Category Archives: Gene Day Award

Accepting submissions for the 2012 Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing

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The Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing honours Canadian comic book creators who self-published their work during the previous calendar year and is open to all Canadian citizens who self-publish and self-distribute their comics. The winner receives a Joe Shuster Award and a bursary of $500, to help fund your next comic project.

This award is open to comics self-published from January 1, 2011 to December 31st, 2011. The comics can be in any language. There is no limit on the number of titles submitted per person, if you created 3 comics in 2011 you may submit all 3 titles.

You must attest that that the books were self-published within the appropriate timeline by signing “self-published in 2011” and your signature. Be sure to write an email address your books, or some other way to reach you, so we can communicate with you in the event that your book is selected as a finalist.

Deadline to submit is March 1, 2012.

We ask that you submit 2 copies of your book, to allow copies to be distributed to the jury.

Submissions should be sent to:
Robert Haines
c/o The Dragon
The Old Quebec Street Mall
55 Wyndham Street North, Unit T19B
Guelph, Ontario, N1H 7T8

The Gene Day Award will be given out Saturday, September 15th, 2012, as part of the Montreal ComicCon.

More about the Gene Day Award.

This year the Gene Day Award is being sponsored by The Dragon, a retail comic book store based out of Guelph, ON and a strong supporter of self-published comics. The Dragon sponsors and operates the Kazoo Comics & Zine Expo, a small press fair in Guelph, and has been a finalist for the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award for best comic shop in the world each of the past 2 years.

Summation:

  • award is open to non-professional comic creators who self-publish and do not use distribution such as Diamond
  • $500 prize plus a Joe Shuster Award winner statue
  • submit 2 copies of each title you wish to submit
  • work must be self-published from any time in 2011, January 1 to December 31st
  • each copy must have “self-published in 2011” and your signature in the book (unless this is printed in the book)
  • provide your email address in each copy of the book
  • mail to The Dragon in Guelph, ON
  • deadline to receive books is March 1, 2012
  • works will be looked at by a jury
  • Finalists announced along with all other award nominees
  • winner announced at Montreal ComicCon

If you have any questions about submitting, please ask! robert@joeshusterawards.com.

Happenings: EXPOZINE 10 November 26-27 – Montreal, QC

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expozine -EXPOZINE 2011, Montreal’s 10th Annual Small Press, Comic & Zine Fair !

EXPOZINE, Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27, 2011, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, Laurier Métro). Free admission.

10th ANNIVERSARY OF EXPOZINE special issue of Four Minutes to Midnight ZINE LAUNCH, featuring round-table discussion with Expozine founders, Friday November 25 at the Drawn & Quarterly bookstore, 211 Bernard W., 7 – 10p.m., free admission.

EXPOZINE 10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY, Saturday November 26, 8 p.m. – 3 a.m., Casa del Popolo, 4873 St. Laurent, free admission. Music by J.A.S.S. (Jazz Amnesty Sound System) !!!

ALSO, programming during Expozine will include:

Saturday, November 26, 3 p.m. in the Expozine reading room:
Greasy Goose Salon, Expozine Edition, theme : PAPER
with: Simon Reader, Sarah Pupo, Nic Boshart and Emily Raine. A co-production between Expozine and the Greasy Goose Salon.

Sunday, November 27, 3 p.m. in the Expozine reading room:
Du Zine à l’Institution: Les Sérigraphes Montréalaises, with: Andrée-Anne Dupuis-Bourret, Jacinthe Loranger, Chloe Lum, Leyla Majeri, Dominique Pétrin.
Une co-production d’Expozine et La Centrale Galérie Powerhouse.

Expozine is one of the largest small press fairs in North America, bringing together over 270 exhibitors showcasing all kinds of publications– from books to zines to graphic novels – in both English and French. The event attracts thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from across Canada, the United States and even Europe! It’s a unique showcase of the best publications that today’s small publishers and self-publishing authors and artists have to offer. Literally thousands of different publications can be found at Expozine, it’s THE “salon du livre” for readers interested in today’s underground and alternative publications!

Expozine 2011 on Facebook!

EXPOZINE Facebook group!

Expozine’s sister project, the DISTROBOTO art vending machine network!

For more information, contact expozine@archivemontreal.org.

Expozine is organized by Arcmtl (Archive Montreal), a non-profit organization that both promotes and preserves independently produced culture in Montreal. Expozine is made possible in part through the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal.

