SF Site News » Comics

Obituary: Al Rio

Steven H Silver — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:13:36 +0000

Brazilian comic book artist Al Rio (b.1962) died on January 30, possibly a suicide. Rio, whose full name was Alvaro Araújo Lourenço do Rio, worked on Gen^¹³, Dungeon Siege, X-Men Unlimited, and DV8. his art also appeared on album covers.

Watchmen Prequels

Steven H Silver — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:20:26 +0000

DC Comics has announced plans to launch seven mini series detailing the lives and backgrounds of the characters of Watchmen. The ground-breaking 1980s series was originally written and conceived by Alan Moore, who will not be involved in the new books. The new series will be written by Brian Azzarello (Rorschach and The Comedian), J. Michael Straczynski (Dr. Manhattan and Nite Owl), Len Wein (Ozymandias), and Darwyn Cooke (Silk Spectre and The Minutemen).

For more information…

Obituary: Carlo Fruttero

Steven H Silver — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:57:36 +0000

Italian author Carlo Fruttero (b.1926) died on January 15. Much of his work was done in collaboration with Franco Lucentini and the two men edited the science fiction magazine Urania from 1964 through 1985. The men also wrote science fiction, humor, and other genres. From 1972 to 1975 they also edited the comic Il Mago.

Obituary: Howard Hopkins

Steven H Silver — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:18:26 +0000

Author Howard Hopkins (b.1961) died on January 12 while shoveling snow. Hopkins edited the anthology Dark Harbors and wrote the novels Night Demons, Grimm, and The Dark Riders. He wrote the The Nightmare Club series for children and has also written for comics.

Obituary: Richard Alf

Steven H Silver — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:58:38 +0000

Richard Alf (b.1952) died on January 4. Alf began dealing comic books as a teenager and was able to provide a large portion of the capital needed to start the first San Diego Comic-Con. He was active in the con’s early years, chairing at least one event, before stepping away.

Obituary: Eduardo Barreto

Steven H Silver — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:42:48 +0000

Comic artist Eduardo Barreto (b.1954) died on December 15. Barreto, from Uruguay, worked on titles including Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, The New Teen Titans, and his last work, DC Retroactive The 70′s: Superman, published earlier this year. Also in 2011, Barreto became the artist for the Sunday The Phantom comic strip.

Obituary: Joe Simon

Steven H Silver — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:53:24 +0000

Comic author Joe Simon (b.1913) died on December 14. Simon co-created Captain America along with Jack Kirby. The two men created numerous characters in the 1940s and helped pioneer both the romance and horror comics fields. Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.

Obituary: Jerry Robinson

Steven H Silver — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:01:46 +0000

Comic artist Jerry Robinson (b.1922) died on December 7. Robinson is best known for co-creating Robin, the boy wonder, and creating the Joker. Robinson also worked on the creation of Alfred and Two-Face. Robinson began working for Batman creator Bob Kane in 1939. In the 1970s, Robinson worked to get credit for his friends, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster for their part in creating Superman. Robinson is in the Comic Book Hall of Fame and has received lifetime achievement awards from the Cartoon Art Society and the National Cartoonists Society.

Obituary: Alvin Schwartz

Steven H Silver — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:22:56 +0000

Comic book author Alvin Schwartz (b.1916) died on October 26. Schwartz began writing for comics in 1939 and became a writer for Captain Marvel before working on Batman in 1942 and, beginning in 1944, the Batman and Superman newspaper strips. He went on to write for many of DC’s top titles in the 1940s and helped create the Superman villain Bizarro. Schwartz retired from the comics field in 1958 and received a Bill Finger Award in 2006.

Obituary: Les Daniels

Steven H Silver — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:51:22 +0000

Author Les Daniels (b.1943) died from an heart attack on November 5. Daniels has written five historical novels about the vampire Don Sebastian de Villanueva. In addition to his fiction, Daniels has written about the history of comics.

Obituary: Jack Adler

Steven H Silver — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:05:11 +0000

Former DC Comics vice president Jack Adler (b.1918) died on September 18. Adler worked at DC Comics from 1946 through 1981 and in 1971 won the Shazam Award for Best Colorist. He also served as DC’s production manager and vice president of production.

Eisner Winners

Steven H Silver — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:42:49 +0000

The Eisner Awards were announced at Comic Con San Diego on July 22. Below are the winners.

Best Short Story: “Post Mortem,” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben
Best Continuing Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Best Limited Series: Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
Best New Series: American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque
Best Publication for Kids: Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco
Best Publication for Teens: Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
Best Humor Publication: I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler
Best Anthology: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen
Best Digital Comic: Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl
Best Reality-Based Work: It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi
Best Graphic Album-New: Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee
Best Graphic Album-Reprint: Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello
Best Adaptation from Another Work:The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips: Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein
Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books: Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi
Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia: Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa
Best Writer: Joe Hill, Locke & Key
Best Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team:
Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad
Best Cover Artist: Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In, Detective Comics, Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian
Best Lettering: Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie, Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom, SHIELD, Driver for the Dead
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: ComicBookResources, produced by Jonah Weiland
Best Comics-Related Book: 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz
Best Publication Design:
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk
Hall of Fame
- Judges’ Choices: Ernie Bushmiller, Jack Jackson, Martin Nodell, Lynd Ward
- Elected: Mort Drucker, Harvey Pekar, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman
Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Nate Simpson
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Patrick McDonnell
Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award: Del Connell, Bob Haney
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Comics & Vegetables, Tel Aviv, Israel, Yuval Sharon & Danny Amitai

For more information…

Harvey Nominees

Steven H Silver — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:53:47 +0000

The nominees for the Harvey Awards, presented at the Baltimore Comic Con have been announced. The awards will be given out at a banquet on August 20. The Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art and are named for Harvey Kurtzmann.

