Category Archives: Comic-Con 2010

September 4, 2014 · 8:16 pm

Whitney Matheson Completes a 15-Year Run with USA Today

Whitney-Matheson-Pop-Candy-Meetup-2011

A routine that was so essential to so many of us out there has come to an end. Whitney Matheson completes a 15-year run of Pop Candy, the pop culture blog at USA Today.

We will all miss Whitney Matheson at Pop Candy at USA Today but, of course, when one door closes, another door opens. September 3 was her last day as she was laid off from her post that she had held for 15 years. Of course, fans have been caught by surprise and are showing their support at Whitney’s Twitter.

Here is one from the archives: A CNN iReport put together by Jennifer Daydreamer and yours truly, this is an impromptu interview with James Sime, owner of Isotope, The Comic Book Lounge, that segued into an impromptu interview with Whitney Matheson. The discussion here involves the state of comics, which is always evolving, and how they coexist with Hollywood. This is from 2010, the year that “Scott Pilgrim” and “The Walking Dead” were big winners at the Eisner Awards at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Whitney hosted some awesome Pop Candy meetups through the years. Well, perhaps there will be something similar in the future.

Good luck to you, Whitney! We look forward to future observations and excellent writing! You are one of the best!

1 Comment

Filed under Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2010, Comics, Entertainment, Hollywood, Isotope Comics, James Sime, Jennifer Daydreamer, Journalism, Media, movies, Newspapers, Pop Candy, pop culture, Television, Whitney Matheson

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 19, 2010 · 8:22 pm

Batman Beyond: Complete Series out on DVD November 23

There was a lot of buzz at Comic-Con over this collection of the animated series, BATMAN BEYOND. It is the latest awesome Warner Home Video to catch my eye. Warner Home Video will distribute this limited edition DVD set of all 52 episodes of the series on November 23. All things considered, this would make an excellent gift for the holidays.

The series provides an intriguing new wrinkle into the Batman mythos. The setup is that Bruce Wayne is now an old man, retired and done with crime-fighting. Enter Terry McGinnis. He is just a regular teen boy until one day his father is murdered. This echoes Bruce Wayne’s own family tragedy. To make it worse, the murder mystery leads back to Wayne/Powers Corporation.

This DVD set is loaded with extras, including a movie celebrating the 75th anniversary of DC Comics. There’s also tons of stuff about Batman and his gear. Lots of amazing voice talent, which includes Henry Rollins, from the legendary punk bank, Black Flag; Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) and George Takei (Star Trek). The production team, the writing team, everybody on board this one is providing you with quality product.

Press release follows:

BATMAN BEYOND: THE COMPLETE SERIES

LIMITED EDITION COMPILATION SET! INCLUDES ALL 52 ACTION-PACKED EPISODES

PLUS THREE NEW BONUS FEATURETTES

WARNER HOME VIDEO TO DISTRIBUTE DVD SET NOV. 23

BURBANK, CA (August 18, 2010) – Warner Bros. Animation’s breakthrough

series Batman Beyond comes to DVD for the first time in its entirety.

Featuring DC Comics’ iconic hero, Batman, Batman Beyond: The Complete

Series presents nearly 20 hours of animated action spread over 52

episodes, as well as all-new bonus featurettes and a 24-page, 8”x 12”

collectible booklet. Batman Beyond: The Complete Series will be

distributed by Warner Home Video on November 23, 2010 as a nine-disc

limited edition DVD set for $99.98 (SRP).

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series centers on Terry McGinnis, an

ordinary teenager … until his father is mysteriously murdered.

Suspecting foul play at his father’s company, Wayne/Powers

Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns of a secret identity

hidden for decades. Now too old to don the cape and cowl as Batman,

Wayne refuses to help – so Terry does what any brash young kid would

do: steal the Bat-suit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to

avenge his father’s death, Terry dons the high-tech suit tricked out

with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage

capabilities in search of his father’s assassin. It’s 52 action-packed

episodes following the adventures of the partnership between an

ex-crimefighter and his apprentice, starring Will Friedle (Boy Meets

World) as Terry McGinnis and, reprising his seminal role, Kevin Conroy

(Batman: The Animated Series) as Bruce Wayne.

Casting throughout the series’ 52 episodes featured award winners from

feature films, primetime television and the Broadway stage – from Paul

Winfield, Stockard Channing and Seth Green to

William H. Macy, Wayne Brady and Teri Garr – not to mention George

Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Dan Castellaneta (The

Simpsons), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), George Takei (Star Trek)

and Henry Rollins (the front man for the rock band, Black Flag).

