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Live: The Eisner Awards 2014 – The Shortest Eisners Ever Storm Saga, Hawkeye, Dean Mullaney (UPDATE)

Welcome to the Eisner Awards 2014, announced at San Diego Comic Con. Here are the nominations… every time one gets announced, we will highlight the winner in bold….

Jackie Estrada celebrated the comics of Comic Con, opening the awards for the night. Sody Clampett, Gary Edson Arlington, Bill Baker, Larry Ivie, Bhob Stewart, Joey Manley, Stan Lynde, Morrie Turner, Chris Reilly, Dick Ayers, Nick Cardy and Al Feldstein. Maggie also remembered Jack Kirby who died two decades ago, and remembered Jack and his wife Roz.

For the Bill Finger Award for excellence, Athena Finger, presenting alongside Mark Evanier, the announcer called her "A Finger". Evanier asked if John Travolta was presenting, then got the audience to call out Finger's biggest underreported credit, "Batman!"

Paul Levitz accepted the award for Robert Kanigher and celebrated the work he had done for DC Comics, 35,000 pages in total and saw his work as literature rather than a hobby – no comic conventions for him.

The second award went to Bill Mantlo, creator of Rocket Raccoon and so much more. His award was accepted by Marv Wolfman who said that Bill Mantlo saved Marvel in the seventies, at a time when the company was full of reprints and Bill was asked to create @the most incredible types of fill in stories and brand new stories, every month we would get together to team up all the characters that might be late, so whichever book was late, we could slot it in, and the books were incredibly good. He saved Marvel with brand new material that was incredibly good." He also celebrated Bill's acceptance of writing toy comics like Rom and Micronauts, that other writers were dismissive of, and made them the company's best sellers.

The third went to Jack Mendelsohn for his work on Mad, Panic, Miss Peach and the Beatles' Yellow Submarine. Accepted by a very loving, happy Jack who poured love on Evanier. "It's not the first time I've been given the finger, but normally there was a rubber glove involved." And also took his time to give credit to the sometimes dismissed Stan Lee.

The Bob Clampett Award was presented to the creator of Free Comic Book Day, Joe Field, who sadly could not attend the Awards, having to fly home today from illness.

Sergio Aragones presented the Will Eisner Hall Of Fame Awards, first to Orrin C. Evans, accepted by William Foster.  "My job is to make sure those who put me where I I am do not get lost." And in Orrin's case, All Negro Comics as the first comic written, drawn and published by black comic book professionals, the award recognising the man who brought "full colour to the comic book palette." The second award went to Irwin Hasen, accepted by Mark Evanier. Who, if he had been here would have made jokes about being too short to see over the podium… and one about hookers. The third went to Sheldon Moldeff, accepted emotionally by his longtime friend David Siegel.

In addition, four more inductees from the list – winners bolded,  Gus Arriola, Howard Cruse, Phillipe Druillet, Rube Goldberg, Fred Kilda, Tarpe Mills, Hayao Miyazaki, Alan Moore, Francoise Mouly, Dennis O'Neill, Antonio Prohias, Rumiko Takahashi, George Tuska and Bernie Wrightson.

Sergio accepted Hayao's in his best Japanese cod-accent, Alan Moore didn't sent anyone to accept his award so it will be kept in the Comic-Con offices, Dennis accepted his own "if it's okay with you I'll sleep with this tonight" and Bernie Wrightson will get his next year when he is a special guest of Comic Con.

The Spirit Of Comics Retailer Award was presented to two stores. The first was All Star Comics from Melbourne Australia, accepted by the staff who all made the long trip. And the second was Legends Comics & Coffee from Nebraska… I have heard many good things!

Maggie Thompson remembered Will Eisner, and those creators we have lost this past year.

For the Russ Manning Newcomers Award, the nominees were Aaron Conley, Vanessa Del Rey, Stephan Franck, Anders Lazaret and Greg Smallwood. The winner was Aaron Conley for Sabertooth Swordsman, accepted by his Dark Horse editor.

Best Short Story

  • "Go Owls," by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #13 (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • "Mars to Stay," by Brett Lewis and Cliff Chiang, in Witching Hour (DC)
  • "Seaside Home," by Josh Simmons, in Habit #1 (Oily)
  • "Untitled," by Gilbert Hernandez, in Love and Rockets: New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)
  • "When Your House Is Burning Down, You Should Brush Your Teeth," by Matthew Inman, theoatmeal.com/comics/house

Presented by Philip LaMarr and Vanessa Marshall to Gilbert Hernandez for Untitled in Love And Rockets: New Stories 6.

