The 2013 Eisner Award Winners have been announced at San Diego Comic-Con with Chris Ware leading the wins for his celebrated work Building Stories, alongside Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples Saga which also won a number of awards. The Eisners are awarded each year at the San Diego Comic-Con and are the most prestigious awards in the comics industry, being the comics equivalent of the Oscars. The Eisners are named after Will Eisner, one of the most celebrated artist/writers in comics whose works included creating the superhero series The Spirit as well as his masterpiece, A Contract with God, one of the best books of the 20th century. This year saw artist/writer Chris Ware pick up the lions share of the awards for his book/construction project Building Stories, winning Best New Graphic Album, Best Writer/Artist, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design. Also among the winners was the popular Image series Saga by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, which walked away with Best Continuing Series, Best New Series, and Best Writer for Vaughan. Hawkeye artist David Aja had some time in the spotlight too, winning Best Cover Artist, and shared the Best Penciller/Inker award with Daredevil artist Chris Samnee. Congratulations to all of the winners! The full list is below:
Best Short StoryWINNER: Moon 1969: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch, by Michael Kupperman, in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 (Fantagraphics) A Birdsong Shatters the Still, by Jeff Wilson and Ted May, in Injury #4 (Ted May/Alternative) Elmview by Jon McNaught, in Dockwood (Nobrow) Moving Forward, by drewscape, in Monsters, Miracles, & Mayonnaise (Epigram Books) Rainbow Moment, by Lilli Carré, in Heads or Tails (Fantagraphics)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)WINNER: The Mire, by Becky Cloonan (self-published) Lose #4: The Fashion Issue, by Michael DeForge (Koyama Press) Pope Hats #3, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse Books) Post York #1, by James Romberger and Crosby (Uncivilized Books) Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8, by Michael Kupperman (Fantagraphics)
Best Continuing SeriesWINNER: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image) Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image) Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel) The Manhattan Projects, by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra (Image) Prophet, by Brandon Graham and Simon Roy (Image)
Best New SeriesWINNER: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image) Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!) Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain) Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image) Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)WINNER: Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House) Benny and Penny in Lights Out, by Geoffrey Hays (Toon Books/Candlewick) Kitty & Dino, by Sara Richard (Yen Press/Hachette) Maya Makes a Mess, by Rutu Modan (Toon Books/Candlewick) Zig and Wikki in The Cow, by Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler (Toon Books/Candlewick)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)WINNER: Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!) Amulet Book 5: Prince of the Elves, by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic) Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse, by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos (Archaia) Crogans Loyalty, by Chris Schweizer (Oni) Hilda and the Midnight Giant, by Luke Pearson (Nobrow) Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)WINNER: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine LEngle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG) Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens, by Meredith Gran (kaboom!) Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion) Ichiro, by Ryan Inzana (Houghton Mifflin) Spera, vol. 1, by Josh Tierney et al. (Archaia)
Best Humor PublicationWINNER: Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle) Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!) BBXX: Baby Blues Decades 1 & 2, by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman (Andrews McMeel) Naked Cartoonists, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Best Digital ComicWINNER: Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover Ant Comic, by Michael DeForge It Will All Hurt, by Farel Dalrymple Our Bloodstained Roof, by Ryan Andrews Oyster War, by Ben Towle
Best AnthologyWINNER: Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse) No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, edited by Justin Hall (Fantagraphics) Nobrow #7: Brave New World, edited by Alex Spiro and Sam Arthur (Nobrow) 2000 AD, edited by Matt Smith (Rebellion) Where Is Dead Zero?, edited by Jeff Ranjo (Where Is Dead Zero?)
