Comic-Con International announced the 2024 nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards last week, and once again, there are many British creators among them, including Liam Sharp, Richard Starkings, and Bryan Talbot and Zoe Thorogood, along with publishers 2000AD/Rebellion and Titan Comics.

A spacial shout out, too, for the team at Slingsby Bros, Ink! – Roger Clark, Chris Killackey, and Guy Mills – for their much-deserved nomination for their superb collection of the British newspaper strip, David Wright’s Carol Day: Lance Hallam.

Nominees were chosen for 32 categories, with over 60 publishers represented by 150 titles in print and online.

The Eisner Awards will be presented at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel during Comic-Con on 26th July 2024.

US publisher Image leads nominations with 17 (plus eight shared), followed by DC with 13 (plus eight shared). Fantagraphics has 11 nominations, First Second has 10, IDW has nine (plus shared), Drawn & Quarterly has 8, Marvel has 5 (plus 3 shared), Dark Horse has 4 (plus one shared), Yen Press has four, and Abrams ComicArts and Titan Comics each have three (plus one shared). Kelly Thompson leads nominations for creators with 5, while Emily Carroll, Juano Guarnido, and Bill Griffith each have three.

The 2024 Eisner Award Nominees are:

Best Short Story

• “Friendship Is Forever” by Sam Maggs and Keisha Okafor in My Little Pony 40th Celebration (IDW)
• “The Kelpie” by Becky Cloonan in Four Gathered on Christmas Eve (Dark Horse)
• “The Lady of the Lake” by Joe S. Farrar and Guilherme Grandizolli in BUMP: A Horror Anthology #3 (BUMP)
• “Talking to a Hill” by Larry Hancock and Michael Cherkas in Comics for Ukraine (Zoop)
• “World’s Finest, Part 1” by Tom King and Belen Ortega in Wonder Woman #3 (DC)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

• Horologist by Jared Lee and Cross (Grim Film)
• Nightwing #105 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)
• Star Trek: Day of Blood—Shax’s Best Day by Ryan North and Derek Charm (IDW)
• Superman 2023 Annual by Joshua Williamson and others (DC)
• Sweet Paprika: Black, White, & Pink by Mirka Andolfo and others (Image)

Best Continuing Series

• Birds of Prey by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Basto Romero (DC)
• Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC Comics)
• Shazam! by Mark Waid and Dan Mora (DC)
• Transformers by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image Skybound)
• Wonder Woman by Tom King and Daniel Sampere (DC)

Best Limited Series

• The Cull by Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis (Image)
• Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons by Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda (IDW)
• Kill Your Darlings by Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Robert Quinn (Image)
• PeePee PooPoo by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket)
• Superman: Lost by Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan (DC)

Best New Series

• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath (IDW)
• Black Cloak by Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren (Image)
• Local Man by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs (Image)
• Phantom Road by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernández Walta (Image)
• Somna: A Bedtime Story by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay (DSTLRY)

Best Publication for Early Readers

• Bigfoot and Nessie: The Art of Getting Noticed by Chelsea M. Campbell and Laura Knetzger (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House)
• Burt the Beetle Lives Here! by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press)
• Go-Go Guys by Rowboat Watkins (Chronicle Books)
• The Light Inside by Dan Misdea (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House)
• Milk and Mocha: Our Little Happiness by Melani Sie (Andrews McMeel)
• Tacos Today: El Toro & Friends by Raúl the Third (HarperCollins/Versify)

Best Publication for Kids

• Buzzing by Samuel Sattin and Rye Hickman (Little, Brown Ink)
• Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling (Scholastic Graphix)
• Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín (Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Young Readers)
• Missing You by Phellip Willian and Melissa Garabeli, translation by Fabio Ramos (Oni Press)
• Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi and Shazleen Khan (First Second/Macmillan)

Best Publication for Teens

• Blackward by Lawrence Lindell (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House)
• Frontera by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo(HarperAlley)
• Lights by Brenna Thummler (Oni Press)
• Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer (First Second/Macmillan)
• My Girlfriend’s Child Volume 1 by Mamoru Aoi, translation by Hana Allen (Seven Seas)

Best Humor Publication

• How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone by Alex Norris (Candlewick/Walker Books)
• I Was a Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, and Other Musical Meanderings by Keith Knight (Keith Knight Press)
• It’s Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru (Marvel)
• Macanudo: Optimism Is for the Brave by Liniers (Fantagraphics)
• The Yakuza’s Bias by Teki Yatsuda, translation by Max Greenway (Kodansha)

