2005 Eisner Award nominations

Cafe Society
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Here are the nominations for the 2005 Eisner Awards, for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence in comics. The awards ceremony is always held at the San Diego Comic Convention, usually in July or August. What have you read, and who do you want to see win?

MASTER NOMINEE LIST, 2005 Eisner Awards
Best Short Story
“Eve O’ Twins,” by Craig Thompson, in Rosetta 2 (Alternative)
“Glenn Ganges: Jeepers Jacobs,” by Kevin Huizenga, in Kramer’s Ergot 5 (Gingko Press)
“God” (story on wrap-around dust jacket) by Chris Ware, in McSweeney’s Quarterly #13 (McSweeney’s)
“The Price,” by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli, in Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books)
“Unfamiliar,” by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson, in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft (Dark Horse Books)
“Where Monsters Dine,” by Troy Hickman, Angel Medina, and Jon Holdredge, in Common Grounds #5 (Top Cow/Image)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Demo #7: “One Shot, Don’t Miss,” by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar)
Eightball #23: “The Death Ray,” by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
Ex Machina #1: “The Pilot,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC)
Global Frequency #12: “Harpoon,” by Warren Ellis and Gene Ha (WildStorm/DC)
The Goon #6: “Ilagarto Hombre!,” by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Best Serialized Story
Astonishing X-Men #1-6: “Gifted,” by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Ex Machina #2-5: “State of Emergency,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Feister (WildStorm/DC)
Fables #19-27: “March of the Wooden Soldiers,” by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC)
Planetary #19-20: “Mystery in Space/Rendezvous,” by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (WildStorm/DC)
Y: The Last Man #18-20: “Safeword,” by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series
Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)
The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Stray Bullets, by David Lapham (El Capitan)
Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and José Marzan Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

Best Limited Series
DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (AiT/Planet Lar)
30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow, by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith (IDW)
WE3, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC)
Wanted, by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones (Top Cow/Image)

Best New Series
Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)
Doc Frankenstein, by the Wachowski Brothers and Steve Scroce (Burlyman)
Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)
The Shaolin Cowboy, by Geof Darrow (Burlyman)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience
Amelia Rules!, (Renaissance Press) and Amelia Rules! What Makes You Happy (iBooks) by Jimmy Gownley
Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, by Ted Naifeh (Oni)
Owly, by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)
Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)
Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image)

Best Humor Publication
Angry Youth Comix, by Johnny Ryan (Fantagraphics)
Birth of a Nation, by Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, and Kyle Baker (Crown)
The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Kyle Baker, Cartoonist, by Kyle Baker (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)

Best Anthology
Common Grounds, by Troy Hickman and others, edited by Jim McLauchlin (Top Cow/Image)
The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, edited by Scott Allie (Dark Horse Books)
The Matrix Comics, vol. 2, edited by Spencer Lamm (Burlyman)
McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, edited by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s)
Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, edited by Diana Schutz and David Land (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic
Athena Voltaire, by Steve Bryant www.athenavoltaire.com
Bento & Starchky, by zer0 (Peter Branting) http://www.noapologiespress.com/zer0comics/bento.htm
Copper, by Kazu www.boltcity.com/copper_home.htm
Jonny Crossbones, by Les McClaine www.evilspacerobot.com/comics/jonnycrossbones/index.htm
Mom’s Cancer, by Brian Fies www.momscancer.com/eisner.htm
ojingogo, by matt forsythe www.comingupforair.net/comics/ojingogo.html

Best Graphic Album—New
Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks)
It’s a Bird . . ., by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen (Vertigo/DC)
The Originals, by Dave Gibbons (Vertigo/DC)
Suspended in Language, by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis (GT Labs)
Tommysaurus Rex, by Doug TenNapel (Image)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Age of Bronze: Sacrifice, by Eric Shanower (Image)
Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
The Book of Ballads, by Charles Vess and others (Tor)
Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
In the Shadow of No Towers, by art spiegelman (Pantheon)
Locas, by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project
The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker, edited by Robert Mankoff (Black Dog & Leventhal)
The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
DC Comics Rarities Archives, vol. 1, edited by Dale Crain (DC)
Krazy and Ignatz, edited by Bill Blackbeard and Derya Ataker (Fantagraphics)
Russ Manning’s Magnus, Robot Fighter, vol. 1, edited by Katie Moody, Mike Carriglitto, and David Land (Dark Horse Books)

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material
Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima, vols. 1-2, by Keiji Nahazawa (Last Gasp)
Blacksad Book 2: Arctic Nation, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (iBooks)
Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon)
Tokyo Tribes, by Santa Inoue (TOKYOPOP)

Best Writer
Steve Niles, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow; 30Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales; Aleister Arcane (IDW); Freaks of the Heartland; Last Train to Deadsville (Dark Horse)
Greg Rucka, Queen & Country (Oni); Gotham Central (DC)
Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel)
Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel)
Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Paul Chadwick, Concrete: The Human Dilemma (Dark Horse)
Dan Clowes, Eightball #23 (Fantagraphics)
David Lapham, Stray Bullets (El Capitan)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)
Adrian Tomine, Optic Nerve #9 (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Writer/Artist—Humor
Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing)
Phil Foglio, Girl Genius (Airship Entertainment)
Scott Kurtz, PvP (Image)
Eric Powell, The Goon (Dark Horse)
Johnny Ryan, Angry Youth Comix (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Charles Adlard, The Walking Dead (Image)
John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)
Geof Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman)
Cary Nord/Thomas Yeates, Conan (Dark Horse)
Frank Quitely, WE3 (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad, Book 2: Arctic Nation (iBooks)
Teddy Kristiansen, It’s a Bird . . . (Vertigo/DC)
David Mack, Kabuki (Marvel)
Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (IDW)
Michael Zulli, Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse Books)

