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Live! From The Harvey Awards 2015 In Baltimore (Complete List Of Winners UPDATE)

Welcome to the Harvey Awards held at Baltimore Comic Con, tonight the 26^th of September! As the winners in each category are announced, we will mark the winners in bold within each category.

Vivek Tiwary, himself a winner of Harvey Awards as writer and Tony Award-winning Producer , took the stage as host at this year's Harvey Awards. He described it as a "happy and humbling moment" to become host of the awards. He reminded people that he is capable of talking about more than The Fifth Beatle, and also that he has written some work for Valiant Comics that he's very proud of. Calling himself "not funny, and long-winded", he wondered how he got offered this role. He does have "two things in spades, and that is passion and dreams", he said. "Really, isn't that what we are all about?" he asked, calling comics an "industry of passionate dreamers". He learned to read through Herge's Tintin and cited Chris Claremont and Kevin Eastman, as well as Neil Gaiman for teaching him aspects of life that have shaped him through their own work. Mad Magazine, however, had a particular impact on him, and inspired him to ask questions about how the magazine came about, which led him to Harvey Kurtzman.

Tiwary followed Kurtzman's history and became an avid collector of his work, learning ways to "thwart the system". A moment of Kurtman's life that was particularly inspiring for Tiwary was the fact that when he was 4 years old, his dad died, and Kurtzman's mother found it necessary to put her children in an orphanage for a year. Tiwary, who lost both of his parents in his 20's, feels that the experience "changed every aspect" of his life. Now a father, his own daughter is about to turn 4 years old, and can conceive of the impact this experience must have had on Kurtzman. The fact that Kurtzman came out of that incident with a concept of family and career, and yet still chose to "chase a dream" of following comics is "incredibly inspiring" to Tiwary.

Tiwary said that he believes being nominated for a Harvey Award may be "really cool" to put on one's mantlepiece, but it's also a "responsibility to the man they are named after". He appealed to creators to pursue the "message" of the award to pursue excellence in career and family life. The responsibility also conveys a "great deal of joy", however. Tiwary proposed a toast to Kurtzman's statement that "when I good work, it's a high in itself" and "I was on the joy of life", when asked "what he was on" when he conceived of his work. Kutzman also said, "You do your work, and it makes you high". Tiwary proposed a toast to Kurtzman, nominees and winners of the awards on that note.

BEST LETTERER (Presented by Charles Kochman)

Aubrey Aiese, LUMBERJANES, BOOM! Box (BOOM! Studios)
Deron Bennett, HACKTIVIST, Archaia Black Label (BOOM! Studios)
Ed Dukeshire, THE WOODS, BOOM! Studios
Jack Morelli, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, Archie Comic Publications
Josh Reed, DAMSELS IN EXCESS, Aspen

BEST COLORIST (Presented by Charles Kochman)

Elizabeth Breitweiser, VELVET, Image Comics
Jordie Bellaire, MOON KNIGHT, Marvel Comics
Laura Martin, ARMOR HUNTERS, Valiant Entertainment
Dave Stewart, HELLBOY IN HELL, Dark Horse Comics
Matthew Wilson, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, Image Comics

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP or PANEL (Presented by Charles Kochman)

DICK TRACY, Joe Staton and Mike Curtis, Tribune Media Services
DILBERT, Scott Adams, Universal Uclick
FOX TROT, Bill Amend, Universal Uclick
GET FUZZY, Darby Conley, Universal Uclick
MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate

***It was a "threepeat" for "Team Tracy" this year at the Harvey, and the team took the dais to accept the award. They try to keep the "spirit of Chester Gould alive" and appreciate the award. The other strips to complete this "hat trick" were Mutts and Calvin and Hobbes.

BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK (Presented by Francesco Francavilla)

ALBERT THE ALIEN, Trevor Mueller and Gabriel Bautista, albertthealien.com
BATTLEPUG, Mike Norton, battlepug.com
GIRLS WITH SLINGSHOTS, Danielle Corsetto, girlswithslingshots.com
SPACE MULLET, Daniel Warren Johnson, space-mullet.com
THE PRIVATE EYE, Brian K. Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente, panelsyndicate.com

BEST AMERICAN EDITION of FOREIGN MATERIAL (Presented by Francesco Francavilla)

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS, Drawn & Quarterly
BLACKSAD: AMARILLO, Dark Horse
CORTO MALTESE: UNDER THE SIGN OF CAPRICORN, EuroComics/IDW
THE COLLECTOR, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
THE KILLER OMNIBUS VOL. 2, Archaia/BOOM! Studios

BEST INKER (Presented by Francesco Francavilla)

Roger Langridge, JIM HENSON'S THE MUSICAL MONSTERS OF TURKEY HOLLOW, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
Danny Miki, BATMAN, DC Comics
Mark Pennington, ARMOR HUNTERS: BLOODSHOT, Valiant Entertainment
Joe Rivera, THE VALIANT, Valiant Entertainment
Wade Von Grawbadger, ALL NEW X-MEN, Marvel Comics

BEST NEW SERIES (Presented by Mike Gold)

BITCH PLANET, Image Comics
LUMBERJANES, BOOM! Box (BOOM! Studios)
MS. MARVEL, Marvel Comics
SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Image Comics
THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, Image Comics

***Mike Gold, presenting, reminded people that this week is Banned Books Week and encouraged us to go and buy a banned book and perhaps give one to a friend.

