Oh, awards season.
Look, let's be honest. We all bitch and grouse about how they don't mean anything and it's a popularity contest or whatever, but we all want to win one when it comes down to it. I kept my fingers crossed reading over the Eisner nominations last month. Everyone probably did.
While a committee decides on the Eisners, there are other award ceremonies where the nomination process is more open.
There are the Harvey Awards, which industry professionals can vote for. Ballots accepted until May 19.
And there are the Eagle Awards, recently renamed for Stan Lee, that any reader can have a say in. Put in nominations here until May 16.
No big sales pitch here. I'm just going to make a list of books I worked on and that my friends worked on that you might consider. It's hard to remember what's what in any given year, so I'm going to jog both of our memories. In most cases, you can vote for any of these in the major categories: series, writer, artist, etc. I'll make notes if maybe you should consider something else.
* Battlepug digital comic, and vol. 2 collected edition by Mike Norton (writer/artist), Allen Passalaqua (colorist), and Crank! (letterer) [self-published/Dark Horse Comics]
* A Boy and a Girl graphic novel by Jamie S. Rich (writer), Natalie Nourigat (artist), and Ed Brisson (letterer) [Oni Press]
* The Double Life of Miranda Turner digital only series by Jamie S. Rich (writer), George Kambadais (artist), Paulina Ganucheau (colorist), and Crank! (letterer) [Monkeybrain Comics]
* FF by Matt Fraction & Lee Allred (writers), Michael Allred (artist, incl. covers), and Laura Allred (colorist) [Marvel Comics]
* Helheim miniseries by Cullen Bunn (writer), Joëlle Jones (artist, incl. covers), Nick Filardi (colorist), and Ed Brisson (letterer) [Oni Press]
* It Girl and the Atomics #s 6-12 by Jamie S. Rich [writer], Mike Norton [7, 8, 9, 12], Chynna Clugston-Flores [6, 12], and Natalie Nourigat [10, 11, 12] (artists), Allen Passalaqua (colorist), Crank! (letterer), and Michael & Laura Allred (covers) [Image Comics]
* Revival by Tim Seeley (writer), Mike Norton (artist), Mark Englert (colorist), Crank! (letterer), and Jenny Frisson (covers) [Image Comics]
* The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn (writer), Brian Hurtt (artist, incl. covers), and Bill Crabtree (colorist) [Oni Press]
* Spell Checkers, vol. 3: Careless Whisper graphic novel by Jamie S. Rich (writer), Nicolas Hitori de and Joëlle Jones (artists), Warren Wucinich (letterer), and Joëlle Jones (cover) [Oni Press]
* Please also consider George Kambadais for Best New Talent and It Girl and the Atomics #6 as Best Single Issue.
These are, of course, not everything published last year, not all of my friends, and not even all of some of these folks' work. But its a good core of friends and colleagues. Keep them in mind!
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