Monthly Archives: April 2009

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas Interview

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hummingbird-coverMichael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is creating a new graphic language which jars the familiar artwork of Canada’s First Nations by uniting classic Haida design with an Asian art influence: Manga.  Michael has dubbed this work Haida Manga – part Haida, part  Manga.

Social and environmental issues play a large role in his works, and his new book, Flight of the Hummingbird (Greystone Books), shows that the individual can make a difference; one cannot try in vain.  A very poignant story which has the ability to connect with readers of ages 5 to 95, the volume also contains essays contributed by the Dali Lama and Noble Peace prize winner Wangari Maathi.

What part of a Canada are you from/where do you live now?

I was raised and am culturally linked to Haida Gwaii, an archipelago also called the Queen Charlotte Islands and located 13 miles outside of the territorial waters on the west coast of Canada. I currently live on an island outside of Vancouver.

Were you a comics fan growing up?
I had some exposure and much appreciation for Classic comics. I always enjoyed MAD and PILOTE.

Your current book,  Flight of the Hummingbird, you’ve coined Haida-Manga — essentially you created a new visual storytelling method by hybridizing Japanese Manga with the traditional art of the Haida people.  Do I have that right?  What triggered this shift for you?  Why create sequential stories, and further, while it’s natural for you to tell these stories with your own style, what caused you to merge the styles and form a new one?

The merger is not really of style or technique but rather intent. The first intent was to signal that the lineage of my work would not arise out of a continental American root but would be grafted onto a north Pacific literary tradition. This of course would be Haida graphic and artistic practices in the Classic era and for the Japanese side,  I draw on their long standing appreciation that complexity and diversity can be conveyed in manga, or graphic literature. I felt that manga or comics could function as a non threatening vehicle to explore complex social structures like culturalism (aka racism).

You’ve been creating art for some time now, who are some of your creative influences?  I’m especially interested in learning about your sequential arts influences?What comic works have you read that really inspired this move, or perhaps this was an organic transition?

I can still remember the first time I saw Will Eisener’s amazing work. Wally Wood is also a great light. Rand Holmes taught me to appreciate the shadow and significant influence must be accorded to Hayayo Miyazaki and my great grandfather Charles Edenshaw of Massett, Haida Gwaii.

You’ve worked in your traditional art style, I’d like to know about the impact and influences that you tap into as a First Nations creator.

The classic Haida style remains the singular potent source of design influence in Haida manga.

What are you currently working on?

BOOKS:
I am in the midst of painting the next book. RED is a 108 page color work that will be printed by Douglas & McIntyre in 2009. This work is also a 4 X 1 meter painting using classic Haida design structure in the place of classic comic cartoon gutters.

University of BC Press is also printing a book in which the first chapter will be a 14 panel Haida manga narrative that explores Haida cosmology.

ANIMATION & FILM:
Finishing a 2.5 minute piece of animation (Haida anime) called Raven’s Call. This is for web based presentation hosted by the Bill Reid Foundation.
We will begin working on another animation project with a French film production later this year.

BRAVO! is also finishing a documentary on my work  and we expect this to air sometime this fall.

EXHIBITS:
I am also planning for my 2010 solo exhibit at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, a group exhibit planned for the McMichael in Toronto (June  to September 2009), the Museum of Anthropology later that year as well as an exhibit of my sculpture PEDAL TO THE MEDDLE at the National Arts Center in Ottawa this April 2009.

Do you have a website/blog that people can read, to keep up to date with you and your projects?
Yes I have three websites:

www.haidamanga contains a number of sequential works as well as a small internet shop of some examples.

www.rockingraven contains some examples of single panel work as well as extensive archive of print, video and audio medial coverage.

www.mny contains examples of larger scale paintings and sculpture works as well as my biography. This site is presented in a number of languages.

Eisner Award Nominees announced

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The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards announced their 2009 Nominees today for work published in 2008.