2012 Categories update:

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Earlier this month we asked for feedback on our categories as we determine which will make up the list for the 2012 Awards. Based on your feedback and our internal debates this is the list as it stands:

2012 Categories:

* Outstanding Artist/Artist Team (no change)

* Outstanding Cartoonist (no change)

* Outstanding Cover Artist (no change)

* Outstanding Webcomics Creator/Creative Team (no change)

Note: after a lot of discussion and debate, the team has decided that we will leave webcomics as a unique category again. A line of distinction is being drawn between digital comics (online versions of concurrent with print edition comics or online previews of digital comics) which will not be eligible for the category. This remains for comics content created exclusively for the internet (later print editions are irrelevant and are considered reprints in the print categories), and one of the nominating and judging criteria will be usage of the online delivery system itself in the storytelling and presentation of these comics.

* Outstanding Writer (no change)

* Comics for Kids Award – Beginner Reader Level
* Comics for Kids Award – Intermediate Reader Level

Note: if there are enough books of each criteria to justify having two categories, the Comics for Kids Award will be split into two categories — Beginner, for younger readers, and Intermediate, for older children. For example, Binky the Space Cat might be considered a Beginner book, while Three Thieves: Tower of Treasure might be considered an intermediate level entry. The hope is to provide more information and recommendations to parents, teachers, librarians and of, course, young readers!

* Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing (no change)

* Harry Kremer Award for Comic Book Retailing (no change)

* Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame (1-2) (no change)

There is one additional category currently being reviewed by our group and is at the proposal stage.

* TENTATIVE: Outstanding Original Graphic Novel by Canadian Creator / Creative Team

The members feel that it should be specifically for original (i.e. new) graphic novels published in French or English during the previous calendar year. Unfortunately new collections of serialized comics that are later collected that same year are not going to be eligible for this award (if it happens). We are still VERY concerned about this being duplication of efforts as many of these books may be recognized in the Cartoonist, Writer and Artist categories. As it stands, we would like to follow the lead of Comics for Kids and have a similar nomination and judging process for this potential new category.

Unfortunately we’ll be placing two categories “on hiatus” for 2012: Outstanding Publisher and Outstanding Colourist.

2012 Joe Shuster Awards – Saturday, September 15, 2012 in Montreal, QC

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I’m happy to report on behalf of the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Organization that we have agreed in principle with the organizers of the Montreal Comic Con and will be presenting the 8th Annual Joe Shuster Awards in conjunction with that event on the evening of Saturday, September 15, 2012.

In preparation for the ceremony, the CCBCAA will be working with members of the comics community to provide a fully bilingual awards ceremony, and we are all excited at the possibilities of providing better translation services on this site in order to help spread the word on comics and graphic novels by Canadians in both official languages.

The Montreal Comic Con will be held on the weekend of September 14-16, 2012. Due to unexpected demand, the MCC will be expanding to a full three days in 2012.

The MCC will also be changing facilities in 2012. It will no longer be held at Place Bonaventure but will be moving into the newer, larger and more colourful (!) convention facilities at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, QC (pictured, right).

http://www.montrealcomiccon.com

This marks the second time that the Joe Shuster Awards will be presented outside of Toronto. Earlier this year we presented the 7th Annual Awards at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. Plans are for the JSAs to be presented in conjunction with a different comic book convention in Canada each year.

Happenings: CANZINE Toronto is today – Oct 23

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Canzine is today! There are radical readings, book pitch and zine competitions , panels, art installations, a food market and, oh yeah, like a million zines that you will not find anywhere else! If you’re anywhere in or around Toronto, swing by 918 Bathurst Centre (just above Bloor) from 1 to 7pm today and check the indie culture extravaganza!

FULL SCHEDULE

Deciding the 2012 Categories

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Here at the JSAs we’re fairly open to making changes to the existing award categories if a solid argument can be made for the alteration, or for adding new or retiring old categories. In recent years new awards have included The Comics for Kids Award, The Gene Day Award, as well as the Outstanding Cover Artist and Outstanding Colourist Awards. Retired Awards include Outstanding Achievement, Favourite French and Favourite English creator.

