fan of JMS in the first place. So of course you want Aaron over JMS any day of the week. But in the general public’s point of view, and for the five judges who did the nominations, they prefer JMS’s Thor/The Twelve over Aaron’s Scalped. But it’s all opinion so you all can still say it’s better then Thor any time.
Just obviously this site is the general minority when it comes to that opinion.
I love Richard Starkings work on Buffy. Sad to see his name not make the list.
No real surprises. I feel the Eisners noms seem to go to whats more mainstream/popular.
Just like the Oscars, I’ve haven’t seen about 98% of what was nominated…
I never even heard of half this stuff. What is this show in Canada or something?
It’s held in San Diego every year.
@Josh – I liked Joe and Eric’s Iron Man story, but I didn’t love it. I’m enjoying Fraction’s work with Iron Man more. No slight against anyone else’s work — just picking my fave. 😉
Maybe Paul was right about you.
Paul? He doesn’t like Starman. His words are meaningless.
If he made it to Grand Guignol, he’d change his tune.
Whether you like Scalped or not, Jock still should have gotten a nomination for Best Cover Artist.
Indeed he would.
I’ll give you this: Canete > Larocca, any day of the week.
Jock should win an award just for being Jock. Every year.
How far do I have to read to get to the Grand Guignol? I feel like Starman is an elaborate practical joke being played on me by the entire world. Such is my ire and vanity.
Jason Lutes’s Berlin is a tome. I bought the first few issues back when Clinton was in office (i think), then lost track of it. The issues came out so spuraticly and the covers all had visually similar city scape in a circle design, I was not smart enough to keep track. I’m going to have to pick up the two collections for some nice historical fiction with very clean lines.
Yeah, how long do I have to read/buy till Starman is awesome? End of 2nd omnibus?
@miyamotofreak
It’s pretty awesome from the get go imo. You should at least be hooked by the end of the first omnibus.
I’m so excited that Air got a nomination, I love G. Willow Wilson and Air is one of my favorite books of the past year. Although it does break my heart a little that it is going up against two other books that I love: Fraction’s Invincible Iron Man and Moore’s Echo. I guess that increases my odds on being happy about who wins that category.
There it is again. Apparently the iFanbase is not supposed to use the words "work of art" when talking about a comic book. This is getting tiresome.
Forgot to mention "FUCK YEAH LOCKE AND KEY!!!" (I totally missed Joe Hill’s name on the first skim.) I doubt it will win, but hopefully more people will pick it up now. That book is fantastic! Hell, I’d even go as far as calling it a work of art.
Starman is *pretty* good from the beginning, but when things all start to come together in the last 3-4 books was when I fell in love with it.
I gotta go with Gabriel Ba. His pencils are realistic and stylistic at the same time. Thor was great but I have put it on the bottom of the stack as of late.
@jmsnyder. Ba is amazing. It’s hard to say what I like about his art. There’s the great amount of detail, the interesting meld of realism and cartoonism, and the abundance of energy in all of his panels. I can’t wait to see what comes out of him in the future.
I dont get it.
Yeah, re: Starman (which was just a joke to Paul, and has nothing to do with the Eisners), I’d say if you don’t like it after the first omnibus, then it’s probably not your thing. A good friend just finished reading it — someone with no real interest in super-heroes — and he thought it was awkwardly overwritten at first, but by the final story in the first omnibus, he was into it.
Hooray for Groo! But what’s most surprising to me is that I like to think of myself as a comic fan who is pretty well-versed in both mainstream and independent comics and there’s just soooo many nominations for things I’ve never heard of. Which is not a bad thing. Just shows what I know.
I just picked up the Eisner-nominated Three Shadows and started reading it today at lunch. Wonderful storytelling, like a haunted folktale… I HIGHLY recommend this one (especially if you’re a parent).
As much as I love Tiny Titans is nominated for an Eisner (and most likely a shoe in to win)….Does it really matter?
The target audience doesnt care, and parents arent gonna either. I would love to see a future cover making fun of winning the award. Cause really, little kids arent gonna care if it won such a high award.
It matters to the people who win (or don’t win), I would imagine.
@conor: Okay let me revise my statement…
Does the target audience cares? Which would be little kids mind you
No, obviously the target audience wouldn’t care.
An Eisner win MAY matter to retailers, who may stock up on or prominently display Tiny Titans because the Eisner is a mark of credibility. Parents (see also: walking wallets) wandering into a store may have their interest piqued by the notice of an "award-winning" children’s book.
@daccampo: I dont know man….I mean I work at a book store (way different from a comic store I know) and parents dont seem to care what awards a book has won.