Canadian cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki have been nominated for four categories (Best Publication for Tweens, Best Graphic Album – New, Mariko for Best Writer, Jillian for Best Artist) for Skim, published by Groundwood Books.

Other Canadians nominated: Niko Henrichon (part of the Fables team for Best Continuing Series), Michel Rabagliati (the D+Q translation of Paul Goes Fishing, Best Graphic Album – New), and Joe Infurnari (along with Alexis Sottile for Vs., Best Digital Comic).

To see the full list of nominees for all categories follow the link: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/040907-Eisner-2009-Noms.html

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Happenings: Graphically Speaking: Webcomics!

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Toronto store the Beguiling is hosting the following tomorrow night (April 7), with manager Chris Butcher leading the discussion

Graphically Speaking: Webcomics!
Featuring Kate Beaton, Willow Dawson, Emily Horne, Brian Mclachlan, & Ryan North
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009, 6:30pm – 8:30pm @ North York Central Library
TOTALLY FREE

As you might be aware, The Beguiling works really hard to keep books in stock (for you!) that aren’t offered through standard distribution channels. That includes minis and zines, it includes specialty books of interest to comics fans but not necessarily carried by Diamond, and it also includes print versions of popular online comics (generally referred to as ‘webcomics’). We do this because we like to sell things and make money, but also because we feel that a big part of being a comic book store is… wait for it… Selling Comic Books. And that means regardless of the format, or where they originally appeared. We like comics, we sell comics, and we’re happy to do it.

Over the past few years, more and more comics material has started to become available online. Granted, comics on the internet go back to more-or-less the first protocols for displaying graphics online (and even earlier if you count bbs’), but it’s really been in the past few years that comics specifically intended for the web have become viable, moneymaking enterprises for the folks that do them. Penny Arcade, PVP, Deisel Sweeties, Questionable Content, Wigu/Overcompensating, Achewood, and Toronto’s own Dinosaur Comics, are just a few examples of folks who are making a go of publishing online, and deriving their income from those pursuits.

But how are they doing it? And how does that affect us, a comic book store, the ‘middleman’ who’s being ‘skipped’ in this publishing model.

That’s what we’re going to discuss!

I (Christopher Butcher) am going to be interviewing 5 Toronto-area webcomics creators about what they publish, and how, and why. “Can you make money at this? How much? More importantly, do you even want to make money? What are the differences between between print and online as a medium? Is this your career, a hobby, or both? What would you recommend for someone interested in following in your footsteps?”

(I might pause between questions to let them answer… we’ll see)

And who are the fine webcomics creators who will be participating in this event?

Kate Beaton (History Comics)
http://harkavagrant.com/index.php

Willow Dawson (100 Mile House)
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0/artist/320

Emily Horne (A Softer World)
http://www.asofterworld.com/

Brian McLachlan (The Princess Planet)
http://www.theprincessplanet.com/

Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics)
http://qwantz.com/

…and to be honest, likely a dozen other webcomicsy people will be in the audience (they travel in packs!). Books (where available) will be on hand for sale at the event, and all of the creators will be available following the discussion to chat with and sign for fans and attendees.

So come one, come all, to this rather interesting look at reading and creating work online! It’s all part of Toronto Public Library’s Keep Toronto Reading event, which I have to say, is pretty forward-thinking on their parts.

April 8th, 2009 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

Agents Of Atlas #2 (2nd Printing) – Marvel US$2.99
Cover by Chris Bachalo.

All New Savage She-Hulk #1 – Marvel US$3.99
Inks by Terry Pallot.

Black Panther #2 (2nd Printing) – Marvel US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Ken Lashley.

Captain Britain And MI 13 #12 – Marvel US$2.99
Artwork by Leonard Kirk. Cover by Stuart Immonen. Preview at Comic Book Resources.

Cartoon Network Action Pack #36 – DC/Johnny US$2.50
Artwork and Cover by Jay Stephens.

Crozonia #1 – Beach Creative Studios US$2.99
Art by Jim Su. Colours by Peter Kostka. Preview at Crozonia.

