2000 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Letitia Lerner, Superman's Baby Sitter" by Kyle Baker in Elseworlds 80-Page Giant
Best Single Issue - Tom Strong #1 by Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, and Al Gordon
Best Serialized Story - Tom Strong #4-7 by Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, Al Gordon, and guest artists
Best Continuing Series - Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware
Best Limited Series - Whiteout: Melt by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber
Best New Series - Top Ten by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Simpsons Comics by various
Best Humor Publication - Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror by Jill Thompson, Oscar González Loyo, Steve Steere Jr., Scott Shaw!, Sergio Aragonés, and Doug TenNapel
Best Anthology - Tomorrow Stories by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Kevin Nowlan, Melinda Gebbie, and Jim Baikie
Best Graphic Album: New - Acme Novelty Library #13 by Chris Ware
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
Best Archival Collection/Project - Peanuts: A Golden Celebration
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura
Best Writer - Alan Moore; League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong, Tomorrow Stories, and Top Ten
Best Writer/Artist - Dan Clowes by Eightball
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; I Die at Midnight and "Letitia Lerner, Superbaby's Babysitter" in Elseworlds 80-Page Giant
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Kevin Nowlan; "Jack B. Quick" in Tomorrow Stories
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Alex Ross; Batman: War on Crime
Best Coloring - Laura Dupuy; The Authority, Planetary
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Promethea, Tom Strong, Tomorrow Stories, Top Ten, The Dreaming, Gifts of the Night, The Invisibles, and Sandman Presents: Lucifer
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Batman: No Man's Land, Batman: Harley Quinn, Batman: War on Crime, Kurt Busiek's Astro City, and ABC alternate #1 covers
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Tony Millionaire; Sock Monkey
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Publication - Comic Book Artist
Best Comics-Related Book - The Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman and Yoshitaka Amano
Best Comics-Related Product/Item - Lunch boxes: Milk & Cheese, Sin City, Bettie Page, Hellboy, and Groo
Best Publication Design - 300 designed by Mark Cox
2001 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "The Gorilla Suit" by Sergio Aragonés in Streetwise
Best Single Issue - Promethea #10 by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III, and Mick Gray
Best Serialized Story - 100 Bullets #15-18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low" by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
Best Continuing Series - Top 10 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon
Best Limited Series - The Ring of the Nibelung by P. Craig Russell with Patrick Mason
Best New Series - Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Scary Godmother: The Boo Flu by Jill Thompson
Best Humor Publication - Sock Monkey, vol. 3 by Tony Millionaire
Best Anthology - Drawn & Quarterly, vol. 3, edited by Chris Oliveros
Best Graphic Album: New - Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware
Best Archival Collection/Project - The Spirit Archives, vols. 1 and 2 by Will Eisner
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
Best Writer - Alan Moore; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong, Top Ten, and Tomorrow Stories
Best Writer/Artist - Eric Shanower; Age of Bronze
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Tony Millionaire; Maakies and Sock Monkey
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - P. Craig Russell; Ring of the Nibelung
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Jill Thompson; Scary Godmother
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; Acme Novelty Library #14
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Promethea, Tom Strong, Tomorrow Stories, Top 10, The Invisibles, The Dreaming, and Castle Waiting
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland; Batman: Gotham Knights, The Flash, and The Invisibles
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Alex Robinson
Best Comics-Related Book - Wonder Woman: The Complete History by Les Daniels
Best Publication Design - Jimmy Corrigan designed by Chris Ware
2002 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "The Eltingville Club in 'The Intervention'" by Evan Dorkin in Dork #9
Best Single Issue - Eightball #22 by Dan Clowes
Best Serialized Story - Amazing Spider-Man #30-35: "Coming Home" by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., and Scott Hanna
Best Continuing Series - 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
Best Limited Series - Hellboy: Conqueror Worm by Mike Mignola
Best New Series - Queen & Country by Greg Rucka and Steve Rolston
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Herobear and the Kid by Mike Kunkel
Best Humor Publication - Radioactive Man by Batton Lash, Abel Laxamana, Dan De Carlo, Mike DeCarlo, and Bob Smith
Best Anthology - Bizarro Comics edited by Joey Cavalieri
Best Graphic Album: New - The Name of the Game by Will Eisner
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Best Archival Collection/Project - Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
Best Writer - Brian Michael Bendis; Powers, Alias, Daredevil, and Ultimate Spider-Man
Best Writer/Artist - Dan Clowes; Eightball
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Evan Dorkin; Dork
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Eduardo Risso; 100 Bullets
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Charles Vess; Rose
Best Coloring - Laura DePuy; Ruse and Ministry of Space
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Promethea, Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, Tomorrow Stories, Top 10, Greyshirt, The Sandman Presents: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dreams But Were Afraid to Ask, Detective Comics, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Castle Waiting, and Universe X
Best Cover Artist - Dave Johnson; Detective Comics and 100 Bullets
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Dylan Horrocks; Hicksville and Atlas
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comic Book Artist edited by Jon Cooke
Best Comics-Related Book - Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz edited by Chip Kidd
Best Comics-Related Item - Dark Horse classic comic characters statuettes sculpted by Yoe Studio
Best Publication Design - Acme Novelty Library #15 designed by Chris Ware
2003 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "The Magician and the Snake" by Katie Mignola and Mike Mignola in Dark Horse Maverick: Happy Endings
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - The Stuff of Dreams by Kim Deitch
Best Serialized Story - Fables #1-5: "Legends in Exile" by Bill Willingham, Lan Medina, and Steve Leialoha
Best Continuing Series - Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev
Best Limited Series - League of Extraordinary Gentleman, vol. 2 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
Best New Series - Fables by Bill Willingham, Lan Medina, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Herobear and the Kid by Mike Kunkel
Best Humor Publication - The Amazing Screw-On Head by Mike Mignola
Best Anthology - SPX 2002
Best Graphic Album: New - One! Hundred! Demons! by Lynda Barry
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Batman: Black and White, vol. 2 edited by Mark Chiarello and Nick J. Napolitano
Best Archival Collection/Project - Krazy & Ignatz by George Herriman
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Jerry Kramsky and Lorenzo Mattotti
Best Writer - Brian Michael Bendis; Powers, Alias, Daredevil, and Ultimate Spider-Man
Best Writer/Artist - Eric Shanower; Age of Bronze
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Tony Millionaire; House at Maakies Corner
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Kevin O'Neill; League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Interior Art - George Pratt; Wolverine: Netsuke
Best Coloring - Dave Stewart; Hellboy: Third Wish, The Amazing Screw-on Head, Star Wars: Empire, Human Target: Final Cut, Doom Patrol, Tom Strong, and Captain America
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Dark Knight Strikes Again, Detective Comics, Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, Fables, Human Target: Final Cut, Promethea, Tom Strong, and Castle Waiting
Best Cover Artist - Adam Hughes; Wonder Woman
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Jason Shiga; Fleep
Best Comics-Related Publication - B. Krigstein, vol. 1 by Greg Sadowski
Best Publication Design - Batman: Nine Lives designed by Amie Brockway-Metcalf
2004 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Death" by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell in The Sandman: Endless Nights
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - Tie between Conan: The Legend #0 by Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord and The Goon #1 by Eric Powell
Best Serialized Story - Gotham Central #6-10: "Half a Life" by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
Best Continuing Series - 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
Best Limited Series - Unstable Molecules by James Sturm and Guy Davis
Best New Series - Plastic Man by Kyle Baker
