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Graphic Novels at HMCPL

A guide to help navigate our extensive graphic novel collection, broken down my genre and format.

Will Eisner Award (1988 - Present)

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, are handed out each year in a gala ceremony at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Named for renowned cartoonist Will Eisner (creator of “The Spirit” and pioneer of the graphic novels), the Awards are given out in more than two-dozen categories covering the best publications and creators of the previous year.

The Eisner Awards were not always the Eisner Awards. At one point they were the Kirby Awards—sort of.

Back in 1984, Fantagraphics Books instituted the Jack Kirby Awards to honor the best works and creators in comics. The administrator of the awards was Dave Olbrich, a Fantagraphics employee. The awards were given out beginning in 1985 in programs at Comic-Con, with Jack Kirby himself on hand to congratulate the winners.

When Olbrich left Fantagraphics for other pursuits in 1987, the Kirby Awards came to an end, and two new awards programs were born: Fantagraphics started the Harvey Awards (named after Harvey Kurtzman), and Olbrich started the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. Set up as a nonprofit organization, the Eisners were given out at Comic-Con like the Kirbys had been, only now with Will Eisner on stage to hand out the awards.

 

     - Taken from The Official Comic Con Website

 

2021 Nominees & Winners

Big Black: Stand at Attica

Best Reality-Based Work Nominee

Bitter Root

Best Continuing Series Nominee

Best Penciler/Inker Nominee - Sanford Greene

Best Lettering Nominee - Clayton Cowles

Black Hammer Library Edition Book 2

Best Graphic Album (Reprint) Nominee

Best Writer Nominee - Jeff Lemire

Best Coloring - Dave Stewart

Cat Kid Comic Club

Best Publication for Early Readers Nominee

Dancing after TEN

Best Graphic Memoir Nominee

Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Vol. 1

Best Continuing Series Nominee

Best Penciler/Inker Nominee - Marco Checchetto

Department of Truth

Best Continuing Series Nominee

Best New Series Nominee

Best Writer Nominee - James Tynion IV

Best Lettering Nominee - Aditya Bidikar

Displacement

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Fangs

Best Humor Publication Nominee

Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Go with the Flow

Best Publication for Kids Nominee

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio

Best Reality-Based Work Nominee

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

Best Graphic Memoir Nominee

Best Writer/Artist Nominee - Adrian Tomine

A Map to the Sun

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Parable of the Sower

Best Adaption of Another Medium Nominee

Paying the Land

Best Reality-Based Work Nominee

Pulp

Best Graphic Album (New) Nominee

Best Writer Nominee - Ed Brubaker

Slaughterhouse-Five: the Graphic Novel

Best Adaption of Another Medium Nominee

Snapdragon

Best Publication for Kids Nominee

Twins

Best Publication for Kids Nominee

We Only Find Them When They're Dead Vol. 1

Best New Series Nominee

Best Cover Artist Nominee - Simone Di Meo

Best Lettering Nominee - Deron Bennett

When Stars Are Scattered

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Best Graphic Memoir Nominee

X-Men by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 1

Best Writer Nominee - Jonathan Hickman

Award Winners (Alphabetically)