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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

 

2025 Nominees & Winners

The Deep Dark

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Feeding Ghosts

Best Graphic Memoir Nominee

Final Cut

Best Graphic Album - New Nominee

Best Writer/Artist Nominee - Charles Burns

Hilda and Twig: Hide from the Rain

Best Publication for Early Readers Nominee

Lunar New Year Love Story

Best Graphic Album - New Nominee

Best Publication for Teens Nominee

Best Writer Nominee - Gene Luen Yang

Best Penciller/Inker Nominee - LeUyen Pham

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Vol. 2

Best Graphic Album - New Nominee

Best Writer/Artist Nominee - Emil Ferris

Best Lettering Nominee - Emil Ferris

Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Best Publication for Kids Nominee

Rare Flavours

Best Limited Series Nominee

Best Writer Nominee - Ram V

Best Penciller/Inker Nominee - Filipe Andrade

Search and Destroy Vol. 1

Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia Nominee

Spectregraph

Best Writer Nominee - James Tynion IV

X-Men: the Manga: Remastered Vol. 1

Best Archival Collection- Comic Book Nominee

Award Winners (Alphabetically)