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge by various
Best Humor Publication - Formerly Known as the Justice League by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, and Joe Rubinstein
Best Anthology - The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, P. Craig Russell, Miguelanxo Prado, Barron Storey, Frank Quitely, Glenn Fabry, Milo Manara, and Bill Sienkiewicz; co-edited by Karen Berger and Shelly Bond
Best Graphic Album: New - Blankets by Craig Thompson
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Batman Adventures: Dangerous Dames and Demons by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and others
Best Archival Collection/Project - Krazy and Ignatz, 1929-1930 by George Herriman, edited by Bill Blackbeard
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Buddha, vols. 1 and 2 by Osamu Tezuka
Best Writer - Alan Moore; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Smax, Tom Strong, Tom Strong's Terrific Tales
Best Writer/Artist - Craig Thompson; Blankets
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; Plastic Man, The New Baker
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - John Cassaday; Planetary, Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, and Hellboy Weird Tales
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Jill Thompson; "Stray" in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings
Best Coloring - Patricia Mulvihill; Batman, Wonder Woman, and 100 Bullets
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Detective Comics, Fables, The Sandman: Endless Nights, Tom Strong, Promethea, and 1602
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Batgirl and Fables
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Derek Kirk Kim; Same Difference and Other Stories
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comic Book Artist edited by Jon B. Cooke
Best Comics-Related Book - The Art of Hellboy by Mike Mignola
Best Publication Design - Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross designed by Chip Kidd
2005 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Unfamiliar" by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson in The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - Eightball #23 by Dan Clowes
Best Serialized Story - Fables #19-27: "March of the Wooden Soldiers" by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha
Best Continuing Series - The Goon by Eric Powell
Best Limited Series - DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
Best New Series - Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Plastic Man by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse
Best Humor Publication - The Goon by Eric Powell
Best Anthology - Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist edited by Diana Schutz and David Land
Best Digital Comic - Mom's Cancer by Brian Fies
Best Graphic Album: New - The Originals by Dave Gibbons
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Bone One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith
Best Archival Collection/Project - The Complete Peanuts edited by Gary Groth
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Buddha, vols. 3-4 by Osamu Tezuka
Best Writer - Brian K. Vaughan; Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, and Runaways
Best Writer/Artist - Paul Chadwick; Concrete: The Human Dilemma
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; Plastic Man, Kyle Baker, Cartoonist
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Tie between John Cassaday for Astonishing X-Men, Planetary, and I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun and Frank Quitely for WE3
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Interior Art - Teddy Kristiansen; It's a Bird...
Best Coloring - Dave Stewart; Daredevil, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Six, Captain America, Conan, BPRD, and The New Frontier
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Promethea, Tom Strong, Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, Wonder Woman, Books of Magick: Life During Wartime, Fables, WE3, and Creatures of the Night
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Fables, Green Arrow, and Batgirl
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Sean McKeever; A Waiting Place, Mary Jane, Inhumans, and Sentinels
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comic Book Artist edited by Jon B. Cooke
Best Comics-Related Book - Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book by Gerard Jones
Best Publication Design - The Complete Peanuts designed by Seth
2006 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Teenage Sidekick" by Paul Pope in Solo #3
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - Solo #5 by Darwyn Cooke
Best Serialized Story - Fables #36-38, 40-41: "Return to the Homelands" by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha
Best Continuing Series - Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
Best Limited Series - Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison and various artists
Best New Series - All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Owly: Flying Lessons by Andy Runton
Best Anthology - Solo edited by Mark Chiarello
Best Digital Comic - PVP by Scott Kurtz
Best Reality-Based Work - Nat Turner by Kyle Baker
Best Graphic Album: New - Top Ten: The Forty-Niners by Alan Moore and Gene Ha
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Black Hole by Charles Burns
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Strips - The Complete Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books - Absolute Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
Best Writer - Alan Moore; Promethea and Top Ten: The Forty-Niners
Best Writer/Artist - Geof Darrow; Shaolin Cowboy
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; Plastic Man and The Bakers
Best Penciller/Inker - John Cassaday; Astonishing X-Men and Planetary
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: Interior Art - Ladronn; Hip Flask: Mystery City
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; Acme Novelty Library #16
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Wonder Woman, Justice, Seven Soldiers #0, Desolation Jones, Promethea, Top Ten: The Forty-Niners, Tomorrow Stories Special, Fables, 1602: New World
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Fables and Runaways
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Aaron Renier; Spiral-Bound
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comic Book Artist edited by Jon B. Cooke
Best Comics-Related Book - Eisner/Miller edited by Charles Brownstein and Diana Schutz
Best Publication Design - Tie between Acme Novelty Library Annual Report to Shareholders designed by Chris Ware and Little Nemo in Slumberland designed by Philippe Ghuilemetti
2007 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "A Frog's Eye View" by Bill Willingham and James Jean in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - Batman/The Spirit #1 by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke
Best Continuing Series - All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Best Limited Series - Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope
Best New Series - Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Best Publication for a Younger Audience - Gumby by Bob Burden and Rick Geary
Best Humor Publication - Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden
Best Anthology - Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham and various
Best Digital Comic - Sam and Max by Steve Purcell
Best Reality-Based Work - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Best Graphic Album: New - American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Absolute DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Strips - The Complete Peanuts, 1959–1960 & 1961–1962 by Charles Schulz
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books - Absolute Sandman, vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman and various
Best U.S. Edition of International Material - The Left Bank Gang by Jason
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Japan - Old Boy by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi
Best Writer - Ed Brubaker; Captain America, Daredevil, and Criminal
Best Writer/Artist - Paul Pope; Batman: Year 100
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Tony Millionaire; Billy Hazelnuts and Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha; Fables
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Jill Thompson; "A Dog and His Boy" in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters, "Love Triangle" in Sexy Chix, "Fair Division" in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Best Coloring - Dave Stewart; BPRD, Conan, The Escapists, Hellboy, Action Comics, Batman/The Spirit, and Superman
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, Pride of Baghdad, Testament, Fantastic Four: 1602, Eternals, and Lost Girls
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Fables, Jack of Fables, and Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism - Alter Ego edited by Roy Thomas
Best Comics-Related Book - The Art of Brian Bolland edited by Joe Pruett
Best Publication Design - Absolute DC: The New Frontier designed by Darwyn Cooke
2008 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - “Mr. Wonderful” by Dan Clowes serialized in New York Times Sunday Magazine
Best Single Issue or One-Shot - Justice League of America #11 by Brad Meltzer and Gene Ha
Best Continuing Series - Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan, Jr.
