The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, alternatively known as the Ringo Awards, is an annual celebration of the creativity, skill, and fun of comics. The awards will be presented on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at The Baltimore Comic-Con.
The Ringo Awards are currently in the midst of the nomination process, which is inclusive of fans and comic book professionals alike. Nominations must be submitted before voting closes at midnight on June 20.
An esteemed jury of comics professionals will participate in the nomination process, selecting favorite works in over 20 categories. The 2019 jury, listed below, was chosen as a representative cross-section of the comic book industry, with members representing seasoned and venerated educators, retailers, press, and creators across numerous genres.
Dr. Christina Blanch owns and manages Aw Yeah Comics in downtown Muncie, Indiana where she teaches using comic books as educational tools. Additionally, she writes comic books, most recently Tales from the Crypt and The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood. She also attends comic conventions as a writer, educator, and panel moderator.
Tim Lenaghan graduated from Connecticut College in 2005 and has BAs in both Philosophy and Classics. He began working at Diamond Comic Distributors in 2010 and has been working closely with publishers and vendor clients for years while successfully overseeing the management of all categories of Diamond's Purchasing Department since 2015. As a lifelong comic book enthusiast, Lenaghan also contributed weekly reviews to IGN, and participated in Emerson College’s Graphic Novel Certificate program.
Afua Richardson is an American comic book illustrator best known for her work in the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series, Black Panther: World of Wakanda. Other works include Attack on Titan, and cover work for X-Men ’92, Captain Marvel, Captain America & the Mighty Avengers, and All-Star Batman. In addition to illustration, Richardson is a musician, songwriter, and voice actor. She has been aptly called the Jane of all trades.
Bob Schreck is an award-winning editor who has worked in comics since 1975. He shepherded Frank Miller’s Sin City and Dark Horse Presents, launched Oni Press with Joe Nozemack, became Group Editor of the Batman franchise and DK2, Batman: Hush, Sweet Tooth, Batman: Year 100, Daytripper, and Green Arrow. He has served as the editor for such talents as Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, Bernie Wrightson, Fiona Staples, Jeff Lemire, Guillermo del Toro and many others. Currently, Schreck is semi-retired, doing freelance editing and consulting.
Tom Spurgeon is a longtime comics industry journalist and the current Executive Director at the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus festival. He was editor at The Comics Journal from 1994-1999 and currently performs a similar function on the news website, The Comics Reporter. He has won numerous Eisner Awards and co-authored the books Stan Lee And The Rise And Fall Of The American Comic Book, The Romita Legacy, and We Told You So: Comics As Art.
“We continue to be thrilled with the quality of the Ringo Awards jury,” said Marc Nathan, Baltimore Comic-Con promoter. “We have great representation from multiple aspects of the industry, bringing talent, knowledge, experience, professionalism, and diversity. We are looking forward to another great ballot come August!”
