The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred to as the industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards.
The first Eisners were conferred in 1988, for works published in 1987. The Eisner Awards ceremony has been held at San Diego Comic-Con every year since 1991. The awards are named in honor of pioneering cartoonist and writer Will Eisner, who was a regular participant in the ceremony until his death in 2005."The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards", Comic-con.org. WebCitation archive (requires scrolldown).
The nominations in each category are generated by a five- to six-member jury, then voted on by comic book professionals. The jury often consists of at least one comics retailer, one librarian (since 2005), and one academic researcher, among other comic experts. , awards are presented in 32 categories.
History The Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards were first conferred in 1988, both created in response to the discontinuation of the Kirby Awards in 1987. Dave Olbrich started the non-profit organization.
There was no Eisner Awards ceremony, or awards distributed, in 1990, due to widespread balloting mix-ups."Eisners Cancelled," The Comics Journal #137 (Sept. 1990), p. 16. The previous administrator, Dave Olbrich, left the position, and Jackie Estrada has been the award administrator since 1990."The Eisner Awards: A Brief History" , Comic-con.org. WebCitation archive (requires scrolldown). The Eisner Awards ceremony has been held at San Diego Comic-Con every year since 1991.
In 2006, it was announced that the archives of the Eisner Awards would be housed at the James Branch Cabell Library of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.Eisner Awards Archives to Be Housed at Virginia Commonwealth University. February 16, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
Categories Awards are currently presented in 32 categories for works published in the previous year.
Current + List of current Eisner Award categories Year introduced Category 1993 Best Short Story 1988Not awarded in 2009. Best Single Issue/One-Shot 1988 Best Continuing Series 1988 Best Limited Series 1988 Best New Series 2012 Best Publication for Early Readers 2008 Best Publication for Kids 2008 Best Publication for Teens 1992 Best Humor Publication 1992 Best Anthology 2006 Best Reality-Based Work 2021 Best Graphic Memoir 1991 Best Graphic Album—New 1991 Best Graphic Album—Reprint 2013Not awarded in 2015 or 2017. Best Adaptation from Another Medium 1998 Best U.S. Edition of International Material 2010 Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia 2006 Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips 2006 Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books 1988 Best Writer 1988 Best Writer/Artist 1994 Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team 1993Not awarded in 2012. Best Painter/Digital Artist 1992 Best Cover Artist 1992 Best Coloring 1993 Best Lettering 2008 Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism 1992 Best Comics-Related Book 2012 Best Academic/Scholarly Work 1993 Best Publication Design 2005 Best Digital Comic 2017 Best Webcomic
Past awards + List of discontinued Eisner Award categories Year introduced Discontinued Category 1988 1989 Best Graphic Album 1988 1989 Best Art Team 1988 1991 Best Black-and-White Series 1992 1999 Best Editor 1992Not awarded in 1993. 2002 Best Comics-Related Product/Item 1992Not awarded in 2001. 2007 Best Comics-Related Periodical/Publication 1993 2005 Best Archival Collection/Project 1993 2006 Best Serialized Story 1995 2006 Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition 1995 2008 Best Writer/Artist-Humor 1996 2007 Best Title for Younger Readers / Younger Audience 1999 1999 Best Comics-Related Sculpted Figures 2003 2003 Best Comics-Related Publication (Periodical or Book) 2007 2009 Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Japan 2007 2008 Special Recognition 2010 2010 Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction 2010 2011 Best Adaptation from Another Work
Past winners
See also Other comic-related awards given at San Diego Comic-Con: Inkpot Award (1974–present) Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award (1982–present) Kirby Award (1985–1987) The Bill Finger Award For Excellence In Comic Book Writing (2005–present)
Other comics-related awards: Alley Award Eagle Award GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book Harvey Award Ignatz Award Inkwell Awards National Comics Award Ringo Award Shazam Award
Notes
References
External links Eisner Awards from 1988 - 2007. WebCitation archive. Archive of 2005 Eisner awards from Comic-Con.org. WebCitation archive. Original page. 2006 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con.org. WebCitation archive. 2007 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con.org. WebCitation archive. 2008 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con.org. WebCitation archive. 2009 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con.org. WebCitation archive. 1985-1989 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con International San Diego. from the original on July 3, 2013. 1991-1999 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con International San Diego. from the original on February 1, 2014 2000-2009 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con International San Diego. from the original on February 1, 2015. 2010-2020 Eisner Award winners, Comic-Con International San Diego. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020.