By Molly Jane Kremer and Jarrod Jones. It was a heartening night for comics—not just its future, but its present. No love for Elmer Fudd, though.
Yes, Fudd was certainly a factor at the 2018 Will Eisner Awards ceremony on Friday evening—even presenter Nichelle Nichols seemed surprised to be reading the cartoon character’s name aloud, but it was not his night to win (more on that in a bit). Instead, it was a strong night for Monstress, who ended up walking away with every award it was nominated for, which underscored how vital an evening it was for women and PoC creators in the comics industry.
Perhaps the award that got the most tongues wagging was the tie between Tom King and Marjorie Liu in the Best Writer category. Ties aren’t necessarily a novelty for the Eisners—Chris Samnee and David Aja famously split the Best Penciler/Inker Award back in 2013, as one example—but what makes this win/win especially historic is that Liu is the first woman of color to take home the Best Writer award.
As a matter of fact, it was an incredibly important night for women and people of color: On top of being a proud owner of her own award Marjorie Liu accepted Eisners for her Monstress co-creator Sana Takeda, and Dorothy Woolfolk, the DC Comics editor from the 1940s who is famously credited with helping to create Kryptonite, was posthumously awarded the first Bill Finger award of the night. Joye Murchison Kelly, another creator from the 40s who wrote Sensation Comics and Wonder Woman, was honored with the second. Carol Kalish and Jackie Ormes were both posthumously (and automatically) inducted into the Hall of Fame while Ranma 1/2‘s Rumiko Takahashi and editor Karen Berger were voted in; and Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing is Monsters (from Fantagraphics Press), which had five nominations (Best Graphic Album–New, Best Writer/Artist, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design), ended up winning three.
Dave Gibbons and Charles Addams were also voted into the Hall of Fame pantheon. And for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, another tie—this time the award was shared by Hamish Steele, the writer/artist of Pantheon and Pablo Tunica, the artist of TMNT Universe.
BTW? The Akira 35th Anniversary Edition? The ridiculously glorious box set that came out last year? Won both categories for which it was nominated (Best Publication Design and Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books, though not in that order).
As for the Batman/Elmer Fudd Special, which might have been one of the more impressive superhero stories to hit print in years, well—it lost out to Tom Gauld’s Baking With Kafka which, y’know, is perfectly fine. (It shoulda landed in the Best Single Issue category anyway.)
All in all, it was an exciting night (Benedict Wong was there!), with many categories offering the steepest of competition. The full list of nominees is below, with the winners bolded in blue. Congratulations to all!
2018 Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Kalish (1955–1991)
Jackie Ormes (1911–1985)
Charles Addams (1912–1988)
Karen Berger
Dave Gibbons
Rumiko Takahashi
Bill Finger Award
Joye Murchison Kelly
Dorothy Roubicek Woolfolk (1913–2000)
Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award
Frederick Joseph
Comics4Kids
Spirit of Comics Retailer Award
Norma Comics, Barcelona, Spain
Best Short Story
“Ethel Byrne,” by Cecil Castellucci and Scott Chantler, in Mine: A Celebration of Liberty and Freedom for All Benefiting Planned Parenthood (ComicMix)
“Forgotten Princess,” by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Antonio Sandoval, in Adventure Time Comics #13 (kaboom!)