Doctor Who: The Forgotten Trade Paperback – IDW US$19.99
Featuring Artwork by Pia Guerra.

Marvel Illustrated: The Odyssey #8 – Marvel US$3.99
Inks by Terry Pallot. Preview at Comic Book Resources.

Marvel Zombies 3 Hardcover – Marvel US$19.99
Colours by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Marvel Zombies 4 #1 – Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Northlanders #16 – DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

Popgun Vol. 3 – Image US$29.99
Containing Stories Written by Alison Acton, Jeik Dion, Ray Fawkes, Scott Hallett, Derek McCulloch, Ron Turner (Preview “Nudging Buddy“), Jim Zubkavich (Preview “One in Every Box”). Containing Stories with Artwork by Alison Acton, Jeik Dion, Scott Hallett, Edward Kwong (Splash Page Artwork), Ron Turner. Containing Stories with Colours by Jim Charalampidis, Jeik Dion, Scott Hallett, Ron Turner.

The Punisher: Frank Castle MAX #69 – Marvel US$3.99
Artwork by Michel Lacombe. Preview at Comic Book Resources.

Star Trek: Mission’s End #2 – IDW US$3.99
Written by Ty Templeton. Artwork by Steve Molnar. Preview at Comics Continuum.

Superman: World Of New Krypton #2 – DC US$2.99
Colours by Brad Anderson. Preview at DC Universe: The Source.

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen Movie Prequel – Defiance #4 – IDW US$3.99
Cover by Alex Milne. Preview at Comics Continuum.

Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk #4 – Marvel US$2.99
Colours by Dave McCaig. Preview at Comic Book Resources.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz #5 – Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Jean-Francois Beaulieu. Preview at Comic Book Resources.

Uncanny X-Men: Manifest Destiny Hardcover – Marvel US$29.99
Artwork Yanick Paquette and Takeshi Miyazawa. Inks by Serge Lapointe. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

Ramón K. Perez illustrating Green River Killer: A Detective Story

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Green River Killer: A Detective Story - Illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez

Green River Killer: A Detective Story - Illustrated by Ramón K. Pérez

Source: Ramón K. Pérez’s Cranial Percolations and The Seattle Times

Ramón Pérez (Kukuburi, Resistance) will be illustrating Green River Killer: A Detective Story, a 120-page graphic novel based on the Green River killer, which will be published by Dark Horse Comics and is scheduled for an early 2010 release. Green River Killer: A Detective Story is written by Jeff Jensen, the son of the man who captured the Green River killer, Detective Tom Jensen (Green River Task Force).

The graphic novel promises a behind-the-scenes look at the case, with aspects that have been little explored, from the perspective of the now-retired investigator who’s avoided the limelight.

Illustrated by Ramon K. Perez, the story’s framing device is five days in June 2003 when Ridgway was secretly removed from jail to be interrogated in a nondescript building at Boeing Field. The horrific, five-day emotional roller coaster culminated with Tom Jensen extracting the information that led to Ridgway’s conviction.

Reminders!

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invaders1The Joe Shuster Awards are based on Canadian citizenship and/or residency. Year in and year out we do our very best to expand our knowledge and resources related to talent. If we have missed your work, or we don’t have you listed in our Canadian Creators list, it’s not meant to be a snub. We want to know you!

A big part of the mission of the Canadian Comic Book Creators Awards Association is to promote the works of Canadian creators, retailers and publishers. It’s right there, in our mandate. So if you are a Canadian creator (print or webcomics), publisher or retailer please reach out to us. Let us know about you and where you live, what you’re working on. We are very proud of all the talent we have in Canada working within the industry — the ENTIRE industry!

The list of CCBCAA known Canadian creators can be found HERE and is meant to be a usable resource for connecting the Canadian comics community.

