NEWS WATCH: And the 2022 Eisner Award Nominees Are…

Yesterday the nominations for the 2022 Eisner Awards were announced with nominees in 32 categories reflecting the wide range of material being published in the U.S. today in comics and graphic novel media, representing over 150 print and online titles from some 65 publishers, produced by creators from all over the world.

Celebrating their 34th year,  the awards named for acclaimed comics creator Will Eisner, highlight the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels.

This year the 2022 Eisner Awards judging panel consists of comics writer/editor Barbara Randall Kesel, author/art historian Kim Munson, writer/editor/journalist Rik Offenberger, librarian Jameson Rohrer, comics journalist/historian Jessica Tseang, and retailer Aaron Trites.

Eisner Awards Nominees 2022 in the following catagories are:

Best Writer

• Ed Brubaker, Destroy All Monsters, Friend of the Devil (Image)
• Kelly Sue DeConnick, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons Book One (DC)
• Filipe Melo, Ballad for Sophie (Top Shelf)
• Ram V, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios); The Swamp Thing (DC); Carnage: Black, White & Blood, Venom (Marvel)
• James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Joker, Batman, DC Pride 2021 (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Blue Book, Razorblades (Tiny Onion Studios)

Best Writer/Artist

• Alison Bechdel, The Secret to Superhuman Strength (Mariner Books)
• Junji Ito, Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, Sensor (VIZ Media)
• Daniel Warren Johnson, Superman: Red & Blue (DC); Beta Ray Bill (Marvel)
• Will McPhail, In: A Graphic Novel (Mariner Books)
• Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Filipe Andrade, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios)
• Phil Jimenez, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons (DC)
• Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)
• Esad Ribic, Eternals (Marvel)
• P. Craig Russell, Norse Mythology (Dark Horse)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Federico Bertolucci, Brindille, Love: The Mastiff (Magnetic)
• John Bolton, Hell’s Flaw (Renegade Arts Entertainment)
• Juan Cavia, Ballad for Sophie (Top Shelf)
• Frank Pe, Little Nemo (Magnetic)
• Ileana Surducan, The Lost Sunday (Pronoia AB)
• Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)

Best Cover Artist

• Jen Bartel, Future State Immortal Wonder Woman #1 & 2, Wonder Woman Black & Gold #1, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary (DC); Women’s History Month variant covers (Marvel)
• David Mack, Norse Mythology (Dark Horse)
• Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)
• Alex Ross, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain America/Iron Man #2, Immortal Hulk, Iron Man, The U.S. of The Marvels (Marvel)
• Julian Totino Tedesco, Just Beyond: Monstrosity (BOOM!/KaBoom!); Dune: House Atreides (BOOM! Studios); Action Comics (DC); The Walking Dead Deluxe (Image Skybound)
• Yoshi Yoshitani, I Am Not Starfire (DC); The Blue Flame, Giga, Witchblood (Vault)

Best Coloring

• Filipe Andrade/Inês Amaro, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (BOOM! Studios)
• Terry Dodson, Adventureman (Image Comics)
• K. O’Neill, The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Oni)
• Jacob Phillips, Destroy All Monsters, Friend of the Devil (Image)
• Matt Wilson, Undiscovered Country (Image); Fire Power (Image Skybound); Eternals, Thor, Wolverine (Marvel); Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters (Oni)

Best Lettering

• Wes Abbott, Future State, Nightwing, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman Black & Gold (DC)
• Clayton Cowles, The Amazons, Batman, Batman/Catwoman, Strange Adventures, Wonder Woman Historia (DC); Adventureman (Image); Daredevil, Eternals, King in Black, Strange Academy, Venom, X-Men Hickman, X-Men Duggan (Marvel)
• Crank!, Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Oni); Money Shot (Vault)
• Ed Dukeshire, Once & Future, Seven Secrets (BOOM Studios)
• Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Short Story

