The nominations for the 2020 Ringo Award are out and IDW Publishing and its imprints, Artist’s Editions, Top Shelf, and Yoe Books, received a combined nine nods this year. The prestigious award is an annual celebration of creativity, skill, and fun in comics, with nominations reflecting publications from the previous year as determined by fans and pros alike.
The following are the categories and titles for which IDW titles have been nominated for:
Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist): Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo
Best Letterer: Deron Bennett, Canto
Best Colorist: Laura Martin, Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim
Best Single Issue or Story: Usagi Yojimbo #6, by Stan Sakai
Best Original Graphic Novel: Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)
Best Humor Comic: Rick + Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub, and Troy Little
Best Non-Fiction Comic Work: They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)
Best Presentation in Design: Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups, edited by Craig Yoe (Yoe Books)
Best Presentation in Design: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (Artist’s Editions)
In a press release from IDW, Jerry Bennington, President of IDW Publishing, had this to say about the titles that were nominated,
“The spirit of the Ringo Award is one that puts as much emphasis on reading enjoyment as it does on talent and craft. Our nominees this year, much like the work of Mike Wieringo himself, take readers on flights of fancy that linger long after the final page is turned. Many thanks to the Ringo jury for honoring us with these nominations!”
“It’s gratifying to see such a wide range of comics and graphic novels recognized,” said John Barber, the Editor-in-Chief at IDW, in the same press release continuing with,
“The Ringo Awards are a fantastic honor, and the slate of projects on display here — from the samurai action of Usagi Yojimbo to the out-of-control comedy of Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, to the hard-hitting reality of They Called Us Enemy — all paint a unique picture of the creativity that comics can deliver, honoring the memory of Mike Weiringo in the most meaningful way we can.”
Artist’s Edition editor Scott Dunbier had this to say about the slate of nominated IDW titles;
“Stan Sakai is not only one of our finest cartoonists, he is also a kindhearted gentleman and an absolute pleasure to work with — which added even more pressure to make this the best book I possibly could. Adding Shawn Lee to the mix brought it to the next level. This is a volume that I am incredibly proud of and I thank Stan for the trust he put in us.”
Top Shelf editor-in-chief of the IDW imprint Chris Staros added,
“For this award focused on the love of comics, it’s so fitting to see Penny Nichols nominated for its celebration of oddballs coming together to build a community around their favorite art form. On the other hand, the sheer importance of They Called Us Enemy, both historical and contemporary, is also suffused with love: the love of George Takei’s family that sustained them through years of injustice, and their love for America’s ideals that we must struggle to live up to. Congratulations to all the creators who beautifully captured that love on paper.”
Finally Yoe Books editor, Craig Yoe added his thoughts about the Yoe Book nominations.
“As ‘Teenage Craig’ in the 1960s, I was a proud member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society and dreamed of someday designing Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups! Now, as Old Man Craig, I am both proud and humbled by this prestigious Ringo nomination that I share with the talent-filled Clizia Gussoni. We love the Fab Four: Jack, Steve, Stan, and Ringo!”
The final voting for Ringo Awards is open to the creative comics community from now through Saturday, October 24, via the website www.ringoawards.com.