”A Life in Comics: The Graphic Adventures of Karen Green,” by Nick Sousanis, in Columbia Magazine (Summer 2017),
“Small Mistakes Make Big Problems,” by Sophia Foster-Dimino, in Comics for Choice (Hazel Newlevant)
“Trans Plant,” by Megan Rose Gedris, in Enough Space for Everyone Else (Bedside Press)
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
Barbara, by Nicole Miles (ShortBox)
Hellboy: Krampusnacht, by Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes (Dark Horse)
Pope Hats #5, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse Books)
The Spotted Stone, by Rick Veitch (Sun Comics)
What Is Left, by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (ShortBox)
Best Continuing Series
Black Hammer, by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and David Rubín (Dark Horse)
Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Liz Fleming (BOOM! Box)
Hawkeye, by Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, and Mike Walsh (Marvel)
Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
The Wicked + The Divine, by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Image)
Best Limited Series
Black Panther: World of Wakanda, by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Alitha E. Martinez (Marvel)
Extremity, by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image/Skybound)
The Flintstones, by Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, Rick Leonardi, and Scott Hanna (DC)
Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)
X-Men: Grand Design, by Ed Piskor (Marvel)
Best New Series
Black Bolt, by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward (Marvel)
Grass Kings, by Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins (BOOM! Studios)
Maestros, by Steve Skroce (Image)
Redlands, by Jordie Bellaire and Vanesa Del Rey (Image)
Royal City, by Jeff Lemire (Image)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
Adele in Sand Land, by Claude Ponti, translated by Skeeter Grant and Françoise Mouly (Toon Books)
Arthur and the Golden Rope, by Joe Todd-Stanton (Flying Eye/Nobrow)
Egg, by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books)
Good Night, Planet, by Liniers (Toon Books)
Little Tails in the Savannah, by Frederic Brrémaud and Federico Bertolucci, translated by Mike Kennedy (Lion Forge/Magnetic)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)
Bolivar, by Sean Rubin (Archaia)
Home Time (Book One): Under the River, by Campbell Whyte (Top Shelf)
Nightlights, by Lorena Alvarez (Nobrow)
The Tea Dragon Society, by Katie O’Neill (Oni)
Wallace the Brave, by Will Henry (Andrews McMeel)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
The Dam Keeper, by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi (First Second/Tonko House)
Jane, by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia)
Louis Undercover, by Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault, translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi)
Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image)
Spinning, by Tillie Walden (First Second)
Best Humor Publication
Baking with Kafka, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1, by Tom King, Lee Weeks, and Byron Vaughn (DC)
The Flintstones, by Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, Rick Leonardi, and Scott Hanna (DC)
Rock Candy Mountain, by Kyle Starks (Image)
Wallace the Brave, by Will Henry (Andrews McMeel)
Best Anthology
A Bunch of Jews (and Other Stuff): A Minyen Yidn, by Max B. Perlson, Trina Robbins et al. (Bedside Press)
A Castle in England, by Jamie Rhodes et al. (Nobrow)
Elements: Fire, A Comic Anthology, by Creators of Color, edited by Taneka Stotts (Beyond Press)
Now #1, edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
The Spirit Anthology, edited by Sean Phillips (Lakes International Comic Art Festival)
Best Reality-Based Work
Audubon: On the Wings of the World, by Fabien Grolleau and Jerémie Royer, translated by Etienne Gilfillan (Nobrow)
The Best We Could Do, by Thi Bui (Abrams ComicArts)
Calamity Jane: The Calamitous Life of Martha Jane Cannary, 1852–1903, by Christian Perrissin and Matthieu Blanchin, translated by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (IDW)
Lennon: The New York Years, by David Foenkinos, Corbeyran, and Horne, translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger (IDW)
Spinning, by Tillie Walden (First Second)
Best Graphic Album—New
Crawl Space, by Jesse Jacobs (Koyama Press)
Eartha, by Cathy Malkasian (Fantagraphics)
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