Best Letterer

Box 13, by Scott Brown
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit, by Darwyn Cooke
Casanova, by Dustin Harbin
Witchblade, by Troy Peteri
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom # 1, by Robbie Robbins
Thor, by John Workman

Best Colorist

Mice Templar: Volume 10, by Veronica Gandini
The Stand, by Laura Martin
Gutters, by Ed Ryzowski
BPRD, by Dave Stewart
Cuba: My Revolution, by Jose Villarrubia

Best Syndicated Strip or Panel

Cul de Sac, by Richard Thompson
Doonesbury, by Garry Trudeau
Mutts, by Patrick McDonnell
Non Sequitur, by Wiley Miller
Tom the Dancing Bug, by Ruben Bolling

Best On-Line Comics Work

Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark
Gutters, by Lar deSouza, Ed Ryzowski and Ryan Sohmer
Hark! A Vagrant, by Kate Beaton
La Morte Sisters, created Tony Trov, Johnny Zito and Christine Larsen
PVP, by Scott Kurtz

Best American Edition of Foreign Material

Ax: Alternate Manga, edited by Sean Michael Wilson and Mitsuhiro Asakawa
Blacksad, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi
The Killer: Modus Vivendi, by Matz and Luc Jacamon
Torpedo: Volume 2, by Jordi Bernet

Best Inker

Hawks of Outremer, by Damian Couceiro
Box 13, by Steve Ellis
Agents of Atlas, by Gabriel Hardman
Thor, by Mark Morales
Magdalena, by Sal Regla

Best New Series

American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King and Rafael Albuquerque
Echoes, by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rashan Ekedal
Gutters, Lar deSouza, by Ed Ryzoski and Ryan Sohmer
Kill Shakespeare, by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery
Sixth Gun, by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt
Thor: The Mighty Avenger, by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee

Most Promising New Talent

Barry Deutsch, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by
Comfort Love and Adam Withers, Rainbow in the Dark, by
Chris Samnee, Thor: The Mighty Avenger, by
Scott Snyder, American Vampire, by
Nick Spencer, Morning Glories, by

Special Award for Humor in Comics

The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis, by Matt Groening
The Muppet Show, by Roger Langridge
Gutters, by Ryan Sohmer
I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler
Love and Capes, by Thom Zahler

Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers

Amulet #3: The Cloud Searcher, by Kazu Kibuishi
Jingle Belle, by Paul Dini
Meanwhile: Pick Any Path, 3856 Story Possibilities, by Jason Shiga
Reading with Pictures, Josh Elder
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani

Best Graphic Album Previously Published

Art in Time, edited Dan Nadel
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer: Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk & edited by Scott Dunbier
The Marvelous Land of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
Tumor, by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon

Best Anthology

Blab World #1, edited by Monte Beauchamp and Bill North
CBGB, edited by Ian Brill
Popgun # 4, edited by D.J. Kirkbride, Anthony Wu, and Adam P. Knave
Reading with Pictures, edited by Josh Elder
Strange Tales, Volume II # 1, edited by Jody LeHeup
Uniques Tales, edited by Comfort Love and Adam Withers

Best Domestic Reprint Project

The Darkness, by Garth Ennis, Marc Silvestri, and Batt
Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer: Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk & edited by Scott Dunbier
Jet Scott, by Jerry Robinson and Sheldon Stark
Li’l Abner: The Complete Dailies and Color Sundays, edited by Bruce
Canwell
Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, by Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil

Best Cover Artist

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit, by Darwyn Cooke
Angel, by Jenny Frison
Amazing Spider-Man, by Marcos Martin
Hellboy, by Mike Mignola
Batman and Robin, by Frank Quitely

Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation

75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Myth-Making, by Paul Levitz
The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death, edited by Todd Hignite
Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics, by N. C. Christopher Couch
Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, by Denis Kitchen, Charles Brownstein, John Lind, and Diana Schutz
Portrait of a Sequential Artist, directed by Andrew D. Cook

Special Award for Excellence in Presentation

Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer: Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk & edited by Scott Dunbier
Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen by Denis Kitchen, Charles Brownstein, John Lind, and Diana Schutz
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit, Darwyn Cooke
SHAZAM! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear
Wednesday Comics Hardcover Edition, edited by Mark Chiarello

Best Graphic Album – Original

Duncan, The Wonder Dog, by Adam Hines
Market Day, by James Sturm
Scott Pilgrim Volume 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, by Bryan Lee
O’Malley
Wilson, by Dan Clowes
X’ed Out, by Charles Burns