An all-star production team was headed by executive producer Jean

MacCurdy and producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and

Paul Dini. Writers on the series included Burnett and Dini, as well as

Stan Berkowitz, Bob Goodman, Rich Fogel, Hilary Bader and John McCann.

Included in the beautifully custom designed package is a 24-page, 8”x

12” collectible booklet with the inside perspective and artwork from

the vaults especially compiled by DC Comics for this release.

Three new bonus features created specifically for the Batman Beyond:

The Complete Series are:

TOMORROW KNIGHT: THE BATMAN REBORN

The “Batman Beyond” creative team gives you a peek into the character

of Terry McGinnis, and what made him worthy to become the new Caped Crusader.

GOTHAM: CITY OF THE FUTURE

A look at Gotham City, circa 2039, and how the team built a realistic

vision of the near future while remaining true to the city they

created in Batman: The Animated Series.

THE HIGH TECH HERO

Explore the technology behind the Bat-suit, its amazing powers and the real world science that inspired it.

The collection will also contain the DC 75th anniversary documentary,

Secret Origin:  The Story of DC Comics.

“Batman Beyond was a landmark series as it created altogether new

directions for the iconic character, and added dimensions for fans

both old and new to the Batman mythology,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice

President of Family, Animation & Sports Marketing. “Warner Home Video

is proud to release this important series in an all-encompassing box

set, just in time to make a perfect holiday gift for the ultimate

fan.”

About Warner Home Video:

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a

Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution

infrastructure in the global video marketplace.  Warner Home Video’s

film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new

and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures,

Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About DC Entertainment:

DC Entertainment, home to such iconic DC Comics properties as

Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, MAD

Magazine, and Fables, is the creative division charged with

strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  DC

Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to

unleash its superheroic characters across all media, including but not

limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment,

and interactive games. Publishing over 1,000 comic books, graphic

novels and magazines each year, DC Comics is the largest

English-language publisher of comics in the world.

DC SUPER HEROES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

About Warner Bros. Animation:

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) has been producing award-winning original

animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, “Sinkin’ in

the Bathtub.” Since then, WBA’s characters have set the standard for

innovative, quality animation. Producing for network and cable

television, online, home entertainment and feature films both

domestically and internationally, WBA is highly respected for its

creative and technical excellence, as well as for maintaining the

studio’s rich cartoon heritage. WBA also oversees the creative use and

production of animated programming based on classic cartoon characters

from the Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics libraries. WBA is one of the

most-honored animation studios in history.

Leave a comment

Filed under animation, Batman, Comic-Con 2010, Comic-Con International, Comics, DC Comics, movies

August 3, 2010 · 8:33 pm

Comic-Con 2010: Thoughts on the Comic-Con That Was

Entertainment Weekly shows a lot of love for Comic-Con in its current issue. It’s fun to look back and see in its pages what I began to accept in person: Oh, look, there goes Joss Whedon right ahead of us. Yeah, and I’m over here, next to Kevin Smith. Now, alas, that is a thing of the past, until next year. Here are a few thoughts on the Comic-Con that was.

One of the first images that came into focus this year at Comic-Con was a guy dressed up as Indiana Jones. There he was in the middle of the ritual of allowing an approving stranger to take his photo. But once the photo was taken, the guy slouched and seemed to revert back to himself. Getting a better look at him, I concluded he didn’t look all that much like Indiana Jones except for a fair attempt at a costume.

He must have picked up on my scrutiny and tried to look away and hide himself. I meant no harm. I wanted to embrace his participation even though I needed my time to process. What I should have done was just smiled at the guy. That is how I approach Comic-Con. I will always be the critic but I will always search for meaning too.

Do comics still exist at Comic-Con? The tongue-in-cheek question is asked each year as Hollywood seems to take more and more space from what was originally a comics only convention. As silly as the question sounds, it can send chills down the spine of the cartoonist and/or dedicated fan.

There had been talk of doing away with Artist Alley, the section of the convention floor dedicated to new comics talent, to make way for more of the Hollywood promotion machine. That never happened and hopefully never will. To some degree, that would be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg since it’s from that shaggy world of self-publishers that big budget movies and televison shows have emerged.

