NEWS WATCH: 2021 Eisner Nominees Announced

By Chad Burdette

on June 9, 2021

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, better known as The Eisner Awards and are considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, recognizing the best in comics from the previous year. The ceremony is held at Comic-Con International: San Diego with awards in more than two dozen categories.

Here are some of the nominees and their work nominated for 2021:

Best Writer/Artist

Junji Ito, Remina, Venus in the Blind Spot (VIZ Media)
Pascal Jousselin, Mister Invincible: Local Hero (Magnetic Press)
Trung Le Nguyen, The Magic Fish (RH Graphic/RH Children’s Books)
Craig Thompson, Ginseng Roots (Uncivilized)
Adrian Tomine, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist (Drawn & Quarterly)
Gene Luen Yang, Dragon Hoops (First Second/Macmillan)

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Best Single Issue

The Burning Hotels, by Thomas Lampion (Birdcage Bottom Books)
Hedra, by Jesse Lonergan (Image)
The Other History of the DC Universe #1, by John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli (DC)
Sports Is Hell, by Ben Passmore (Koyama Press)
Stanley’s Ghost: A Halloween Adventure, by Jeff Balke, Paul Storrie, and Dave Alvarez (Storm Kids)

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Best Continuing Series

Bitter Root, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
Daredevil, by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto (Marvel)
The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)
Stillwater, by Chip Zdarsky and Ramón K Pérez (Image/Skybound)
Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (IDW)

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Best New Series

Black Widow, by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande (Marvel)
Crossover, by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw (Image)
The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
Killadelphia, by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander (Image)
We Only Find Them When They’re Dead, by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo (BOOM! Studios)

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Best Limited Series

Barbalien: Red Planet, by Jeff Lemire, Tate Brombal, and Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Dark Horse)
Decorum, by Jonathan Hickman and Mike Huddleston (Image)
Far Sector, by N. K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell (DC)
Strange Adventures, by Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Evan “Doc” Shaner (DC Black Label)
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (DC)
We Live, by Inaki Miranda and Roy Miranda (AfterShock)

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Best Writer

Ed Brubaker, Pulp, Reckless (Image); Friday (Panel Syndicate)
Matt Fraction, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Adventureman, November vols. 2–3, Sex Criminals (Image)
Jonathan Hickman, Decorum (Image); Giant-Size X-Men, X-Men OTHERS?? (Marvel)
Jeff Lemire, Barbalien, Black Hammer, Colonel Weird: Cosmagog (Dark Horse); The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage (DC Black Label); Family Tree, Gideon Falls (Image)
James Tynion IV, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); Batman (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Razorblades (Tiny Onion)
Chip Zdarsky, Stillwater (Image/Skybound), Daredevil, Fantastic Four/X-Men (Marvel)

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Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Michael Allred, Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)
Marco Chechetto, Daredevil (Marvel)
Jorge Corona, Middlewest (Image)
Bertrand Gatignol, Pistouvi (Magnetic Press)
Mitch Gerads/Evan “Doc” Shaner, Strange Adventures (DC Black Label)
Sanford Greene, Bitter Root (Image)

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Best Cover Artist

Jamal Campbell, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (BOOM! Studios); Far Sector (DC)
Simone Di Meo, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead (BOOM! Studio)
Mike Huddleston, Decorum (Image)
Dave Johnson, Butcher of Paris (Dark Horse)
Peach Momoko, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19, Mighty Morphin #2, Something Is Killing the Children #12, Power Rangers #1 (BOOM! Studios); DIE!namite, Vampirella (Dynamite); The Crow: Lethe (IDW); Marvel Variants (Marvel
Ramón K. Pérez, Stillwater (Image/Skybound)

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Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Benjamin Adam, Soon (Europe Comics)
Alice Chemama, The Zolas (Europe Comics)
Jared Cullum, Kodi (Top Shelf)
Decur, When You Look Up (Enchanted Lion Books)
Antonio Lapone, Gentlemind (Europe Comics)
Anand RK/John Pearson, Blue in Green (Image)

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Best Coloring

Laura Allred, X-Ray Robot (Dark Horse); Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)
Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Middlewest (Image)
Gipi, One Story (Fantagraphics)
Marte Gracia, Empyre, X of Swords (Marvel)
Dave Stewart, Promethee 13:13 (comiXology); Black Hammer (Dark Horse); Gideon Falls (Image); Spider-Man #4-#5 (Marvel)
Matt Wilson, Undiscovered Country (Image); Fire Power (Image/Skybound); Thor (Marvel)

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Best Lettering

Mike Allred, Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams (Insight Editions)
Deron Bennett, Bear, The Sacrifice of Darkness (Archaia); King of Nowhere, Something Is Killing the Children, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead (BOOM! Studios); Far Sector, Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red, Martian Manhunter (DC); Excellence (Image/Skybound); A Dark Interlude, Dark One, Relics of Youth, Resonant, Shadow Service, Vampire: The Masquerade: Winter’s Teeth (Vault); Ping Pong (VIZ Media)
Aditya Bidikar, Barbalien: Red Planet, Grafity’s Wall Expanded Edition (Dark Horse); John Constantine, Hellblazer (DC); A Map to the Sun (First Second); The Department of Truth, Lost Soldiers (Image); Giga, The Picture of Everything Else (Vault)
Clayton Cowles, Aquaman, Batman, Batman and the Outsiders, Strange Adventures, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Adventureman, Bitter Root, Bog Bodies, Die (Image); Reaver (Image/Skybound); Morbius, X Of Swords (Marvel)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
Rus Wooton, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (DC); Decorum, Monstress (Image); Die!Die!Die!, Fire Power, Oblivion Song, Outcast, Stillwater (Image/Skybound)

Best Digital Comic

Friday, by Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
Genius Animals? by Vali Chandrasekaran and Jun-Pierre Shiozawa, geniusanimals.net
Gentlemind, by Juan Díaz Canales, Teresa Valero, and Antonio Lapone, translation by Jeremy Melloul (Europe Comics)
Promethee 13:13, by Andy Diggle and Shawn Martinbrough (comiXology Originals/Delcourt)
Olive, by Véro Cazot and Lucy Mazel, translation by Jessie Aufiery (Europe Comics)
Soon, by Thomas Cadène and Benjamin Adam, translation by Margaret Besser (Europe Comics)

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Best Webcomic

BFF, by Clément C. Fabre, Joseph Saffiedine, and Thomas Cadène, translation by Emma Wilson, https://www.webtoonfactory.com/en/webtoons/114-bff-saison-1/
Crisis Zone, by Simon Hanselmann, https://www.instagram.com/simon.hanselmann/
DPS! Only, by Vel, https://tapas.io/series/dpsonly/info
Isle of Elsi, by Alec Longstreth, https://www.isleofelsi.com/comics/ioe4/page-208/
The Kiss Bet, by Ingrid Ochoa, https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/the-kiss-bet/ep-1-the-kiss-bet/viewer?title_no=1617&episode_no=1
The Middle Age, by Steve Conley, middleagecomic.com

Nominees in the following categories are available at 2021 Eisner Awards Nominations

Best Short Story; Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8), Kids (ages 9-12), Teens (ages 13-17); Best Humor Publication; Best Reality-Based Work; Best Graphic Memoir; Best Graphic Album—New & Reprint; Best Adaptation from Another Medium; Best U.S. Edition of International Material; Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia; Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips; Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books; Best Comics-Related Journalism/Periodical; Best Academic/Scholarly Work; Best Comics-Related Book; and Best Publication Design