Stages of Rot, by Linnea Sterte (Peow)
The Story of Jezebel, by Elijah Brubaker (Uncivilized Books)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Boundless, by Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Fantagraphics Studio Edition: Black Hole by Charles Burns, edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
Small Favors: The Definitive Girly Porno Collection, by Colleen Coover (Oni/Limerence)
Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero, by Michael DeForge (Drawn & Quarterly)
Unreal City, by D. J. Bryant (Fantagraphics)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Beowulf, adapted by Santiago García and David Rubín (Image)
H. P. Lovecraft’s The Hound and Other Stories, adapted by Gou Tanabe, translated by Zack Davisson (Dark Horse)
Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, adapted by Christophe Chabouté, translated by Laure Dupont (Dark Horse)
Kindred, by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy and John Jennings (Abrams ComicArts)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Audubon: On the Wings of the World, by Fabien Grolleau and Jerémie Royer, translated by Etienne Gilfillan (Nobrow)
Flight of the Raven, by Jean-Pierre Gibrat, translated by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (EuroComics/IDW)
FUN, by Paolo Bacilieri, translated by Jamie Richards (SelfMadeHero)
Ghost of Gaudi, by El Torres and Jesús Alonso Iglesias, translated by Esther Villardón Grande (Lion Forge/Magnetic)
The Ladies-in-Waiting, by Santiago García and Javier Olivares, translated by Erica Mena (Fantagraphics)
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
Furari, by Jiro Taniguchi, translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Golden Kamuy, by Satoru Noda, translated by Eiji Yasuda (VIZ Media)
My Brother’s Husband, vol. 1, by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii (Pantheon)
Otherworld Barbara, vol. 2, by Moto Hagio, translated by Matt Thorn (Fantagraphics)
Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories, by Junji Itotranslated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Celebrating Snoopy, by Charles M. Shulz, edited by Alexis E. Fajardo and Dorothy O’Brien (Andrews McMeel)
Crazy Quilt: Scraps and Panels on the Way to Gasoline Alley, by Frank King, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
Foolish Questions and Other Odd Observations, by Rube Goldberg, edited by Peter Maresca and Paul C. Tumey (Sunday Press Books)
Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Dailies, by Jack Kirby, Wally Wood et al., edited by Daniel Herman (Hermes Press)
Star Wars: The Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 1, by Russ Manning et al., edited by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Akira 35th Anniversary Edition, by Katsuhiro Otomo, edited by Haruko Hashimoto, Ajani Oloye, and Lauren Scanlan (Kodansha)
Behaving MADly, edited by Craig Yoe (Yoe Books/IDW)
The Collected Neil the Horse, by Arn Saba/Katherine Collins, edited by Andy Brown (Conundrum)
Fantagraphics Studio Edition: Jaime Hernandez, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Will Eisner: The Centennial Celebration, 1917-2017, by Paul Gravett, Denis Kitchen, and John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)
Best Writer
Tom King, Batman, Batman Annual #2, Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1, Mister Miracle (DC)
Matt Kindt, Grass Kings (BOOM! Studios); Ether (Dark Horse); Eternity, X-O Manowar (Valiant)
Jeff Lemire, Black Hammer (Dark Horse); Descender (Image)
Marjorie Liu, Monstress (Image)
Mark Russell, The Flintstones (DC)
Best Writer/Artist
Lorena Alvarez, Night Lights (Nobrow)
Chabouté, Moby Dick (Dark Horse); Alone, The Park Bench (Gallery 13/Simon & Schuster)
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Cathy Malkasian, Eartha (Fantagraphics)
Jiro Taniguchi, Furari, Louis Vuitton Travel Guide: Venice (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Isabelle Arsenault, Louis Undercover (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi)
Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)
Gary Gianni, Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea (Dark Horse)
Ramón K. Perez, Jane (Archaia)
David Rubín, Black Hammer #9 & #12, Ether, Sherlock Frankenstein #1–3 (Dark Horse); Beowulf (Image)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Federico Bertolucci, Love: The Dinosaur, Little Tails (Lion Forge/Magnetic)
EFA, Monet: Itinerant of Light (NBM)