As we are beginning our work in compiling the eligible comics for the 2012 Awards, the discussion has begun on the subject of Award categories. I’ve nothing to announce at present, other than over the next couple of weeks we will be hopefully deciding which of our current categories will continue on into the next Awards season and which ones will be put “On Hiatus”.

2011 Categories included:

Outstanding Artist/Artist Team
Outstanding Cartoonist
Outstanding Colourist
Outstanding Cover Artist
Outstanding Publisher
Outstanding Webcomics Creator/Creative Team
Outstanding Writer
Comics for Kids Award for Material Aimed at Younger Readers
Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing
Harry Kremer Award for Comic Book Retailing
Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame

The Webcomics Award is something that is being discussed – should webcomics (one of the most popular and well regarded awards) be retired and incorporated into the other categories (which have been exclusively for printed, distributed works)? It’s something we are debating internally so we’d love to read your thoughts on the subject.

Generally we are looking to maintain the same number of awards in 2012 — 12.

If you have any suggestions, thoughts or recommendations, please reply to this post or email me at kevin@joeshusterawards.com

Laird announces changes to the Xeric Grant

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Max Douglas covers the ending of the Xeric Grant in May 2012 over at Sequential. Many Canadian creators have received Xerics over the years, including Jeff Lemire, Nick Mandaag, Troy Little and Ethan Rilly. The announcement:

The Xeric Foundation’s upcoming 20th anniversary will bring
a changed focus in grant-giving.

“Roughly twenty years ago, I started something called the Xeric Foundation. It came about because, with the success of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” property that Kevin Eastman and I had created back in 1983, there were a lot of people asking for money. Many of these requests were legitimate and came from real need, and I wanted to find a way to deal with them in a fair and organized fashion.

I also wanted to help out struggling comic book creators. Having started TMNT with Kevin as a self-published venture, I knew very well how critical even a relatively small amount of money could be for success at that nascent stage.

The Xeric Foundation accomplished all that. The Foundation was able to give many grants to self-publishing comic book creators and local charitable organizations. To date, those grants have totaled more than $2,500,000, and those funds were split equally between the two aforementioned categories.

When I began the Xeric Foundation back in 1992, things were very different. The Internet — and web-based publishing — was in its infancy. This has changed, radically, and the Xeric Foundation needs to change accordingly.

The advent of essentially free web publishing has forever altered the way aspiring comic book creators can get their work out into the public eye. With this in mind, I have decided that it makes sense that the Xeric Foundation will no longer provide grants to self-publishing comic book creators, and instead devote all of its available grants funds to charitable organizations.

I’d like to thank all of the people who applied for (and sometimes received) those comic book grants, for their participation in an art form of great merit, as well as those who have applied for (and sometimes received) charitable grants. But I’d especially like to thank all the people who have served on the Xeric Grant committees, both those for the comic book grants and the charitable grants, who have worked without pay all these years, giving of their time and energy, reading and evaluating piles of grant applications. I would like to thank them by name, but — as it has been since the beginning of the Xeric Foundation — they prefer to remain anonymous. So… thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!”

–Peter Laird,   July 14, 2011

With this announcement, the foundation celebrates Peter Laird’s legacy and the many innovative comic books that were self-published with the support of Xeric grants.

There will be a final comic book review in May 2012.  Details can be found at the following link: FINAL GRANT APPLICATION. Please note that the November review is cancelled, allowing creators more time to prepare and present their best work.

Good luck to all of the dedicated self-publishers.  Get in there and show us what you’ve got during the last round of comic book grants!

Party!

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Last night we had the Toronto wrap party and celebration for the 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards and I get the impression that it was a great success! The 587 College space was a great venue, very casual and we had a relaxed 20 or so minute ceremony where we were able to honour local winners Francis Manapul, John Martz, Planete BD (not local but drove in for the party!), Anne Koyama, Scott Chantler and Tin Can Forest.

Tyrone is currently traveling, but it was great to see the rest of the group out for the evening – Andrew, Allison, Jenn and Robert, Deb and I were all really happy with how well things worked out. It was also great to see a variety of Toronto’s creators come out to support their friends and associates! It was really a meeting of worlds and styles and from an organizing standpoint it’s always satisfying to see the various communities come together and learn from each other’s adventures in the world of comics. All of the various Mill Street beers that we provided were consumed as well (all gone when we wrapped) — the after party went on to about 11:30.

So thanks again to everyone that came out, congratulations to all of the winners and special thanks to the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop for allowing us to use their great space!