Best Anthology

• Comics for Ukraine edited by Scott Dunbier (Zoop)
• Deep Cuts by Kyle Higgins, Joe Clark, Danilo Beyruth, and others (Image)
• The Devil’s Cut edited by Will Dennis (DSTLRY)
• Marvel Age #1000 edited by Tom Brevoort (Marvel)
• The Out Side: Trans & Nonbinary Comics edited by The Kao, Min Christensen, and David Daneman (Andrews McMeel)
• Swan Songs by W. Maxwell Prince and others (Image)

Best Reality-Based Work

• Are You Willing to Die for the Cause? by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century by Adrian Matejka and Youssef Daoudi (Liveright)
• Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali by Marc Bernardin and Ron Salas (First Second/Macmillan)
• Thing: Inside the Struggle for Animal Personhood by Samuel Machado and Cynthia Sousa Machado with Steven M. Wise (Island Press)
• Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller: The Man Who Created Nancy by Bill Griffith (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Memoir

• Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham (First Second/Macmillan)
• A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (First Second/Macmillan)
• In Limbo by Deb J.J. Lee (First Second/Macmillan)
• Memento Mori by Tiitu Takalo, translation by Maria Schroderus (Oni Press)
• Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me About Life, Death, and Hope by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)
• The Talk by Darrin Bell (Henry Holt)

Best Graphic Album – New

• Ashes by Álvaro Ortiz, translation by Eva Ibarzabal (Top Shelf/IDW)
• Eden II by K. Wroten (Fantagraphics)
• A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll (First Second/Macmillan)
• Parasocial by Alex De Campi and Erica Henderson (Image)
• Roaming by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album – Reprint

• Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise Treasury Edition by Tradd Moore (Marvel)
• The Good Asian by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)
• Hip Hop Family Tree: The Omnibus by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
• Orange Complete Series Box Set by Ichigo Takano, translation by Amber Tamosaitis (Seven Seas)
• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott (DC)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• Bea Wolf adapted by Zach Weinersmith and Boulet (First Second/Macmillan)
• #DRCL midnight children Volume 1, based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, translation by Caleb Cook (VIZ Media)
• H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow over Innsmouth adapted by Gou Tanabe, translation by Zack Davisson (Dark Horse Manga)
• The Monkey King: The Complete Odyssey adapted by Chaiko, translation by Dan Christensen (Magnetic)
• Watership Down, by Richard Adams adapted by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin (Ten Speed Graphic)

Delighted to se Watership Down in this category, it’s a an absolutely wonderful book!

Best US Edition of International Material

• Ashes by Álvaro Ortiz, translation by Eva Ibarzabal (Top Shelf/IDW)
• Blacksad, Vol 7: They All Fall Down, Part 2 by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Europe Comics)
• A Boy Named Rose by Gaëlle Geniller, translation by Fabrice Sapolsky (Fairsquare Comics)
• The Great Beyond by Léa Murawiec, translation by Aleshia Jensen (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed (Pantheon Books/Penguin Random House)
• Spa by Erik Svetoft, translation by Melissa Bowers (Fantagraphics)

Best US Edition of International Material – Asia

• #DRCL midnight children Volume 1, based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, translation by Caleb Cook (VIZ Media)
• Goodbye, Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto, translation by Amanda Haley (VIZ Media)
• The Horizon Volume 1 by JH, translation by ULTRAMEDIA Co. Ltd. (Yen/Ize Press)
• My Picture Diary by Fujiwara Maki, translation by Ryan Holmberg (Drawn & Quarterly)
• River’s Edge by Kyoko Okazaki, translation by Alexa Frank (Kodansha)
• The Summer Hikaru Died Volume 1 by Mokumokuren, translation by Ajani Oloye (Yen Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips

• Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comic Strips edited by Peter Maresca and Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
• David Wright’s Carol Day: Lance Hallam edited by Roger Clark, Chris Killackey, and Guy Mills (Slingsby Bros, Ink!)
• Popeye Sundays Vol 3: The Sea Hag and Alice the Goon by E.C. Segar, edited by Conrad Groth and Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies 1932-1935: Starring Bucky Bug and Donald Duck and Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies 1935-1939: Starring Donald Duck and Big Bad Wolf edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
• Where I’m Coming From by Barbara Brandon-Croft, edited by Peggy Burns and Tracy Hurren (Drawn & Quarterly)

We’ve covered Slingsby Bros, Ink!’s “Carol Day” quite extensively on downthetubes, and we’re delighted to see it get a much deserved nomination. Copies are still available in the UK from Book Palace. This beautiful giant-size hardback book doesn’t come cheap, but my goodness, it’s a treasure.