MOST PROMISING NEW TALENT (Presented by Mike Gold)

Steve Bryant, ATHENA VOLTAIRE COMPENDIUM, Dark Horse Comics
Daniel Warren Johnson, GHOST FLEET, Dark Horse Comics
Chad Lambert, "KILL ME" FROM DARK HORSE PRESENTS, Dark Horse Comics
Babs Tarr, BATGIRL, DC Comics
Jen Van Meter, THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE, Valiant Entertainment

***Chad Lambert accepted his award, saying he's a little old to be new talent, but this is the first of his works to get attention. He thanked Mike Richardson and others for supporting a "44 year old wannabe".

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS (Presented by Mike Gold)

James Asmus, QUANTUM AND WOODY, Valiant Entertainment
James Asmus & Fred Van Lente, THE DELINQUENTS, Valiant Entertainment
Ryan Browne, GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS, Image Comics
Fred Van Lente, ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG, Valiant Entertainment
Chip Zdarsky, SEX CRIMINALS, Image Comics

The first HARVEY KURTZMAN HALL OF FAME Inductee this year was Jules Feiffer. Charles Kochman presented the award and introduced him. Feiffer reflected on his time with Kurtzman and the freedom that he was given to go in "any damn direction" that he pleased in his work. He feels that "what I've done on my own since couldn't have even been conceived of" without all of the other work going on. We get "permission", he feels, from others, to "take off". Feiffer said that in his 80's he's become an "adventure strip graphic novelist". He has been able to "start having a lot more fun now than I've ever had before" and thanked the audience for the award.

The second HARVEY KURTZMAN HALL OF FAME Inductee this year was Will Eisner, presented by Jules Feiffer. If Will Eisner "had done nothing more than give us his Spirit", Feiffer said, "that would have been enough". But after the "terrible mistake" of going into another career for a number of years, he suddenly became a "new kind of cartoonist" with new "subject matter". What Feiffer found interesting was that backgrounds, which had always been major to his career, suddenly became less important in favor of "words, characters, and atmosphere". Eisner's nephew and niece accepted the award on Eisner's behalf. In the 75th Anniversary year for The Spirit, Eisner's neice said "to be remembered is to live on". She thought it was fitting that both Eisner and Kurtman have been inducted into each other's halls of fame since they were dear friends who held each other in high regard.

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS (Presented by Dean Haspiel)

JIM HENSON'S THE MUSICAL MONSTERS OF TURKEY HOLLOW, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
LUMBERJANES, BOOM! Box (BOOM! Studios)
SISTERS, Scholastic-Graphix
SPONGEBOB COMICS, United Plankton Pictures
THIS ONE SUMMER, First Second Books

**Dean Haspiel spoke about his studio mate Seth Kushner, who passed away this year, and was a photographer who created many portraits of the creators present. Kushner's first graphic novel, Schmuck, has now been released posthumously. He thanked Baltimore Comic Con for their charity auction, held last year, which presented Seth Kushner with a check for $10,000 to help with his medical expenses. "That's what Baltimore Comics is to me", Haspiel said, "family".

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED (Presented by Dean Haspiel)

HIT: 1955 TP, BOOM! Studios
MOUSE GUARD: BALDWIN THE BRAVE AND OTHER TALES HC, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
RAI VOL. 1: WELCOME TO NEW JAPAN TP, Valiant Entertainment
SIX-GUN GORILLA TP, BOOM! Studios
THE LOVE BUNGLERS, Fantagraphics

***David Peterson was present to accept the award. This collection of short stories was inspired by his English teacher's introduction to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and also J.K. Rowling.

THE DICK GIORDANO HERO INITIATIVE HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD was presented by Nellie Kurtzman to Denis Kitchen. Denis Kitchen accepted the award, asking, "Didn't anybody do a background check". He said that he is proud of having founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and he thanked his "second favorite non profit" for honoring him in this way.