Best Limited Series - The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá
Best New Series - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, Georges Jeanty, and Andy Owens
Best Publication for Kids - Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen
Best Publication for Teens - Laika by Nick Abadzis
Best Humor Publication - Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories by Nicholas Gurewitch
Best Anthology - 5 by Gabriel Bá, Becky Cloonan, Fabio Moon, Vasilis Lolos, and Rafael Grampa
Best Digital Comic - Sugarshock! by Joss Whedon and Fabio Moon
Best Reality-Based Work - Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso
Best Graphic Album: New - Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Strips - Complete Terry and the Pirates, vol. 1 by Milton Caniff
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books - I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets! by Fletcher Hanks
Best U.S. Edition of International Material - I Killed Adolf Hitler by Jason
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Japan - Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White by Taiyo Matsumoto
Best Writer - Ed Brubaker; Captain America, Criminal, Daredevil, and Immortal Iron Fist
Best Writer/Artist - Chris Ware; Acme Novelty Library #18
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Eric Powell; The Goon
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Pia Guerra/Jose Marzan, Jr.; Y: The Last Man
Best Painter or Multimedia Artist - Eric Powell; The Goon: Chinatown
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Fables, The Umbrella Academy, Process Recess 2, and Superior Showcase 2
Best Coloring - Dave Stewart; BPRD, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cut, Hellboy, Lobster Johnson, The Umbrella Academy, and The Spirit
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Justice, Simon Dark, Fables, Jack of Fables, Crossing Midnight, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, and Nexus
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism - Newsarama; produced by Matt Brady and Michael Doran
Best Comics-Related Book - Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean by Douglas Wolk
Best Publication Design - Process Recess 2 designed by James Jean and Chris Pitzer
2009 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Murder He Wrote” by Ian Booth, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy in The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror #14
Best Continuing Series - All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Best Limited Series - Hellboy: The Crooked Man by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben
Best New Series - Invincible Iron Man by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca
Best Publication for Kids - Tiny Titans by Art Baltazar and Franco
Best Publication for Teens - Coraline by Neil Gaiman and adapted by P. Craig Russell
Best Humor Publication - Herbie Archives by Sean O’Shea and Ogden Whitney
Best Anthology - Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos edited by Rantz Hoseley
Best Digital Comic - Finder by Carla Speed McNeil
Best Reality-Based Work - What It Is by Lynda Barry
Best Graphic Album: New - Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Hellboy Library Editions by Mike Mignola
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Strips - Little Nemo in Slumberland: Many More Splendid Sundays by Winsor McCay
Best Archival Collection/Project: Comic Books - Creepy Archives
Best U.S. Edition of International Material - The Last Musketeer by Jason
Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Japan - Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
Best Writer - Bill Willingham; Fables and House of Mystery
Best Writer/Artist - Chris Ware; Acme Novelty Library
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Guy Davis; BPRD
Best Painter or Multimedia Artist - Jill Thompson; Magic Trixie, Magic Trixie Sleeps Over
Best Cover Artist - James Jean; Fables, The Umbrella Academy
Best Coloring - Dave Stewart; Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Umbrella Academy, Body Bags, Captain America: White
Best Lettering - Chris Ware; Acme Novelty Library
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism - Comic Book Resources; produced by Jonah Weiland
Best Comics-Related Book - Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier
Best Publication Design - Hellboy Library Editions designed by Cary Grazzini and Mike Mignola
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Eisner Winners of the 1990's
No awards were handed out in 1990.
1991 Eisner Award Winners
Best Story or Single Issue - Concrete Celebrates Earth Day by Paul Chadwick, Charles Vess, and Jean "Moebius" Giraud
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Black and White Series - Xenozoic Tales by Mark Schultz
Best Finite Series - Give Me Liberty by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons
Best Graphic Album: New - Elektra Lives Again by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
Best Graphic Album: Reprint (Modern Material) - Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman; Sandman
Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team - Frank Miller and Geof Darrow; Hard Boiled
Best Artist - Steve Rude
Best Inker - Al Williamson
1992 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue or Story - Sandman #22-#28 by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Finite Series - Concrete: Fragile Creature by Paul Chadwick
Best Anthology - Dark Horse Presents edited by Randy Stradley
Best Graphic Album: New/First US publication - To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Maus II by Art Spiegelman
Best Humor Publication - Groo the Wanderer by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones
Best Comic Strip Collection - Calvin and Hobbes: The Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman for Sandman, Books of Magic, and Miracleman
Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team - Peter David and Dale Keown for The Incredible Hulk
Best Artist - Simon Bisley for Batman: Judgement on Gotham
Best Inker - Adam Kubert for Batman Versus Predator
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff for Legends of the Dark Knight, 2112, and Akira
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland for Animal Man
Best Editor - Karen Berger for Sandman, Shade: the Changing Man, Kid Eternity, and Books of Magic
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comics Buyer's Guide edited by Don Thompson and Maggie Thompson
Best Comics-Related Book - From "Aargh!" to "Zap!": Harvey Kurtzman's Visual History of the Comics by Harvey Kurtzman edited by Howard Zimmerman
Best Comics-Related Product - Sandman statue by Randy Bowen
1993 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Nexus: The Origin by Mike Baron and Steve Rude
Best Short Story - "Two Cities" by Mark Schultz in Xenozoic Tales #12
Best Serialized Story - "From Hell" by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell in Taboo
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Finite Series - Grendel: War Child by Matt Wagner and Patrick McEown
Best Anthology - Taboo edited by Steve Bissette
Best Graphic Album: New - Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
Best Graphic Album: Reprint (Modern Material) - Sin City by Frank Miller
Best Archival Collection - Carl Barks Library album series
Best Humor Publication - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Comic Strip Collection - Calvin and Hobbes: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Watterson
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman; Miracleman and Sandman
Best Painter (Interior) - Dave Dorman; Aliens: Tribes
Best Penciller - Steve Rude; Nexus: The Origin
Best Penciller/Inker, Black & White Publication - Frank Miller; "Sin City" in Dark Horse Presents
Best Penciller/Inker, Color Publication - P. Craig Russell; Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Robin 3000, and "Hothouse" in Legends of the Dark Knight
Best Inker - Kevin Nowlan, Batman: Sword of Azrael
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff/Olyoptics; Legends of the Dark Knight #28-#30, Martian Manhunter: American Secrets, James Bond 007: Serpent's Tooth, and Spawn
Best Letterer - Todd Klein; Sandman and The Demon
Best Writer/Artist - Frank Miller; "Sin City" in Dark Horse Presents
Best Writer/Artist Team - Mike Baron/Steve Rude; Nexus: The Origin
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland; Animal Man and Wonder Woman
Best Editor - Archie Goodwin; Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman: Sword of Azrael, and Deadman: Exorcism
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comics Buyer's Guide
Best Publication Design - Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman and others, designed by Dave McKean
1994 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Batman Adventures: Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm
Best Short Story - "The Amazing Colossal Homer" in Simpsons Comics #1 by Steve Vance, Cindy Vance, and Bill Morrison
Best Serialized Story - Bone #8-10 "The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith
Best Continuing Series - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Finite/Limited Series - Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
Best Anthology - Dark Horse Presents editted by Randy Stradley
Best Graphic Album: New - A Small Killing by Alan Moore and Oscar Zarate
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Cerebus: Flight by Dave Sim and Gerhard
Best Archival Collection - Complete Little Nemo in Slumberland vol. 6 by Winsor McCay
Best Humor Publication - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman for Sandman and Death: The High Cost of Living
Best Writer/Artist - Jeff Smith for Bone
Best Painter - Alex Ross for Marvels
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller-Inker Team - P. Craig Russel for Sandman #50
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff and Reuben Rude (Olyoptics) for Spawn
Best Letterer - Todd Klein for The Shadow, Sandman, The Demon, Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo, Dark Joker: The Wild, and Hellblazer
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland for Animal Man, Wonder Woman, and Legends of the Dark Knight #50
Best Editor - Tie between Karen Berger for Sandman and Mike Carlin for Superman
