British creators among Eisner Awards 2023 winners

By John Freeman on July 24, 2023 • ( 2 )

While American comics publisher DC Comics can boast of six award winners at the 35th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held this weekend as part of San Diego Comic Con, there were British comic creators who received deserved “gongs”, including top artist Sean Phillips, for Best Publication Design, on Parker: The Martini Edition, Zoe Thorogood, who won the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, co-editor of PanelXPanel.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comics, and are often referred to as the comics industry’s equivalent to the Academy Awards.

For DC Comics, Batman was involved in four of the wins: Best Short Story (“Finding Batman” by the late actor, Kevin Conroy and J. Bone), Best Single Issue (Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads), Best Continuing Series (Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo), and Best Cover Artist (Redondo). In addition, The Human Target (by Tom King and Greg Smallwood) won awards for Best Limited Series and Best Penciller/Inker.

Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, by Richard Stark, Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, and Sean Phillips

Other multiple award winners were Kate Beaton’s superb, thought-provoking and deservedly-praised autobiography, Ducks (Best Graphic Memoir, Best Writer/Artist; Drawn & Quarterly), Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s The Night Eaters Book 1 (Best Graphic Album–New, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist; Abrams ComicArts), and Parker: The Martini Edition – The Last Call (Best Graphic Album–Reprint, Best Publication Design; IDW).

Presenters during the gala evening included voice actors Maurice LaMarche, Adam McArthur, and Eric Bauza; Batman movie producer Michael Uslan; actors David Dastmalchain, Felicia Day, and Janeshia Adams-Ginyard; comedian Stephen Glickman; comics creators Mark Buckingham and Wendy and Richard Pini; Comic-Con Special Guests Keith Knight, Stephen Notley, John Semper, and David F. Walker; and Clampett Award winner Bill Morrison.

The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, presented by Bob’s daughter Ruth, was presented to Beth Accomando and Scott Dunbier. The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award went to artist Zoe Thorogood, whose first graphic novel, The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott, was published by Avery Hill Publishing, in 2021; it was presented by past Russ Manning assistant Bill Stout.

Zoe also illustrated HAHA and, more recently, Joe Hill’s Rain. Her auto-bio-graphic novel, It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, was published by Image Comics last year.

The 17th annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing was presented by Mark Evanier to two recipients: Barbara Friedlander and the late Sam Glanzman. Sam’s son Thomas accepted the award on his behalf. Maggie Thompson introduced the special In Memoriam video salute to those from the Comic-Con family who died in the past year.

The Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award, given to a store that has done an outstanding job of supporting the comics art medium both in the community and within the industry at large, was awarded by Joe Ferrara to Cape & Cowl (Oakland, CA). Accepting was the owner, Eitan Manhoff.

Eisner Awards Administrator Jackie Estrada opened and closed the ceremony. The Eisner Awards and ceremony are underwritten by San Diego Comic Convention.

Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Winners 2023!

Best Short Story
“Finding Batman” by Kevin Conroy and J. Bone in DC Pride 2022 (DC)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot
Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

Best Continuing Series
Nightwing, by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)

Best Limited Series
The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)

Best New Series
Public Domain, by Chip Zdarsky (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)
The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems (Union Square Kids)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)
Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
Do a Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image)

Best Humor Publication
Revenge of the Librarians, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Anthology
The Nib Magazine, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)

Best Reality-Based Work
Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Memoir
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—New
The Night Eaters, Book 1: She Eats the Night, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, by Richard Stark, Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, and Sean Phillips (IDW)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Colleen Doran (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part 1, by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Dark Horse

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
Shuna’s Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki; translation by Alex Dudok de Wit (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)
Come Over Come Over, It’s So Magic, and My Perfect Life, by Lynda Barry, edited by Peggy Burns (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)
The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta, edited by Dian Hansen (TASCHEN)

Best Writer
James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country (DC), The Closet, The Department of Truth (Image)

Best Writer/Artist
Kate Beaton, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Greg Smallwood, The Human Target (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night (Abrams ComicArts); Monstress (Image)

Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)
Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)

Best Colouring
Jordie Bellaire, The Nice House on the Lake, Suicide Squad: Blaze (DC); Antman, Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age (Marvel)

Best Lettering
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
PanelXPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and Tiffany Babb (panelxpanel.com)

Best Comics-Related Book
Charles M. Schulz: The Art and Life of the Peanuts Creator in 100 Objects, by Benjamin L. Clark and Nat Gertler (Schulz Museum)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work
The LGBTQ+ Comics Studies Reader: Critical Openings, Future Directions, edited by Alison Halsall and Jonathan Warren (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design
Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, designed by Sean Phillips (IDW)

Best Webcomic
Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)

Best Digital Comic
Barnstormers, by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay (Comixology Originals)

Hall of Fame:
Judges’ Choices: Jerry Bails, Tony DeZuniga, Justin Green, Bill Griffith. Jay Jackson, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Jack Katz, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Win Mortimer, Diane Noomin, Gaspar Saladino, Kim Thompson, Garry Trudeau, Mort Walker, Tatjana Wood
Voters’ Choices: Brian Bolland, Anne Nocenti, Tim Sale, Diana Schutz

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Beth Accomando, Scott Dunbier

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth: This Book Is for Someone, Somewhere by Zoe Thorogood

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Zoe Thorogood

Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing: Barbara Friedlander, Sam Glanzman

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.