• “Funeral in Foam,” by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier, in You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus)
• “Generations,” by Daniel Warren Johnson, in Superman: Red & Blue #5 (DC)
• “I Wanna Be a Slob,” by Michael Kamison and Steven Arnold, in Too Tough to Die (Birdcage Bottom Books)
• “Tap, Tap, Tap,” by Larry O’Neil and Jorge Fornés, in Green Arrow 80th Anniversary (DC)
• “Trickster, Traitor, Dummy, Doll,” by Triple Dream (Mel Hilario, Katie Longua, and Lauren Davis), in The Nib Vol 9: Secrets (The Nib)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot (must be able to stand alone)

• Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1, edited by Darren Shan (Marvel)
• Mouse Guard: The Owlhen Caregiver and Other Tales, by David Petersen (BOOM!/Archaia)
• Nightwing #87: “Get Grayson,” by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)
• Wolvendaughter, by Ver (Quindrie Press)
• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez (DC)

Best Continuing Series

• Bitter Root, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
• The Department of Truth, by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
• Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, et al. (Marvel)
• Nightwing, by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)
• Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

Best Limited Series

• Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star, by Daniel Warren Johnson (Marvel)
• The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)
• Hocus Pocus, by Rik Worth and Jordan Collver, hocuspocuscomic.squarespace.com
• The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, by Ram V and Filipe Andrade (BOOM! Studios)
• Stray Dogs, by Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner (Image)
• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (DC)

Best New Series

• The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)
• The Nice House on the Lake, by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno (DC Black Label)
• Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)
• Radiant Black, by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa (Image)
• Ultramega, by James Harren (Image Skybound)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Arlo & Pips #2: Join the Crow Crowd!, by Elise Gravel (HarperAlley)
• Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai (IDW)
• I Am Oprah Winfrey, by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos (Dial Books for Young Readers)
• Monster Friends, by Kaeti Vandorn (Random House Graphic)
• Tiny Tales: Shell Quest, by Steph Waldo (HarperAlley)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• Allergic, by Megan Wagner Lloyd and Michelle Mee Nutter (Scholastic)
• Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat, by Ben Towle (Dead Reckoning)
• Rainbow Bridge, by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, and Valentina Brancati (AfterShock)
• Salt Magic, by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House)
• Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear, by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung (Dial Books for Young Readers)
• The Science of Surfing: A Surfside Girls Guide to the Ocean, by Kim Dwinell (Top Shelf)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• Adora and the Distance, by Marc Bernardin and Ariela Kristantina (Comixology Originals)
• Clockwork Curandera, vol. 1: The Witch Owl Parliament, by David Bowles and Raul the Third (Tu Books/Lee & Low Books)
• The Legend of Auntie Po, by Shing Yin Khor (Kokila/Penguin Random House)
• Strange Academy, by Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos (Marvel)
• Wynd, by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas (BOOM! Box)

Best Humor Publication

• Bubble, by Jordan Morris, Sarah Morgan, and Tony Cliff (First Second/Macmillan)
• Cyclopedia Exotica, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)
• The Scumbag, by Rick Remender and various (Image)
• Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh (Gallery 13/Simon and Schuster)
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, translation by Nova Skipper (VIZ Media)

Best Anthology

• Flash Forward: An Illustrated Guide to Possible (And Not So Possible) Tomorrows, by Rose Eveleth and various, edited by Laura Dozier (Abrams ComicArts)
• My Only Child, by Wang Ning and various, edited by Wang Saili, translation by Emma Massara (LICAF/Fanfare Presents)
• The Silver Coin, by Michael Walsh and various (Image)
• Superman: Red & Blue, edited by Jamie S. Rich, Brittany Holzherr, and Diegs Lopez (DC)
• You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife, edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell (Iron Circus)

Best Reality-Based Work

• The Black Panther Party: A Graphic History, by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (Ten Speed Press)
• Hakim’s Odyssey, Book 1: From Syria to Turkey, by Fabien Toulmé, translation by Hannah Chute (Graphic Mundi/Penn State University Press)
• Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula, by Koren Shadmi (Humanoids)
• Orwell, by Pierre Christin and Sébastien Verdier, translation by Edward Gauvin (SelfMadeHero)
• Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, by Kristen Radtke (Pantheon/Penguin Random House)
• The Strange Death of Alex Raymond, by Dave Sim and Carson Grubaugh (Living the Line)

Best Graphic Memoir

• Factory Summers, by Guy Delisle, translated by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinall (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Parenthesis, by Élodie Durand, translation by Edward Gauvin (Top Shelf)
• Run: Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)
• Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest, by Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)
• The Secret to Superhuman Strength, by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books)

Best Graphic Album—New

• Ballad For Sophie, by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia, translation by Gabriela Soares (Top Shelf)
• Destroy All Monsters (A Reckless Book), by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• In., by Will McPhail (Mariner Books)
• Meadowlark: A Coming-of-Age Crime Story, by Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth (Grand Central Publishing)
• Monsters, by Barry Windsor-Smith (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• The Complete American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton (Dark Horse)
• Locke & Key: Keyhouse Compendium, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez (IDW)
• Middlewest: The Complete Tale, by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (Image)
• Rick and Morty vs Dungeons and Dragons Deluxe Edition, by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub, and Troy Little (Oni)
• The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: California Deluxe Edition, by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Becky Cloonan (Dark Horse)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• After the Rain, by Nnedi Okorafor, adapted by John Jennings and David Brame (Megascope/Abrams ComicArts)
• Bubble by Jordan Morris, Sarah Morgan, and Tony Cliff (First Second/Macmillan)
• Disney Cruella, adapted by Hachi Ishie (VIZ Media)
• George Orwell’s 1984: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Fido Nesti (Mariner Books)
• The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell, adapted by Sophie and Scarlett Rickard (SelfMadeHero)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• Ballad For Sophie, by Filipe Melo and Juan Cavia, translation by Gabriela Soares (Top Shelf)
• Between Snow and Wolf, by Agnes Domergue and Helene Canac, translation by Maria Vahrenhorst (Magnetic)
• Love: The Mastiff, by Frederic Brrémaud and Federico Bertolucci (Magnetic)
• The Parakeet, by Espé, translation by Hannah Chute ((Graphic Mundi/Penn State University Press)
• The Shadow of a Man, by Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten, translation by Stephen D. Smith (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• Chainsaw Man, by Tatsuki Fujimoto, translation by Amanda Haley (VIZ Media)
• Kaiju No. 8, by Naoya Matsumoto, translation by David Evelyn (VIZ Media)
• Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, by Junji Ito, translation by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)
• Robo Sapiens: Tales of Tomorrow (Omnibus), by Toranosuke Shimada, translation by Adrienne Beck (Seven Seas)
• Spy x Family, by Tatsuya Endo, translation by Casey Loe (VIZ Media)
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata, translation by Nova Skipper (VIZ Media)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

• Friday Foster: The Sunday Strips, by Jim Lawrence and Jorge Longarón, edited by Christopher Marlon, Rich Young, and Kevin Ketner (Ablaze)
• Popeye: The E.C. Segar Sundays, vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, edited by Gary Groth and Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Trots and Bonnie, by Shary Flenniken, edited by Norman Hathaway (New York Review Comics)
• The Way of Zen, adapted and illustrated by C. C. Tsai, translated by Brian Bruya (Princeton University Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

• EC Covers Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Farewell, Brindavoine, by Tardi, translation by Jenna Allen, edited by Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, edidted by Steve Korté (TASCHEN)
• Spain Rodriguez: My Life and Times, vol. 3, edited by Patrick Rosenkranz (Fantagraphics)
• Steranko Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artisan Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Uncle Scrooge: “Island in the Sky,” by Carl Barks, edited by J. Michael Catron (Fantagraphics)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Federico Bertolucci, Brindille, Love: The Mastiff (Magnetic)
• John Bolton, Hell’s Flaw (Renegade Arts Entertainment)
• Juan Cavia, Ballad for Sophie (Top Shelf)
• Frank Pe, Little Nemo (Magnetic)
• Ileana Surducan, The Lost Sunday (Pronoia AB)
• Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• The Columbus Scribbler, edited by Brian Canini, Jack Wallace, and Steve Steiner, columbusscribbler.com
• Fanbase Press, edited by Barbra Dillon, fanbasepress.com
• tcj.com, edited by Tucker Stone and Joe McCulloch (Fantagraphics)
• WomenWriteAboutComics.com, edited by Wendy Browne and Nola Pfau (WWAC)