Also – one last note – I’d like to thank to Planete BD for coming to Toronto for this event – we hope you had a great time – and for being our Montreal ambassadors — they will be presenting Emilie Villeneuve and Julie Rocheleau with their awards at their store in the near future for La Fille Invisible.

Happenings: Toronto – Joe Shuster Awards Year 7 Wrap Party & Plaque Presentations – July 15th

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JSA wrap party event for Toronto — It will take place on Friday, July 15th. The evening will be held in the new space for the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop at 587 College Street West (2nd floor) and will run from 8 to about 10.

At this event we’ll be giving the winners not available to attend the ceremony in Calgary their award plaques. Admission is free.

Facebook event page.

7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards: Winners Announced

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The 7th Annual Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards were presented at a public ceremony held on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo with hosts Ajay Fry and Teddy Wilson. Joe Shuster Awards 2011 ceremony audio

THE RESULTS: Continue reading →

7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards – June 18, 2011 at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo

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NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2011 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS

LES NOMINÉS AUX PRIX JOE SHUSTER 2011

Ceremony Date: Saturday, June 18th, 2011 – 6-8 PM

Ceremony Hosts: AJAY FRY and TEDDY WILSON

Ceremony Location: Boyce Theatre, BMO Round-Up Centre, Calgary, AB

Host Event: THE CALGARY COMIC AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPO (June 17-19, 2011)

How Do I/How Did I Get Nominated for a Joe Shuster Award?

Kazoo report

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Guelph was the place to be on Saturday for anyone interested in independent comics, webcomics and zines. The Kazoo Fest Zine and Comic Expo saw more than forty creators (including Gene Day Noms Jason Bradshaw and Nick Maandag!) gather in the Norfolk United Church for this free event that drew a steady crowd out of the cold, wet weather. Originally started in 2008, this was the first year the Dragon sponsored the event and helped draw in comic creators from across the greater Toronto area. The event was a fantastic showcase for small press and zine creators that would usually get lost in the artist alley of larger conventions.

The after party that followed included Dragon owner Jennifer Haines delivering an updated version of her Women in Comics paper and the introduction of the Kazoo Fest Zine and Comic Awards. The award winners were chosen from books and zines that were submitted at the Expo on Saturday afternoon and the jury was made up of myself (Amy Chop, manager of the Dragon), Sam Ack from Kazoo and Lindsay Gibb from Broken Pencil magazine. The jury was also joined by some volunteers from the Joe Shuster Awards who helped out at the Dragon’s table during the day.

Summer Tears #1 by Harley R. Pageot and Andrea Manica

The winners were presented with their awards by event emcee Robert Haines and were as follows:

  • Best Debut: “Wich” Curated by Averill Smith
  • Best Comic: “Summer Tears #1” by Harley R. Pageot and Andrea Manica
  • Best Zine (written): “Team Dreams” by the Royal City Roller Girls

This was a great event and we hope to see everyone, and more, again next year!

Amy Chop, Manager
The Dragon
Old Quebec Street Mall
55 Wyndham St. N., Guelph, ON
www.thedragonweb.com

Related article: Lindsay Gibb’s Kazoo report for Broken Pencil Magazine

Happenings: Kazoo Zine & Comic Expo guest list, Guelph ON – April 16, 2011

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This Saturday, April 16th in Guelph, ON, Kazoo! fest 2011 and The Dragon are proud to present the Kazoo! Zine and Comic Expo.

The Zine and Comic Expo will happen on Saturday April 16th from 11 am to 4 pm at Norfolk United Church in Guelph, located at 75 Norfolk Street, Guelph, ON, N1H 4J4. All a short walk to The Dragon in Old Quebec Street Mall.