Best Continuing or Limited Series

Chew, John Layman and Rob Guillory
Daytripper, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba
Echo, by Terry Moore
Fantastic Four, by Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom # 1, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriquez
Love and Rockets: Volume 3, by Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez

Best Writer

Sixth Gun, by Cullen Bunn
Echoes, by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Thor: The Mighty Avenger, by Roger Langridge
Gutters, by Ryan Sohmer
Irredeemable, by Mark Waid

Best Artist

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit, by Darwyn Cooke
Cuba: My Revolution, by Dean Haspiel
Sixth Gun, by Brian Hurtt
Gutters, by Ed Ryzowski
Thor: The Mighty Avenger, by Chris Samnee

Best Cartoonist

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit. by Darwyn Cooke
Love and Rockets, by Jaime Hernandez
Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire
Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, by Bryan Lee O’Malley
RASL, by Jeff Smith

Best Single Issue or Story

ACME Novelty Library # 20: Lint, by Chris Ware
Daytripper, by Fabio Moon and Gabiel Ba
Echoes # 1, Joshua Hale Fialkov and Rashan Ekedal
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriquez
Love and Rockets: New Stories, Volume 3, by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez
Popgun # 4, edited by D.J. Kirkbride, Anthony Wu and Adam P. Knave
Wilson, by Daniel Clowes

For more information…

Obituary: Gene Colan

Steven H Silver — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:51:41 +0000

Artist Jean Colan (b.1926) died on June 23. Colan began working on comics in 1944 and his art appeared in Batman, Daredevil, Tomb of Dracula, and Howard the Duck, among other titles. Colan also co-created the Falcon, the first mainstream African-American superhero. Colan was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005.

Obituary: Lew Sayre Schwartz

Steven H Silver — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:25:19 +0000

Artist Lew Sayre Schwartz (b.1926) died on June 19 following a fall which resulted in a brain hemorrhage. Schwartz worked as a ghost artist for Bob Kane on Batman from 1946 through 1953, when he went to work for King Features. Schwartz’s work in advertising would eventually win him 4 Emmys and 6 Clios. Schwartz also helped create the title sequence for the film Dr. Strangelove and taught at the School of Visual Arts,where he founded the film department.

Obituary: Carlos Trillo

Steven H Silver — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:24:56 +0000

Argentine comic writer Carlos Trillo (b.1943) died on May 8. Trillo is perhaps best known for the comic Cybersix. He also wrote for Clara de noche, Boy Vampire, The Big Hoax, and more. His work won the Yellow Kid Award twice and the Angouleme Award.

Eisner Award Nominations

Steven H Silver — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:44:38 +0000

The nominees for the Eisner Awards, to recognize excellence in comics, have been announced. The winners will be announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego during the weekend of July 22.
Best Short Story

“Bart on the Fourth of July,” by Peter Kuper
“Batman, in Trick for the Scarecrow,” by Billy Tucci
“Cinderella,” by Nick Spencer and Rodin Esquejo
“Hamburgers for One,” by Frank Stockton
“Little Red Riding Hood,” by Bryan Talbot and Camilla d’Errico
“Post Mortem,” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

The Cape, by Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, and Zack Howard
Fables #100, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and others
Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben
Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1: “Sparrow,” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Unknown Soldier #21: “A Gun in Africa,” by Joshua Dysart and Rick Veitch

Best Continuing Series

Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Echo, by Terry Moore
Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa
Scalped, by Jason Aaron and R. M. Guéra

Best Limited Series

Baltimore: The Plague Ships, by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Ben Stenbeck
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus
Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá
Joe the Barbarian, by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy
Stumptown, by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth

Best New Series

American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque
iZombie, by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred
Marineman, by Ian Churchill
Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma
Superboy, by Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo

Best Publication for Kids

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, by Sara Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle
Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), by Jimmy Gownley
Binky to the Rescue, by Ashley Spires
Scratch9, by Rob M. Worley and Jason T. Kruse
Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco
The Unsinkable Walker Bean, by Aaron Renier

Best Publication for Teens

Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel
Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee
Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke

Best Humor Publication

Afrodisiac, by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca
Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book, by Ian Boothby, John Delaney, and Dan Davis
Drinking at the Movies, by Julia Wertz
I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler
Literature: Unsuccessfully Competing Against TV Since 1953, by Dave Kellett
Prime Baby, by Gene Luen Yang

Best Anthology

The Anthology Project, edited by Joy Ang and Nick Thornborrow
Korea as Viewed by 12 Creators, edited by Nicolas Finet
Liquid City, vol. 2, edited by Sonny Liew and Lim Cheng Tju
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen
Trickster: Native American Tales, edited by Matt Dembicki

Best Digital Comic

Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl
The Bean, by Travis Hanson
Lackadaisy, by Tracy Butler
Max Overacts, by Caanan Grall
Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil

Best Reality-Based Work

It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi
Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book, by Lynda Barry
Special Exits: A Graphic Memoir, by Joyce Farmer
Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Terrible Axe Man of New Orleans, by Rick Geary
Two Generals, by Scott Chantler
You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage, by Carol Tyler