Best Comics-Related Book - Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Best Comics-Related Product/Item - Death statue by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, designed by Comicraft
1995 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Batman Adventures Holiday Special by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Ronnie Del Carmen, and others
Best Short Story - "The Babe Wore Red" by Frank Miller in Sin City: The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories
Best Serialized Story - "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" by Don Rosa, Uncle Scrooge #285-296
Best Continuing Series - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Limited Series - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For by Frank Miller
Best New Series - Too Much Coffee Man by Shannon Wheeler
Best Anthology - Big Book of Urban Legends edited by Andy Helfer
Best Graphic Novel: New - Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde vol. 2 by P. Craig Russell
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction by Mike Mignola
Best Archival Collection - The Christmas Spirit by Will Eisner
Best Humor Publications - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell
Best Writer/Artist - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Jeff Smith; Bone
Best Painter - Jon J. Muth; Mystery Play
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Dave Gibbons; Martha Washington Goes to War
Best Coloring - Angus McKie; Martha Washington Goes to War
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Batman vs. Predator II, The Demon, The Sandman, and Uncle Scrooge
Best Cover Artist - Glenn Fabry; Hellblazer
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Evan Dorkin; Milk and Cheese, Hectic Planet, Dork, and Instant Piano
Best Editor - Karen Berger; The Sandman and Sandman Mystery Theatre
Best Comics-Related Publication - Hero Illustrated
Best Comics-Related Item - Sandman Arabian Nights statue; designed by P. Craig Russell and sculpted by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - The Acme Novely Library; designed by Chris Ware
1996 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City #4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
Best Short Story - "The Eltingville Comic-Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Role-Playing Club in Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett" by Evan Dorkin in Instant Piano #3
Best Serialized Story - Strangers in Paradise #1-8 by Terry Moore
Best Continuing Series - Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware
Best Title for Younger Readers - Batman & Robin Adventures by Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and Rick Burchett
Best Limited Series - Sin City: The Big Fat Kill by Frank Miller
Best New Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
Best Anthology - The Big Book of Conspiracies edited by Bronwyn Taggart
Best Graphic Album: New - Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot
Best Archival Collection - The Complete Crumb Comics, vol. 11 by R. Crumb
Best Humor Publication - Milk & Cheese #666 by Evan Dorkin
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell
Best Writer/Artist: Drama - David Lapham; Stray Bullets
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Sergio Aragones; Groo
Best Painter - John Bolton; Batman: Manbat
Best Penciller/Inker - Geof Darrow; The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kurt Busiek's Astro City
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; The Acme Novelty Library
Best Lettering - Stan Sakai; Groo, Usagi Yojimbo
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Stan Sakai
Best Editor - Tie between Stuart Moore for Swamp Thing, The Invisibles, and Preacher and Bronwyn Taggart for The Big Book of Weirdos, The Big Book of Conspiracies, Brooklyn Dreams, and Stuck Rubber Baby
Best Comics-Related Publication: Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Publication: Book - Alex Toth edited by Manuel Auad
Best Comics-Related Item - Comic strip stamps
Best Publication Design - The Acme Novelty Library designed by Chris Ware
1997 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Heroes" by Archie Goodwin and Gary Gianni in Batman: Black & White #4
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City, vol. 2, #1 by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Serialized Story - Starman #20-23: "Sand and Stars" by James Robinson, Tony Harris, Guy Davis, and Wade von Grawbadger
Best Continuing Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Limited Series - Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Best New Series - Leave It to Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Best Comics Publication for a Younger Audience - Leave It to Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Best Humor Publication - Sergio Aragones Destroys DC and Sergio Aragones Massacres Marvel by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones
Best Anthology - Batman: Black and White by Mark Chiarello and Scott Peterson, editors
Best Graphic Album: New - Fax from Sarajevo by Joe Kubert
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Stray Bullets: Innocence of Nihilism by David Lapham
Best Archival Collection - Tarzan: The Land That Time Forgot and The Pool of Time by Russ Manning
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell and Supreme
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Don Rosa; Walt Disney's Comics & Stories and Uncle Scrooge
Best Writer/Artist: Drama - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Wake the Devil
Best Penciller - Steve Rude; Nexus: Executioner's Song
Best Inker - Al Williamson; Spider-Man and Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17-18
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Charles Vess; Book of Ballads and Sagas and Sandman #75
Best Painter - Alex Ross; Kingdom Come
Best Coloring - Matt Hollingsworth; Preacher, Death: The Time of Your Life, Bloody Mary, and Challengers of the Unknown
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; The Sandman, Death: The Time of Your Life, House of Secrets, The Dreaming, Batman, The Spectre, and Kingdom Come
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kingdom Come and Kurt Busiek's Astro City
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Ricardo Delgado; Age of Reptiles
Best Editor - Dan Raspler; Kingdom Come, Hitman, The Spectre, and Sergio Aragones Destroys the DC Universe
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - Graphic Storytelling by Will Eisner
Best Comics-Related Product - Hellboy bust by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Acme Novelty Library #7 designed by Chris Ware
1998 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "The Eltingville Comic Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Role-Playing Club In: The Marathon Men" by Evan Dorkin in Dork! #4
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City vol. 2 #10 by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Serialized Story - Kurt Busiek's Astro City vol. 2 #4-9: "Confession" by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Continuing Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Limited Series - Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Best New Series - Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
Best Comics Publication for a Younger Audience - Batman & Robin Adventures by Ty Templeton, Brandon Kruse, Rick Burchett, and others
Best Humor Publication - Gon Swimmin' by Masahi Tanaka
Best Anthology - Hellboy Christmas Special edited by Scott Allie
Best Graphic Album: New - Batman & Superman Adventures: World's Finest by Paul Dini, Joe Staton, and Terry Beatty
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Sin City: That Yellow Bastard by Frank Miller
Best Archival Collection - Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Gon Swimmin' by Masahi Tanaka
Best Writer - Garth Ennis; Hitman, Preacher, Unknown Soldier, and Blood Mary: Lady Liberty
Best Writer/Artist - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Almost Colossus, Hellboy Christmas Special, and Hellboy Jr. Halloween Special
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - P. Craig Russell; Elric: Stormbringer and Dr. Strange: What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen?
Best Painter - Alex Ross; Uncle Sam
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; The Acme Novelty Library
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Batman, Batman: Poison Ivy, The Dreaming, House of Secrets, The Invisibles, Uncle Sam, Uncle Scrooge Adventures, and Castle Waiting
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kurt Busiek's Astro City and Uncle Sam
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Linda Medley; Castle Waiting
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book edited by Pete Poplaski
Best Comics-Related Product - Acme Novelty Library display stand designed by Chris Ware
Best Publication Design - Kingdom Come deluxe slipcover edition; art director Bob Chapman, DC design director Georg Brewer
1999 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Devil's Advocate" by Matt Wagner and Tim Sale in Grendel: Black, White, and Red #1
Best Single Issue - Hitman #34 by Garth Ennis, John McCrea, and Garry Leach
Best Serialized Story - Usagi Yojimbo #13-22: "Grasscutter" by Stan Sakai
Best Continuing Series - Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
Best Limited Series - 300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
Best New Series - Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Batman: The Gotham Adventures by Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, and Terry Beatty
Best Humor Publication - Sergio Aragones's Groo by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier
Best Anthology - Grendel: Black, White, and Red by Matt Wagner, edited by Diana Schutz
Best Graphic Album: New - Superman: Peace on Earth by Paul Dini and Alex Ross
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Best Archival Collection - Plastic Man Archives vol. 1 by Jack Cole
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Star Wars: A New Hope by Hisao Tamaki
Best Writer - Kurt Busiek; Kurt Busiek's Astro City and Avengers
Best Writer/Artist - Frank Miller; 300
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; You Are Here
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Tim Sale; Superman for All Seasons and Grendel Black, White, and Red #1
