The winners of the 2010 Eisner Awards were announced last night in San Diego, and boy if it isn't a big ol' batch of artistic talent.
Big winners include Layman and Guillory's Chew (Best New Series); our good friend Skottie Young for his work with Eric Shanower on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Best Limited Series or Story Arc, Best Publication for Kids); David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp (Best New Graphic Album, Best Writer/Artist, Best LEttering); Ed Brubaker (Best Writer), J.H. Williams III (Best Cover Artist, Best Penciller/Inker) and Jill Thompson and Evan Dorkin's Beasts of Burden (Best Publication for Teens, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist).
The cast of the upcoming Scott Pilgrim film even awarded Bryan Lee O'Malley with an award for Best Humor Publication for Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe.
On a personal note, I'd like to extend my deep thanks to writer/artist Peter Bergting and editors Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge for including me in the credits of Popgun 3, winner of Best Anthology. I did some story edits on Peter's already phenomenal entry "The Spirit Room." I'm proud to be a part of such a great collection.
Here's the full list of winners:
Best Short Story
"Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
Best Continuing Series
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Best Limited Series or Story Arc
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Best New Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Best Publication for Kids
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Best Publication for Teens
Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
Best Humor Publication
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni)
Best Anthology
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
Best Digital Comic
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com
Best Reality-Based Work
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Adaptation from Another Work
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Best Graphic Album—New
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
Best Writer/Artist
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction
Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Best Cover Artist
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Best Coloring
Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)
Best Lettering
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com)
Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Publication Design
Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award
Vault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, Michigan
HALL OF FAME:
– Burne Hogarth
– Bob Montana
– Steve Gerber
– Dick Giordano
– Michael Kaluta
– Mort Weisinger
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award:
Jeannie Schulz
Bill Finger Award for Achievement in Comic Book Writing:
Otto Binder, Gary Friedrich
Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award:
Marian Churchland (Beast)
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Lots of lazy voting on the ballot holders part. We see the judges give us a wide array of nominees and yet the people with ballots (retailers, creators and editors) never take the time to seek out these books and read them.
Some people may tell me "How do YOU know that they aren’t actually reading the books nominated?" The answer is easy… The SAME nominees win every year. It’s laziness. Look at the BEST WRITER category. The category has been around for 22 years… and yet only 8 people have ever won it. Of those 8, 3 are one time winners. That habit isn’t locked into just the writing… look at coloring and lettering (Todd Klien did not win this year ONLY because he FINALLY was not nominated).
My point? If YOU are one of the lucky few who actually can vote THE most revered award in this medium, get of your ass and do the legwork. If YOU do not put the time and effort into familiarizing yourself with these amazing works you should ask to be removed from the voting list.
As you can tell from the apple box I’m perched on, I feel very passionate about this. 😉
Damn Geoff Johns cant win an Eisner.
I’m glad Walking Dead got an Eisner & J.H. Williams III got two Eisners.
A crime that Dave Wachter didn’t win the Digital Comics category.
Matthew
Congrads on your Eisner win Paul. Now when you want anything, Richards must do so! 🙂
Not a single problem with any of these winners for me though.
Brubaker? Really? Last year was a complete slump for him. I think Johns should have won writer this year, or maybe Jason Aaron?
The Brubaker win is completely ridiculous. I am happy to see Rocketeer, Polyp and Parker all on there.
Really Glad that Chew, Wizard of Oz, and Dave Stewart’s Rocketeer got recognition.
Jason Aaron kicked Brubaker’s ass all year long. The Eisner’s are officially bullshit.
These awards are for 2009 works though, let’s not forget that. Too many of us may be thinking of things we read in 2010.
Whoops. I thought Aaron was up for best writer. My bad. He should have been nominated though, so the Eisner’s are still bullshit.
Brubaker’s going to get a lot of undeserved hate, but I agree this has hardly been his best year. In fact, for my tastes, this has been one of Brubaker’s weakest year in a decade. I thought Criminal and Incognito were pretty top notch, and the Marvels Project was a solid 4 star (occasional 5) series, but I came verrrry close to dropping Captain America and did drop Daredevil for the first time since the relaunch 10 years ago. Then again, I did read Sleeper for the first time this year, so Brubaker was still tops in my house this last year.
Brubaker won the award for best writer 3 times including last night. It is time to shake it up instead of the same ol’ same ol’ winning again & again repeatly.
Geoff Johns was the better writer even if the Eisner voting comittee disagrees.
Matthew
Love seeing Chew, Walking Dead, Parker, Oz, Scott Pilgrim, and JH Williams winning.