The guest list has really shaped up, there are a lot of great comic and zine exhibitors who have been producing top notch work. Guests include:

Studiocomix
Telegram Ma’am
Cave Minds
Satan Macnuggit Popular Arts
Nick Maandag
Ethan Rilly
Jason Kieffer
Lethal Panther
CFRU
Sarah Managle
Culture Slut/ Fight Boredom Distro
Brown Paper Bag Comics
Buildings & Bodies
RCRG Team Dreams
WORN Fashion Journal
Toony Quarterly
Freelance Blues
gangLion
Boredom Pays / Jason Bradshaw
Everybody Moon Jump
Clara Bee Lavery
Le Cyc
Christa Treadwell
Twelveohtwo Zine Distro
Liz Worth
Sparrow Press
Caitlin Black
Patrick Kyle
Ginette Lapalme
Chris Kuzma
Amya
Rooster Tree
Big Sexy Comics
RAILS
Bits of String
Look Mum! Distro
Broken Pencil
Sasha Foster
Scissorkix
Splashworks
Brian Evinou
Julie Faulkner / Promises Promises
Ian Turner
Felix Kalmenson
Adriana Blake
Andrea Manica

There will be lots of zines, comics, and sweet treats, and new this year: FESTIVAL AWARDS! Also be sure to also go to the Afterparty, which runs from 4pm to 7pm at the Bookshelf Ebar (41 Quebec St, Guelph, ON) where Jennifer Haines will present a talk on Women In Comics, with the awards ceremony to follow. Award categories are: best zine, best comic and best new work. Winners will receive a trophy and cash prize. Awards show will be followed by live music! There are two shows happening that night as part of Kazoo! Fest:

Playing at Jimmy Jazz - 52 Macdonell St (a 19+ show, FREE admission)

* Catl (11:00pm)
* The Skeletones Four (12:00pm)
* Anagram (1:00pm)

Playing at Synnema – 106 – 121 Wyndham St. North (an ALL AGES show, $8 admission at the door):

* Rival Boys (8:00pm)
* Tasseomancy (9:00pm)
* Wax Mannequin (10:00pm)
* Lowlands (11:00pm)

All this is happening in the downtown core of Guelph, ON, within a 2 minute walk.


View Larger Map

For more information visit www.kazookazoo.ca or send an email.

Happenings: Kazoo! Zine and Comic Expo – Guelph, ON

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Kazoo! fest 2011 and The Dragon are proud to present the Kazoo! Zine and Comic Expo as part of the week long festivities.

The Kazoo! Festival is a five day arts festival, happening April 13-17th 2011 in the heart of downtown Guelph. The festival features music, with over 25 bands at venues across town, and will include a zine & comic expo, visual art, film screenings, and more. Heck, there is even a Kid’s Disco!

The Zine and Comic Expo will happen on Saturday April 16th from 11 am to 4 pm at Norfolk United Church in Guelph.

There will be lots of zines, comics, and sweet treats, and new this year: AWARDS! Dust off your Xerox machines and get creating! Also be sure to also join us afterward at the Afterparty (4pm to 7pm) where Jennifer Haines, owner of The Dragon, will present a talk on Women In Comics, with the awards ceremony to follow. Award categories are: best zine, best comic and best new work. Winners will receive a plaque and cash prize.

Artists looking to sign up for this event: half tables is $10 and full tables are $15. Registration is through kazoo.zine@gmail.com. You can pay the day off at set up, which begins at 10 am on the 16th. This year is going to be amazing, so be sure to get your name on the list early to ensure your spot! Come join in and share your own work!

For more information visit www.kazookazoo.ca

Tory Woolcott’s Mirror Mind wins the SPACE Prize

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Mirror Mind: Growing up Dyslexic by Tory Woolcott has been selected for first prize (tied with Craigmore Book One by Pat N. Lewis) in the General Category of the SPACE Awards.

Tory’s Mirror Mind was also a finalist for the Gene Day Award last year.

Congratulations Tory!

About the SPACE Prize

From the books which were collected at SPACE 2010, we will be awarding the 2010 SPACE Prizes. The prizes will be presented in three categories-General, Minicomic / Short Story and Webcomic.The winners will be picked from three voting bodies in each category. Two rotating judges and the registered SPACE 2010 Exhibitors. This years judges are Alex Heberling, Ray Tomczak, Michael Carroll and Bob Corby.

The winner of the General SPACE prize will win a cash prize of $300.00 and a plaque. The winners of the Minicomic / Short Story and Webcomic categories will each win a $50.00 cash prize and a plaque. The plaque presentation will be held during SPACE 2011 on March 19, 2011 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Columbus.

Gene Day Award for work produced in 2010

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Gene Day

The five finalists for the Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing have been selected and will be announced alongside the rest of the Joe Shuster Award finalists.

This was a very strong year for work produced and I would like to profile some of these creators in the coming months.

