During the 2018 Baltimore Comic-Con, taking place on September 28-30, the Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards will return to host their annual celebration of the creativity, skill, and fun of comics. The Ringo Awards includes fan participation in the nomination process along with an esteemed jury of comics professionals.
Nominations are open now, allowing fans and professionals alike the chance to vote on more than 20 categories. The ballot voting will remain open to the public until May 30. After processing by the Ringo Awards Committee and Jury, the final ballot is scheduled to be available to comic creative professionals for voting on June 25, and will be due by August 31 for final tallying. Top honors will be presented at an awards ceremony during the evening of September 29 at the Baltimore Comic-Con.
Categories open for voting to fans and pros alike include Best Cartoonist (writer/artist), Best Writer, Best Artist or Penciller, Best Inker, Best Letterer, Best Colorist, Best Cover Artis, Best Series, Best Single Issue or Story, Best Original Graphic Novel, Best Anthology, Best Humor Comic, Best Comic Strip or Panel, Best Webcomic, Best Non-Fiction Comic Work, Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel, and Best Presentation in Design. Additional fan-only categories include Favorite Hero, Favorite Villain, Favorite New Series, Favorite New Talent, and Favorite Publisher.
Jury-only nomination (with three bonus jurors) will vote on the Mike Wieringo Spirit Award, while the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award will be selected by the Hero Initiative.
“While we had low expectations for our inaugural year, the 2017 results completely caught us off-guard,” said Marc Nathan, Baltimore Comic-Con promoter. “The nomination process participation was through the roof, the voting on the final ballot was healthier than we’d expected to see, and publisher donations for our Hollywood-style swag bags were fantastic! We hope you will return to vote in 2018, and tell your friends, family, and co-workers to participate as well.”