BEST ANTHOLOGY (Presented by Steve Geppi)

DARK HORSE PRESENTS, Dark Horse Comics
IN THE DARK: A HORROR ANTHOLOGY, IDW
LITTLE NEMO: DREAM ANOTHER DREAM, Locust Moon Press
MASTERFUL MARKS: CARTOONISTS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD, Simon & Schuster
WILD OCEAN, Fulcrum Publishing

***Vivek Tiwary accepted the award on behalf of Mike Richardson.

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT (Presented by David Petersen)

HARVEY KURTZMAN'S JUNGLE BOOK: ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN VOLUME 1, Kitchen Sink Books/Dark Horse Books
STERANKO NICK FURY AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. ARTIST'S EDITION, IDW
THE COMPLETE QUANTUM AND WOODY CLASSIC OMNIBUS, Valiant Entertainment
VALIANT MASTERS: H.A.R.D. CORPS VOL. 1 – SEARCH & DESTROY, Valiant Entertainment
WALT DISNEY DONALD DUCK AND UNCLE SCROOGE: THE SON OF THE SUN (DON ROSA LIBRARY VOL. 1), Fantagraphics

***Dirk Wood accepted the award on behalf of Jim Steranko and Scott Dunbier's work on the project. Steranko said via Wood that the second volume of the book would be coming soon and "you ain't seen nothing yet".

BEST COVER ARTIST (Presented by David Petersen)

Mike Del Mundo, ELEKTRA, Marvel Comics
Francesco Francavilla, AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, Archie Comic Publications
Jenny Frison, REVIVAL, Image Comics
Chris Samnee, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Fiona Staples, SAGA, Image Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, or JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION (Presented by David Petersen)

BACK ISSUES, Comic Pop
COMIC BOOK CREATOR, TwoMorrows Publications
HEROES OF THE COMICS: PORTRAITS OF THE LEGENDS OF COMIC BOOKS, Drew Friedman, Fantagraphics
MASTERFUL MARKS: CARTOONISTS WHO CHANGED THE WORLD, Monte Beauchamp, Simon & Schuster
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL HISTORY, Andrew Farago, Insight Editions

SPECIAL AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION (Presented by Dean Haspiel)

ARMOR HUNTERS, Josh Johns and Warren Simons, Valiant Entertainment
HARVEY KURTZMAN'S JUNGLE BOOK: ESSENTIAL KURTZMAN VOLUME 1, John Lind and Philip R. Simon, Kitchen Sink Books/Dark Horse Books
LITTLE NEMO: DREAM ANOTHER DREAM, Andrew Carl, Josh O'Neill, and Chris Stevens, Locust Moon Press
JIM HENSON'S THE MUSICAL MONSTERS OF TURKEY HOLLOW HC, Scott Newman, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
THE VALIANT, Kyle Andrukiewicz and Warren Simons, Valiant Entertainment

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM ORIGINAL (Presented by Steve Geppi)

ATHENA VOLTAIRE COMPENDIUM, Dark Horse Comics
JIM HENSON'S THE MUSICAL MONSTERS OF TURKEY HOLLOW, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
SECONDS, Ballantine Books
THE WRENCHIES, First Second Books
THIS ONE SUMMER, First Second Books

***Ross Richie accepted the award on behalf of the creative team.

The HERO INITIATIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD was presented by Vivek Tiwary to Russ Heath. Heath prompted a very emotional response from the audience for his accomplishments, but also for appearing in person and with great honesty admitting that he might have "lost his touch" even if people don't think so. He said receiving the award was the "biggest surprise of his life".

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES (Presented by John Ostrander)

AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, Archie Comic Publications
DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
SAGA, Image Comics
SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Image Comics
THE VALIANT, Valiant Entertainment

BEST WRITER (Presented by Marv Wolfman)

Jason Aaron, SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Image Comics
Jen Van Meter, THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE, Valiant Entertainment
Brian K. Vaughan, SAGA, Image Comics
Mark Waid, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
G. Willow Wilson, MS. MARVEL, Marvel Comics

BEST ARTIST (Presented by Sara Richard)

Clayton Crain, RAI, Valiant Entertainment
Roberto de la Torre, THE DEATH-DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE, Valiant Entertainment
Chris Samnee, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Fiona Staples, SAGA, Image Comics
Jillian Tamaki, THIS ONE SUMMER, First Second Books

BEST CARTOONIST (Presented by Mark Waid)

Steve Bryant, ATHENA VOLTAIRE COMPENDIUM, Dark Horse Comics
Howard Chaykin, BLOODSHOT #25, Valiant Entertainment
Farel Dalrymple, THE WRENCHIES, First Second Books
Terry Moore, RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studios
Dan Parent, KEVIN KELLER, Archie Comic Publications
Andy Runton, X-O MANOWAR #25, Valiant Entertainment

***Moore admitted that he's lost many awards, but he's glad he won this one. He also said he was grateful that Saga was not nominated for Best Cartoonist, laughing. Kurtzman was a name he knew from the age of 5 and reading any description of Kurtzman, the first word in that list is "cartoonist", and so this award is particularly meaningful for him.

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY (Presented by Laura Martin)

ARMOR HUNTERS #1, Valiant Entertainment
"Breaking Out", DARK HORSE PRESENTS #35, Dark Horse Comics
JIM HENSON'S THE STORYTELLER: WITCHES #4, Archaia/BOOM! Studios
MULTIVERSITY: PAX AMERICANA, DC Comics
RAI #1, Valiant Entertainment

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