Harvey Awards Announced.
The Harvey Awards were released earlier to today. Via release, the details include:
Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by creators – those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. Professionals who participate will be joining nearly 2,000 other comics professionals in honoring the outstanding comics achievements of 2008. Thank you to all that have already participated by submitting a nomination ballot.
Final ballots are due to the Harvey Awards by Friday, August 28, 2009. Full details for submission of completed ballots can be found on the final ballot. Voting is open to anyone professionally involved in a creative capacity within the comics field. Final ballots are available for download at www.harveyawards.org. Those without Internet access may request that paper ballots be sent to them via mail or fax by calling the Baltimore Comic-Con (410-526-7410) or e-mailing baltimorecomicccon@yahoo.com.
Notable nominees include: Ed Brubaker (”Captain America”), Kyle Baker (”Nat Turner”), Grant Morrison (”All-Star Superman”), Jeff Kinney (”Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) and John Gallagher (”Buzz Boy”) for Best Writer.
Best Artists are Gabriel Ba (”Umbrella Academy”), Kyle Baker for the previously mentioned “Nat Turner,” Jimmy Gownley (”Amelia Rules”), “Jason Kruse (”World of Quest”), and Frank Quitely (”All-Star Superman”).
Zuda Comics had a strong showing with three nominees for Best New Series in “High Moon,” “The Night Owls” and “Supertron” with Bobby Timony of “The Night Owls” nominated for Best New Talent.
Also nominated in Best New Talent was Bryan J.L. Glass for “Mice Templar” and Matt Cassan for “Nascar Heroes.” Didn’t even know Nascar had its own line of comics but that’s cool.
The Best Continuing Series nominees were “Captain America,” “All-Star Superman,” “Umbrella Academy” “Mice Templar”and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
Rantz Hoseley’s “Comic Book Tattoo” continues its sweeps in award nominees and Joe Keatinge’s and Mark Andrew Smith’s excellent anthology “Popgun” got a nod as well.
Alright, you can check out the full list of the nominees at The Beat. Personally, I’m pulling for “Y: The Last Man” #60 to win Best Single Issue, Alex Robinson’s “Too Cool to Be Forgotten” and the Timonys for “The Night Owls“.
The winners will be announced October 10, at the Baltimore Comic-Con.
Source: 2009 Harvey Award Nominations Announced [via The Beat].
JMS leaves “Thor”.
“Babylon 5″ creator J. Michael Straczynski is leaving “Thor”. His exit on the extremely popular, Eisner nominated re-boot had long been rumored, and was confirmed by Comic Book Resources on Friday. JMS said:
The one concern at the back of my head was that of being pulled into a Big Event that could affect the forward momentum of the book and alter its direction. I’ve said elsewhere that in many cases — and this isn’t just Marvel, the trend is pandemic — such an event can sometimes result in the individual books serving the event, rather than the other way around, and you have to spend months and issues afterward stitching everything back together. I’m the kind of writer who likes to write in a straight line and know for certain the terrain he’s standing upon. Some writers can handle all that and never break a sweat. For me, it’s just not something I can do competently. That’s a shortcoming on my part and I recognize it as such.Prior to the reboot, when “Thor” was selling in the mid-50s, a Big Event wouldn’t have been much of a concern, but now it was selling in the top ten month after month, and that increased visibility meant it could precipitate an event. And, again without saying much because this has to come from Marvel, such an event appeared on the horizon.
I didn’t read his run on “Thor” but I did read the one-shots that Matt Fraction did. Considering a Thor movie is in the works, I’m not against the idea of Fraction taking over the character in light of his post-movie success with “Invincible Iron Man,” which is also a Eisner nominated run.
Interestingly though, JMS notes the potential of working with another God-like hero at DC Comics.
The DC work has gone and is going extremely well. We’re about six scripts deep into “The Brave and The Bold,” believe it or not. I just wrote Batman and Brother Power, the Geek, and it may be the best of the bunch, so we’re way ahead since the first issue doesn’t ship until September. All four Red Circle scripts are in and drawn, and I’m working on a secret project for DC that I hope we can discuss at San Diego Comic-Con. Suffice to say: anyone who knows me knows that there’s something I’ve wanted to do for my entire creative life, something that I’d give my right arm to write…something I’ve been actively chasing for over ten years. There’s one character, one property, that if George Lucas said “Here’s a million dollars, go write whatever you want and I’ll shoot it, but you’ll have to drop that book,” I would say no and never, ever look back.
Anyone, who likes JMS knows that he’s been pining after Superman for most of his career, and that should prove interesting.
JMS’s final issue of Thor will ship in August.
Source: JMS Confirms ‘Thor’ Exit [via CBR].