Best Graphic Album-New

Elmer, by Gerry Alanguilan
Finding Frank and His Friend: Previously Unpublished Work by Clarence ‘Otis’ Dooley, by Melvin Goodge
Market Day, by James Sturm
Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee
Wilson, by Daniel Clowe

Best Graphic Album-Reprint

The Amazing Screw-on Head and Other Curious Objects, by Mike Mignola
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
Motel Art Improvement Service, by Jason Little
The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis, by Ian Boothby, James Lloyd, and Steve Steere Jr.
Tumor, by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon
Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello

Best Adaptation from Another Work

Dante’s Divine Comedy, adapted by Seymour Chwast
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, adapted by Joann Sfar
The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
7 Billion Needles, vols. 1 and 2, adapted from Hal Clement’s Needle by Nobuaki Tadano
Silverfin: A James Bond Adventure, adapted by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips

Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein
40: A Doonesbury Retrospective, by G. B. Trudeau
George Heriman’s Krazy Kat: A Celebration of Sundays, edited by Patrick McDonnell and Peter Maresca
Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, by Cliff Sterrett, edited by Dean Mullaney
Roy Crane’s Captain Easy, vol. 1, edited by Rick Norwood

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books

Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier
The Horror! The Horror! Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read!, edited by Jim Trombetta
The Incal Classic Collection, by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius
Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, edited by Art Spiegelman
Thirteen “Going on Eighteen”, by John Stanley

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi
The Killer: Modus Vivendi, by Matz and Luc Jacamon
King of the Flies, Book One: Hallorave, by Mezzo and Pirus
The Littlest Pirate King, by David B. and Pierre Mac Orlan
Salvatore, by Nicolas De Crécy

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia

Ayako, by Osamu Tezuka
Bunny Drop, by Yumi Unita
A Drunken Dream and Other Stories, by Moto Hagio
House of Five Leaves, by Natsume Ono
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa

Best Writer

Ian Boothby, Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book; Futurama Comics #47–50; Simpsons Comics #162, 168; Simpsons Super Spectacular #11–12
Joe Hill, Locke & Key
John Layman, Chew
Jim McCann, Return of the Dapper Men
Nick Spencer, Morning Glories, Shuddertown, Forgetless, Existence 3.0

Best Writer/Artist

Dan Clowes, Wilson
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit
Joe Kubert, Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965
Terry Moore, Echo
James Sturm, Market Day
Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Richard Corben, Hellboy
Stephen DeStefano, Lucky in Love Book One: A Poor Man’s Story
Rob Guillory, Chew
Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key
Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Lynda Barry, Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book
Brecht Evens, The Wrong Place
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad
Janet Lee, Return of the Dapper Men
Eric Liberge, On the Odd Hours
Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage

Best Cover Artist

Rodin Esquejo, Morning Glories
Dave Johnson, Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain, Unknown Soldier, Punisher/Max, Deadpool
Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships
David Petersen, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten

Best Coloring

Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley
Metaphrog (Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers), Louis: Night Salad
Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In, Detective Comics, Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian
Hilary Sycamore, City of Spies, Resistance, Booth, Brain Camp, Solomon’s Thieves
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint

Best Lettering

Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit
Dan Clowes, Wilson
Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley
Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie, Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom, SHIELD, Driver for the Dead
Doug TenNapel, Ghostopolis
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas
The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald
ComicBookResources, produced by Jonah Weiland
ComicsAlliance, produced by Laura Hudson
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
USA Today Comics Section, by Life Section Entertainment Editor Dennis Moore; Comics Section Lead, John Geddes

Best Comics-Related Book

Doonesbury and the Art of G. B. Trudeau, by Brian Walker
Fire and Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics, by Blake Bell
The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, by Denis Kitchen and Charles Brownstein, edited by John Lind and Diana Schutz
Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz

Best Publication Design

Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk
Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, designed by Lorraine Turner and Dean Mullaney
Return of the Dapper Men, designed by Todd Klein
75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, designed by Josh Baker
Two Generals, designed by Jennifer Lum

Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices:

Ernie Bushmiller
Jack Jackson
Martin Nodell
Lynd Ward

For more information…

Obituary: Dwayne McDuffie

Steven H Silver — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:36:33 +0000

Producer Dwayne McDuffie (b.1962) died February 22. McDuffie joined Marvel in the late 1980s, and by 1993 had founded Milestone Media, with the goal of expanding the role of minorities in comics. McDuffie served as story editor for the animated series Justice League Unlimited, wrote for Fantastic Four and Justice League of America, and wrote the script for the animated All Star Superman.

Obituary: Joanne Siegel

Steven H Silver — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:12:18 +0000

Joanne Siegel (b. Joanne Carter, 1918) died on February 14. Siegel was married to Jerry Siegel, one of the creators of Superman and was one of the models of Lois Lane. She met Siegel when she placed an ad to become a model. Siegel’s partner, Joe Shuster, hired her and Siegel married Joanne in 1948, after he divorced his first wife. She filed a lawsuit in 1999, claiming the Siegel and Shuster estates owned part of Superman and in 2008, a federal judge ruled in her favor, although details of the settlement have not been finalized.

