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Eisner dreaming on such a winter's day

SDCC begins today but it seems like Marvel and DC are already controlling their news cycles and have released most of their news in the past couple of weeks.  The biggest thing to look forward to are the Eisners I guess.  So here's how I handicap them this year.  My Eisner picks are in bold.

Best Short Story
  • "Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)
  • "Gentleman John," by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)
  • "How and Why to Bale Hay," by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
  • "Hurricane," interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)
  • "Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)
I haven't read any of the short story nominees.  I have no idea where most of these stories even appeared.  I have to really work better at tracking down short stories next year.  Of course, I think I've said that every year so far.


Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

  • Brave & the Bold #28: "Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
  • Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
  • Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
  • The Unwritten #5: "How the Whale Became," by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
  • Usagi Yojimbo #123: "The Death of Lord Hikiji" by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)
I've only read two of these.  Usagi Yojimbo is a huge blind-spot in my comic reading library but Ganges #3 was a great book, following it's own internal logic.  Huizenga is an under-rated cartoonist I think who really experiments with his storytelling techiniques.

Was Jonah Hex #50 this year?  I'm surprised that didn't get a nomination.

Best Continuing Series

  • Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
  • Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
  • Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
  • The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
  • The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Let's go with 20th Century Books in this category because it's the only book here that I really like, even though I recently discovered The Walking Dead and have been getting a kick out of it.  My pick would probably have been Jeff Smith's Rasl if it had been nominated.  I'd maybe even include Amazing Spider-Man in this category.

Best Limited Series or Story Arc

  • Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
  • Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
  • Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
  • Wolverine #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: "Old Man Logan," by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
3 out of the 5 nominees in this category could easily win.  I'll let you decide which two I could care less about.

Best New Series

  • Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)
  • Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
  • Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
  • The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
I'm not a fan of either Chew or The Unwritten and neither Boom title has done anything for me.  That leaves Sweet Tooth as the default winner here. 

Best Publication for Kids

  • Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf)
  • The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
  • Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
  • The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)
I'm not a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz but I enjoyed Shanower and Young's adaptation. 

Best Publication for Teens

  • Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
  • Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
  • A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)
  • Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
  • I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)
Far Arden was really good but I wonder how it qualifies as a "teen" book.  Dorkin and Thompson's Beasts of Burder was a gorgeous and wonderfully told series. 

Best Humor Publication

  • Drinky Crow's Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
  • Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
  • Little Lulu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)
  • The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (BOOM Kids!)
  • Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O'Malley (Oni)
Langridge has been my favorite cartoonist of the year.  His The Muppet Show books are great showcases in storytelling. 

Best Anthology

  • Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
  • Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
  • Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
  • Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
  • Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
  • What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)
I haven't been much of an anthology guy the past couple of years.  There's too much noise in some of them.  Of these, Abstract Comics is still a book that I want to get sometime.

Best Digital Comic

I think this is actually one of the strongest categories this year.  The only series here I'm not familiar with is Power Out.  I have to go with The Guns of Shadow Valley here, a fantastic western. 

Best Reality-Based Work

  • A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
  • The Impostor's Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
  • Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
  • The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
  • Stitches, by David Small (Norton)
And here's another strong category but Footnotes in Gaza was one of the best books of the last year.

Best Adaptation from Another Work

  • The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
  • Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
  • Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)
  • Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
  • West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
O.k.  Once we get away from the month-in/month-out comic categories, we get a number of strong ones.  This is almost a toss up between Parker and West Coast Blues.

Best Graphic Album-New

  • Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)
  • A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
  • My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
  • Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Going totally new, I think Asterois Polyp has to take this one.

Best Graphic Album-Reprint

  • Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
  • A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
  • Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
  • Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
  • Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996-2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
The Essex County Collected really recreated the experience of reading the Essex County books.  I like how there's some recontextualization going on as you get all three stories together to form one large story.


Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips

  • Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
  • Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Bruce Canwell (IDW)
  • The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
  • Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
  • Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937-1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
  • Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W. W. Denslow, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
I love the Bloom County book but Fantagraphics Prince Valiant V1 is a wonderful presentation of Hal Foster's work. 

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books

  • The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
  • Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
  • Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
  • The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
  • The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
I'm always happy to find more Archie Goodwin comics.  And this has a nice pair of interviews with Jim Warren and Archie Goodwin.

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

  • My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
  • Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
  • West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
  • Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Fantagraphics Tardi books have been a great discovery this year but I think I almost enjoy You Are There better than West Coast Blues.  Both are excellent.

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia

  • The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second)
  • A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
  • Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
  • Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
This is another of those "any can win" categories.  Today I say go with A Drifting Life, even over Pluto or 20th Century Boys.  I'm kind of surprised not to see Go Go Monter here or any Takehiko Inoue books.

Best Writer

  • Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
  • Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
  • James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
  • Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
  • Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
I hate to say it but are these the best of the year?  Where's Jeff Parker or Rick Remender?  Where's Fraction or Morrison? 

Best Writer/Artist

  • Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
  • R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
  • David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
  • Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
  • Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)
Now this is more like it, though I'd probably substitute Jeff Smith in for Terry Moore.  I think Mazzucchelli's really showed what a good writer/artist could do.

Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction

  • Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
  • David Small, Stitches (Norton)
  • Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)
Sacco puts you where the action is.  That's what you want in this category I think.

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

  • Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: "Exodus Noir" (Vertigo/DC)
  • Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
  • Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
  • J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
  • Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)
I'm not really feeling this category.  Williams III seems to be the runaway favorite but some names I'd throw out are Gabriel Ba (Umbrella Academy,) Guy Davis (BPRD,) Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy,) Doug Mahnke (Green Lantern) or even Olivier Copiel (Thor, Siege.) 

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

  • É Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
  • Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
  • Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
  • Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
  • Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)
I didn't read a lot of painted comics last year.  Painted or not, Beasts of Burden was one of the best looking books last yeasr.


Best Cover Artist

  • John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
  • Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
  • Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)
  • Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project Superpowers (Dynamite)
  • J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Another J.H. Williams III landslide or will the cinematic covers of Sean Phillips sneak in for a win?

Best Coloring

  • Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)
  • Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
  • David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
  • Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
  • Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective ComicsLuna Park (Vertigo) (DC);
Dave McCaig on Mysterious the Unfathomable and Northlanders would be my vote.  Without him, I'd go with Steward as the shoe in.   

Best Lettering

  • Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)
  • David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
  • Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
  • Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)
  • Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)
It's not so much the letters but the way that Mazzucchelli uses the lettering and word balloons that make his work in this category stand out.

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

  • Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
  • ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson www.comicsalliance.com
  • Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
    (www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
  • The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
  • The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
    (www.comicsreporter.com)
The Comics Reporter has to be the only site that I make sure is a daily read.

Best Comics-Related Book

  • Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
  • The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
  • The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)
  • Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US)
Haven't read any of these.

Best Publication Design

  • Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
  • The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
  • Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
  • Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)
  • Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
  • Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow was a book I wanted to read after seeing the fantastic design of it.