Best Publication Design

• The Complete American Gods, designed by Ethan Kimberling (Dark Horse)
• The Complete Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Deluxe Edition, designed by Justin Allan-Spencer (Fantagraphics)
• Crashpad, designed by Gary Panter and Justin Allan-Spencer (Fantagraphics)
• Machine Gun Kelly’s Hotel Diablo, designed by Tyler Boss (Z2)
• Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964 (TASCHEN)
• Popeye Vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Book

• All of the Marvels, by Douglas Wolk (Penguin Press)
• The Art of Thai Comics: A Century of Strips and Stripes, by Nicolas Verstappen (River Books)
• Fantastic Four No. 1: Panel by Panel, by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chip Kidd, and Geoff Spear (Abrams ComicArts)
• Old Gods & New: A Companion to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, by John Morrow, with Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)
• True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, by Abraham Riesman (Crown)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

• Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History, by Eike Exner (Rutgers University Press)
• The Life and Comics of Howard Cruse: Taking Risks in the Service of Truth, by Andrew J. Kunka (Rutgers University Press)
• Mysterious Travelers: Steve?Ditko?and the Search for a New Liberal Identity, by Zack Kruse?(University Press of Mississippi)
• Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comics Imperialism, by Paul S. Hirsch (University of Chicao Press)
• Rebirth of the English Comic Strip: A Kaleidoscope, 1847–1870, by David?Kunzle?(University Press of Mississippi)

Best Webcomic

• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, by CRC Payne and StarBrite (DC/WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/batman-wayne-family-adventures/list?title_no=3180&page=1
• Isle of Elsi, by Alec Longstreth, https://www.isleofelsi.com/comics/ioe6/page-259/
• Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1
• Navillera: Like a Butterfly, by Hun and Jimmy, translation by Kristianna Lee (Tapas Medie/Kakao Entertainment),  https://tapas.io/series/navillera-like-a-butterfly
• Unmasked, by Breri and Nuitt (WebToon Factory/Europe Comics), https://www.webtoonfactory.com/en/serie/unmasked/
• Best Digital Comic
  Days of Sand, by Aimée de Jongh, translation by Christopher Bradley (Europe Comics)
• Everyone Is Tulip, by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux, everyoneistulip.com
• It’s Jeff, by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru (Marvel)
• Love After World Domination 1-3, by Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu, translation by Steven LeCroy (Kodansha)
• Snow Angels, by Jeff Lemire and Jock (Comixology Originals)

— — —

Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) announced that the Eisner Awards judges have selected six individuals to automatically be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2022.

• Max Gaines (who devised the first four-color, saddle-stitched newsprint comic in 1933) and
• Writer Mark Gruenwald (legendary Marvel Comics editor)
• Pioneer of the comics medium British illustrator Marie Duval (co-creator in 1867 of the British cartoon character “Alley Sloper,” considered the first recurring cartoon character)
• Cartoonist Rose O’Neill (creator of The Kewpies in 1912)
• Filipino American artist Alex Niño (DC, Marvel, Warren, Heavy Metal etc.)
• Artist P. Craig Russell (best known for Elric, his adaptations of opera to graphic novels, and his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, including on The Sandman, Coraline, American Gods, and Norse Mythology).

The judges have also chosen 17 nominees, 4 of which will be inducted in the Hall of Fame this summer. These nominees are:

• Howard Chaykin
• Gerry Conway
• Kevin Eastman
• Steve Englehart
• Moto Hagio
• Larry Hama
• Jeffrey Catherine Jones
• David Mazzucchelli
• Jean-Claude Mézières
• Grant Morrison
• Gaspar Saladino
• Jim Shooter
• Garry Trudeau
• Ron Turner
• George Tuska
• Mark Waid
• Cat Yronwode

For more information on the nominee can be found on the Eisner Award Website

The awards will be presented in July at San Diego Comic-Con.

Comic Watch congratulates this year’s nominees and stay tuned this summer for the winners.