Best Archival Collection/Project – Comic Books

• Adventures Into Terror: The Atlas Comics Library Volume 1 edited by Michael J. Vassallo (Fantagraphics)
• All-Negro Comics 75th Anniversary Edition edited by Chris Robinson (Very GOOD Books)
• The Ballad of Halo Jones Full Colour Omnibus by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson, edited by Olivia Hicks (2000AD/Rebellion)
• The John Severin Westerns Featuring American Eagle edited by Michael Dean (Fantagraphics)
• Michael Golden’s Marvel Stories Artist’s Edition edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best Writer

• Stephen Graham Jones, Earthdivers (IDW)
• Mariko Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Tom Taylor, Nightwing, Titans (DC)
• Kelly Thompson, Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn, Black White and Redder (DC); Black Cloak, The Cull (Image); It’s Jeff, Captain Marvel (Marvel)
• Mark Waid, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest,Shazam!, World’s Finest: Teen Titans (DC)
• G. Willow Wilson, Poison Ivy (DC); Hunger and the Dusk (IDW)

Best Writer/Artist

• Emily Carroll, A Guest in the House (First Second/Macmillan)
• Bill Griffith, Three Rocks (Abrams ComicArts)
• Daniel Warren Johnson, Transformers (Image Skybound)
• Mokumokuren, The Summer Hikaru Died, Volume 1 (Yen Press)
• Zoe Thorogood, Hack/Slash: Back To School (Image)
• Tillie Walden, Clementine Book Two (Image Skybound)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Jason Shawn Alexander, Detective Comics (DC); Killadelphia with Germán Erramouspe (Image)
• Tula Lotay, Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder (Comixology Originals/Best Jackett)
• Inaki Miranda, Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons(IDW)
• Dan Mora, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Shazam! (DC)
• Chris Samnee, Fire Power (Image Skybound)
• Jillian Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Jason Shawn Alexander, Blacula: Return of the King (Zombie Love Studios)
• Chaiko, The Monkey King (Magnetic)
• Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad Vol 7: They All Fall Down Part 2 (Europe Comics)
• Liam Sharp, Nocterra: Nemesis Special (Best Jackett); Starhenge: The Dragon and the Boar (Image)
• Martin Simmonds, Universal Monsters: Dracula(Image Skybound)
• Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: Her Little Reapers (Abrams ComicArts); Monstress (Image)

Best Cover Artist

• Jen Bartel, DC Pride 2023, Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 (DC); Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest#1, Demon Wars: Scarlet Sin #1, Scarlet Witch #9, Sensational She-Hulk (Marvel)
• Evan Cagle, Detective Comics (DC)
• Jenny Frison, Alice Never After #1, BRZRKR: Fallen Empire #1, and other alternate covers (BOOM! Studios); Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1-2, Poison Ivy #8 and #12 (DC)
• E.M. Gist, Expanse Dragon Tooth #1, Something Is Killing the Children #28 and #34, Wild’s End, vol 2 #4 and other alternate covers (BOOM! Studios); Amazing Spider-Man #23, Doctor Aphra #36, Moon Knight #3, Nightcrawlers #1, Wolverine #38 (Marvel)
• Peach Momoko, Demon Wars: Scarlet Sin, various alternate covers (Marvel)
• Dan Mora, Coda #3, Damn Them All #4, MMPR 30th Anniversary Special #1, Rare Flavours #3 and other alternate covers (BOOM! Studios); Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Outsiders #1, Poison Ivy #9, Shazam!, Titans #1 (DC)

Best Colouring

• Jordie Bellaire, Batman, Birds of Prey (DC); Dark Spaces: Hollywood Special (IDW)
• Matt Hollingsworth, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Punisher (Marvel)
• Lee Loughridge, Red Zone (AWA); Edgeworld, Grammaton Punch, Nostalgia (Comixology Originals); The Devil’s Cut, Gone, Somna (DSTLRY); Star Trek (IDW); Killadelphia (Image); Hunt. Kill. Repeat. (Mad Cave)
• Dave McCaig, The Sacrificers (Image), The Walking Dead Deluxe (Image Skybound)
• Dean White, Conan the Barbarian (Titan Comics)

