NEWS WATCH: 2021 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards Finalists Announced

By Chad Burdette

on August 30, 2021

The nominees for the 2021 Ringo Awards were announced last week ahead of the awards ceremony, which takes place during the Baltimore Comic Con in October, given out in honor of the late artist Mike Wieringo who made a name for himself as the co-creator of Tellos, as well as working on DC Comics properties like The Flash and Marvel Comics Fantastic Four, and others.

The awards, founded by Cards, Comics, and Collectibles in Reisterstown, Maryland, celebrate creators and new works from the preceding calendar year as nominated by both industry professionals and fans, with final nominees chosen by all comic creative professionals.

Judging is done by a select jury of five professionals who represent a cross-section of the comics industry who vote by ranking the seven choices in each category in order of preference.

This year’s panel is:

AMY DALLEN: Host and writer for geek media, both independently and on shows for Geek & Sundry (The Wednesday Club, Talkin’ Comics Weekly), DC Universe (former host of DC Daily), and Collider (Collider Heroes). She is known for her performances (Callisto 6, Shield of Tomorrow), tabletop and video game streaming, and for her commentary drawing on over a decade in comics retail as a staff member at House of Secrets in Burbank, CA.
DR. KATIE MONNIN: The first author to discuss teaching with graphic novels in 21st-century classrooms. Alongside the award-winning Teaching Graphic Novels (2010), she has also written eight more books about teaching graphic novels and pop culture in 21st-century classrooms. In 2018, Dr. Monnin created and launched Why so serious? Productions, an educational organization and also wrote a monthly column for Diamond Bookshelf called “Katie’s Korner: Graphic Novel Reviews for Schools and Libraries” from 2010 – 2020. She also works with DC Comics to create academic reading guides.
JOHN SIUNTRES: Host and producer of shows for CBS Radio, CBS-TV, ESPN, Fox Sports Network, and the former Sporting News Radio Network. He is also the creator of the Word Balloon Podcast, a talk show podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with comic book creators, novelists, screenwriters, and actors. In 2011 USA TODAY’S POP CANDY Blogger Whitney Matheson rated Word Balloon the number 1 comic book podcast. John was also featured on The Science Channel as an on-camera expert on the 8-part TV series, Prophets Of Science Fiction.
STEENZ: St. Louis-based cartoonist, editor, and professor. She is the cartoonist on the syndicated comic strip Heart Of The City, the co-creator of Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning GN Archival Quality. She is featured in short story anthologies such as Eisner- and Ignatz Award-winning Elements: Fire, Mine!, and Dead Beats. She also launched and edited the popular RPG periodical Rolled & Told and currently teaches cartooning at Webster University while editing titles from Mad Cave Studios.
BRIAN STELFREEZE: Multi-talented artist with experience in penciling, inking, coloring, painting, and writing. He is a founding member of Gaijin Studios, a prolific and acclaimed cover artist whose creative output can be found on BOOM! Studios’ Day Men, Marvel Comics’ Black Panther, and DC Comics’ Shadow of the Bat. BOOM! Studios’ recently released The Signature Art of Brian Stelfreeze, a definitive look at his publishing career.

The following are this year’s nominees by categories:

Best Series

The Department of Truth, Image Comics
Far Sector, DC Comics
Lore Olympus, WEBTOON
My Deepest Secret, WEBTOON
Usagi Yojimbo, IDW Publishing
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, DC Comics

Best Single Issue or Story

All-America Comix #1, Image Comics
Firefly: The Outlaw Ma Reynolds (BOOM! Studios)
Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx, Flying Eye Books (US) / Nobrow Press
“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” from Ice Cream Man Present Quarantine Comix Special #1, Image Comics
The O.Z., self-published
Parallel, Source Point Press

Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)