This week San Diego Comic Con announced Eisner Award
nominees. The Eisner Award is named after comic great Will Eisner(The Spirit,
City of God).
The Award had some name and personnel changes. It started by
Publisher Fantographic’s Books in 1985 gave out the Kirby Awards at Comic-Con
with Jack Kirby himself on hand. In 1987 Fantographics lost Dave Olbrich, their
chief organizer of the awards. They created the Harvey Awards named afer Harvey
Kurtzman. Olrbich organized the newly named Eisner Awards in 1988. In 1990, Comic
Con took over the organization of the awards. Jackie Estrada is the
administrator of the awards.
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| Orrin C. Evan's All-Negro Comics |
Traditionally, the judges select two nominations before the
awards ceremony at the Convention. This year, they decided to add one more for
instant induction in the Hall of Fame. There is still a pool of 14 nominees, 4
of which will enter the Hall of Fame.
Journalist Orrin C. Evans published a single anthology in
1947- All-Negro Comics. It was the first of its kind, solely created by African
American talent. Sheldon Moldoff was a DC comic book artist. He helped create
Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze and the brought
life to the whimsical era of Batman: Bat-Girl, Batwoman, Bat-Mite and Ace the
Bat-Hound. He also drew Hawkman, golden
age Green Lantern(Alan Scott). Irwin Hasen created Citizen Smith, Son of the
Unknown Soldier, DC superhero Wildcat(with Bill Finger) and the comic strip Dondi(with
Gus Edson) about a war orphan. Hasen also did art for The Flash, The Green
Hornet, the Fox and various other golden age heroes.
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| Irwin Hasen's Dondi |
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| Sheldon Moldoff's characters Bat-Girl and Batwoman |
Fourteen other talents are now being considered in voting.
These include international talents Mexican
Gus Arriola(Gordo), Frecnhman Philippe Druillet(La Sloane), Hiyao Miyazaki(
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Japan’s biggest filmmaker(Spirited
Away,etc)), Britt Alan Moore(Watchmen, V for Vendetta), Cuban Antonio
Prohias(Spy vs Spy), Japanese female creator Rumiko Takahashi(Ranma ½). Super
hero creators are well represented with Fred Kida(Ringo Kid, Flash Gorden,
Spider-Man) Tarpe Mills(creator of Miss Fury), Dennis O’Neil(Batman, Green
Lantern/Green Arrow,editor), George Tuska(Crime Does Not Pay, Marvel and DC
Comics artist), Bernie Wrightson(Swamp Thing).Eisner Awards continues to
recognize the Underground/Independent movement with Howard Cruse(Gay Comix
editor, Stuck Rubber Baby), Rube Goldberg(Rube Goldberg machine, Mike and Ike),
Francoise Mouly(RAW creator).
The list of Eisner Award Hall of Fame members is long and
varied. Batman’s creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger(Batman’s creators), Neal
Adams(Batman artist who created the dark and brooding Dark Knight), Joe
Simon(Captain America), Superman’s makers Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegel, Jack
Kirby, Stan Lee, Gardner Fox(Justice Society), Steve Ditko(Co-creator of
Spider-Man, The Creeper, The Question) are all well represented. Classic comic
artists like John Romita(Marvel), Marv Wolfman(Blade, DC and Marvel), and Joe
Kubert(DC) among others also hold membership.
The Eisner Awards does a great job representing pillars of
the comic book medium. From the first remnants of the budding art like : R. F.
Outcault(The Yellow Kid), Rudolph Dirks( The Katzenjammer Kids), Winsor
McKay(Little Nemo) and George Herriman(Krazy Kat). And others, like Lee Falk
(The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician) and Carl Banks(Disney Comics) who helped
propel comics to international popularity and recognition. William Gaines the
EC Comics publisher who almost single handedly caused the Comics Code Authority
even gets a spot with his coulegue Harvey Kurtzman(MAD
Magazine). The Hall of Fame features non mainstream,underground movers and
shakers like Art Spiegelman(Maus, RAW), Trina Robbins(Wimmin’s Comix) and Robert Crumb(Fritz the Cat).
Comic strip creators had a huge part on the popularity and
notability of the medium. Charles M. Schulz(Peanuts and Snoopy), E.C.
Segar(Popeye), Ernie Bushmiller(Fritzi Ritz and Nancy), Harold Gray (Little
Orphan Annie), John Stanely(Little Lulu), Walt Kelly(Pogo), Harold R.
Foster(Prince Valiant), and Chester
Gould(Dick Tracy) all won membership.
International inductees include Italian Huge Pratt(Corto
Maltese), Katsunhiro Otomo(Akira), Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima(Lone Wolf and
Cub), Rene Goscinny and Alberto Uderzo(Asterix), Herge(Tintin), and Osamu
Tezuka(Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Princess Knight and Black Jack).
Attendees of the awards ceremony are given a copy of a Will
Eisner graphic novel. He has been known as the “father of the graphic novel”.
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