DC Goes to Ratings

Steven H Silver — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:15:59 +0000

DC Comics has announced it will cease carrying the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval. The CCA was established in 1954, partially in response to the studies and testimony of Fredric Wertham. DC’s competitor, Marvel, broke from the CCA in 2001. DC will move to a ratings system similar to that used by movies, television, and video games, with E for Everyone, T for Teen, T+ for over 16, and Mature for older than 18. All graphic novels in the Vertigo line will still be considered Mature.

For more information…

Obituary: Jerry Weist

Steven H Silver — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 02:54:04 +0000

Jerry Weist (b.1949) died on January 7 after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Weist has authored numerous books, including Bradbury: An Illustrated Life, the first two editions of The Comic Art Price Guide, and a book on Frank R. Paul, which he was updated at the time of his death.

Obituary: Adrienne Roy

Steven H Silver — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:59:09 +0000

Colorist Adrienne Roy (b.1953) died of ovarian cancer on December 14. Roy was a long-time staple at DC Comics, working on Batman for 189 issues and Detective Comics for 202 issues over 18 years. Roy also spent 14 years coloring The New Teen Titans.

Manga Restrictions in Japan

Steven H Silver — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:15:11 +0000

Tokyo has banned the sale of manga that depicts rape, incest, and other sexual crimes to anyone under the age of 18. Anyone caught violating this rule faces a fine of ¥300,000 ($3,570). A group of publishers has threatened to boycott the Tokyo International Anime Fair in March 2011 over what they see as an attempt at censorhip.

For more information…

Obituary: John D’Agostino

Steven H Silver — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:22:18 +0000

Comic artist John D’Agostino, Sr. (b.1929) died on November 28. D’Agostino immigrated to the US and took a job as a colorist with Timely Comics, the fore-runner to Marvel, where he was the letterer for the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man #1 using his pseudonym “Johnny D.” From 1965, he has worked on Archie comics.

Obituary: Mike Esposito

Steven H Silver — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:04:42 +0000

Comic book illustrator Mike Esposito (b.1927) died on October 24. Esposito worked on Wonder Woman during the Silver Age and co-created the Metal Men for DC. In the mid-60s, he began freelancing for Marvel, using the name Mickey Dee to hide his identity from DC. Esposito worked on many of the major DC and Marvel titles and also helped create Hell-Rider. Esposito was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005. One of his Wonder Woman drawings was featured on a US postage stamp in 2006.

Harvey Award Winners

Steven H Silver — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:07:29 +0000

The winners of the Harvey Awards, given for excellence in comics and named for Harvey Kurtzman, were announced over the weekend at the Baltimore Comic Con.

Best Writer: Robert Kirkman for The Walking Dead
Best Artist: Robert Crumb for Book of Genesis
Best Cartoonist: Darwyn Cooke for Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter
Best Letterer: David Mazzucchelli for Asterios Polyp
Best Inker: Klaus Janson for The Amazing Spider-Man
Best Colorist: Laura Martin for The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
Best Cover Artist: Mike Mignola for Hellboy: The Bride of Hell
Best New Talent: Rob Guillory for Chew
Best New Series: Chew
Best Continuing or Limited Series: The Walking Dead
Best Original Graphic Publication For Younger Readers: The Muppet Show Comic Book
Best Anthology: Wednesday Comics
Best Original Graphic Album: Asterios Polyp
Best Previously Published Graphic Album: Mutts, by Patrick McDonnell
Best Domestic Reprint Projects: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
Best American Edition of Foreign Material: The Art of Osamu Tezuma: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy
Best Online Comics Work: PVP, by Scott Kurtz
Special Award for Humor in Comics: Scott Pilgrim #5, by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Special Award for Excellence in Presentation: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation: Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The MAD Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle
Best Single Issue of Story: Asterios Polyp

For more information…

Obituary: Fernando Fernandez

Steven H Silver — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:48:45 +0000

Spanish illustrator Fernando Fernandez (b. 1940) died on August 10. Fernandez began by drawing war and romance comics, eventually contributing to Vampirella, Heavy Metal, and Creepy, for which he adapted Dracula. In 1989, shortly before retiring from the comic field, Fernandez adapted Isaac Asimov’s Lucky Starr for comics.

Eisner Award Winners

Steven H Silver — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:50:41 +0000

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented at the San Diego Comic-con on July 23. The winners are listed below.

