Posted in: Comics, Current News, Events, Pop Culture, san diego comic con | Tagged: Jackie Estrada. Eisner Awards

Jackie Estrada's Closing Speech To Her Last Eisner Awards

Jackie Estrada's closing speech to her last Eisner Awards at San Diego Comic-Con

Jackie Estrada, one of the early organisers of the San Diego Comic-Con, has been running the Eisner Awards since 1990. But this year was her last. In her concluding speech for the awards, she interrupted it, to sounds of shock as well as boos from the audience. "So I need to pause here to let you all know that this is actually my last year as administrator of the Eisner Awards." She continued;

"I observed this role for 35 years, and it's just time for me to pass the baton to a new person. And speaking of batons… 1990, when I started doing the Eisners, I met Batton Lash. He was a cartoonist who had gone to the School of Visual Arts with Will Eisner as his teacher. And at that 1990 convention, it was the 50th anniversary of The Spirit. So there was a special party for that. And so Batton and I arrived at the party, and Will was kind of across the room, and he looked over and saw us…. so two people, one from San Diego, one from Portland, somehow met, and that was the magic year for us. And we went on, we got married, and I published his comic, Supernatural Law. That was just so fortuitous and so memorable. And of course, it's been incredibly rewarding just for me to have the opportunity to promote comics as the incredible medium that it is, and to bring recognition to the best work that's being done in comics and for all these decades. And I will be continuing with Comic-Con in some capacity, but you know, I think 35 years is a pretty good run."

After presenting Jackie with a large bouquet, Ron McFee then added,

"I have been helping Jackie with the administration of the judging process for the last 10 years. But I am here with Lee in the capacity of the board of directors. We both serve on the board of directors. And it was really important for the board of directors to make it clear to her and everyone how much we appreciate Jackie's hard work her legacy that she has brought to the Comic Con and Eisner Awards and we're going to have some very hard shoes to fill."

Jackie concluded, because there was event admin to consider,

"Well, I'm overwhelmed. Thank you so much. Even though the awards portion of the evening is over, we still have an afterparty in the Warrior outside the ballroom. We've got music, two bars, and festivities are going to go on for a couple of hours. So, take this opportunity to congratulate tonight's award recipients, socialize, and speaking of the recipients, if you were an award winner tonight, there is a photo that we all want to take, group photo over here, and then you'll be able to come over here and get a box to put your award in so you don't have to carry around. But the hotel staff would appreciate it if people can vacate the room so that they can turn it over."

Always working, even with a large bouquet in her arms. She posted to Facebook afterwards,

"Thank you to the Board of Directors of Comic-Con for the bouquet of flowers at last night's Eisner Awards (presented by Board members Ron McFee and Lee Oeth), commemorating my last year as the Eisner Awards administrator; 35 years was a good run!"

Joining the San Diego Comic-Con organising team in the seventies, including launching the Artist's Alley area of the convention, editing the annual convention program book for nine years, and co-founding the annual blood drive, sitting on the guest committee for decades, as well as chairing the committee.  She took over running the Eisner Awards after its founder Dave Olbrich, quit when no Awards were handed out in 1990 due to balloting mix-ups. Since then, the Eisners have grown in prominence to become the premium English-language comic book awards.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!