‘Do you have Newbery Medal winner The Giver?’ is usually a question I dont hear…usually it’s
‘Oh yeah do you have this book?…..called uh….it’s by Lois something or other…’
Fables deserves everything it got, also love the nod at Fraction for Iron Man, best new Marvel series this year. However where is Brian Wood!?! Nothing for Local, DMZ, or Northlanders? Probably my three overall favorite series this year (other than Fables). Local is potentially my favorite book this year and one of my favorite all time. That is the book I give people to get them into comics and it almost always works. Also Ryan Kelly’s art on Local and particularly on Northlanders has been some of best work I’ve seen all year. Those two getting shut out is terrible.
@TheNextChampion – but having some award or being a best seller means it might get translated, and even if not than it means that each store will have 50 copies displayed in a central location. Better books don’t get as much as one copy hidden somewhere in some shelf.
Also "it has won awards" might get some people interested. Being a best seller or having some stupid award is more important sometimes than having a good story.
The Sword?
And why would All Star be best continuing? It was limited to 12 issues.
@TNC When I was a kid, every library I went to had posters listing the Newberry and Caldecott winners. Book awards were frequently listed on recommended reading lists given out in schools, in programs, I belonged to, in the little book fair ordering pamphlets we got, et cetera. And more recently, I’ve frequently seen award-winner displays in large bookstores (including Borders). It’s an extra level of distinction in a crowded market. Even if average readers/buyers may not be aware of the award, it affects the exposure that the books get.
Whether the Eisners have that kind of effect now, I don’t know, but it’s certainly something with potential to make a difference as bookstore sales become more important to the industry.
It’s possible things have changed, but books that had those awards on them like the Newbury or Caldecott got noticed more when I was a kid. There was that sliver star sticker on the books.
But no, I don’t think Eisners translate to too many sales outside the comic industry. It feels more like an internal recognition thing, like the industry recognizing its best. But I’m sure it sells some lesser known books. Is it going to sell more Iron Man? Probably not.
I *love* The Twelve, but Scalped is a far superior book.
@ohcaroline: Oh I totally had like the same experience as a kid. My school (elementary/middle) would advertise the newbury award winners all the time. But I dont think it’s ever influenced me or a lot of other kids in my school to go up and pick a book. I’m not saying these types of awards arent important, these authors need some type of recognision…..If your gonna tell me though (or anyone in general) that it makes or breaks a person’s decision to buy a book…I’d say that would be false.
Let me put it this way: More people buy books that are recommended by Oprah then with anything else at my store. My customers dont give two shits if ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy won a Pulitzer…as long as he appeared on Oprah and see recommened the book that’s all that matters in today’s society.
@TheNextChampion – that and passover cookies. Chocolatey ones.
But without getting publicity it might not be on Oprah or get a place at a certain bookstore and that means the customer won’t be able to buy it or know of its existence. Just having the book there and allowing the customer to buy it makes a shit load of difference.
Comics are now sold in book stores in Israel and that is pretty fucking sweet. Bone gets translated to Hebrew thus increasing the available audience. Those stupid awards create more possible audiance. My sisters would have never read Bone if it wasn’t available in Hebrew. I would have never read comics if there wasn’t a Hebrew comics available somewhere when I was a kid – lucky for me a library had some books of a certain comic.
The somewhat small "look at me" sign some books have is better than "just hanging on the shelf, what you doin’?" pickup line.
@chlop: Well what I’m trying to say that, awards in general are a good thing. I’m not saying Tiny Titans winning an Eisner isnt a good thing. It is, pretty much on the same level about Bone with your sister. Now maybe it’ll be published in other parts of the world and more people will get involved with these comics.
But in general awards dont have that much power anymore with the public. They care about celebrities or other media sources recommending films/books/magazines (what have you). Winning a Pulitzer is a big fucking deal; but I can almost bet all of my life savings (using that term a lot on here) that more people cared about The Road when Oprah recommended then some random medal award. It’s all about word of mouth or advertising in today’s society. So yes advertising a book that won an award is a good thing; but it’ll always get outshadowed if it’s next to….let’s say….’What Bill O’Reilly recommends’ next to the award winner.
I don’t know… just having the recommendation isn’t a magic wand – I think. Having stupid awards helps, and also knowing your audience and hearing about the book helps. Oprah probably knows her audience and there is an interview with the author. It’s not just a "buy this" sort of deal.
There are too many books to read. We need christianity to return to its roots just so we can have enough time to read them. I don’t know how many people each "look at me" sign gets to read the book – awards, black women that talk a lot and give away cars, libraries, podcasts, friends, the cover, the price, having a movie based on it, convenience etc.
In the first book of Bone in the Hebrew version there is a recommendation from Matt Groening on the back – a really stupid one that sounds like he just chatted with someone… I hate those type of name recommendation, but I’m the silent "no thanks" type of guy at the bookstores. Also there was some other book with a stupid recommendation from JK Rowling and my reaction was a sort of "should I care?". I hate those "this guy likes it and you like some of his work" type of thing.