Further, our new award, The Gene Day Award for Self Publishing, will experience the same hurdles. This award was designed to spotlight and encourage comic creators who do not work within the common structure of comic publishing. We are certain based on our experiences in the field that there are hundreds of people out there producing interesting works for their love of the medium, but because these works aren’t distributed it’s difficult to know who is creating a work. This is why we made this award a submission award. It’s our job to get the word out about it’s existence but it’s your job to send us your work for consideration — please do! This is the only award to have a cash bursary attached to it, the goal of which is to help the self publisher with the cost of continuing to create great comics.

In order to qualify you must be a citizen and current resident of Canada. Anyone who writes and illustrates a comic book of their own creation (includes creative teams) and publishes and sells that comic independently of any other publishing company and does not currently have said works distributed by a third party distributor may submit their publication for review.

Format and content is at the discretion of the creators. Must include new content, not reprinted material from other sources (such as webcomics). There are no language restrictions for this award.

Entries should be sent to:

GENE DAY AWARD SUBMISSIONS
C/O THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS
PO BOX 67031 – 2300 YONGE STREET
TORONTO, ON
M4P 3C8

Closing date for submissions: Monday, May 18th, 2009.

Entries may be submitted in person to the Joe Shuster Awards booth at the following Canadian events:

* Toronto ComiCON Fan Appreciation (April 18-19)
* Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo (April 25-26)
* Toronto Comic Arts Festival (May 9, 10).

Twitter, Facebook and Livejournal spread the news! Plus, a correction on the nominees list.

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While the announcements have just started to filter out to the traditional comics press sites (aside from first to the punch Wrights organizer Bryan Munn’s analysis over at Sequential) the social networking sites are driving a ton of people over to look at the nominees list including many of the honoured creators! The Twitter, Facebook and Livejournal traffic has currently tripled the previous highest number of daily hits the site has received since we changed to the blog format in late December 2008.

Also, the CCBCAA would like to take this time to apologize to cartoonist Michel Gagne, whose first name was mistakenly spelled Michael in the initial press release – now corrected on the site. This is Michel’s second JSA Cartoonist nomination for his “Saga of Rex” contributions to the annual Flight anthology.

Nominations for the 2009 Joe Shuster Awards

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UPDATE: MAY 6, 2009: The awards presentation date has been moved to the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. Watch the site for details as they become available.

Preface: It’s important to reflect as you review this list that in most cases COMICS ARE A COLLABORATIVE MEDIUM, and that while these awards are handed out along the specific category guidelines of Writer, Artist, Cartoonist, etc. AS PER THE PUBLISHED CREDITS it should be noted that many members of each comic book or graphic novel’s creative team had input in the storytelling process.

Preface, part two: Eligible creators are Canadian citizens (at home and abroad) and permanent residents in Canada that were identified on the eligible creators lists for works published in 2008 (lists can be found elsewhere on this website). Between January and May 2009 the Nominating Committees reviewed and selected the creators that they felt did the best work (i.e. they were chosen from the master list by MERIT and by CONSENSUS). Nominees are not contacted in advance about their feelings about being nominated, and nominations are not withdrawn by request.

For Immediate Release

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2009 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS

Toronto, Canada — April 2, 2009. From coast to coast, Canada is home to many of the comic book industry’s top talents. The JOE SHUSTER AWARDS are a way of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of these Canadian creators – past, present and future. Since their establishment in 2004, the JOE SHUSTER CANADIAN COMIC BOOK CREATOR AWARDS have been Canada’s national awards program for recognizing the outstanding achievements of Canadian comic book creators, publishers and retailers. The awards are named after pioneering Toronto-born artist Joe Shuster who, along with writer Jerry Siegel, created the iconic super-powered hero, Superman.

Between January and March 2009, the Nominees were selected from master lists of eligible works originally published in English and/or French in 2008. Canadian citizens living at home or abroad, as well as permanent residents were eligible for consideration. Now that the list of nominees has been finalized, nominated creators will have their work reviewed by a jury, who will ultimately decide the winners. Winners will be announced at a public ceremony in Toronto on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. Details to be announced.