Best Coloring
Peter Doherty, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman)
Steven Griffen, Hawaiian Dick: The Last Resort (Image)
Laura Martin, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Ministry of Space (Image); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)
J. D. Mettler, Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC)
Dave Stewart, Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America (Marvel); Conan, BPRD (Dark Horse)l DC: The New Frontier (DC)

Best Lettering
Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)
Dave Sim, Cerebus (Aardvark Vanaheim)
Craig Thompson, Carnet de Voyage (Top Shelf); “Eve O’ Twins” in Rosetta 2 (Alternative)

Best Cover Artist
Kieron Dwyer, Remains (IDW)
James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC)
Tony Moore, The Walking Dead (Image)
Frank Quitely, Bite Club; WE3 (Vertigo/DC)
Michael Turner, Identity Crisis (DC)

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition
Frank Cammuso (Max Hamm, Fairy Tale Detective)
Bosch Fawstin (Table for One)
Matt Kindt (Two Sisters; Pistolwhip)
Sean McKeever (A Waiting Place; Mary Jane; Inhumans; Sentinels)
Raina Telgemeier (“Smile,” Takeout)

Best Comics-Related Periodical
Comic Art, edited by M. Todd Hignite (Comic Art)
Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)
Draw!, edited by Mike Manley (TwoMorrows)
Indy Magazine online ( www.indyworld.com), edited by Bill Kartalopoulos (Alternative)

Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse Books)
Chris Ware, by Daniel Raeburn (Monographics/Yale University Press)
Give Our Regards to the Atom Smashers, edited by Sean Howe (Pantheon)
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books)
Strangers in Paradise Treasury Edition, by Terry Moore (HarperCollins Perennial)

Best Publication Design
The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, designed by Cary Grazzini (Dark Horse Books)
Clyde’s Fans, designed by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
The Complete Peanuts, designed by Seth (Fantagraphics)
In the Shadow of No Towers, designed by art spiegelman (Pantheon)
McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, designed by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s)
Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

Four will be selected from:

Matt Baker
Wayne Boring
Nick Cardy
Yves Chaland
Gene Colan
Johnny Craig
Reed Crandall
Floyd Gottfredson
Frank Hampson
Graham Ingels
Robert Kanigher
William Moulton Marston
Hugo Pratt
Frank Robbins

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Vaughan needs to win one of these. His vote will get split between Y and Ex Machina for Best Series and Best Story. Will Whedon get best writer just because of the name recognition? Probably not – the Eisners are awarded by people in the biz, who are going to be less likely to be swayed and also more likely to have read a greater percentage of the material. (Unlike, say, the Wizard Fan Awards, where everybody always just ticks off the people from things they read.)

–Cliffy

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Penny Arcade’s strip in response to Scott Kurtz’ nomination :smiley: .

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who does the voting?

I’d like to see Foglio get his due.

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I don’t know exactly who gets to vote, but it includes creators, retailers, and publishers – folks in the biz.

–Cliffy

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Industry professionals vote for these awards, so usually really meritorious works win the awards. I’d love to see Matt Baker join the Hall of Fame, since he produced some beautiful work in the Phantom Lady comics of the 1940s. Good to see Lou Fine (another Quality Comics artist from the Golden Age) getting some recognition as well.

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A link to the call for entries, which explains a little about the nominations and judges

Normally I read over the list of nominations and have read a much larger percentage than I managed this year. However, I’m not going to let relative ignorance prevent me from cheering for:

Ex Machina, Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, It’s a Bird for Best New Graphic Album (narrowly beating out Blacksad IMO), Age of Bronze: Sacrifice on general principle, , Persepolis 2 for U.S. edition of Foreign Material (again, narrowly edging out Blacksad).

As for the people, I’m going to have to go with Greg Rucka for Best Writer, Phil Foglio for humor (Kyle Baker’s The Man, but Plastic Man left me cold), John Cassaday for Penciller, Juanju Guarnido for Interior Painter.

As for coloring, does Dave Stewart sleep? Ever? Does he have superpowers we don’t know about? Either he or Laura Martin would have my vote - both are amazing artists.

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One unhappy fact about the awards is that in previous years, recipients actually were handed their awards by Will Eisner himself.

:frowning:

–Cliffy

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Just an FYI for those who aren’t familiar with Penny Arcade / PVP. That strip is a combination of friends-ribbing-friends and professional jealousy. PA and PVP have long had a professional rivalry, but seem to respect each other for the most part.

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Didn’t Dave Sim finish his megaseries this past year? And he gets nominated for “Best Lettering”?

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Dave Sim doesn’t deserve “Best Washroom Attendant”. :rolleyes:

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You’d get no argument from me. I quit reading long about 155. But still, it’s an interesting measurement of what the rest of the industry thought about “Cerebus”

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Oh, wow. Some of these category nominations are a joke! Michael Turner, Best Cover artist for IDENTITY CRISIS? Are they fucking kidding me?

Bill Willingham beat out Grant Morrison for best writer nominee?

Paul Chadwick’s two black and white issues of CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA beat out Darwyn Cooke’s six double sized issues of DC: THE NEW FRONTIER in best writer/artist category? (Why, because Dr. Vonnegut finally stripped for Concrete? Yeesh.)

Kyle Baker got nominated THREE times in the best humor publication category and not TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD?

Troy Hickman’s “When Monsters Dine” is a best short story nominee of ALL last year?? I don’t even see how Troy Hickman’s COMMON GROUNDS is in the anthology category at all – it’s redrawn material from HOLY CRULLERS using the same writer and different artists.

What’s the cut-off date? Why don’t I see J.H. Williams listed as best cover artist for his amazing final issue of PROMETHEA??

Scott Kurtz still gets nominated for this thing?