The Ringo Awards is the annual celebration of the creativity, skill and fun of comics. The nomination ballot is determined by fans and pros alike, awarded during the Baltimore Comic Con. This year, like other coventions, The Baltimore Con and the Ringo Awards (hosted by Kevin Smith) were held virtually and the nominees and winners are below:
The Ringo Awards, named in honor of the late artist Mike Wieringo (June 24, 1963 – August 12, 2007), best known for his work on DC Comics’ The Flash, Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four, and his co-creation Tellos. The awards celebrate achievement in comic books and was founded by Cards, Comics, and Collectibles in Reisterstown, Maryland. Only creators and new works from the preceding calendar year are eligible for nomination and are selected by professionals and fans alike.
The winners were chosen by a select jury of five professionals representing a cross-section of the comics industry vote for seven choices in each category (they must vote for seven) and asked to rank their choices in order of preference.
This years panel was comprised of:
- Joan Hilty – Former senior editor at DC Comics/Vertigo and a syndicated cartoonist. Directs comics and graphic novel licensed publishing at Nickelodeon, and is a founder and consulting editor-in-chief of the book producer Pageturner.
- James Kuhoric – Multi-award-winning author, editor, and publisher. President of American Mythology Comics. Vice President at Dynamite Entertainment. Former Managing Editor at Avatar Press, and Director of Purchasing at Diamond Comic Distributors.
- Jill Thompson – A ten-time Eisner Award-winning comic book creator best known for her creations The Scary Godmother and Magic Trixie, her award-winning graphic novel Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, as well as her collaborations with Neil Gaiman on The Sandman, Grant Morrison on The Invisibles, Will Pfeifer on Finals, Evan Dorkin on Beasts of Burden, Mick Foley on Tales From Wrescal Lane, and many more.
- Carol Tilley – Associate professor in the School of Information Sciences at University of Illinois. Currently she is working on a cultural history of how young readers read, used, and subverted comics in the mid-20th century US to create a vibrant popular print culture. Tilley is a past president of the Comics Studies Society.
- Gene Luen Yang – Writer and artist of American Born Chinese, a National Book Award finalist, and winner of the Printz Award and Eisner Award. His Boxers & Saints won the L.A. Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His other works include Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), Superman from DC Comics (with various artists), and Avatar: The Last Airbender from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
This years nominees and winners in the following categories are:
Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist) Nominees:
Sarah Andersen, Eleanor Davis, Jaime Hernandez, Kevin Huizenga, Junepurr, Stan Sakai, Raina Telgemeier, David Jesus Vignolli
Winner: Stan Sakai
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Best Writer Nominees:
Drew Edwards, Jeff Lemire, Mark Russell, Erica Schultz, Mariko Tamaki
Winner: Mariko Tamaki
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Best Artist or Penciller Nominees:
Chris Campana, Colleen Doran, Sanford Greene, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, Marianna Pescosta
Winner: Sanford Greene
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Best Inker Nominees:
Keith Champagne, Marika Cresta, Sandra Hope, Maria Llovet, Dan Mora, Hyeondo Park
Winner: Sandra Hope
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Best Letterer Nominees:
Deron Bennett, Jim Campbell, Clayton Cowles, Jared K. Fletcher, HdE, Nate Piekos, Cardinal Rae
Winner: Nate Piekos
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Best Colorist Nominees:
Jordie Bellaire, Alessandro de Fornasari, Edson Ferreira, Laura Martin, Dave Stewart
Winner: Jordie Bellaire
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Best Cover Artist Nominees:
Fabio Alves, Natasha Alterici, Stephanie Hans, Sana Takeda, Christian Ward
Winner: Sana Takeda
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Best Series Nominees:
Banjax, Danger Zone – Action Lab Entertainment, Bitter Root, Image Comics; Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Dark Horse Comics; Forgotten Home, Vices Press/comiXology Originals; Something is Killing the Children, BOOM! Studios
Winner: Bitter Root, Image Comics
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Best Single Issue or Story Nominees:
Bitter Root Red Summer Special, Image Comics; “Hot Comb” in Hot Comb, Drawn & Quarterly; Second Coming #1, AHOY Comics; Spencer & Locke 2 #1, Danger Zone -Action Lab Entertainment; Tales of the Night Watchman: The Steam Banshee, So What? Press; Usagi Yojimbo #6, IDW Publishing
Winner: Usagi Yojimbo #6, IDW Publishing
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Best Original Graphic Novel Nominees:
The Adventures of Parker Reef – To Save a Soul, Chris Campana; BTTM FDRS, Fantagraphics; Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, Graphix/Scholastic; The Hard Tomorrow, Drawn & Quarterly; Hot Comb, Drawn & Quarterly; New World, BOOM! Studios; Penny Nichols, Top Shelf Productions (IDW Publishing); Simon Says, Image Comics; Snow, Glass, Apples, Dark Horse Comics
Winner: “Snow, Glass, Apples” (Dark Horse Comics)
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Best Anthology Nominees:
Dead Beats, A Wave Blue World, Drawing Power, Abrams ComicArts, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens, Archaia (BOOM! Studios), Strange Tails, Vices Press, Thought Bubble 2019, Image Comics
Winner: “Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens” (Archaia/BOOM! Studios)
Best Humor Comic Nominees:
Fangs, Tapas; The Handbook to Lazy Parenting, Drawn & Quarterly; Rick & Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, IDW Publishing; Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, DC Comics; Twiztid: Haunted High-Ons, Source Point Press; Wonder Twins, DC Comics
Winner: “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen” (DC Comics)
Best Comic Strip or Panel Nominees:
The Middle Age, Steve Conley, Andrews McMeel Universal; Nancy, Olivia Jaimes, Andrews McMeel Universal; The Nib Editorial Cartoons by Pia Guerra, thenib.com; Rhymes With Orange, Hilary Price, King Features Syndicate; Sarah’s Scribbles, Sarah Andersen, Andrews McMeel Universal; Wawawiwa, Andres J. Colmenares
Winner: “Nancy” by Olivia Jaimes (Andrews McMeel Universal)
Best Webcomic Nominees:
- The Croaking, echorise
- Lore Olympus, Rachel Smythe
- Fried Rice, Erica Eng
- Penny Arcade, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins
- Rocío Diestra, Rocío Diestra
- Stand Still, Stay Silent, Minna Sundberg
- SubZero, Junepurr
Winner: “Fried Rice” by Erica Eng
Best Non-fiction Comic Work Nominees:
Coin-Op Carnival, coinopcarnival.com; Grass, Drawn & Quarterly; In Waves, Nobrow/Flying Eye Books; They Called Us Enemy, Top Shelf (IDW Publishing); The Twilight Man, Humanoids
Winner: “They Called Us Enemy” (Top Shelf/IDW Publishing)
Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel Nominees:
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, Graphix/Scholastic; Guts, Graphix/Scholastic; New Kid, Harper Collins; Science! The Elements of Dark Energy, Bedside Press; The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep, Lion Forge (Oni Press)
Winner: Guts, Graphix/Scholastic
Best Presentation in Design Nominees:
- Going to the Chapel, Danger Zone (Action Lab Entertainment)
- Making Comics, Drawn & Quarterly
- Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups, Yoe Books (IDW Publishing)
- Moomin: The Deluxe Lars Jansson Edition, Drawn & Quarterly
- New World, BOOM! Studios
- Snow White Zombie Apocalypse, Scout Comics
- Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, IDW Publishing
- 3D Sweeties, Fantagraphics
Mike Wieringo Spirit Award: “Superman Smashes the Klan” (DC Comics)
The following awards were decided solely by fan vote, and sponsored by Rocketship Entertainment:
Favorite Hero: Clove from “SubZero” (Webtoon)
Favorite Villain: John from “unOrdinary” (Webtoon)
Favorite New Series: “Fangs” by Sarah Andersen
Favorite New Talent: Sinran
Favorite Publisher: Tapas Media
The year’s full ceremony, hosted by Kevin Smith can be viewed here:
Comics Watch would like to congratulate both the winners and nominees for all the amazing work represented here.
The next Ringo Awards will be held at the 21st annual Baltimore Comic-Con on October 23, 2021