Best Short Story: “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan
Best Continuing Series: The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard
Best Limited Series or Story Arc: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
Best New Series: Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Best Publication for Kids: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young
Best Publication for Teens: Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
Best Humor Publication: Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Best Anthology: Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge
Best Digital Comic: Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart
Best Reality-Based Work: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Best Adaptation from Another Work: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke
Best Graphic Album—New: Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli
Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefévre, and Frédéric Lemerier
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Best Writer: Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project, Criminal, Incognito
Best Writer/Artist: David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp
Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction: Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden; Magic Trixie and the Dragon
Best Cover Artist: J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics
Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer, Detective Comics, Luna Park
Best Lettering: David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
Best Comics-Related Book: The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle
Best Publication Design: Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman
Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Vault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Hall of Fame (Judges’ Choices): Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana
Hall of Fame (Elected): Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, Michael Kaluta, and Mort Weisinger
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Jeannie Schulz
Bill Finger Award for Achievement in Comic Book Writing: Otto Binder, Gary Friedrich
Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award: Marian Churchland

For more information…

Harvey Nominations

Steven H Silver — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:04:17 +0000

The Harvey Award nominations have been announced. The awards, named for Harvey Kurtzmann, recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. The awards will be presented on August 28 at the Baltimore Comic Con.

Best Writer

Scalped, by Jason Aaron
Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw, by Jeff Kinney
Irredeemable, by Mark Waid

Best Artist

Book of Genesis, by Robert Crumb
BPRD: Black Goddess, by Guy Davis
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, by Brian Fies
Mouse Guard: Winter1152, by David Petersen
Batman and Robin, by Frank Quitely
Detective Comics, by JH Williams III

Best Cartoonist

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, by Darwyn Cooke
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw, by Jeff Kinney
The Muppet Show Comic Book, by Roger Langridge
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli
George Sprott (1894-1975), by Seth

Best Letterer

Franking Richards: Son of a Genius, by Chris Eliopoulos
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, by Brian Fies
Rapure, by Thomas Mauer
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli
Elephantmen, by Richard Starkings

Best Inker

Blackest Night, by Oclair Albert,
High Moon, by Steve Ellis
Amazing Spider-Man, by Klaus Janson
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw, by Jeff Kinney
Thor, by Mark Morales

Best Colorist

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, by Brian Fies
Bone: Crown of Horns, by Steve Hamaker
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures, by Laura Martin
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli
BPRD: Black Goddess, by Dave Stewart

Best Cover Artist

The Dreamer, by Jenny Frison
Hellboy: The Bride of Hell, by Mike Mignola
Mice Templar: Destiny, Part I, by Michael Avon Oeming
Batman and Robin, by Frank Quitely
Detective Comics, by JH Williams, III

Best New Talent

Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon
Chew, by Rob Guillory
Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness, by Reinhard Kleist
Act-i-vate: Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber
New Brighton Archaeological Society, by Matthew Weldon

Best New Series

Batman and Robin
Chew
Irredeemable
Sweet Tooth
Unwritten

Best Continuing or Limited Series

Beasts Of Burden
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
Ganges
Invincible
Scalped
The Walking Dead

Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers

Amulet: Storekeeper’s Curse
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw
Grown-Ups Are Dumb
The Muppet Show Comic Book
New Brighton Archeological Society
3-2-3 Detective Agency

Best Anthology

Act-i-vate
Flight # 6
Popgun # 3
Strange Tales
Wednesday Comics

Best Original Graphic Album

Asterios Polyp, by David Mazucchelli
Book of Genesis, by Robert Crumb
George Sprott (1894-1975), by Seth
Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco
Stitches, by by David Small
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, by Brian Fies

Best Previously Published Graphic Album

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld
Collected Essex County, by Jeff Lemire
Graveslinger, by Shannon Denton, Jeff Mariotte, John Cboins & Nina Sorat
Masterpiece Comics, by R. Sikoryak
Mice Templar Volume 1, by Bryan J.L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming

Best Syndicated Strip or Panel

Cul-de-Sac, by Richard Thompson
Foxtrot, by Bill Amend
Get Fuzzy,”by Darby Conley
Mutts, by Patrick McDonnell
Pearls Before Swine, by Stephan Pastis

Best Domestic Reprint Project

The Best of Simon and Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel
Humbug, conceived and edited by Harvey Kurtzman and created by Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth; edited by Gary Groth
Rip Kirby, by Alex Raymond; edited by Dean Mullaney
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures, by Dave Stevens; edited by Scott Dunbier,
The Toon Treasury of Classic Childnre’s Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly

Best American Edition of Foreign Material

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy
Manga Kamishibai, by Eric P. Nash
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier LeFevre and Frederic Lemercier
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki
20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa

Best On-Line Comics Work

Hark! A Vagrant, by Kate Beaton
High Moon, by by Steve Ellis, David Gallaher and Scott O. Brown
Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber
PVP, by Scott Kurtz
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart

Special Award for Humor in Comics

Beast of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw, by Jeff Kinney
The Muppet Show Comic Book, by Roger Landridge
Scott Pilgrim #5, by Bryan Lee O’Malley
The Adventures of Simone & Ajax: A Christmas Caper, by Andrew Pepoy

Special Award for Excellence in Presentation

Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle
The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons from 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins
George Sprott (1894-1975), by Seth
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures, by Dave Stevens, edited by
Scott Dunbier
Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster, edited by Craig Yoe
Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello

Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation

Alter-Ego, edited by Roy Thomas
Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle
The Best of Simon and Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; edited by Steve Saffel
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean and Kristy Valenti
Underground Classics, by James Danky and Denis Kitchen

Best Single issue or Story

Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazucchelli
Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga
George Sprott (1894-1975), by Seth
Jonah Hex #50, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, artwork by Darwyn Cooke
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, by Darwyn Cooke
“Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, by Brian Fies

For more information…

Obituary: Harvey Pekar

Steven H Silver — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:30:10 +0000

Comic book author Harvey Pekar (b. 1939) was found dead at 1:00 am on July 12. Pekar chronicled his life in comic form, published as American Splendour, which was also made into a film in 2003. In addition to his own autobiographical comics, Pekar published several other comics based on history or biographies of other people. In 2006, he was named the first guest editor of The Best American Comics.