Jean-Pierre Gibrat, Flight of the Raven (EuroComics/IDW)
Cyril Pedrosa, Portugal (NBM)
Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)
Best Cover Artist
Jorge Corona, No. 1 with a Bullet (Image)
Nick Derington, Mister Miracle (DC); Doom Patrol (DC’s Young Animal)
Brian Stelfreeze, Black Panther (Marvel)
Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)
Julian Totino Tedesco, Hawkeye (Marvel)
Best Coloring
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)
Ed Piskor, X-Men: Grand Design (Marvel)
David Rubín, Ether, Black Hammer, Sherlock Frankenstein (Dark Horse); Beowulf (Image)
Dave Stewart, Black Hammer, BPRD: Devil You Know, Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea, Sherlock Frankenstein, Shaolin Cowboy (Dark Horse); Maestros (Image)
Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, What Is Left (ShortBox)
Best Lettering
Isabelle Arsenault, Louis Undercover (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi)
Clayton Cowles, Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Redlands, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Black Bolt, Spider-Gwen, Astonishing X-Men, Star Wars (Marvel)
Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Fantagraphics)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo, Groo: Slay of the Gods (Dark Horse)
John Workman, Mother Panic (DC’s Young Animal); Ragnorak (IDW)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
The Comics Journal, edited by Dan Nadel, Timothy Hodler, and Tucker Stone, tcj.com (Fantagraphics)
Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes
Jack Kirby Collector, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
PanelXPanel, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, panelxpanel.com
Best Comics-Related Book
Deconstructing the Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, by Jean Annestay and Christophe Quillien (Humanoids)
How Comics Work, by Dave Gibbons and Tim Pilcher (Wellfleet Press/Quarto Group)
How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels, by Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden (Fantagraphics)
Line of Beauty: The Art of Wendy Pini, by Richard Pini (Flesk)
Monograph, by Chris Ware (Rizzoli)
To Laugh That We May Not Weep: The Life and Times of Art Young, by Glenn Bray and Frank M. Young (Fantagraphics)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
The Comics of Charles Schulz: The Good Grief of Modern Life, edited by Jared Gardner and Ian Gordon (University Press of Mississippi)
Ethics in the Gutter: Empathy and Historical Fiction in Comics, by Kate Polak (Ohio State University Press)
Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics, by Frederick Luis Aldama (University of Arizona Press)
Neon Visions: The Comics of Howard Chaykin, by Brannon Costello (LSU Press)
Picturing Childhood: Youth in Transnational Comics, edited by Mark Heimermann and Brittany Tullis (University of Texas Press)
Best Publication Design
Akira 35th Anniversary Edition, designed by Phil Balsman, Akira Saito (Veia), NORMA Editorial, and MASH•ROOM (Kodansha)
Celebrating Snoopy, designed by Spencer Williams and Julie Phillips (Andrews McMeel)
Monograph, designed by Chris Ware (Rizzoli)
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
Will Eisner: The Centennial Celebration, 1917-2017, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)
Best Digital Comic
Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology)
Barrier, by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
The Carpet Merchant of Konstaniniyya, by Reimena Yee (reimenayee.com/the-carpet-merchant)
Contact High, by James F. Wright and Josh Eckert (gumroad.com/l/YnxSm)
Harvey Kurtzman’s Marley’s Ghost, by Harvey Kurtzman, Josh O’Neill, Shannon Wheeler, and Gideo Kendall (comiXology Originals/Kitchen, Lind & Associates)
Quince, by Sebastian Kadlecik, Kit Steinkellner, and Emma Steinkellner, translated by Valeria Tranier (Fanbase Press/comiXology)
Best Webcomic
Awaiting a Wave, by Dale Carpenter and Nate Powell, features.weather.com/us-climate-change/arkansas (The Weather Channel Digital)
Brothers Bond, by Kevin Grevioux and Ryan Benjamin, www.webtoons.com/en/action/brothers-bond/list?title_no=1191 (LINE Webtoon)
Dispatch from a Sanctuary City, by Mike Dawson, https://thenib.com/dispatch-from-a-sanctuary-city (The Nib)
The Tea Dragon Society, by Katie O’Neill, teadragonsociety.com
Welcome to the New World, by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan, www.michaelsloan.net/welcome-to-the-new-world/ (New York Times Sunday Review)