JOE SHUSTER AWARDS 2009 NOMINEES for Work Published in 2008Artist/Dessinateur

  • Marc Delafontaine - Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
  • Dale Eaglesham – Justice Society of America #12, 14-15, 18-22 (DC Comics)
  • David Finch – Ultimatum #1-2 (Marvel Comics)
  • Karl Kerschl & Serge LaPointe – Teen Titans: Year One #1-6 (DC Comics)
  • Jacques Lamontagne - Les Druides, Tome 4 : La Ronde des Géants (Soleil Productions)
  • Steve McNiven – Amazing Spider-Man #546-548, Wolverine #66-70 (Marvel Comics)
  • Steve Rolston – Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), “Familiar” – House of Mystery #4 (DC/Vertigo), You Ain’t No Dancer #3 (New Reliable Press)
  • Stephen Sadowski – Avengers/Invaders #1-7 (Marvel Comics/Dynamite Entertainment), Project Superpowers #0 (Dynamite Entertainment), Jack the Lantern: Ghosts #2 (Castle Rain Entertainment)

Cartoonist/Créateur

  • Grégoire Bouchard – Vers les Mondes Lointains (Paquet)
  • Darwyn Cooke - “Chapter X: The Greater Good” Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, The Spirit #12 (DC Comics)
  • Francis Desharnais – Burquette (Les 400 coups)
  • Jean-Paul Eid – Des tondeuses et des hommes (La Pastèque)
  • Michel Gagne – “The Saga of Rex” Chapter 5 – Flight Vol. 5 (Ballantyne Books)
  • Faith Erin Hicks – The War at Ellsmere (Slave Labor Graphics)
  • Jeff Lemire – Essex County Vol. 3: The Country Nurse (Top Shelf)
  • Seth – “Thoreau MacDonald” Kramer’s Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)
  • Dave Sim – Glamourpuss #1-4, Judenhaas (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

Colourist/Dessinateur Couleur

  • Jean-Francois Beaulieu – G.I. Joe: America’s Elite 31-36, Voltron: A Legend Forged 1 (Devil’s Due), Marvel Zombies 3 #1-3, Wonderful Wizard of OZ #1, X-Men: Divided We Stand #1, X-Men Legacy #215 (Marvel Comics)
  • Blond – Team 14 #1 (Digital Webbing), Freshman: Summer Vacation Special #1, Magdalena/Daredevil #1, True Blood: The Great Revelation NN, Witchblade: Takeru Manga #11-12 (image/Top Cow), Ultimate Fantastic Four #50-59 (Marvel Comics), Beyond Wonderland #4, Grimm Fairy Tales 2008 Annual (Zenoscope)
  • Chris Chuckry – Brave and the Bold #17-18, Countdown to Mystery #4-8, Simon Dark #4-7, Two Face: Year One #1-2 (DC Comics), Air 1-5 (DC/Vertigo), G.I. Joe #0 (IDW), Comic Book Tattoo (image), Amazing Spider-Man #546, 565-567, newuniversal: Shockfront #1-2, The Twelve #1-8 (Marvel Comics)
  • Maryse Dubuc – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
  • Nathan Fairbairn – Fear Agent 21 (Dark Horse), Pilot Season: The Core #1 (image/Top Cow), Civil War: House of M #3, Guardians of the Galaxy #1-3, Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? NN, Wolverine: Origins #31, X-Men: Divided We Stand #2, X-Men: Kingbreaker #1, X-Men Legacy #217, X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1, 3, Young Avengers Presents #1 (Marvel Comics), Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #3 (Oni Press)
  • Lovern Kindzierski – Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1-2 (DC/Vertigo), The Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons #1-2Coraline (HarperCollins), Giant-Size Incredible Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics) (Devil’s Due),
  • François Lapierre – “Gédéon et la bête du lac” Contes et légendes du Québec (Glénat Québec), Magasin général 4 (Casterman)
  • Dave McCaig – Star Wars: Dark Times #11-12 (Dark Horse), Action Comics #861-863, Final Crisis: Rogue’s Revenge #1-3. Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin #1, JSA Classified #35-37 (DC Comics), Family Dynamic #1-2 (DC/Johnny), House of Mystery #4, Northlanders #2-8, 11-12 (DC/Vertigo), Broken Trinity: Angelus #1, First Born: Aftermath #1, Pilot Season: The Core #1 (image/Top Cow), Fantastic Four Cosmic Size Special #1, Secret Invasion X-Men #1-4, Ultimate Iron Man II #3-5 (Marvel Comics), Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #2 (Oni Press) (DC/Johnny DC),