Best Reality-Based Work(tie)WINNER: Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion) and The Carter Family: Dont Forget This Song, by Frank M. Young and David Lasky (Abrams ComicArts) A Chinese Life, by Li Kunwu and P. tié (Self Made Hero) The Infinite Wait and Other Stories, by Julia Wertz (Koyama Press) Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me, by Ellen Forney (Gotham Books) Youll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldiers Heart, by C. Tyler (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic AlbumNewWINNER: Building Stories, by Chris Ware (Pantheon) Goliath, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly) The Hive, by Charles Burns (Pantheon) Unterzakhn, by Leela Corman (Schocken) Youll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldiers Heart, by C. Tyler (Fantagraphics)
Best Adaptation from Another MediumWINNER: Richard Starks Parker: The Score, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) Chico and Rita, by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal (Self Made Hero) Homers Odyssey, adapted by Seymour Chwast (Bloomsbury) Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel) A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine LEngle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)
Best Graphic AlbumReprintWINNER: King City, by Brandon Graham (TokyoPop/Image) Cruisin with the Hound, by Spain (Fantagraphics) Ed the Happy Clown, by Chester Brown (Drawn & Quarterly) Everything Together: Collected Stories, by Sammy Harkham (PictureBox) Heads or Tails, by Lilli Carré (Fantagraphics) Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel (First Second)
Best Archival Collection/ProjectStripsWINNER: Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics) Alex Raymonds Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, vol. 2, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics) Mister Twee Deedle: Raggedy Anns Sprightly Cousin, by Johnny Gruelle, edited by Rick Marschall (Fantagraphics) Percy Crosbys Skippy, vol. 1, edited by Jared Gardner and Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics) Roy Cranes Captain Easy: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/ProjectComic BooksWINNER: David Mazzucchellis Daredevil Born Again: Artists Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW) Crime Does Not Pay Archives, edited by Philip Simon and Kitchen, Lind & Associates (Dark Horse) Wally Woods EC Stories: Artists Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW) Walt Disneys Uncle Scrooge: Only a Poor Old Man, by Carl Barks, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics) Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirbys Romance Comics, edited by Michel Gagné (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of International MaterialWINNER: Blacksad: Silent Hell, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse) Abelard, by Régis Hautiere and Renaud Dillies (NBM) Athos in America, by Jason (Fantagraphics) The Making of, by Brecht Evens (Drawn & Quarterly) Monsieur Jean: The Singles Theory, by Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian (Humanoids) New York Mon Amour, by Benjamin LeGrand, Dominique Grange, and Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of International MaterialAsiaWINNER: Naoki Urasawas 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media) Barbara, by Osamu Tezuka (Digital Manga) A Chinese Life, by Li Kunwu and P. tié (Self Made Hero) Nonnonba, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly) Thermae Romae, by Mari Yamazaki (Yen Press/Hachette)
Best WriterWINNER: Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image) Ed Brubaker, Fatale (Image) Matt Fraction, Hawkeye (Marvel); Casanova: Avaritia (Marvel Icon) Brandon Graham, Multiple Warheads, Prophet (Image) Jonathan Hickman, The Manhattan Projects (Image) Frank M. Young, The Carter Family (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Writer/ArtistWINNER: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon) Charles Burns, The Hive (Pantheon) Gilbert Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories, vol. 5 (Fantagraphics) Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories, vol. 5 (Fantagraphics) Luke Pearson, Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Everything We Miss (Nobrow) C. Tyler, Youll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldiers Heart (Fantagraphics)
Best Penciller/Inker (tie)WINNER: David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel) and Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel); Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom (IDW) Becky Cloonan, Conan the Barbarian (Dark Horse); The Muse (self-published) Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain) Sean Phillips, Fatale (Image) Joseph Remnant, Harvey Pekars Cleveland (Zip Comics/Top Shelf)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)WINNER: Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse) Brecht Evens, The Making Of (Drawn & Quarterly) Teddy Kristiansen, The Red Diary/The RED Diary (MAN OF ACTION/Image) Lorenzo Mattotti, The Crackle of the Frost (Fantagraphics) Katsuya Terada, The Monkey King vol. 2 (Dark Horse)
Best Cover ArtistWINNER: David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel) Brandon Graham, King City, Multiple Warheads, Elephantmen #43 (Image) Sean Phillips, Fatale (Image) Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC) J, H. Williams III, Batwoman (DC)
Best ColoringWINNER: Dave Stewart, Batwoman (DC); Fatale (Image); BPRD, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson, The Massive (Dark Horse) Charles Burns, The Hive (Pantheon) Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain) Brandon Graham, Multiple Warheads (Image) Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)
Best LetteringWINNER: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon) Paul Grist, Mudman (Image) Troy Little, Angora Napkin 2: Harvest of Revenge (IDW) Joseph Remnant, Harvey Pekars Cleveland (Zip Comics/Top Shelf) C. Tyler, Youll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldiers Heart (Fantagraphics)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/JournalismWINNER: The Comics Reporter, edited by Tom Spurgeon Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows) ComicsAlliance, edited by Joe Hughes, Caleb Goellner, and Andy Khouri Robot 6, produced by Comic Book Resources tcj.com, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (Fantagraphics)
Best Comics-Related BookWINNER: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe (HarperCollins) The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist, edited by Alvin Buenaventura (Abrams ComicArts) Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics, by Dewey Cassell (TwoMorrows) Mastering Comics, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second) Team Cul De Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinsons, edited by Chris Sparks (Andrews McMeel) Woodwork: Wallace Wood 19271981, edited by Frédéric Manzano (CasalSolleric/IDW)
Best Educational/Academic WorkWINNER: Lynda Barry: Girlhood Through the Looking Glass, by Susan E. Kirtley (University Press of Mississippi) Autobiographical Comics: Life Writing in Pictures, by Elisabeth El Refaie (University Press of Mississippi) Comics Versus Art, by Bart Beaty (University of Toronto Press) Crockett Johnson & Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Childrens Literature, by Philip Nel (University Press of Mississippi) The Poetics of Slumberland, by Scott Bukatman (University of California Press)
Best Publication DesignWINNER: Building Stories, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon) Dal Tokyo, designed by Gary Panter and Family Sohn (Fantagraphics) David Mazzucchellis Daredevil Born Again: Artists Edition, designed by Randy Dahlk (IDW) Mister Twee Deedle: Raggedy Anns Sprightly Cousin, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics) Wizzywig, designed by Ed Piskor and Chris Ross (Top Shelf)