Best Lettering

• Lauren Bowes, Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes (Titan Comics)
• Emily Carroll, A Guest in the House (First Second/Macmillan)
• Bill Griffith, Three Rocks (Abrams ComicArts)
• Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber, The Witcher: Wild Animals, and others (Dark Horse); Batman: City of Madness,The Flash, Poison Ivy, and others (DC); Black Cat Social Club (Humanoids); Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (IDW); The Cull, What’s the Furthest Place from Here? (Image); and others
• Richard Starkings, Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love and Murder, Canary (Comixology Originals/Best Jackett); Parliament of Rooks (Comixology); Astro City, Battle Chasers (Image); Conan the Barbarian (Titan Comics)
• Rus Wooton, Monstress, The Sacrificers (Image); Fire Power, Kroma, Transformers, The Walking Dead Deluxe, Universal Monsters: Dracula, Void Rivals (Image Skybound); Hunt. Kill. Repeat., A Legacy of Violence, Nature’s Labyrinth (Mad Cave)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• The Comics Journal #309 edited by Gary Groth, Kristy Valenti, and Austin English (Fantagraphics)
• “The Indirect Market” by Brandon Schatz and Danica LeBlanc, comicsbeat.com
• Rob Salkowitz for Forbes, ICv2.com, Publishers Weekly
• SKTCHD by David Harper, www.sktchd.com
• SOLRAD: The Online Literary Magazine for Comics, www.solrad.co (Fieldmouse Press)

Best Comics-Related Book

• Bryan Talbot: Father of the British Graphic Novel by J.D. Harlock and Bryan Talbot (Brainstorm Studios)
• Confabulation: An Anecdotal Autobiography by Dave Gibbons (Dark Horse)
• Flamed Out: The Underground Adventures and Comix Genius of Willy Murphy edited by Mark Burstein (Fantagraphics)
• I Am the Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future by Michael Molcher (Rebellion)
• The Pacific Comics Companion by Stephan Friedt and Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)

• Thalamus: The Art of Dave McKean (Dark Horse)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

• Asian Political Cartoons by John A. Lent (University Press of Mississippi)
• The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men by J. Andrew Deman (University of Texas Press)
• Desegregating Comics: Debating Blackness in the Golden Age of American Comics edited by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press)
• If Shehrazad Drew: Critical Writings on Arab Comics by George Khoury-Jad (Sawaf Center for Arab Comics Studies and American University of Beirut Press)
• In Visible Archives: Queer and Feminist Visual Culture in the 1980s by Margaret Galvan (University of Minnesota Press)
• Super Bodies: Comic Book Illustration, Artistic Styles, and Narrative Impact by Jeffrey A. Brown (University of Texas Press)

Best Publication Design

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein boxed set designed by Mike Kennedy (Magnetic)
• Gratuitous Ninja by Ronald Wimberly, designed by Chloe Scheffe (Beehive Books)
• Inside the Mind of Sherlock Holmes designed by Donna Askem (Titan Comics)
• Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind designed by Josh Bernstein and Rob Schwager (Z2)
• Toilet-bound Hanako-kun First Stall Box Setdesigned by Wendy Chan (Yen Press)

Best Webcomic 

• Asturias: The Origin of a Flag by Javi de Castro
• Daughter of a Thousand Faces by Vel (Velinxi), (Tapas)
• Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)
• Matchmaker Volume 6 by Cam Marshall (Silver Sprocket)
• 3rd Voice by Evan Dahm (WEBTOON)
• Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome (Tapas)

Best Digital Comic

• Blacksad, Volume 7: They All Fall Down Part 2 by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Europe Comics)
• Friday by Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin Vols. 7-8 (Panel Syndicate)
• Parliament of Rooks by Abigail Jill Harding (Comixology Originals)
• Practical Defense Against Piracy by Tony Cliff (delilahdirk.com)
• A Witch’s Guide to Burning by Aminder Dhaliwal (Instagram.com)

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.

Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, British Comics - Collections, British Comics - Newspaper Strips, Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics

Tags: 2000AD, Adventure Comics, Carol Day, Comic-Con International, Conan the Barbarian, David Wright, downthetubes News, Eisner Awards, Liam Sharp, Michael Molcher, Rebellion, Richard Starkings, SF Comics, Slingsby Bros Ink!, The Ballad of Halo Jones, Titan Comics, Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Zoe Thorogood