There are too many things to guess and assume and a "rat in a maze" type of test would never satisfy me. My doubts are a protective shield around my "faith in humanity" flame. The only thing I know is that my ass looks great in those jeans.
@chlop: Uh….what? Oh sorry just looking at those jeans….yeah the jeans…
I think I might have a bit of an advantage (a tiny bit) cause I’ve been working at a book store for two years. I get the same costumers and the same attitude towards the same books. Maybe it’s bias but in my area my costumers just dont give a damn what book won some award or how famous the author is. It’s usually:
A) I need it for school
B) I need it for a gift
C) I saw it on TV
So as much as I love award shows (like the Oscars), it probably doesnt mean anything in the long run.
Tell that to Eoin Colfer’s The Wish List. His little brother – Artemis – gets all the publicity while the more mature book in the teen angst period of life that actually involves a death (unlike Artemis who is just a tease) gets none of the attention despite being better in bed. No one talks to him – his little brotehr is stealing the show.
I don’t know how much of that is cash spent by the publisher to stick each freaking copy in the front windows each freaking book store, or how much is the book’s merit or how much is built on previous books – Eoin Colfer slowly developing an audiance via libraries and how much of it is the awards. I doubt Oprah or her assistants knew about some awesome (according to her) book that no one else knew about without the awards it got and that takes a long way – a good cover, already established target audience, good relations with libraries, paying big bucks for "in your face" placement in book stores, advertising etc. One grain of rice can make a difference (Mulan). It has to be an ongoing process and Oprah is probably the "hey dipstick, I’ve been shouting for hours" sign rather than the "read me" sign. That sign can get books translated and the ball starts rolling again.
But as long as you buy the professional – for teenagers – encyclopedia with the volume on human anatomy you’ll be fine. There are some nice pictures of women giving birth without seeing the actual business. Those three pictures are worth the boring volume about plants.
I tried working at a bookstore but I was too old for them… yeah.
@TNC But you can’t read a book you haven’t heard of. And as general rule you’re more likely to hear of books that win awards than of comparable books that didn’t, because the awards influence how purchasing decisions get made by libraries and bookstores, and how school curriculums are developed as well. I don’t have any particular reason to believe this applies to the Eisners, but I can see that it could, down the road.
@ohcaroline: Let’s see….what gets more advertising?
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Tao by Juan Diaz (2008’s Pulitzer winner) or A New Earth by Eckart Tolle (Oprah’s most famous book club mention to date)? What gets more advertising between the two?
I can tell you right now the Juan Diaz book is still collecting dust while we sell good amounts of Tolle’s book every day.
I think the question isn’t "does it sell more than an Oprah book," but rather "does it sell more than it would have without the award?"
Isn’t that the root of your original question? Does the Eisner mean anything to the Tiny Titans? That’s not the same as asking "Will Tiny Titans sell more than Civil War now?"
I generally agree with you, though, TNC, in that I don’t believe the Eisners mean much to kids OR to bookstores.
IN my previous example, I was referring to comic shops. Because while it may not matter to a bookstore, comics retailers (the good ones) know about the Eisners and they know it’s a mark of credibility. And they may use that as a guideline when ordering or displaying books. It’s not so much that the average consumer knows about the Eisner as it is a "trickle down" effect, where the seller uses the Eisner as a sales tool.
Now, is that going to make Tiny Titans WILDLY successful? Nah. But the direct market is one where just a couple of thousand sales make the difference between the life and death of a book. So, could the Eisner make a difference. Yeah, in some small way, I think it could. I agree with Josh’s statement above — overlooked books may get a little boost. Iron Man may see a few more sales, but it’s already in a bracket where it doesn’t have to worry.
But look at this site: several people above mentioned checking out Madame Xanadu, simply because of its nomination.
Lastly, I just wanna add: EVERYONE should read the The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. That book is GREAT.
Dave Stewart never stops being the most awesome colorist around, I hope he wins which he probably will given his track record.
Also I think Guy Davis deserves an award, if anyone has seen his art in the most recent issue of BPRD #4 it is beautiful.
no love for Local… 🙁
its a crime that jason aaron isnt on that list for best writer
@ kickass
how can you Straczynski is better than jason aaron and you havent even read scalped or ghost rider.
iv read twelve, thor, scalped and ghost rider and i can easily say aaron is a way better writer.
twelve is overated and thor is good.
ghost is rider is a good read but its not very compelling. its just fun to read
but nothing Straczynski writes is nearly as good as scalped. and on that note alone jason aaron is a much better writer
I’d just like to say that I wouldn’t have found "Tiny Titans" without seeing it on the Eisner list and I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I read the first trade.
So, for me, it was totally worth it.
Just searched for all of the "Best Graphic Album — New" books at any of my local Borders stores. Not a single book available anywhere.
Seriously, publishers and booksellers…come on!
When you can make Ghost Rider interesting, you should at least get a nomination.
great to see a nomination for ‘monster’
great series