The winners of the 32nd annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have been announced via a video presentation, with the creators of the original graphic novel (OGN) Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me taking home the most awards this year.
Writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Rosemary Valero's work on the First Second OGN earned them 'Best Publication for Teens,' and both 'Best Writer' and 'Best Penciler/Inker'.
"So proud of this book and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell," Tamaki tweeted. "Thank you to everyone who gives love to this GN and congratulations to everyone who was nominated this year I love comics."
Raina Telgemeier's Guts (Graphix) earned her both 'Best Writer/Artist' and 'Best Publication for Kids' in this year's awards.
"Two Eisner Awards!!! Thank you thank you thank you!" Telgemeier tweeted. "To my fellow anxious folks: I invite you to share your story. It’ll help you, and maybe even some kid out there who has no idea they aren’t the only one."
'Best New Series' and 'Best Painter/Digital Artist' awards were handed out for artist Christian Ward and writer G. Willow Wilson's Invisible Kingdom, published by Dark Horse Comics.
"Thank you if you vote for me/us. Thank you for following me," tweeted Ward. "Thank you if you’ve ever bought a print or comic. I love doing this. Thank you for having me.
By publisher count, Dark Horse Comics received the most awards with five, First Second and Image Comics tied with four, and then three each for IDW Publishing and Drawn & Quarterly.
The Eisner votes chose to induct the following individuals into the Hall of Fame: Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Louise Simonson, Stan Sakai, Don and Maggie Thompson, and Bill Watterson. Nell Brinkley and E. Simms Campbell were inducted earlier this year as the choice of the Eisner judges.
Here is a complete list of this year's winners in each category. The nominees can be found here:
- 'Best Short Story': 'Hot Comb,' by Ebony Flowers, in Hot Comb (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 'Best Single Issue/One-Shot': Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
- 'Best Continuing Series': Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
- 'Best Limited Series': Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest andIan Bertram (Image)
- 'Best New Series': Invisible Kingdom, by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- 'Best Publication for Early Readers': Comics: Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti (TOON)
- 'Best Publication for Kids': Guts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
- 'Best Publication for Teens': Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (First Second/Macmillan)
- 'Best Humor Publication': The Way of the Househusband, vol. 1, by Kousuke Oono, translation by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)
- 'Best Anthology': Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival, edited by Diane Noomin (Abrams)
- 'Best Reality-Based Work': They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)
- 'Best Graphic Album—New': Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second/Macmillan)
- 'Best Graphic Album—Reprint': LaGuardia, by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- 'Best Adaptation from Another Medium': Snow, Glass, Apples, by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books)
- 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material': The House, by Paco Roca, translation by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
- 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia': A tie with Cats of the Louvre, by Taiyo Matsumoto, translation by Michael Arias (Viz Media); and Witch Hat Atelier, by Kamome Shirahama, translation by Stephen Kohler (Kodansha)
- 'Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips': Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, edited by Alexander Braun (Taschen)
- 'Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books': Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
- 'Best Writer': Mariko Tamaki, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC); Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan); Archie (Archie)
- 'Best Writer/Artist': Raina Telgemeier, Guts (Scholastic Graphix)
- 'Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team': Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan)
- 'Best Painter/Digital Artist': Christian Ward, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- 'Best Cover Artist': Emma Rios, Pretty Deadly (Image)
- 'Best Coloring': Dave Stewart, Black Hammer, B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, Hellboy and the BPRD (Dark Horse); Gideon Falls (Image); Silver Surfer Black, Spider-Man (Marvel)
- 'Best Lettering': Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
- 'Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism': Women Write About Comics, edited by Nola Pfau and Wendy Browne, www.WomenWriteAboutComics.com
- 'Best Comics-Related Book': Making Comics, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 'Best Academic/Scholarly Work': EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press)
- 'Best Publication Design': Making Comics, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- 'Best Digital Comic': Afterlift, by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (comiXology Originals)
- 'Best Webcomic': Fried Rice, by Erica Eng, https://friedricecomic.tumblr.com