I’m guessing the best writer award is highly political. And more so than most awards is voted considering more personal reasons than others. The fact that it’s always the same guys says as much. Oh well. I still like Brubaker, even if last year wasn’t his best.
@wally: That’s Dave STEVENS’s Rocketeer… although Dave Stewart won, too, which is cool. Just not for Rocketeer, colored by the equally talented Laura Martin.
@bluelew23 – they can only nominate someone if that person submits anything for consideration. since you have no idea if jason aaron submitted anything or not, then you have no idea if they chose other people over him.
example, bendis stopped submitting stuff after he won for daredevil.
Great to see Sin Titulo on there. Now I hope it gets updated more.
Yeah Aaron and Johns got jipped. I think there should be a solid awards ceremony for comics, and the Eisners always disappoint. I mean Cap 601… really? Best comic.? So outrageous that I wonder if these are purely political or what. Nothing for Scalped, Northlanders, Daytripper, or a thousand others.
I think iFanboy should have an award — I’d take it more seriously than these. What do people think?
I think a lot of the Cap 601 win was for Gene Colon. I dont think Geoff Johns work has enough appeal beyond mainstream comics fans, but i can give Bru’s work to a wide variety of people who generally avoid spandex. Maybe if his creator owned book tries to do something different. Aaron has some range too, but his superhero stuff just hasnt clicked with me. I think he will win though when he gets the right project. Glad to see the love for Asterious Polyp and Hunter. A drifting life and photographer were well deserved too. Glad to see Vault of Midnight win. Its a great shop and would go more if it wasnt an hour away and parking in downtown Ann Arbor didnt suck.
Congrats to Chew and Walking Dead, two of my favorite series.
@Doofenshmirtz—-OOOOOPSSS!!!! I knew that. Never post on the interwebs before morning coffee.
Do the Eisner’s even really mean anything? I think we should detach the name (sidenote: love Eisner for the most part) associated with the award.
I take more stock in the accolades that a podcaster (or someone I know) may give an award than the Eisners. If an ifanboy member recommends something, I have a general idea of the podcasters taste in comics and can take an educated guess on whether I would like the comic as well. Why should I give a crap someones opinion on a comic being the "best" of anything if I don’t know who these people on the commitee are?
Denver Dave hit it right on the money.
On another note: personally I think Brubaker is a far superior writer to Johns, but that’s only because I don’t read a lot of superhero comics. For me, he appeals to the type of comic fan I am. Of course its subjective. I personally refuse to read a Geoff Johns comic, but if you like him why do you need him to get acknowledged? Do you need someone to validate your opinion?
I don’t get it.
Yeah, I echo a lot of what people have been saying about Brubaker. I have LOVED MUCH of his past work, but 2009 was his worst year ever. Formerly great series like Criminal and Cap did not live up to past heights, and new series like Marvels Project and Incognito were not great either. Nothing about what he did said "Best Writer"; his win screams "We have an irrational nepotistic adoration of repeat Best Writer winners!"
To a lesser extent, I feel that 2009 was also a bit of a down year for Geoff Johns, writing-quality-wise, but at least he had the exciting Blackest Night crossover to his name.
Other than that, though, it’s not like I hate the Eisners. JH Williams definitely deserved those wins, as did Mazzuchelli and Asterios Polyp. At this point, though, does winning these awards actually MEAN anything? Batwoman will still struggle to find a big audience despite Williams’ wins. And I doubt that many people will read a year-old graphic novel as already-acclaimed as Asterios Polyp because of an Eisner win.
Overall, I still think the Eisner’s are fun, neat, and not horrible. But they don’t really do a service anymore. Cry For Justice was nominated, let’s not forget–for the writing on it.
I guess I don’t look to awards to validate what I like, so much as I look to them to help me find good/great work. Usually I can watch the Oscars and see what things I should really look into and why (direction, acting, cinematography, costumes, etc… ) With these awards I can’t say much sticks out as things I want to hunt out and read.
That said, B-baker is good, but this was not a great year for him, and Cap 601, I have it, it’s not that good. Why.?
Polyp, needed to be lauded and was. Good. Williams’ work also some incredible stuff that should be acknowledged and did, rightfully. So, I guess it’s not all off. Chew is pretty neat and it won. But, I’m still irked that Scalped didn’t get any nods.
I don’t know, I think that there should be a better awards thing for comics, and I think iFanboy would be able to do it really well. I guess that what this site is basically.
Is Jeff Lemire the Susan Lucci of the Eisners?