Artist Sean Phillips won in not one but two categories in the inaugural Tripwire Awards, announced at Portsmouth Comic Con. Photo: Sean Phillips

The winners of the inaugural Tripwire Awards were announced at the hugely-successful second Portsmouth Comic Con at the weekend, at a ceremony hosted by comics writer Jasper Bark.

A number of the show’s special guests were in attendance including Sean Phillips, who won in two categories, Kieron Gillen, Martin Simmonds and others.

Congratulations to all of the winners and the nominees, which included downthetubes, but as a number of the team write for ComicScene, which won the Best Comics-Related Website / Publication category, we’ll share that one!

The magazine’s second award this year, publisher Tony Foster commented: “It’s a big surprise! All sites nominated deserve to win for helping to promote comics. All credit to the writers, artists, designers and team who help get ComicScene into the shops every month. Thanks to Tripwire and panel for the nomination and everyone who voted for the magazine.”

“I’m still taking this in,” commented Gateway City creator and artist Russell Mark Olson on his win for “Best New Talent”. “My most sincere thanks to all who voted… not just for me, but everyone else nominated.”

Speaking as someone who’s worked with Russell, I’m delighted he’s gotten this much deserved accolade. It’s about time!

The winners were as follows:

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Writer Sponsored by Scott’s Collectables

•TOM KING (Batman, Mister Miracle (DC Comics))

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Artist Sponsored by Scott’s Collectables

• SEAN PHILLIPS (Kill Or Be Killed, Image Comics)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Cover Artist Sponsored by Scott’s Collectables

•AMANDA CONNER (Various)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Colourist

• LAURA ALLRED

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Letterer

•ADITYA BIDIKAR 

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best New Series Sponsored by Dark Horse Comics

• MISTER MIRACLE (Tom King / Mitch Gerads, DC Comics)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Publisher

• IMAGE COMICS

Photo: Russell Mark Olson

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best New Talent Sponsored By Vault Comics

• RUSSELL MARK OLSON (Gateway City, Russell Mark Olson)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Original Graphic Novel

• MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES (Ed Brubaker / Sean Phillips, Image Comics)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Collection Sponsored By Vault Comics

• BILL SIENKIEWICZ’S MUTANTS AND MOON KNIGHTS: ARTIFACT EDITION (Bill Sienkiewicz, IDW Publishing)

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: Best Comics-Related Website / Publication

• COMICSCENE UK

The TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2019: The ROLL OF HONOUR Sponsored by Soaring Penguin Press

• WALT SIMONSON

• For a full list of nominations and winners visit the Tripwire web site

• Watch the awards announcement here on the Comic Convention Collective Facebook Page

• ComicScene can be ordered from any newsagent, comic shop, picked up in selected WHSmith, McColls and Easons and online from GetMyComics here

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. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek 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: downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events

Tags: Awards, ComicScene, downthetubes News, Image Comics, Portsmouth Comic Con, Russell Mark Olson, Sean Phillips, Tom King, Tripwire Awards