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

  • Demeter, by Becky Cloonan (self-published)
  • Hawkeye #11: "Pizza Is My Business," by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
  • Love and Rockets: New Stories #6, by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
  • Viewotron #2, by Sam Sharpe (self-published)
  • Watson and Holmes #6, by Brandon Easton, and N. Steven Harris (New Paradigm Studios)

Presented by Phil LaMarr and Vanessa Marshall to Matt Fraction for Hawkeye 11, Pizza Is My Business. And who thanked everyone for not quitting when he said "the dog solves the crime".

Best Continuing Series

  • East of West, by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta (Image)
  • Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
  • Nowhere Men, by Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde (Image)
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staplfcontinuies (Image)
  • Sex Criminals, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image)

Tom Lennon presented the award to Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples for Saga…

Best Limited Series

  • The Black Beetle: No Way Out, by Francesco Francavilla (Dark Horse)
  • Colder, by Paul Tobin and Juan Ferreyra (Dark Horse)
  • 47 Ronin, by Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)
  • Trillium, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
  • The Wake, by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy (Vertigo/DC)

Tom Lennon presented the award to Scott Snyder and Sean Gordon Murphy, with Snyder telling us that this was his best shirt.

Best New Series

  • High Crimes, by Christopher Sebela and Ibrahim Moustafa (Monkeybrain)
  • Lazarus, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Image)
  • Rat Queens, by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch (Image/Shadowline)
  • Sex Criminals, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image)
  • Watson and Holmes, by Karl Bollers, Rick Leonardi, Paul Mendoza et al. (New Paradigm Studios)

Tom Lennon presented the award to Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky for Sex Criminals who asked the audience "what have you done?" and to retailers who when ordering, said "Yeah! Sex Criminals!" and Zdarsky thanked his mother for teaching him to draw, "one day you'll draw so many dildos…"

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)

  • Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas, by Philippe Coudray (TOON Books)
  • The Big Wet Balloon, by Liniers (TOON Books)
  • Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco (Dark Horse)
  • Odd Duck, by Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon  (First Second)
  • Otto's Backwards Day, by Frank Cammuso (with Jay Lynch) (TOON Books)

Accepted by Art and Franco, who "thanked all the women".

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)

  • The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse)
  • Hilda and the Bird Parade, by Luke Pearson (Nobrow)
  • Jane, the Fox, and Me, by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault (Groundwood)
  • The Lost Boy, by Greg Ruth (Graphix/Scholastic)
  • Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, vol. 2, edited by David Petersen, Paul Morrissey, and Rebecca Taylor (Archaia/BOOM!)
  • Star Wars: Jedi Academy, by Jeffrey Brown (Scholastic)

Hicks accepted with a rather emotional speech, and the second Dark Horse award of the evening, Kelly Sue DeConnick said she wanted to adopt her…

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

  • Battling Boy, by Paul Pope (First Second)
  • Bluffton: My Summers with Buster, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
  • Boxers and Saints, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
  • Dogs of War, by Sheila Keenan and Nathan Fox (Graphix/Scholastic)
  • March (Book One), by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
  • Templar, by Jordan Mechner, LeUyen Pham, and Alex Puviland (First Second)

Paul was stuck in Texas sadly after missing his flight.

Best Humor Publication

  • The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse)
  • The Complete Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes and Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
  • The (True!) History of Art, by Sylvain Coissard and Alexis Lemoine (SelfMadeHero)
  • Vader's Little Princess, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)
  • You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)

My daughter's favourite! The award was accepted by Jeffrey Brown. "For a minute I was like… oh wait, did they actually say me?"

Best Anthology

  • Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
  • Nobrow #8: Hysteria, edited by Sam Arthur and Alex Spiro (Nobrow)
  • Outlaw Territory, edited by Michael Woods (Image)
  • Smoke Signal, edited by Gabe Fowler (Desert Island)
  • The Thrilling Adventure Hour, by Ben Acker, Ben Blacker et al., edited by Joe LeFavi(Archaia/BOOM!)

Phil LaMarr and Vanessa Marshall presented the award to Dark Horse Presents, accepted by Jim Gibbons. I also accept it as a win for my story in that, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne with Simon Rohrmuller.

Best Digital/Webcomic

Accepted by Matthew Inman

Best Reality-Based Work

  • A Bag of Marbles, by Joseph Joffo, Kris, and Vincent Bailly (Graphic Universe/Lerner)
  • The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker (M Press/Dark Horse)
  • Hip Hop Family Tree, vol. 1, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
  • March (Book One), by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
  • Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life, by Ulli Lust (Fantagraphics)
  • Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story, by Peter Bagge (Drawn & Quarterly)

Vivek Tiwary accepted the award explaining that he learned to read by reading comics and the influence of his parents led him to the Beatles and comics, and he thanked them, though departed, and called out thanks for Martha Thomases, his wife Tracy Dennis, Michael Martins from Dark Horse, Mike Richardson for being a passionate Beatles fan, and his editor Philip Simone who helped see them through 5 years of production. He also thanked many people at Dark Horse who he bothers daily. He thanked comic shops, media, and fans, for their support. Most importantly, he said, he needed to thank Brian Epstein, a Jewish, gay, inner city kid with a dream, a superhero in his book.