Writer/Écrivain

  • Ian Boothby – Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror #14, Bongo Comics Free-For-All 2008, Futurama #35-39, Simpsons Comics #136, 141, 148, Simpsons Summer Shindig #2, Simpsons Super Spectacular #7 (Bongo Comics)
  • Cecil Castellucci – Janes in Love (DC/Minx)
  • Darwyn Cooke – “Dragster Riot starring Robin the Boy Wonder”, “Wonder Woman and Black Canary” Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, Superman Confidential 11 (DC Comics)
  • Maryse Dubuc – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
  • Ray Fawkes – The Apocalipstix (Oni Press)
  • François Lapierre – “Gédéon et la bête du lac” Contes et légendes du Québec (Glénat Québec)
  • Mariko Tamaki – Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), Skim (Groundwood Books)
  • J. Torres – The Family Dynamic #1-3, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #11, 13, 17-19, Teen Titans Go! #51-55 (DC/Johnny DC), Wonder Girl #5-6 (DC Comics)

Cover/Couverture

  • Adrian Alphona – Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season Two #1 Variant (Marvel Comics)
  • Darwyn Cooke – The Spirit #12 (DC Comics)
  • Marc Delafontaine – Les Nombrils, Tome 3 : Les liens de l’amitié (Dupuis)
  • Dale Eaglesham – Justice Society of America #14 Variant (DC Comics)
  • David Finch -Amazing Spider-Man #572 Variant (Marvel Comics)
  • Philippe Girard – Les Ravins (Mécanique Générale)
  • Niko Henrichon – Hostile Tome 1 (Dupuis)
  • Steve McNiven – Kick-Ass #1 Variant (Marvel Comics)
  • Dean Motter – Mister X: The Condemned #1 (Dark Horse)
  • David Sim – Glamourpuss #4 Zombie Variant (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

Webcomics/Bandes Dessinées Web

Publisher/Éditeur

  • Aardvark-Vanaheim
  • Arcana Studio
  • Conundrum Press
  • Drawn & Quarterly
  • La Pastèque
  • Les 400 Coups/Mécanique Générale
  • Red 5 Comics
  • Udon Entertainment

Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist & Writer Nominees selected by:Jay Bardyla (Happy Harbor Comics), Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Ty Buttars (blogger and collector), Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Rachelle Goguen (Strange Adventures, Living Between Wednesdays), Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jonathan Kuehlein (The Toronto Star), Robin McConnell (Inkstuds podcast), Shawna Roe (Happy Harbor Comics) and the Vincent Massey College Comic Book Club (Montreal) under the direction of Mr. Steven Bakos. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Cover Nominees selected by: Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Kevin A. Boyd, Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Peter Fisico (All New Comics), Robert Haines, Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jason Truong. Additional input provided by Ty Buttars (blogger and collector), and Rachelle Goguen (Strange Adventures, Living Between Wednesdays). Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Webcomics Nominees selected by: The CCBCAA Executive. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd and Scott Townsend.

Publisher Nominees selected by: Éric Bouchard (Librarie Monet), Laurent Boutin (Librarie Planète BD), Kevin A. Boyd, Allison Covey, Martin Dubé (Librarie Fichtre!), Peter Fisico (All New Comics), Francis Hervieux (journalist and collector), Jason Truong. Coordinators: Kevin A. Boyd (English publications) and Francis Hervieux (French publications).

Comics for Kids / Bandes Dessinées pour Enfants
Nominees will be announced in early May 2009.

