This is the time of year when every comic fan can get involved in the process of recognizing excellence in comic making. The public nomination process is open for the 2020 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards.
One of the great features of the Ringo Awards is that all fans and professionals have the opportunity to nominate their favorite creators and productions from 2019.
The ballot is available here.
I have taken some time to go through things that I have read or seen that was produced in 2019. Below is a list of some suggestions for each category.
PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NOT OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS!! These are merely my suggestions!!!
The initial public nomination process is a free form text option for each category. Unfortunately (Actually, it’s pretty great!), I have found so many worthy candidates for each category.
In my list of nomination suggestions are people and publications that I feel are deserving of nominations. I am one hundred percent certain that I have forgotten or not included worthy candidates. This may be the first and only time I do this based on how many people I offend. Please forgive any omissions.
There is so much great comic storytelling being produced and distributed in many forms. My hope is that this will serve as a guide for folks to use as they consider their nomination options. If you know these comics or creators, remember to vote for what you like. If you don’t know them, this is a good list to start from.
Remember to READ MORE COMICS
Best Continuing or Limited Series:
I am going out of order on the ballot with this category. I wish this was actually two categories, but I whittled the list of series that stood out with superior storytelling in 2019.
Since some of the creative talent is listed in individual categories below, it seemed to make sense to highlight the whole work first. These books and all lists of nomination suggestions are in alphabetical order.
Bad Luck Chuck – Dark Horse Comics
Batman’s Grave – DC Comics
Conan, The Barbarian – Marvel Comics
Daredevil – Marvel Comics
Dark Red – AfterShock Comics
Die – Image Comics
Doctor Doom – Marvel Comics
Everything – Dark Horse Comics, Berger Books
Five Years – Abstract Studios
Ghosted In LA – Boom Studios, Boom Box
Grumble – Albatross FunnyBooks
House/Powers of X – Marvel Comics
Invisible Kingdom – Dark Horse Comics, Berger Books
Lois Lane – DC Comics
Middlewest – Image Comics
Money Shot – Vault Comics
Once and Future – Boom Studios
Red Sonja – Dynamite Entertainment
Road of Bones – IDW Publishing
Second Coming – Ahoy Comics
SFSX(Safe Sex) – Image Comics
Test – Vault Comics
War of Realms – Marvel Comics
Young Justice – DC Comics
Best Cartoonist:
(“Cartoonist” is a creator acting as both Writer and Artist on a single work)
Katie Cook – Nothing Special
Monica Gallagher – Assassin Roommate
Joelle Jones – Catwoman
Terry Moore – Five Years
Thom Zahler – Cupid’s Arrows
Best Writer:
Christopher Cantwell – Everything, Doctor Doom
Kieron Gillen – Die, Peter Canon, Once and Future
Jonathan Hickman – House/Powers of X
Tom King – Batman
Mark Russell – Second Coming, Red Sonja
Tim Seely – Money Shot, Dark Red
Kelly Thompson – Captain Marvel
G Willow Wilson – Invisible Kingdom, Wonder Woman
Chip Zdarsky – Daredevil, Invaders
Best Artist or Penciller:
Mirka Andolfo – Hex Wives, Catwoman
Stephanie Hans – Die
Rebekah Isaacs – Reaver, Money Shot
Mike Norton – Grumble, Battlepug
Mike Perkins – Lois Lane
John Timms – Harley Quinn, Young Justice
Christian Ward – Invisible Kingdom
Best Inker:
Jonathan Glapion – Last Knight on Earth
Sandra Hope- Superman Up in the Sky
Mark Morales – Avengers
Norm Rapmund – Flash Forward, Batgirl
Best Letterer:
Simon Bowland – Lois Lane, The Dreaming
Joe Caramagna – Amazing Spider-Man
Clayton Cowles – Batman, Die
Crank! – Grumble
Taylor Esposito – Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica
Travis Lanham – Conan: The Barbarian
Ariana Maher – Xena, Going to the Chapel
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou – Red Sonja, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt
John Workman – Superman Year One
Best Colorist:
Jordie Bellaire – Doctor Mirage , Batman
Tamra Bonvillain – Once & Future
Gabe Eltaeb – Young Justice
Dearbhla Kelly – Red Sonja
Marissa Louise – Grumble
Christopher Sotomayor – Batman Beyond, Wailing Blade
Matthew Wilson – Conan: The Barbarian, War of Realms
Best Cover Artist:
Becky Cloonan – Reaver
Julio Totino Tedesco – Daredevil
R.B. Silva – Powers of X
Rod Reis – New Mutants, Winter Soldier
Stephanie Hans- Die
Joelle Jones – Catwoman
Best Single Issue or Story:
Daredevil #1 – Marvel Comics
Dark Red #3 – AfterShock Comics
Dead End Kids #1 – Source Point Press
Die #5 – Image Comics
House of X #2 – Marvel Comics
Invisible Kingdom #5 – Dark Horse Comics
Second Coming #1 – Ahoy Comics
Best Original Graphic Novel:
Adventures of Parker Reef – Chris Campana
Girl on Film – Boom! Studios
Horde – AfterShock Comics
Snow Glass Apples – Dark Horse Comics
The Underfoot – Lion Forge, Caracal
Best Anthology:
Dead Beats – A Wave Blue World
Femme Magnifique – IDW Publishing
Strange Tails – Vices Press
Best Humor Comic:
Grumble – Albatross Funnybooks
Money Shot – Vault Comics
Second Coming – Ahoy Comics
Best Comic Strip or Panel:
How to Cat – Lucas Turnbloom
The Middle Age – Steve Conley
Sarah’s Scribbles – Sarah Anderson
Valley Ghouls – Kate Leth
Best Webcomic:
Assassin Roommate – Monica Gallagher
Cupid’s Arrows – Thom Zahler
Nothing Special – Katie Cook
Urban Animal – John Amor, Justin Jordan & Micah Myers
Starcross – Dean Haspiel
“Favorite” Categories
These categories are awarded purely based on fan voting.
Favorite New Series:
Bad Luck Chuck – Dark Horse Comics
Something is Killing the Children – Boom! Studios
SFSX (Safe Sex) – Image Comics
Invisible Kingdom – Dark Horse Comics, Berger Books
Favorite New Talent:
This category is hard. I am not certain these people qualify.
Corin Howell – Dark Red, The Girl in the Bay
Stephanie Phillips – Descendant
I did not present suggestions for the following categories because I do not have the requisite knowledge or expertise to do so. That doesn’t mean you can’t vote for everything you have an opinion on.
- Best Non-fiction Comic Work
- Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel
- Best Presentation in Design
I also am not giving a suggestion for these categories in the “Favorites” section. You can pick your own.
- Favorite Hero (Format: Name – Work(s) in which they appear)
- Favorite Villain (Format: Name – Work(s) in which they appear)
- Favorite Publisher
Once more for those in the back:
PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NOT OFFICIAL NOMINATIONS!! These are merely my suggestions!!!
These are comics that I loved. There were many more. Go out there, and find comics that you love!!
Don’t forget to vote and make your voice heard. Also, if it happens as we are hoping, we will bring you a live update of the Ringo Awards Presentation Ceremony as we have the last two years from Baltimore Comiccon