Best Painter: Interior Art - Alex Ross; Superman: Peace on Earth
Best Coloring - Lynn Varley; 300
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Castle Waiting, House of Secrets, The Invisibles, and The Dreaming
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland; The Invisibles
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Brian Michael Bendis; Jinx, Goldfish, Torso
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - Batman: Animated by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd
Best Comics-Related Product/Item - Sandman Pocketwatch designed by Kris Ruotolo
Best Comics-Related Sculpted Figures - Hellboy statue sculpted by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Batman: Animated designed by Chip Kidd
1991 Eisner Award Winners
Best Story or Single Issue - Concrete Celebrates Earth Day by Paul Chadwick, Charles Vess, and Jean "Moebius" Giraud
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Black and White Series - Xenozoic Tales by Mark Schultz
Best Finite Series - Give Me Liberty by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons
Best Graphic Album: New - Elektra Lives Again by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
Best Graphic Album: Reprint (Modern Material) - Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman; Sandman
Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team - Frank Miller and Geof Darrow; Hard Boiled
Best Artist - Steve Rude
Best Inker - Al Williamson
1992 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue or Story - Sandman #22-#28 by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Finite Series - Concrete: Fragile Creature by Paul Chadwick
Best Anthology - Dark Horse Presents edited by Randy Stradley
Best Graphic Album: New/First US publication - To the Heart of the Storm by Will Eisner
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Maus II by Art Spiegelman
Best Humor Publication - Groo the Wanderer by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones
Best Comic Strip Collection - Calvin and Hobbes: The Revenge of the Baby-Sat by Bill Watterson
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman for Sandman, Books of Magic, and Miracleman
Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team - Peter David and Dale Keown for The Incredible Hulk
Best Artist - Simon Bisley for Batman: Judgement on Gotham
Best Inker - Adam Kubert for Batman Versus Predator
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff for Legends of the Dark Knight, 2112, and Akira
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland for Animal Man
Best Editor - Karen Berger for Sandman, Shade: the Changing Man, Kid Eternity, and Books of Magic
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comics Buyer's Guide edited by Don Thompson and Maggie Thompson
Best Comics-Related Book - From "Aargh!" to "Zap!": Harvey Kurtzman's Visual History of the Comics by Harvey Kurtzman edited by Howard Zimmerman
Best Comics-Related Product - Sandman statue by Randy Bowen
1993 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Nexus: The Origin by Mike Baron and Steve Rude
Best Short Story - "Two Cities" by Mark Schultz in Xenozoic Tales #12
Best Serialized Story - "From Hell" by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell in Taboo
Best Continuing Series - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists
Best Finite Series - Grendel: War Child by Matt Wagner and Patrick McEown
Best Anthology - Taboo edited by Steve Bissette
Best Graphic Album: New - Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
Best Graphic Album: Reprint (Modern Material) - Sin City by Frank Miller
Best Archival Collection - Carl Barks Library album series
Best Humor Publication - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Comic Strip Collection - Calvin and Hobbes: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Watterson
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman; Miracleman and Sandman
Best Painter (Interior) - Dave Dorman; Aliens: Tribes
Best Penciller - Steve Rude; Nexus: The Origin
Best Penciller/Inker, Black & White Publication - Frank Miller; "Sin City" in Dark Horse Presents
Best Penciller/Inker, Color Publication - P. Craig Russell; Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Robin 3000, and "Hothouse" in Legends of the Dark Knight
Best Inker - Kevin Nowlan, Batman: Sword of Azrael
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff/Olyoptics; Legends of the Dark Knight #28-#30, Martian Manhunter: American Secrets, James Bond 007: Serpent's Tooth, and Spawn
Best Letterer - Todd Klein; Sandman and The Demon
Best Writer/Artist - Frank Miller; "Sin City" in Dark Horse Presents
Best Writer/Artist Team - Mike Baron/Steve Rude; Nexus: The Origin
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland; Animal Man and Wonder Woman
Best Editor - Archie Goodwin; Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman: Sword of Azrael, and Deadman: Exorcism
Best Comics-Related Periodical - Comics Buyer's Guide
Best Publication Design - Sandman: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman and others, designed by Dave McKean
1994 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Batman Adventures: Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm
Best Short Story - "The Amazing Colossal Homer" in Simpsons Comics #1 by Steve Vance, Cindy Vance, and Bill Morrison
Best Serialized Story - Bone #8-10 "The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith
Best Continuing Series - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Finite/Limited Series - Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross
Best Anthology - Dark Horse Presents editted by Randy Stradley
Best Graphic Album: New - A Small Killing by Alan Moore and Oscar Zarate
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Cerebus: Flight by Dave Sim and Gerhard
Best Archival Collection - Complete Little Nemo in Slumberland vol. 6 by Winsor McCay
Best Humor Publication - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Writer - Neil Gaiman for Sandman and Death: The High Cost of Living
Best Writer/Artist - Jeff Smith for Bone
Best Painter - Alex Ross for Marvels
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller-Inker Team - P. Craig Russel for Sandman #50
Best Colorist - Steve Oliff and Reuben Rude (Olyoptics) for Spawn
Best Letterer - Todd Klein for The Shadow, Sandman, The Demon, Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo, Dark Joker: The Wild, and Hellblazer
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland for Animal Man, Wonder Woman, and Legends of the Dark Knight #50
Best Editor - Tie between Karen Berger for Sandman and Mike Carlin for Superman
Best Comics-Related Book - Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Best Comics-Related Product/Item - Death statue by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, designed by Comicraft
1995 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Batman Adventures Holiday Special by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Ronnie Del Carmen, and others
Best Short Story - "The Babe Wore Red" by Frank Miller in Sin City: The Babe Wore Red and Other Stories
Best Serialized Story - "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" by Don Rosa, Uncle Scrooge #285-296
Best Continuing Series - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Limited Series - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For by Frank Miller
Best New Series - Too Much Coffee Man by Shannon Wheeler
Best Anthology - Big Book of Urban Legends edited by Andy Helfer
Best Graphic Novel: New - Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde vol. 2 by P. Craig Russell
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction by Mike Mignola
Best Archival Collection - The Christmas Spirit by Will Eisner
Best Humor Publications - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell
Best Writer/Artist - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Jeff Smith; Bone
Best Painter - Jon J. Muth; Mystery Play
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Dave Gibbons; Martha Washington Goes to War
Best Coloring - Angus McKie; Martha Washington Goes to War
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Batman vs. Predator II, The Demon, The Sandman, and Uncle Scrooge
Best Cover Artist - Glenn Fabry; Hellblazer
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Evan Dorkin; Milk and Cheese, Hectic Planet, Dork, and Instant Piano
Best Editor - Karen Berger; The Sandman and Sandman Mystery Theatre
Best Comics-Related Publication - Hero Illustrated
Best Comics-Related Item - Sandman Arabian Nights statue; designed by P. Craig Russell and sculpted by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - The Acme Novely Library; designed by Chris Ware
1996 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City #4 by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
Best Short Story - "The Eltingville Comic-Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Role-Playing Club in Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett" by Evan Dorkin in Instant Piano #3
Best Serialized Story - Strangers in Paradise #1-8 by Terry Moore
Best Continuing Series - Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware
Best Title for Younger Readers - Batman & Robin Adventures by Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and Rick Burchett
Best Limited Series - Sin City: The Big Fat Kill by Frank Miller
Best New Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson
Best Anthology - The Big Book of Conspiracies edited by Bronwyn Taggart
Best Graphic Album: New - Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot
Best Archival Collection - The Complete Crumb Comics, vol. 11 by R. Crumb
Best Humor Publication - Milk & Cheese #666 by Evan Dorkin
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell
Best Writer/Artist: Drama - David Lapham; Stray Bullets
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Sergio Aragones; Groo
Best Painter - John Bolton; Batman: Manbat
Best Penciller/Inker - Geof Darrow; The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kurt Busiek's Astro City
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; The Acme Novelty Library
Best Lettering - Stan Sakai; Groo, Usagi Yojimbo
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Stan Sakai
Best Editor - Tie between Stuart Moore for Swamp Thing, The Invisibles, and Preacher and Bronwyn Taggart for The Big Book of Weirdos, The Big Book of Conspiracies, Brooklyn Dreams, and Stuck Rubber Baby
