Press Release:
DC Comics can boast of six award winners at the 35th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held July 21 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Batman was involved in four of the wins: Best Short Story (“Finding Batman” by Kevin Conroy and J. Bone), Best Single Issue (Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads), Best Continuing Series (Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo), and Best Cover Artist (Redondo). In addition, Human Target (by Tom King and Greg Smallwood) won awards for Best Limited Series and Best Penciller/Inker.
Other multiple award winners were Kate Beaton’s Ducks (Best Graphic Memoir, Best Writer/Artist; Drawn & Quarterly), Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s The Night Eaters Book 1 (Best Graphic Album–New, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist; Abrams ComicArts), and Parker: The Martini Edition (Best Graphic Album–Reprint, Best Publication Design; IDW).
Presenters during the gala evening included voice actors Maurice LaMarche, Adam McArthur, and Eric Bauza; Batman movie producer Michael Uslan; actors David Dastmalchain, Felicia Day, and Janeshia Adams-Ginyard; comedian Stephen Glickman; comics creators Mark Buckingham and Wendy and Richard Pini; Comic-Con Special Guests Keith Knight, Stephen Notley, John Semper, and David F. Walker; and Clampett Award winner Bill Morrison.
The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, was presented to Beth Accomando and Scott Dunbier. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to artist Zoe Thorogood; it was presented by past Russ Manning assistant Bill Stout.
The 17th annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was presented by Mark Evanier to two recipients: Barbara Friedlander and the late Sam Glanzman. Sam’s son Thomas accepted the award on his behalf. Maggie Thompson introduced the special In Memoriam video salute to those from the Comic-Con family who died in the past year.
The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, given to a store that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large, was awarded by Joe Ferrara to Cape & Cowl (Oakland, CA). Accepting was the owner, Eitan Manhoff.
The afterparty sponsor was HarperAlley. The principal sponsors were Gentle Giant Studios, mycomicshop.com, and Pan-Universal Galactic Worldwide. Supporting sponsors were Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas), Atlantis Fantasyworld (Santa Cruz, CA), Diamond Comics Distributors, and Golden Apple Comic and Art Foundation.
Eisner Awards Administrator Jackie Estrada opened and closed the ceremony. The Eisner Awards and ceremony are underwritten by San Diego Comic Convention.
WINNERS
Best Short Story
“Finding Batman” by Kevin Conroy and J. Bone in DC Pride 2022 (DC)
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)
Best Continuing Series
Nightwing, by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)
Best Limited Series
The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)
Best New Series
Public Domain, by Chip Zdarsky (Image)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems (Union Square Kids)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)
Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
Do a Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image)
Best Humor Publication
Revenge of the Librarians, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Anthology
The Nib Magazine, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)
Best Reality-Based Work
Flung Out of Space, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Graphic Memoir
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album—New
The Night Eaters, Book 1: She Eats the Night, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, by Richard Stark, Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, and Sean Phillips (IDW)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Colleen Doran (Dark Horse)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part 1, by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Dark Horse
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
Shuna’s Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki; translation by Alex Dudok de Wit (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)
Come Over Come Over, It’s So Magic, and My Perfect Life, by Lynda Barry, edited by Peggy Burns (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)
The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta, edited by Dian Hansen (TASCHEN)
Best Writer
James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country (DC), The Closet, The Department of Truth (Image)
Best Writer/Artist
Kate Beaton, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Greg Smallwood, The Human Target (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night (Abrams ComicArts); Monstress (Image)
Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)
Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)
Best Coloring
Jordie Bellaire, The Nice House on the Lake, Suicide Squad: Blaze (DC); Antman, Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age (Marvel)
Best Lettering
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
PanelXPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and Tiffany Babb (panelxpanel.com)
Best Comics-Related Book
Charles M. Schulz: The Art and Life of the Peanuts Creator in 100 Objects, by Benjamin L. Clark and Nat Gertler (Schulz Museum)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
The LGBTQ+ Comics Studies Reader: Critical Openings, Future Directions, edited by Alison Halsall and Jonathan Warren (University Press of Mississippi)
Best Publication Design
Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, designed by Sean Phillips (IDW)
Best Webcomic
Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)
Best Digital Comic
Barnstormers, by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay (Comixology Originals)
Hall of Fame:
Judges’ Choices: Jerry Bails, Tony DeZuniga, Justin Green, Bill Griffith. Jay Jackson, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Jack Katz, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Win Mortimer, Diane Noomin, Gaspar Saladino, Kim Thompson, Garry Trudeau, Mort Walker, Tatjana Wood
Voters’ Choices: Brian Bolland, Anne Nocenti, Tim Sale, Diana Schutz
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Beth Accomando, Scott Dunbier
Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Zoe Thorogood
Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing: Barbara Friedlander, Sam Glanzman