Charges in Perry Death

Steven H Silver — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:14:02 +0000

Zephyrhills police have filed murder charges against James William Davis for killing former Thundercats writer Steve Perry. Perry had disappeared in mid-May, and his dismembered body was found later in the month. Davis and his wife Roxanne, who had been Perry’s roommates, were arrested on drug charges and named persons of interest in Perry’s disappearance and, later, murder. Roxanne has not been charged with Perry’s murder, but police have not yet ruled out her involvement.

For more information…

Renovation Adds Special Guest

Steven H Silver — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:52:06 +0000

Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon, has announced that Bill Willingham has been added as a special guest. Willingham is the creative force behind the graphic novels Fables and Jack of Fables. He has also worked on Justice Society and Angel. Willingham got his start doing illustrations for TSR’s Advanced Dungeons and Dragons line in the 1980s, including the cover for Against the Giants and interior illustrations.

For more information…

Obituary: Alexei Kondratiev

Steven H Silver — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:53:10 +0000

Fan and Celtic scholar Alexei Kondratiev (b.1949) died of an heart attack on May 27. Kondratiev, who was fluent in all six Celtic language, was instrumental in the Celtic Reconstructionist movement and a strong defender of Celtic language and culture. His books included The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual, Learning the Celtic Languages: A Resource Guide for the Student of Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Manx, or Cornish, and the comic Vidorix the Druid.

Obituary: Al Williamson

Steven H Silver — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:00:25 +0000

Illustrator Al Williamson (b.1931) died on June 13. Williamson began working on the Tarzan with his mentor, Burne Hogarth, in 1948. By 1952, he was working for EC Comics on Weird Science and Weird Fantasy, often collaborating with Frank Frazetta. In the mid-80s, Williamson worked on comic adaptations of many sf films, including Bladerunner and The Empire Strikes Back. He remained active into the 2000s.

Lois Lane in Metropolis

Steven H Silver — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:44:53 +0000

The city of Metropolis, Illinois, which is already home to a statue of Superman, unveiled a statue of Lois Lane, created in the likeness of actress Noel Neill, who portrayed Lane in the 1950s The Adventures of Superman. Neill attended the statue’s unveiling on June 11 at the Superman Festival.

For more information…

Obituary: Steve Perry

Steven H Silver — Sat, 29 May 2010 11:31:14 +0000

Thundercats writer Steve Perry (b.1954) who disappearance was reported earlier, has been declared a murder victim by the Zephyrhills police. Perry disappeared from his home around May 16 and shortly afterward, two of his roommates were arrested on unrelated charges. Police were not ready, at the time, to declare Perry a murder victim, despite finding a severed arm in his abandoned van and other body parts nearby. They have not indicated why they now consider him a murder victim. In addition to Thundercats, Perry also worked on the comic books Timespirits and Silverhawks.

Perry should not to be confused with others of the same name, including a science fiction author.

Thundercats Writer Steve Perry Missing

Steven H Silver — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:24:25 +0000

Steve Perry, who wrote several episodes of the animated television series Thundercats in the 1980s, has been missing from his home for several days. Perry, along with two of his housemates, vanished on May 16. The housemates were found and arrested on May 21 and a severed arm was found in Perry’s abandoned van, along with other body parts recovered from a nearby gas station. Police are currently treating the case as a missing person’s case. Perry also wrote for the comics Timspirits and Psi-Force.

Perry should not to be confused with others of the same name, including a science fiction author.

For more information…

Superman Surpasses Batman, Again

Steven H Silver — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:18:24 +0000

Within a one week period earlier this year, a copy of Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman, sold for a record $1,000,000, only to be passed by an issue of Detective Comics #27, which introduced Batman, selling for $1,075,500 three days later. Another copy of Action Comics #1 has now been sold for $1,500,000. The newly sold issue was discovered tucked into another magazine in the late 1980s and is in better condition than the one sold earlier this year.

For more information…

Obituary: Dick Giordano

Steven H Silver — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 20:18:57 +0000

Comic editor Dick Giordano (b.1932) died on March 27. Giordano began working on comics in 1951 and worked for DC, Marvel, Dell, Valiant. He was also the editor in chief at Charlton, overseeing the period when Charlton created several iconic superheroes, including The Blue Beetle. When he moved to DC in the late 60s, he brought much of the Charlton talent with him. Giordano inked several comics, perhaps most notably Superman vs. Muhammed Ali.