Best Comics-Related Publication: Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Publication: Book - Alex Toth edited by Manuel Auad
Best Comics-Related Item - Comic strip stamps
Best Publication Design - The Acme Novelty Library designed by Chris Ware
1997 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Heroes" by Archie Goodwin and Gary Gianni in Batman: Black & White #4
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City, vol. 2, #1 by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Serialized Story - Starman #20-23: "Sand and Stars" by James Robinson, Tony Harris, Guy Davis, and Wade von Grawbadger
Best Continuing Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Limited Series - Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Best New Series - Leave It to Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Best Comics Publication for a Younger Audience - Leave It to Chance by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Best Humor Publication - Sergio Aragones Destroys DC and Sergio Aragones Massacres Marvel by Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones
Best Anthology - Batman: Black and White by Mark Chiarello and Scott Peterson, editors
Best Graphic Album: New - Fax from Sarajevo by Joe Kubert
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Stray Bullets: Innocence of Nihilism by David Lapham
Best Archival Collection - Tarzan: The Land That Time Forgot and The Pool of Time by Russ Manning
Best Writer - Alan Moore; From Hell and Supreme
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Don Rosa; Walt Disney's Comics & Stories and Uncle Scrooge
Best Writer/Artist: Drama - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Wake the Devil
Best Penciller - Steve Rude; Nexus: Executioner's Song
Best Inker - Al Williamson; Spider-Man and Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17-18
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Charles Vess; Book of Ballads and Sagas and Sandman #75
Best Painter - Alex Ross; Kingdom Come
Best Coloring - Matt Hollingsworth; Preacher, Death: The Time of Your Life, Bloody Mary, and Challengers of the Unknown
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; The Sandman, Death: The Time of Your Life, House of Secrets, The Dreaming, Batman, The Spectre, and Kingdom Come
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kingdom Come and Kurt Busiek's Astro City
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Ricardo Delgado; Age of Reptiles
Best Editor - Dan Raspler; Kingdom Come, Hitman, The Spectre, and Sergio Aragones Destroys the DC Universe
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - Graphic Storytelling by Will Eisner
Best Comics-Related Product - Hellboy bust by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Acme Novelty Library #7 designed by Chris Ware
1998 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "The Eltingville Comic Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Role-Playing Club In: The Marathon Men" by Evan Dorkin in Dork! #4
Best Single Issue - Kurt Busiek's Astro City vol. 2 #10 by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Serialized Story - Kurt Busiek's Astro City vol. 2 #4-9: "Confession" by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Continuing Series - Kurt Busiek's Astro City by Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, and Will Blyberg
Best Limited Series - Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Best New Series - Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
Best Comics Publication for a Younger Audience - Batman & Robin Adventures by Ty Templeton, Brandon Kruse, Rick Burchett, and others
Best Humor Publication - Gon Swimmin' by Masahi Tanaka
Best Anthology - Hellboy Christmas Special edited by Scott Allie
Best Graphic Album: New - Batman & Superman Adventures: World's Finest by Paul Dini, Joe Staton, and Terry Beatty
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Sin City: That Yellow Bastard by Frank Miller
Best Archival Collection - Jack Kirby's New Gods by Jack Kirby
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Gon Swimmin' by Masahi Tanaka
Best Writer - Garth Ennis; Hitman, Preacher, Unknown Soldier, and Blood Mary: Lady Liberty
Best Writer/Artist - Mike Mignola; Hellboy: Almost Colossus, Hellboy Christmas Special, and Hellboy Jr. Halloween Special
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Bone by Jeff Smith
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - P. Craig Russell; Elric: Stormbringer and Dr. Strange: What Is It That Disturbs You, Stephen?
Best Painter - Alex Ross; Uncle Sam
Best Coloring - Chris Ware; The Acme Novelty Library
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Batman, Batman: Poison Ivy, The Dreaming, House of Secrets, The Invisibles, Uncle Sam, Uncle Scrooge Adventures, and Castle Waiting
Best Cover Artist - Alex Ross; Kurt Busiek's Astro City and Uncle Sam
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Linda Medley; Castle Waiting
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book edited by Pete Poplaski
Best Comics-Related Product - Acme Novelty Library display stand designed by Chris Ware
Best Publication Design - Kingdom Come deluxe slipcover edition; art director Bob Chapman, DC design director Georg Brewer
1999 Eisner Award Winners
Best Short Story - "Devil's Advocate" by Matt Wagner and Tim Sale in Grendel: Black, White, and Red #1
Best Single Issue - Hitman #34 by Garth Ennis, John McCrea, and Garry Leach
Best Serialized Story - Usagi Yojimbo #13-22: "Grasscutter" by Stan Sakai
Best Continuing Series - Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
Best Limited Series - 300 by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
Best New Series - Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee
Best Title for a Younger Audience - Batman: The Gotham Adventures by Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, and Terry Beatty
Best Humor Publication - Sergio Aragones's Groo by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier
Best Anthology - Grendel: Black, White, and Red by Matt Wagner, edited by Diana Schutz
Best Graphic Album: New - Superman: Peace on Earth by Paul Dini and Alex Ross
Best Graphic Album: Reprint - Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Best Archival Collection - Plastic Man Archives vol. 1 by Jack Cole
Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material - Star Wars: A New Hope by Hisao Tamaki
Best Writer - Kurt Busiek; Kurt Busiek's Astro City and Avengers
Best Writer/Artist - Frank Miller; 300
Best Writer/Artist: Humor - Kyle Baker; You Are Here
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team - Tim Sale; Superman for All Seasons and Grendel Black, White, and Red #1
Best Painter: Interior Art - Alex Ross; Superman: Peace on Earth
Best Coloring - Lynn Varley; 300
Best Lettering - Todd Klein; Castle Waiting, House of Secrets, The Invisibles, and The Dreaming
Best Cover Artist - Brian Bolland; The Invisibles
Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition - Brian Michael Bendis; Jinx, Goldfish, Torso
Best Comics-Related Periodical - The Comics Journal
Best Comics-Related Book - Batman: Animated by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd
Best Comics-Related Product/Item - Sandman Pocketwatch designed by Kris Ruotolo
Best Comics-Related Sculpted Figures - Hellboy statue sculpted by Randy Bowen
Best Publication Design - Batman: Animated designed by Chip Kidd
Eisner Winners of the 1980's
1988 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Gumby Summer Fun Special #1 by Bub Burden and Art Adams
Best Continuing Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Black and White Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Finite Series - Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Best New Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Graphic Album - Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Best Writer - Alan Moore; Watchmen
Best Writer/Artist - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons; Watchmen
Best Artist - Steve Rude; Nexus
Best Art Team - Steve Rude, Willie Blyberg, and Ken Steacy; Space Ghost Special
1989 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Kings In Disguise #1 by James Vance and Dan Burr
Best Continuing Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Black and White Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Finite Series - Silver Surfer by Stan Lee and Jean "Moebius" Giraud
Best New Series - Kings In Disguise by James Vance and Dan Burr
Best Graphic Album - Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
Best Writer - Alan Moore; Batman: The Killing Joke
Best Writer/Artist - Paul Chadwick; Concrete
Best Artist - Brian Bolland; Batman: The Killing Joke
Best Art Team - Alan Davis and Paul Neary; Excalibur
Best Single Issue - Gumby Summer Fun Special #1 by Bub Burden and Art Adams
Best Continuing Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Black and White Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Finite Series - Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Best New Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Graphic Album - Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Best Writer - Alan Moore; Watchmen
Best Writer/Artist - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons; Watchmen
Best Artist - Steve Rude; Nexus
Best Art Team - Steve Rude, Willie Blyberg, and Ken Steacy; Space Ghost Special
1989 Eisner Award Winners
Best Single Issue - Kings In Disguise #1 by James Vance and Dan Burr
Best Continuing Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Black and White Series - Concrete by Paul Chadwick
Best Finite Series - Silver Surfer by Stan Lee and Jean "Moebius" Giraud
Best New Series - Kings In Disguise by James Vance and Dan Burr
Best Graphic Album - Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
Best Writer - Alan Moore; Batman: The Killing Joke
Best Writer/Artist - Paul Chadwick; Concrete
Best Artist - Brian Bolland; Batman: The Killing Joke
Best Art Team - Alan Davis and Paul Neary; Excalibur
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Eisner Awards
There have been several attempts to organize an industry wide set of awards for comic books. It was the Eisner Awards that managed to stick and become regarded as the highest award that could be offered in the field. It is also the award winners that I am diving into next.