Gene Day Award for Canadian Self-Publishers / Le Prix Gene Day pour Éditeurs Direct Canadian de Bandes Dessinées
Submissions from self-publishers will be accepted until May 18, 2009. Please visit http://joeshusterawards.com/2009-awards-sat-june-27/gene-day-award-for-canadian-self-publishers/ for full details. The winner of the Gene Day Award also receives a $500 Bursary.

The Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer /Le Prix Harry Kremer pour Détaillant Exceptionnel Canadien de Bandes Dessinées
Nominations from retailers and the general public will be accepted until May 18, 2009.

Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame / Temple de la renommée Créateur Canadien de Bandes Dessinées
Four inductees will be announced in early May 2009.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and all of the eligible creators for another memorable year of great comics, both in print and online!

About Joe Shuster (1914 – 1992)

With the permission of his estate, the Joe Shuster Awards are named in honor of the great artist, JOE SHUSTER (1914-1992), whose clear, dynamic style and inventive visual flourishes set the standard for graphic storytelling during the infancy of the North American comic book industry. It was Superman, a co-creation of Shuster and Siegel, which electrified the industry 71 years ago and, almost overnight, transformed comic books into an enormous pop-cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

About The Joe Shuster Awards

The Joe Shuster Awards are Canada’s first national achievement awards for Canadians working on comic books, graphic novels and webcomics and the only awards without restrictions on language, content and/or genre. The Joe Shuster Awards honour the people who create comics, publish comics and sell comics. Creator nominees are nominated for their BODY OF WORK during the previous calendar year, not just for one specific work (except for cover art).

The Hall of Fame, Harry Kremer Retailer Award and the new Gene Day Award for self-publishers are selected by individual committees after a review and discussion of eligible and/or submitted candidates. Four Hall of Fame candidates will be initiated into the Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame in 2009. Aside from the retailer and self-publisher award committee, active creators can only act as advisors so as not to influence a bias in any of the creative awards categories.

The Joe Shuster Awards are run by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association (CCBCAA), a not-for-profit organization that relies on sponsorship, eBay and convention sales of art donations, prints and memorabilia as well as private donations. 2009 sponsors include: Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), Sipps Publishing, Diamond Distributors, Quebecor World, and comicspriceguide.com and all of the artists that donated pieces to last year’s Visions of an Icon: Superman art show and sale.

For more information please contact info@joeshusterawards.com or visit www.joeshusterawards.com

“North 40″ with artwork by Fiona Staples

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North 40 #1 Cover by Fiona Staples

North 40 #1 Cover by Fiona Staples

Source: Comic Book Resources

Aaron Williams (ps238, Full Frontal Nerdity) is interviewed over at Comic Book Resources, about the new Wildstorm series that he will be writing, featuring artwork by Calgary artist, Fiona Staples (Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor). You can preview some pages over at Comic Book Resources. Here is a excerpt from the interview with Aaron Williams, conducted by Comic Book Resources.

What can you say about the art of Fiona Staples?

The most common thing I find myself saying is, “Yeah, that’s even better than I envisioned it!” I was shown her work for the “Hawksmoor” comic, and I knew “North 40” was in great hands. Her work is fantastic, and it’s a real thrill seeing another artist’s interpretation of your ideas. She also draws some incredible monsters. There are several that come from a salvage yard in Conover County that I can’t wait for everyone to see. She captures the people and setting so well, I can almost hear the locusts and smell the grass and gas near the convenience store at the edge of town. There’s been a lot of discussion about seeing if we could clone her somehow, so we’re trying to get a research grant. Seriously, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a lot more from Fiona in the near future, which is awesome.

Happy April Fool’s Day

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Although this has been a quiet news week so far… take anything you learn today with a big grain of salt.

Above – Cerebus & Jaka were just told that the news item they read online was a prank. From the cover of Cerebus the Aardvark #75 by Dave Sim and Gerhard

Nominees will be announced tomorrow!