The 32nd Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented at a virtual ceremony during Comic-Con@Home.
The top recipients of the evening were Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s graphic novel Laura Dean Is Breaking Up with Me (Best Publication for Teens, Best Writer, Best Penciller/Inker; published by First Second/Macmillan) and G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward’s comic book series Invisible Kingdom (Best New Series, Best Writer, Best Painter; published by Berger Books/Dark Horse).
Multiple Eisners also went to Lynda Barry for Making Comics (Best Comics-Related Book, Best Publication Design; published by Drawn & Quarterly); Raina Telgelemier for Guts (Best Publication for Kids, Best Writer/Artist; published by Scholastic/Graphix); and Stan Sakai for Best Lettering (on Usagi Yojimbo, published by IDW) and Best Archival Collection/Project (Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter; IDW).
You can watch the entire Eisner Award Ceremony here:
And the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Goes to …
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 (TIE): 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 Comic, by Erica Eng, https://friedricecomic.tumblr.com
Hall of Fame: Judges’ choices: Nell Brinkley, E. Simms Campbell; voters’ choices: Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Stan Sakai, Louise Simonson, Don and Maggie Thompson, Bill Watterson
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Hero Initiative; Creators4Comics; Comic Book United Fund
In addition, yesterday, the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award was given to:
Nostromo Sevilla, Sergio López, Seville, Spain.
Comic-Con thanks the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award Judges: Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Diamond Comic Distributors), Cecil Castellucci (Writer, Batgirl, The Plain Janes), Alejandro Gonzalez (La Revisteria Comics, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2019 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award winner), Ross Richie (Publisher, BOOM! Studios), and Steve Saffel (Editor, Titan Books), and Facilitator, Joe Ferrara (Atlantis Fantasyworld, Santa Cruz, CA).