The Eisners are handed out each summer at Comic-Con International (formerly known as the San Diego Comic Con). Nominees are selected by a five person nomination panel and selection is done via a vote of comic book professionals. That selection and voting process succeeds in bringing many fine but lesser known works forward but it's also limited since comic books as a medium tend toward self-referential loops.
Astro City is a perfect example of this problem. It has been a darling of the awards winning twelve Eisners over the course of its run and it is a very well done series. However it mainly exists to homage the superhero genre; it's something that a reader would have to be familiar with the conventions of superhero comics to even understand. It resonates with the Eisner voters because they're comic book professionals but I wouldn't hand it to someone who wasn't already familiar with superheroes.
(In fairness to the Eisner Awards this is a problem with the comic book industry in general. The complications of an industry dealing with a shrinking insular fan base sustaining it are complicated enough that it could be a blog of its own. A lot of nerd institutions such as SF magazines are facing down the same problems...)
The reason I chose the Eisners as my next project rather than one of the remaining major SF awards is that I was looking for something a bit lighter to work on. Reading all of those novels was time consuming and I made it too much into work when I started this process for fun. I can read most Eisner winners in a couple of hours. Also I already own a significant number of the books. When I started reading the Hugos I had some free shelf space; I've since added three more book cases and I've overflowed them. So not having to buy more shelving is a definite plus.
The Eisners have been awarded in more than fourty different categories and there's a lot of cross over in the awards. A single issue might be connected to four or five awards. In addition some of the books that I do not have are very difficult to acquire (sorry guys, as much as I want it I'm not spending $300 on a The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck). So for the Eisners I am going to be skipping around quite a bit. I'll be bouncing around as the mood strikes me and the format is going to be looser. I may do several years at once when a series won repeatedly or multiple books as part of a writer or artist award. I'm going to try to mix up the takes on superhero material that would only appeal to comic book nerds like myself with things that connected to a broader audience.
In the next few days I'll be adding the list of winners and next week the reviews will begin. And much like when I worked through the other award winners I'm looking forward to giving myself an excuse to read some good stuff that I haven't gotten around to before. This should be fun.
The Eisners are handed out each summer at Comic-Con International (formerly known as the San Diego Comic Con). Nominees are selected by a five person nomination panel and selection is done via a vote of comic book professionals. That selection and voting process succeeds in bringing many fine but lesser known works forward but it's also limited since comic books as a medium tend toward self-referential loops.
Astro City is a perfect example of this problem. It has been a darling of the awards winning twelve Eisners over the course of its run and it is a very well done series. However it mainly exists to homage the superhero genre; it's something that a reader would have to be familiar with the conventions of superhero comics to even understand. It resonates with the Eisner voters because they're comic book professionals but I wouldn't hand it to someone who wasn't already familiar with superheroes.
(In fairness to the Eisner Awards this is a problem with the comic book industry in general. The complications of an industry dealing with a shrinking insular fan base sustaining it are complicated enough that it could be a blog of its own. A lot of nerd institutions such as SF magazines are facing down the same problems...)
The reason I chose the Eisners as my next project rather than one of the remaining major SF awards is that I was looking for something a bit lighter to work on. Reading all of those novels was time consuming and I made it too much into work when I started this process for fun. I can read most Eisner winners in a couple of hours. Also I already own a significant number of the books. When I started reading the Hugos I had some free shelf space; I've since added three more book cases and I've overflowed them. So not having to buy more shelving is a definite plus.
The Eisners have been awarded in more than fourty different categories and there's a lot of cross over in the awards. A single issue might be connected to four or five awards. In addition some of the books that I do not have are very difficult to acquire (sorry guys, as much as I want it I'm not spending $300 on a The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck). So for the Eisners I am going to be skipping around quite a bit. I'll be bouncing around as the mood strikes me and the format is going to be looser. I may do several years at once when a series won repeatedly or multiple books as part of a writer or artist award. I'm going to try to mix up the takes on superhero material that would only appeal to comic book nerds like myself with things that connected to a broader audience.
In the next few days I'll be adding the list of winners and next week the reviews will begin. And much like when I worked through the other award winners I'm looking forward to giving myself an excuse to read some good stuff that I haven't gotten around to before. This should be fun.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Review - "Reading the Bones", "Lost Girls", and "Thirteen Ways to Water"
"Reading the Bones"
by Sheila Finch
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Novella
I was genuinely looking forward to reading this story. I had only known it by its reputation for kicking off a trend of linguistic SF. From that I figured it might be a story where the elements were familiar to me from reading the stories that followed it but it would still contain the fire that launched many other authors' imaginations. What I found was a tale that was as close to generic as possible without it being retitled "STORY".
There's a small human outpost on an alien world where two intelligent species developed. These two species do not interact except at certain rare times and the ones that the humans are in contact with have a dark secret that they'll kill to protect once it has been uncovered. If you can't guess what the "secret" is already then you probably haven't read a lot of SF. Anyhow, a xenolinguist attached to the consulate flees the surprise attacks by the aliens along with a generically antagonistic teenager and they're forced to make their way through an alien landscape to find assistance.
The cliches run far deeper than just that but to go through them all would take too much time. I have to mention one more: when the prime directive turned up out of nowhere three-quarters of the way through to provide a conflict for the climax of the story I nearly threw the book across the room. Not only was it completely out of place, it didn't even make sense in the context of the story.
I do have a few nice things to say about "Reading the Bones". Something that Finch does very well in the story is demonstrating the difficulty in alien communications. The complications in conveying intent when half the words used have a different cultural context for the individuals involved is handled very well. The interspecies dialog is rough, almost pidgin in nature.
Also Finch drops in a mind-catching idea about the development of language and it plays a role in story. The problem is that she seems to think that language is something that can be dropped whole onto an existing culture. Esperanto is a good real world example of how that doesn't work. Languages evolve and develop; successful ones do not spring fully formed from the mind of a creator. Even allowing for differences between humanity and aliens there is no connection between the development of language in "Reading the Bones" and its use.
Once you strip aside the big idea you have a particularly weak story underneath. The xenolinguist is a man ruined by the death of his wife and driven to drink. The children who accompany him completely forget about their parents' deaths within hours. These aren't characters, they're stock paper cutouts who exist to ride the plot to the end.
Needless to say I was very disappointed in "Reading the Bones". I can only guess that people were driven to write more xenolinguistic stories because after reading this every author out there thought that they could take the ideas and tell a better story with them. Just avoid this one, it's not worth your effort.
"Lost Girls"
by Jane Yolen
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Novelette
I am aware of more than a dozen "darker and edgier" versions of Alice in Wonderland including two that are in development at this moment. Piling adult themes onto that book is like shooting fish in a barrel and about as satisfying. On the other hand I know of only three attempts to make a more adult Peter Pan despite the fact that J. M. Barrie's children's book has much more sinister undertones. Even though the idea is fresher what really made Yolen's take on the uglier side of Peter Pan was the gender politics; it adds a whole new layer of creepiness when you look at how Wendy was treated.