Best Graphic Album—New

  • Bluffton: My Summers with Buster, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
  • The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, by Isabel Greenberg (Little, Brown)
  • Good Dog, by Graham Chaffee (Fantagraphics)
  • Homesick by Jason Walz (Tinto Press)
  • The Property, by Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • War Brothers, by Sharon McKay and Daniel LaFrance (Annick Press)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

  • The Castle, by Franz Kafka, adapted by David Zane Mairowitz and Jaromír 99 (SelfMadeHero)
  • The Complete Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, adapted by by Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
  • Django Unchained, adapted by Quentin Tarantino, Reginald Hudlin, R. M. Guéra et al. (DC/Vertigo)
  • Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground, by Donald Westlake, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
  • The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, by Edogawa Rampo, adapted by Suehiro Maruo  (Last Gasp)

Scott Dunbier accepted, his second trip to the podium for the night.

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

  • The Creep, by John Arcudi and Jonathan Case (Dark Horse)
  • Hand-Drying in America and Other Stories, by Ben Katchor (Pantheon)
  • Heck, by Zander Cannon (Top Shelf)
  • Julio's Day, by Gilbert Hernandez  (Fantagraphics)
  • RASL, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
  • Solo: The Deluxe Edition, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)

Jeff Smith accepted the award, two-fisted, and thanked supporters, his team at Cartoon Books, Steve Hamacker who colored the collection in 500 pages in 3 months, and lastly his wife who believed in the project from its outset.

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

  • Barnaby, vol. 1, by Crockett Johnson, edited by Philip Nel and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
  • Percy Crosby's Skippy Daily Comics, vol. 2: 1928–1930, edited by Jared Gardner and Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)
  • Prince Valiant vols. 6-7, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
  • Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
  • Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips, vol. 1, edited by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)
  • VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch, edited by Jonathan Barli (Fantagraphics)

The award was accepted by Dean Mullaney, his third of the night. Dean stood back and let his editor take the prize… before talking about how Russ Manning encouraged new talent.

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

  • Best of EC Artist's Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
  • Canteen Kate, by Matt Baker (Canton Street Press)
  • In the Days of the Mob, by Jack Kirby (DC)
  • MAD Artist's Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
  • Will Eisner's The Spirit Artist's Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

The award was accepted by Scott Dunbier. Man, Scott Dunbier and Scott Dunbier must be mad. "An Eisner Award for Will Eisner. What could be more appropriate?"

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

  • Adventures of a Japanese Businessman, by Jose Domingo (Nobrow)
  • Goddam This War! by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Pierre Verney (Fantagraphics)
  • Incidents in the Night, Book One, by David B. (Uncivilized Books)
  • Today Is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life, by Ulli Lust (Fantagraphics)
  • When David Lost His Voice, by Judith Vanistendael (SelfMadeHero)

The award was accepted by Fantagraphics' Eric Reynolds and thanked the late Kim Thompson, this one of the last books he fully edited, and how Kim only ever wanted to break even so he could do another Tardi book.

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

  • The Heart of Thomas, by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)
  • The Mysterious Underground Men, by Osamu Tezuka (PictureBox)
  • Showa: A History of Japan, 1926–1939, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Summit of the Gods, vol. 4, by Yemmakura Baku and Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • Utsubora: The Story of a Novelist, by Asumiko Nakamura (Vertical)

The award was picked up by Eric Reynolds as the publisher Picture Box had gone out of business and couldn't afford to come to Comic Con…

Best Writer

  • Kelly Sue DeConnick, Pretty Deadly (Image); Captain Marvel (Marvel)
  • Matt Fraction, Sex Criminals (Image); Hawkeye, Fantastic Four, FF (Marvel)
  • Jonathan Hickman, East of West, The Manhattan Projects (Image); Avengers, Infinity (Marvel)
  • Scott Snyder, Batman (DC); American Vampire, The Wake (DC/Vertigo)
  • Eric Stephenson, Nowhere Men (Image)
  • Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Orlando Jones presented the award to Brian K Vaughan who only singled out the other writers, especially Eric as his boss, and describing them as far more deserving, but that he had a secret weapon in Fiona Staples.