The fact is, I love Comic-Con and I’m happy with it just like it is, a true melting pot of pop culture. Go ahead, I say, keep mixing comics with movies and see where it leads. I think we’re all familiar with the gripes from the media that Comic-Con keeps allowing itself to be taken over by Hollywood. Here’s the thing, the hottest trend now is to listen to what people want and it should come as no surprise that people appreciate originality. Truly creative content does exist amid all the glitz that descends upon San Diego each year. It keeps rising to the top. James Sime, owner of the comics shop, Isotope, in San Francisco, pointed out to me that two of the biggest hits highlighted at the con, the movie, “Scott Pilgrim,” and the new television series, “The Walking Dead,” come from creator-owned black and white comics. Sime, an outspoken supporter of indie comics, thinks that far from Hollywood taking over, it is original talent that rules.

I come to Comic-Con both as a comics fan and comics creator. For me, it is a little slice of heaven being among so many people sharing common ground. Of course, everyone is not there for exactly the same purpose. Even among comics fans, interests branch off in various directions. For instance, I’ve read a fair amount of “Green Lantern” comics since the character’s reboot by Geoff Johns and, for the life of me, I can’t quite get into it. Looking through panel discussion options at the con, I chose to hear Johns speak. He bound up to the stage with a baseball cap and swagger and proved to be very likable and charismatic. But, in the end, I still wasn’t exactly an all-out fan. I began to think I may never become a true fanboy as a I sat among true fanboys and fangirls.

Throughout the presentation, Johns would give clues about this and that plot development and he’d regularly interact with the audience, “You guys want to see another Superman movie?” Cheers. “A Flash movie? Yes, we’re developing a movie.” More cheers. As the newly minted Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics, I had to feel for Johns since he has more than a full plate. His specialty, love it, hate it, puzzle over it, is pure undiluted superhero stories, minus any quirky subtext. There had to be something to be said for that so l left the panel cheering with everyone else. Who can not like Geoff Johns, right?

Holding far more sway with me was when I wandered into the infamous Hall H, the gigantic pit that easily seats the population of a small city. You can go in and spend the whole day in there as you’re serenaded by one big studio sideshow after another. But, as luck would have it, I heard a truly inspiring call to arms by director Guillermo del Toro. He had me at hello with the two chilling clips from his upcoming, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” With the confidence of a maestro, he said, “You must respect genre on its own terms. You can go either of two ways: You can subvert it or respect it. Anything in between is of no interest to me.” He kept going, speaking about his distaste for postmodern irony. A good horror movie, in his view, needs to be about horror and not a smirk. So many Hollywood movies fail, de Toro explained, because there is so much fear to be bold while the truth is that the chances of screwing up are the same if you make a safe movie or a bold movie. Maybe his work did not seem to have a direct connection to comics but, then again, the con is also about pop culture and, in del Toro, you couldn’t find a more rousing supporter of the indie spirit.

You have to remember that, first and foremost, Comic-Con is a comics industry convention. That is what it was set up for some forty years ago and, at its core, that is what it’s about. There are plenty of young and not-so-young people dressed up as Storm Troopers, Wonder Woman, etc. but there’s also all manner of deeper appreciation for the comics medium. One place that you find it is at the annual Will Eisner Awards ceremony. This was a very good year. The show began with the entire cast of  the movie, “Scott Pilgrim,” standing on stage as the first awards were handed out. You could say that such a high end display was worthy of the Oscars. And then, to top that, it was announced that there will be a new movie based on work by the legendary cartoonist, and the namesake of the awards, Will Eisner. One of the first graphic novels, published in 1978, “A Contract with God,” appears to be in good hands as it goes Hollywood.

As I made my way back to Seattle, I settled into reading over post-Con recaps. One moment I wished I had seen was during the presentation for the movie, “Green Lantern.” A little boy made an innocent request of Ryan Reynolds. He asked him to recite the Green Lantern oath. And that’s exactly what Reynolds did without a hint of irony! The boy then displayed his Green Lantern power ring and, in true Christopher Reeve mode, Reynolds returned the salute. Upon reading about that, del Toro’s giddy embrace of genre came to mind. And I was even willing to give Johns credit for doing something similar with his earnest take on “Green Lantern.” It was a moment of true Comic-Con clarity.

