San Diego (CBG) — The 22nd annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented July 23 in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel.
While the awards themselves contained a number of surprises, an announcement of the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Eisner’s graphic novel A Contract with God, scheduled for 2012 release, drew much interest from the crowd.
Longtime Eisner Master of Ceremonies Bill Morrison was joined by voice actor Maurice LaMarche and the duo kept things moving throughout the evening.
Among the presenters of the awards were the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, actors Phil Lamarr and Thomas Jane and Bloom Countycreator Berke Breathed.
In addition to the Eisner Awards, other honors were given as always with The Bill Finger Excellence in Comics Writing Award given to Otto Binder and Gary Friedrich, the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award given to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz’ widow, Jeannie Schulz, the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award given to Vault of Midnight Comics in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award given to Marian Churchland, the writer and artist of Image’s Beast.
Cartoonist Sergio Aragonés presented the inductees into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. The Judges’ Choices were Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana, while the elected choices were Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Michael Kaluta, and Mort Weisinger.
The winners of the Will Eisner Awards were:
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 Lefegravevre, 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)
Photos:
Phil Lamarr (left) and Berke Breathed (right) were among the Eisner presenters.
Gary Friedrich was presented with a Bill Finger Excellence in Comics Writing Award.
It was a meeting of Thompson and Thompson as CBG Senior Editor Maggie (right) talked to Jill (left) about her two Eisner Awards after the ceremony.
The Magazine
