Last night at the San Diego Comic-Con, the 2018 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced. The list is definitely one you should check out, as there are not only some amazing pieces of work by fantastic creators, but there are also a couple of big surprises.
2018 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winners
Best Short Story
”A Life in Comics: The Graphic Adventures of Karen Green,” by Nick Sousanis, in Columbia Magazine (Summer 2017)
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
Hellboy: Krampusnacht, by Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes (Dark Horse)
Best Continuing Series
Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
Best Limited Series
Black Panther: World of Wakanda, by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Alitha E. Martinez (Marvel)
Best New Series
Black Bolt, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward (Marvel)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
Good Night, Planet, by Liniers (Toon Books)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)
The Tea Dragon Society, by Katie O’Neill (Oni)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
Best Humor Publication
Baking with Kafka, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Anthology
Elements: Fire, A Comic Anthology by Creators of Color, edited by Taneka Stotts (Beyond Press)
Best Reality-Based Work
Spinning, by Tillie Walden (First Second)
Best Graphic Album—New
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Boundless, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Kindred, by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy and John Jennings (Abrams ComicArts)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Run for It: Stories of Slaves Who Fought for the Freedom, by Marcelo D’Salete, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
My Brother’s Husband, vol. 1, by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii (Pantheon)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Celebrating Snoopy, by Charles M. Schulz, edited by Alexis E. Fajardo and Dorothy O’Brien (Andrews McMeel)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Akira 35th Anniversary Edition, by Katsuhiro Otomo, edited by Haruko Hashimoto, Ajani Oloye, and Lauren Scanlan (Kodansha)
Best Writer
Tom King, Batman, Batman Annual #2, Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1, Mister Miracle (DC)
Marjorie Liu, Monstress (Image)
Best Writer/Artist
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)
Best Cover Artist
Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)
Best Coloring
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Best Lettering
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo, Groo: Slay of the Gods (Dark Horse)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
The Comics Journal, edited by Dan Nadel, Timothy Hodler, and Tucker Stone, tcj.com (Fantagraphics)
Best Comics-Related Book
How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, by Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden (Fantagraphics)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics, by Frederick Luis Aldama (University of Arizona Press)
Best Publication Design
Akira 35th Anniversary Edition, designed by Phil Balsman, Akira Saito (Veia), NORMA Editorial, and MASH•ROOM (Kodansha)
Best Digital Comic
Harvey Kurtzman’s Marley’s Ghost, by Harvey Kurtzman, Josh O’Neill, Shannon Wheeler, and Gideon Kendall (comiXology Originals/Kitchen, Lind & Associates)
Best Webcomic
The Tea Dragon Society, by Katie O’Neill, teadragonsociety.com (Oni Press)
Hall of Fame:
- Judges’ Choices: Carol Kalish, Jackie Ormes
- Voters’ Choices: Charles Addams, Karen Berger, Dave Gibbons, Rumiko Takahashi
- Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Frederick Joseph; Comics4Kids
- Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award: Joe Murchison Kelly; Dorothy Woolfolk
- Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Hamish Steele (writer/artist, Pantheon), Pablo Tunica (artist, TMNT Universe)
- Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Norma Comics, Barcelona, Spain
Major Spoilers wishes to congratulate all of the winners!