A young girl who was familiar with Peter Pan is pulled to Neverland where she encounters Peter, the lost boys, and "the Wendies" who are dozens of girls who do the cooking and cleaning for the boys. Peter keeps them in line with the threat of Captain Hook but the new girl is not tolerant of the Victorian gender identities and stirs up the Wendies against the Lost Boys.
Despite my talk about this being a "darker and edgier" Peter Pan "Lost Girls" is still a light-hearted story. It reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Both are about young girls drawn into fantasy worlds due to dissatisfaction with their parents. Both have protagonists who are clever enough to see the sinister nature of it and both girls are clever and bold enough to try to do something about it. It's a broad outline admittedly but both Yolen and Gaiman are clearly working from the same sources.
Yolen tells her story very well by using the viewpoint of her young protagonist. She reacts as a child would and consequently misses some things that readers can pick up on. Yolen captures that perspective expertly.
I would not hesitate to give "Lost Girls" to a child to read; they might not pick up on the sexual references that help drive the problems home for the reader but it is written in a way that they would enjoy it. And as for me I liked the story as a deconstructionist take on the original. I'd definitely recommend it.
"Thirteen Ways to Water"
by Bruce Holland Rogers
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Short Story
Speaking of stories reminding me of other ones, "Thirteen Ways to Water" reminded me a lot of Joe Haldeman's "Graves". Both are stories about Vietnam and some superstitions and both are so slight on any fantastic element that they could have been removed without losing a thing. I get the impression with "Thirteen Ways to Water" that the fantasy element exists mainly to sell the story.
Decades after the war has ended one Vietnam veteran has fallen into a funk. His wife locates the only person she knows who is also a veteran and asks him to intervene. The depressed veteran has saved soil from each place where he killed someone and is concerned that it is losing its effectiveness in keeping ghosts away.
Rogers does suburb work in defining his characters. One returned from the war a broken man who hid his brittleness and the other returned with a new sense of purpose. They disliked each other before the war and they still hate each other but they have something terrible in common.
The story is oddly formatted by being broken in the "Thirteen Ways" and I felt it was unnecessary and clumsy. I couldn't find a thematic reason for it and so it came across as just strange formatting for the sake of being different.
This is a pretty good story by Rogers about the Vietnam war, superstition, and what people do to go on. It might be extremely slight as fantasy but that isn't a negative except in context of it winning an award for best SF or fantasy short story. I'd recommend reading it if you get a chance.
by Sheila Finch
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Novella
I was genuinely looking forward to reading this story. I had only known it by its reputation for kicking off a trend of linguistic SF. From that I figured it might be a story where the elements were familiar to me from reading the stories that followed it but it would still contain the fire that launched many other authors' imaginations. What I found was a tale that was as close to generic as possible without it being retitled "STORY".
There's a small human outpost on an alien world where two intelligent species developed. These two species do not interact except at certain rare times and the ones that the humans are in contact with have a dark secret that they'll kill to protect once it has been uncovered. If you can't guess what the "secret" is already then you probably haven't read a lot of SF. Anyhow, a xenolinguist attached to the consulate flees the surprise attacks by the aliens along with a generically antagonistic teenager and they're forced to make their way through an alien landscape to find assistance.
The cliches run far deeper than just that but to go through them all would take too much time. I have to mention one more: when the prime directive turned up out of nowhere three-quarters of the way through to provide a conflict for the climax of the story I nearly threw the book across the room. Not only was it completely out of place, it didn't even make sense in the context of the story.
I do have a few nice things to say about "Reading the Bones". Something that Finch does very well in the story is demonstrating the difficulty in alien communications. The complications in conveying intent when half the words used have a different cultural context for the individuals involved is handled very well. The interspecies dialog is rough, almost pidgin in nature.
Also Finch drops in a mind-catching idea about the development of language and it plays a role in story. The problem is that she seems to think that language is something that can be dropped whole onto an existing culture. Esperanto is a good real world example of how that doesn't work. Languages evolve and develop; successful ones do not spring fully formed from the mind of a creator. Even allowing for differences between humanity and aliens there is no connection between the development of language in "Reading the Bones" and its use.
Once you strip aside the big idea you have a particularly weak story underneath. The xenolinguist is a man ruined by the death of his wife and driven to drink. The children who accompany him completely forget about their parents' deaths within hours. These aren't characters, they're stock paper cutouts who exist to ride the plot to the end.
Needless to say I was very disappointed in "Reading the Bones". I can only guess that people were driven to write more xenolinguistic stories because after reading this every author out there thought that they could take the ideas and tell a better story with them. Just avoid this one, it's not worth your effort.
"Lost Girls"
by Jane Yolen
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Novelette
I am aware of more than a dozen "darker and edgier" versions of Alice in Wonderland including two that are in development at this moment. Piling adult themes onto that book is like shooting fish in a barrel and about as satisfying. On the other hand I know of only three attempts to make a more adult Peter Pan despite the fact that J. M. Barrie's children's book has much more sinister undertones. Even though the idea is fresher what really made Yolen's take on the uglier side of Peter Pan was the gender politics; it adds a whole new layer of creepiness when you look at how Wendy was treated.
A young girl who was familiar with Peter Pan is pulled to Neverland where she encounters Peter, the lost boys, and "the Wendies" who are dozens of girls who do the cooking and cleaning for the boys. Peter keeps them in line with the threat of Captain Hook but the new girl is not tolerant of the Victorian gender identities and stirs up the Wendies against the Lost Boys.
Despite my talk about this being a "darker and edgier" Peter Pan "Lost Girls" is still a light-hearted story. It reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Both are about young girls drawn into fantasy worlds due to dissatisfaction with their parents. Both have protagonists who are clever enough to see the sinister nature of it and both girls are clever and bold enough to try to do something about it. It's a broad outline admittedly but both Yolen and Gaiman are clearly working from the same sources.
Yolen tells her story very well by using the viewpoint of her young protagonist. She reacts as a child would and consequently misses some things that readers can pick up on. Yolen captures that perspective expertly.
I would not hesitate to give "Lost Girls" to a child to read; they might not pick up on the sexual references that help drive the problems home for the reader but it is written in a way that they would enjoy it. And as for me I liked the story as a deconstructionist take on the original. I'd definitely recommend it.
"Thirteen Ways to Water"
by Bruce Holland Rogers
1998 Nebula Winner for Best Short Story
Speaking of stories reminding me of other ones, "Thirteen Ways to Water" reminded me a lot of Joe Haldeman's "Graves". Both are stories about Vietnam and some superstitions and both are so slight on any fantastic element that they could have been removed without losing a thing. I get the impression with "Thirteen Ways to Water" that the fantasy element exists mainly to sell the story.
Decades after the war has ended one Vietnam veteran has fallen into a funk. His wife locates the only person she knows who is also a veteran and asks him to intervene. The depressed veteran has saved soil from each place where he killed someone and is concerned that it is losing its effectiveness in keeping ghosts away.
Rogers does suburb work in defining his characters. One returned from the war a broken man who hid his brittleness and the other returned with a new sense of purpose. They disliked each other before the war and they still hate each other but they have something terrible in common.
The story is oddly formatted by being broken in the "Thirteen Ways" and I felt it was unnecessary and clumsy. I couldn't find a thematic reason for it and so it came across as just strange formatting for the sake of being different.
This is a pretty good story by Rogers about the Vietnam war, superstition, and what people do to go on. It might be extremely slight as fantasy but that isn't a negative except in context of it winning an award for best SF or fantasy short story. I'd recommend reading it if you get a chance.
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