Leave a comment

Filed under Comic-Con 2010, Comic-Con International: San Diego, Comics, Commentary

Tagged as

August 3, 2010 · 6:19 am

Comic-Con 2010: A Handy Recap on the Eisner Awards

2010 was a very good year for the Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards. The entire cast of “Scott Pilgrim” stood on stage for the first round of awards. To have that big studio show of support is huge and shows how comics and movies are so inextricably linked. Not only that, but Hollywood is shaking off that compulsion to rely on boring formulas and is seeking out and respecting original content. That was brought home by the next big moment at the show, the announcement that Will Eisner’s “A Contract with God” will be turned into a movie. It was a very tasteful presentation by the producers and the four directors on the project.

The Eisners and the Oscars. You are not going to mistake one for the other but they share similar qualities. They both have a panel of industry professionals who decide the nominees and then those are voted on my a myriad of industry professionals. The choices for nominees are pretty accurate in acknowledging excellent work from the previous year and try to be as inclusive as possible. Voters will take a look and reach their own conclusion. Sometimes voters will make obvious choices and sometimes they will try to send a message. In the end, the voting results can be looked upon as a great source for where comics are heading.

Best Publication for Kids

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf)

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)

Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)

The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams Comic Arts/Toon)

(WINNER) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens

Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)

(WINNER) Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)

A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)

Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)

I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)

Best Humor Publication

Drinky Crow’s Maakie Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)

Everybody is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)

Little LuLu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)

The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (Boom Kids!)

(WINNER) Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe, by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)

Best Cover Artist

John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)

Salavador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)

Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)

(WINNER) J.H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Lettering

Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)

(WINNER) David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)

Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)

Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Digital Comic

Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl

Bayou, by Jeremy Love

The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark

Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber

(WINNER) Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart

Best Coloring

Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Horns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)

Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)

David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

Alex Sinclair, Blacket Night, Batman and Robin (DC)

(WINNER) Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: “The Exodus Noir” (Vertigo/DC)

Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)

Fiona Staples, North 40 (Wildstorm)

(WINNER) J.H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Emile Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)

Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)

(WINNER) Jill Thompson, Beast of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (Harper Collins Children’s Books)

Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)

ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson, http://www.comicsalliance.com

Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (PictureBox)

The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)

(WINNER) The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com)

Best Comics-Related Book

Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)

(WINNER) The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)

Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)

Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld. US)

Best Publication Design

(WINNER) Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)

The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)

Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)

Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Anthology

Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)

Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)

Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)

(WINNER) Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)

Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)

What is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)

Best Archival Collection/Project–Strips

(WINNER) Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Bruce Canwell (IDW)

The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons 1913 – 1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)

Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937 – 1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W.W. Denslow, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project–Comic Books

The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)

Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et all., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

(WINNER) The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Emile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

(WINNER) The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefevre, and Frederic Lemerier (First Second)

Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)

West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia

The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Hwa (First Second)

A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.) by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

(WINNER) A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)

Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, Macoto Tezka, and Tezuka Productions (VIZ Media)

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urawawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer

(WINNER) Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvel Project (Marvel), Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)

James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)

Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles, The Unknowns (BOOM!)

Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist

Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter (IDW)

R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)

(WINNER) David Mazzucchelli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)

Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)

Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)

Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction

Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)

Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

(WINNER) Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)

David Small, Stitches (Norton)

Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Short Story

“Because I Love You So Much,” by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)

“Gentleman John,” by Nathan Greno, in What is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)

“How and Why to Bale Hay,” by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)

“Hurricane,” interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)

(WINNER) “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

Brave & the Bold #28: “Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line,” by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)

(WINNER) Captain America #601: “Red, White and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)

Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)

The Unwritten #5: “How the Whale Became,” by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Usagi Yojimbo #123: “The Death of Lord Hikjii” by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Adaptation from Another Work

The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)

(WINNER) Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Reality-Based Work

(WINNER) A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)

The Impostor’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)

Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)

The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefevre, and Frederic Lemerier (First Second)

Stitches, by David Small (Norton)

Best Graphic Album–Reprint

(WINNER) Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)

Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)

Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)

Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996 – 2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album–New

(WINNER) Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon)

A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.) by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)

My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Emile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefevre, and Frederic Lemerier (First Second)

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best New Series

(WINNER) Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)

Irreedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)

Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)

The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc

Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)

Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)

Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki, Macoto Tezka, and Tezuka Productions (VIZ Media)

Wolverine, #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: “Old Man Logan,” by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)

(WINNER) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series

Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)

Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)

Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

(WINNER) The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Leave a comment

Filed under Comic-Con 2010, Comic-Con International: San Diego, Comics, Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards