After a hideously early-morning trip home from Bristol’s International Comics Expo yesterday I trawled the web in vain trying to find the results for Saturday evening’s Eagle Awards, the main awards in British comics. The official Eagle site didn’t have them, the Bristol site didn’t have them and no-one had blogged them yet, apart from Warren Ellis, who reported a brief message from Brian K Vaughan telling him that he (Warren) had won a pile of the categories, but Warren couldn’t find any online sources to confirm the message either. Well, wonder no longer, as Kevin Melrose at the excellent Newsarama Blog – which won the best comics related web sie category, so congrats to them – has just posted them up (and Warren has indeed done rather well), so without further ado:
Favorite Comics Writer
Warren Ellis
Favorite Comics Writer/Artist
Mike Mignola
Favorite Comics Artist: Pencils
John Cassaday
Favorite Comics Artist: Inks
Paul Neary
Favorite Artist: Fully-Painted Artwork
Alex Ross
Favorite Colorist
Laura Martin
Favorite Letterer
Chris Eliopoulos
Favorite Editor
Matt Smith
Favorite Publisher
Marvel
Favorite Color Comic Book — American
All-Star Superman
Favorite Color Comic Book — British
2000 AD
(2000AD cover from Prog 1503, art by Jock)
Favorite Black and White Comic Book — American
The Walking Dead
Favorite Black and White Comic Book — British
Hero Killers
(cover to issue 1 of Andy Winter’s Hero Killer from Moon Face Press, art by Declan Shalvey)
Favorite New Comic Book
Nextwave
Favorite Manga
Blade of the Immortal
Favorite European Comics
Asterix and the Vikings
Favorite Comics Story published during 2006
Nextwave
Favorite Comics Cover published during 2006
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Favorite Original Graphic Novel
Pride of Baghdad
Favorite Reprint Compilation
Absolute Sandman Volume 1
Favorite Comics Character
Batman
Favorite Comics Villain
Dirk Anger (from Nextwave)
Favorite Magazine About Comics
Wizard
Favorite Comics-Related Book
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels (Scott McLoud)
Favorite Comics-Based Movie Or TV
Heroes
Favorite Comics-Related Website
Newsarama
Favorite Web-Based Comic
Penny Arcade
Roll of Honor
Warren Ellis
I imagine our own Richard Bruton is going to be happy to see two of the works he has recently praised in his Propaganda reviews – Nextwave and All Star Superman – being singled out, although he and I disagreed on the merits of Pride of Baghdad, but that’s in the nature of personal taste which comes into reviewing and recommending books and comics as it does into everything else (and how boring it would be if we all loved the same things). Interesting how many accolades went to Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen’s Nextwave though, isn’t it? Here’s a series which gets some good reviews but is cancelled after issue 12, although according to the Wiki article Warren also said he planned to end the initial series at 12 anyway and that there will be more Nextwave, perhaps done as various limited series – I’d imagine such a clutch of awards is likely to make that a more attractive proposition to Marvel.
I’m sure now the awards result are up it will be time for the bitching, grousing and general comments to get under way – ‘eugh, how could they give an award to him?!?!?’ – but again, that’s all part of the entire parcel of reviewing and awarding comics and books, some people will agree and be pleased, some will disagree and state some good reasons why they think someone else should have won and, sadly, there will always be someone who plain moans about the entire thing and how they would have made much better choices (despite the fact the Eagles isn’t run by a judging panel but by public voting). But since there are a lot of very different works out there and we all have our own tastes and interests, someone will always disagree with some results, but at the end of the day it isn’t just about winning – at the risk of sounding like one of those awful ‘inspirational’ help books, regardless of who wins, the awards, hopefully, raise the profile of comics in general. If they get some more readers interested in picking them up then we’re all winners.
May 14th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Ha! Nice to see that people were taking note of what I said. Although they seem to have missed one meeting about Pride of Baghdad. Never mind.
I’ve always wondered though – how the hell do you get to have a favourite editor? Sure, if you’re a creator, you’ll have a favourite editor. But if you’re a reader, how do you know?
Next big event would be the Birmingham Comic Show. I will make that one.