Best Writer/Artist

  • Isabel Greenberg, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth (Little, Brown)
  • Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)
  • Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)
  • Luke Pearson, Hilda and the Bird Parade (Nobrow)
  • Matt Phelan, Bluffton: My Summers with Buster (Candlewick)
  • Judith Vanistendael, When David Lost His Voice (SelfMadeHero)

Orlando Jones presented the award to Jaime Hernandez, there to accept his award.

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

  • Nate Bellegarde, Nowhere Men (Image)
  • Nick Dragotta, East of West (Image)
  • Sean Murphy, The Wake (DC/Vertigo)
  • Nate Powell, March (Book One) (Top Shelf)
  • Emma Ríos, Pretty Deadly (Image)
  • Thomas Yeates, Law of the Desert Born: A Graphic Novel (Bantam)

Presented by Reginald Hudlin, the award was accepted by Wake co-creator Scott Snyder who said he was given lots of things to say, but won't because they were awful. But praised him fully…

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

  • Andrew C. Robinson, The Fifth Beatle (Dark Horse)
  • Sonia Sanchéz, Here I Am (Capstone)
  • Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)
  • Ive Svorcina, Thor (Marvel)
  • Marguerite Van Cook, 7 Miles a Second (Fantagraphics)
  • Judith Vanistendael, When David Lost His Voice (SelfMadeHero)

Presented by Reggie Hudlin, accepted by Fiona Staples, the first Image and Saga award of the night.

Best Cover Artist

  • David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
  • Mike Del Mundo, X-Men Legacy (Marvel)
  • Sean Murphy/Jordie Belaire, The Wake (DC/Vertigo)
  • Emma Ríos, Pretty Deadly (Image)
  • Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel)
  • Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)

Orlando Jones presented the award to David Aja for Hawkeye, accepted by Matt Fraction. Shame the comic is ending…

Best Coloring

  • Jordie Bellaire, The Manhattan Projects, Nowhere Men, Pretty Deadly, Zero (Image); The Massive (Dark Horse); Tom Strong (DC); X-Files Season 10  (IDW); Captain Marvel, Journey into Mystery (Marvel); Numbercruncher (Titan); Quantum and Woody (Valiant)
  • Steve Hamaker, Mylo Xyloto (Bongo), Strangers in Paradise 20th Anniversary Issue 1 (Abstract Studio), RASL (Cartoon Books)
  • Matt Hollingsworth, Hawkeye, Daredevil: End of Days (Marvel); The Wake (DC/Vertigo)
  • Frank Martin, East of West (Image)
  • Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, Baltimore: The Infernal Train, BPRD: Hell on Earth, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, The Massive, The Shaolin Cowboy, Sledgehammer 44 (Dark Horse)

Best Lettering

  • Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground (IDW)
  • Carla Speed McNeil, Bad Houses; "Finder" in Dark Horse Presents (Dark Horse)
  • Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)
  • Ed Piskor, Hip Hop Family Tree (Fantagraphics)
  • Britt Wilson, Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake (KaBOOM!/BOOM!)

Accepted by Scott Dunbier

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

The award was accepted by… no one? Oh wait, they were assembling a crew. Everyone. Jonah was on the boat and not at the awards, sadly.

Best Comics-Related Book

  • Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary, by Michael Schumacher and Denis Kitchen (Bloomsbury)
  • The Art of Rube Goldberg, selected by Jennifer George (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps, by Art Spiegelman (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth,  by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell (LOAC/IDW)
  • The Love and Rockets Companion, edited by Marc Sobel and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)

The award was accepted by Dean again, the second award for the book tonight. "This time I'm bringing some notes" thanking a long list and dedicating it to Alex Toth's children and late mother.

Best Scholarly/Academic Work

  • Anti-Foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books, 1920–1960, by Nathan Vernon Madison (McFarland)
  • Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation, edited by Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II (Bloomsbury)
  • Drawing from Life: Memory and Subjectivity in Comic Art, edited by Jane Tolmie (University Press of Mississippi)
  • International Journal of Comic Art, edited by John A. Lent
  • The Superhero Reader, edited by Charles Hatfield, Jeet Heer, and Kent Worcester (University Press of Mississippi)

The award was accepted by Sheena and Ronald, and thanked the individuals chronicled in the books, those who were bold enough to engage with comics and cartoons.

Best Publication Design

  • The Art of Rube Goldberg, designed by Chad W. Beckerman and Sara Corbett (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Beta Testing the Apocalypse, designed by Tom Kaczynski (Fantagraphics)
  • Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)
  • The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme: A Panorama, by Joe Sacco, designed by Chin-Yee Lai (Norton)
  • Little Tommy Lost, Book 1, designed by Cole Closser (Koyama)

Presented by Reggie Hudlin and accepted by Dean Mullaney, IDW's first of the show.

Compiled by Rich Johnston and Hannah Means-Shannon


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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