Obituary: Bill Jaaska

Steven H Silver — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:32:02 +0000

Comic artist Bill Jaaska (b.1961) died on November 9, 2009. Jaaska worked on New Titans and wrote two issues of the book in 1994. Other books he worked on included Swamp Thing, The Terminator, and Wolverine.

Obituary: John Hicklenton

Steven H Silver — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:28:50 +0000

Comic artist John Hicklenton (b.1967) died on March 19 after suffering from multiple sclerosis. Hicklenton drew ZombieWorld using the name John Deadstock. Other titles he worked on include Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, and Third World War. He was first diagnosed with MS in 2000 and in 2008, the documentary Here’s Johnny was released about his experiences.

Obituary: Joe Sarno

Steven H Silver — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:59:33 +0000

Comic book fan Joe Sarno died on March 18. Sarno was a founder of both The Fantasy Collectors of Chicago and the Chicago Comic Con, which was eventually sold to Wizard World. In 1971, he opened one of the country’s first comic book stores, The Nostalgia Shop, initially in his basement before moving to a store front and eventually becoming Comic Kingdom, which closed in 2003.

Baen Limerick Contest

Steven H Silver — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:07:43 +0000

Baen Books is sponsoring a limerick contest. The limerick should describe a favorite Baen author or novel or character in a riddle limerick that the reader has to solve. Entries should be sent to info@baen.com with the answer and a mailing address by March 31. All entrants who include a mailing address will receive an “I read Baened books” button.

For more information…

Batman Tops Superman

Steven H Silver — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:50:28 +0000

Only three days after a copy of Action Comics #1 sold for $1,000,000, a copy of Detective Comics #27 from 1939 was sold for $1,075,500. This issue, one of fewer than 200 in existance and possibly the only one in “very fine” condition, is the comic that introduced the character Batman.

For more information…

Action Comics #1: $1,000,000

Steven H Silver — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:59:06 +0000

An issue of Action Comics #1, which featured the debut of Superman has sold for $1,000,000, setting a new record for individual comic sale price. The previous record was set last year when an iassue of Action Comics #1 sold for $317,000. Action Comics was published in 1938 and was originally sold for a dime. About 100 copies are known to exist.

For more information…

Gem Award Winners

Steven H Silver — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:09:21 +0000

Diamond Distributors has announced the winners of their Gem Awards for 2009.

Comic Book Publisher Over 4% Market Share: DC Comics
Comic Book Publisher Under 4% Market Share: BOOM! Studios
Backlist Publisher: DC Comics
Manga Publisher: VIZ Media
Sports Card Manufacturer: The Upper Deck Company
Non-Sports Card Manufacturer: Rittenhouse Archives
Game Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast (WotC)
Toy Manufacturer: DC Direct
Video Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Comic Book Under $3.00: Batman & Robin #1
Comic Book Over $3.00: Blackest Night #1
Licensed Comic Book: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #22
Licensed TP/HC: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 V4
Original GN: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter
Reprint TP/HC: Watchmen
Manga TP: Naruto Vol 45
Indie GN: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century #1-1910
Anthology TP: Toon Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics
Trade Book: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Game Product: Magic the Gathering TCG 2010 Core Set
Toy Product: Hot Toys’ The Dark Knight 1:6 Scale Joker
Toy Line: Blackest Night
Collectable Statue: Cover Girls of the DCU Statue: Wonder Woman
Mini Bust: Heroes of the DCU Superman Bust
Magazine: DC Super-Hero Figurine Collection
Sports Card Product: Topps 2009 Series 1 Hobby MLB
Non-Sports Card Product: X-Men Archives
Audio/ Visual Media: Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog DVD

For more information…

Obituary: Irving Tripp

Steven H Silver — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:35:28 +0000

Artist Irving Tripp (b.1921) died on November 27. Tripp is best known as the illustrator of the comic Little Lulu. He began working on comics in 1941, four months before taking a leave of absence during World War II. He returned to Dell Comics in 1946 and remained there until his retirement in 1982. he began working on Little Lulu in 1949. He also worked on comic book version of Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, and Dumbo.

Obituary: Ken Krueger

Steven H Silver — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:59:07 +0000

Comic Con founder Ken Kreuger (b.1926) died of an heart attack on November 21. Krueger was an attendee of the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 and was active in fandom throughout his life, including owning a bookstore in San Diego. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Golden State Comic-Con in 1970, which grew into the San Diego Comic Con. Krueger’s death comes in the same month as that of Comic Con founder Shel Dorf.

Obituary: Shel Dorf

Steven H Silver — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:42:08 +0000

Comic Con founder Shel Dorf (b.1933) died on November 3. Dorf was trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before working as a freelance artist in New York. As a teenager, he had helped run Triple Fan Fest in Detroit. When he moved to San Diego in 1970, he decided to run something similar and Golden State Comic Con was born. Dorf walked away from the convention in the mid-80s after running it for 15 years.

Indy Comic Book Week

Steven H Silver — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:23:13 +0000

Following the announcement that Diamond Comic Distributors will not be shipping comics teh week of December 30, Indy Comic Week has been established, with a call for independent and small press comic book creators to fill the vacancy and arange to publish new materials and offer them to stores on December 30.

For more information…