34th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards announce winners

By SDCN Editor

San Diego, CA–The 34th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards announced its winners at a ceremony Friday night in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront during San Diego Comic-Con International.

Presenting the awards at this year’s ceremony were comic book greats Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, Sin City, 300) and Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, American Gods), voice actor and comedian Phil LaMarr (MadTV, Samurai Jack, Futurama, Justice League), actor, writer, and director Tom Lennon (Reno 911, Balls of Fury, Night at the Museum series), bestselling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama, Guts), comics writer Henry Barajas (Helm Greycastle, Gil Thorpe), Eisner nominee/scholar John Jennings (Best Adaptation: Nnedi Okorafor’s After the Rain), journalist and author Angelique Roché (Marvel’s Voices), nominees Jock (artist, Snow Angels) and Skottie Young (writer, Middlewest, Strange Academy), comics and TV writer Amy Chu (DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, Rick & Morty) and Clampett Award winners Bill and Kayre Morrison. Presenting the Hall of Fame Awards this year was Denis Kitchen, publisher of dozens of Will Eisner’s works.

Eisner Awards Winners 2022:

Best Short Story – “Funeral in Foam,” by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier, in You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife (Iron Circus)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot – Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez (DC)

Best Continuing Series (TIE) – Bitter Root, by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)

Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

Best Limited Series – The Good Asian, by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi (Image)

Best New Series – The Nice House on the Lake, by James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno (DC Black Label)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) – Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Julie and Stan Sakai (IDW)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) – Salt Magic, by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) – The Legend of Auntie Po, by Shing Yin Khor (Kokila/Penguin Random House)

Best Humor Publication – Not All Robots, by Mark Russell and Mike Deodato Jr. (AWA Upshot)

Best Anthology – You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife, edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell (Iron Circus)

Best Reality-Based Work – The Black Panther Party: A Graphic History, by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (Ten Speed Press)

Best Graphic Memoir – Run: Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury, and Nate Powell (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—New – Monsters, by Barry Windsor-Smith (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint – The Complete American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, and Scott Hampton (Dark Horse)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium – George Orwell’s 1984: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Fido Nesti (Mariner Books)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material – The Shadow of a Man, by Benoît Peeters and François Schuiten, translation by Stephen D. Smith (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia – Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, by Junji Ito, translation by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Popeye: The E.C. Segar Sundays, vol. 1 by E.C. Segar, edited by Gary Groth and Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books – EC Covers Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best Writer – James Tynion IV, House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); The Nice House on the Lake, The Joker, Batman, DC Pride 2021 (DC); The Department of Truth (Image); Blue Book, Razorblades (Tiny Onion Studios)

Best Writer/Artist – Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team – Phil Jimenez, Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist – Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image)

Best Cover Artist – Jen Bartel, Future State Immortal Wonder Woman #1 & 2, Wonder Woman Black & Gold #1, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary (DC); Women’s History Month variant covers (Marvel)

Best Coloring – Matt Wilson, Undiscovered Country (Image); Fire Power (Image Skybound); Eternals, Thor, Wolverine (Marvel); Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters (Oni)

Best Lettering – Barry Windsor-Smith, Monsters (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism – WomenWriteAboutComics.com, edited by Wendy Browne and Nola Pfau (WWAC)

Best Comics-Related Book – All of the Marvels, by Douglas Wolk (Penguin Press)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work – Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History, by Eike Exner (Rutgers University Press)

Best Publication Design – Marvel Comics Library: Spider-Man vol. 1: 1962–1964 (TASCHEN)

Best Webcomic – Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)

Best Digital Comic – Snow Angels, by Jeff Lemire and Jock (Comixology Originals) 

Hall of Fame – Judges’ Choices: Marie Duval, Rose O’Neill, Max Gaines, Mark Gruenwald, Alex Niño, and P. Craig Russell.

Voters’ Choices: Howard Chaykin, Kevin Eastman, Moto Hagio, Larry Hama, David Mazzucchelli, and Grant Morrison.

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Annie Koyama

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Luanna Vecchio

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award: Bob Bolling and Don Rico

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Books with Pictures, Portland, OR, Katie Pryde

Named for the pioneering comics creator and graphic novelist Will Eisner, The Eisner Awards, considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, were given out in 32 categories for works published in 2021.