In the meantime, the complete list of Gene Day submissions (alphabetically by title):
Continue reading →

Joe Shuster Awards update 1/26

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We’re a little under a week from the big announcement and here’s where we stand:

ARTIST, CARTOONIST, COLOURIST, COVER ARTIST, WRITER – Nominees Selected

PUBLISHER – Nominees Selected

HARRY KREMER RETAILER – 10 finalist stores selected

GENE DAY SELF-PUBLISHER - in process, deadline for books to be received is Friday, Jan 28th

WEBCOMICS – Nominees Selected

HALL OF FAME – 2011 Inductees selected

COMICS 4 KIDS - Books Selected

Sadly, it looks like our plans for a unique GRAPHIC NOVEL award are not going to bear fruit. Logistics, selection issues and budget concerns are going to put this idea back on the shelf.

Somehow it all just comes together in the end… JSA Update 1/16

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* Originally posted on 1/14 – revised and updated 1/16

The English nominating committee has submitted their choices for the categories of Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist, Cover Artist & Writer. All entries have been received and tabulated and we have our nominees for 2011.  Our five member French nominating committee got started a little later this year on the same categories — they have an extra 2 weeks to make their selections. In the end we will be looking at an average of 7 nominees per category – 5 English, 2 French. Although we would prefer to have five nominees per category, we feel it’s a fair split and gives proper representation to the two main Canadian comics traditions.

Our deadline for the Publisher and Webcomics selections is next Wednesday, January 19.

We’ve decided that the proposed Executive Choice Graphic Novel Award is not the way we want to go, as it would undermine the importance of our core awards. However, there is talk of making it into something different which I think is actually much better in the long run. Stay tuned on that.

Our Gene Day Self-Publisher Award committee has a few late admissions to review – please note that we are still accepting books until the end of the month. We have been assembling our choices based on what we have reviewed, we’ll bump them around if there are new arrivals that the committee likes.

The Comics for Kids administrators are, as far as I know, hard at work picking their selections.

The 2 Hall of Fame inductees for 2011 have been selected.

10 Canadian Retailers have been selected for further evaluation by the Harry Kremer Retailer Award committee. They will be notified this month and announced in early February. They will be asked to submit further materials for evaluation in the spring to narrow the field down to a top 5.

Happy New Year! 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards Process Update

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Welcome to 2011! Now that the new year has begun we are ready to kick into action and officially start the process that will be completed on the evening of Saturday, June 18th at the Calgary Comic Expo!

Between now and early February we will be selecting the nominees for the many of the Award categories. Here’s an update:

- Our 15 member nationwide English nominating committee for the following awards (Artist, Writer, Cartoonist, Cover Artist, Colourist) have been given a list of eligible comics and creators and cover images and will be selecting their choices between now and the end of the month.

- Our 3 member French nominating committee for the same awards begin the same process this coming week.

- Our Kremer Retailer Award Committee has selected 10 retailers from across Canada who are in the running for the Retailer Award. They will be contacted this month and they will be asked to provide more information and complete a survey. The responses will allow our committee to narrow the list of 10 down to 5 in the spring.

- the Comics for Kids Award team has their list of eligible books

- the Webcomics selection team has their list of eligible sites, and we are narrowing down the selections for Outstanding Publisher

- we have received over 100 entries for the Gene Day Award, and from these we will be narrowing down the choices for the February announcement (much earlier than in previous years)

- the Hall of Fame committee has been discussing potential inductees for 2011 (in order to be eligible the creator would have had to have at least one project published professionally prior to December 31, 1985)

- we are putting the final touches on our Executive Choice Graphic Novel Award, and I hope to have more news on that in mid-January.

So overall, I am happy to report that we are on track to have our best year yet! I cannot thank our team enough for their contributions this year and last. Associate Director Robert Haines is to be particularly commended for the work he has done in gathering information on and communicating with Canadian comics retailers across the country. Our outgoing releases manager Jason Truong (whose last official day was yesterday) is to be commended for gathering information on the weekly releases and for updating our creator database, we are hard pressed to replace him and we will suffer for his absence, but we will do our best. Our art director, founding member Tyrone Biljan and our publisher liaison Allison Covey also deserve special recognition for their efforts last year and will have their jobs cut out for them when we get our list of nominees for the 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards next month.

Until then, all the best to you and yours! Happy New Year!

Kevin A. Boyd
Executive Director