The 36th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were held on Friday, July 26, 2024, during San Diego Comic-Con. Named after comics luminary Will Eisner, awards were given in 32 categories for comics published in 2023.
Women in comics were well represented with wins or shared wins in 17 categories, including three for Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, and two for Becky Cloonan. Awards were given to 24 different publishers with four going to Penguin Random House imprints, four to Drawn & Quarterly, three to Fantagraphics, and DC, Image, and Marvel each won two.
The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award was given to Regina Sawyer for Women Comics Collective International, and the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award was presented to artist Oliver Bly. The Bill Finger Award for excellence in comic book writing went to Jo Duffy and the late Ralph Newman, and the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award was given to Blackbird Comics and Coffeehouse in Maitland, Florida.
The Hall of Fame judges’ choices were Kim Deitch, Creig Flessel, A.B. Frost, Billy Graham, Gary Groth, Albert Kanter, Warren Kremer, Oscar Lebeck, Frans Masereel, Don McGregor, Keiji Nakaszawa, Noel Sickles, Cliff Sterrett, Elmer C. Stoner, Bryan Talbot, Ron Turner, George Tuska, Lynn Varley, and James Warren. The voter’s selections were Klaus Janson, Mike Mignola, Jill Thompson, and Bryan Talbot.
The 2024 Eisner Award winners are:
Best Short Story
“The Kelpie” by Becky Cloonan in Four Gathered on Christmas Eve (Dark Horse)
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
Nightwing #105 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (DC)
Best Continuing Series
Transformers by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image Skybound)
Best Limited Series
PeePee PooPoo by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket)
Best New Series
Somna: A Bedtime Story by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay (DSTLRY)
Best Publication for Early Readers
Bigfoot and Nessie: The Art of Getting Noticed by Chelsea M. Campbell and Laura Knetzger (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House)
Best Publication for Kids
Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martín (Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Young Readers)
Best Publication for Teens
Danger and Other Unknown Risks by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House)
Best Humor Publication
It’s Jeff: The Jeff-Verse #1 by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru (Marvel)
Best Anthology
Comics for Ukraine edited by Scott Dunbier (Zoop)
Best Reality-Based Work
Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller: The Man Who Created Nancy by Bill Griffith (Abrams ComicArts)
Best Graphic Memoir
Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Graphic Album—New
Roaming by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint (tie)
Hip Hop Family Tree: The Omnibus by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott (DC)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Watership Down by Richard Adams, adapted by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin (Ten Speed Graphic)
Best US Edition of International Material
Blacksad Vol 7: They All Fall Down Part 2 by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Europe Comics)
Best US Edition of International Material—Asia
My Picture Diary by Fujiwara Maki, translation by Ryan Holmberg (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Dauntless Dames: High-Heeled Heroes of the Comic Strips edited by Peter Maresca and Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
All-Negro Comics 75th Anniversary Edition edited by Chris Robinson (Very GOOD Books)
Best Writer
Mariko Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Writer/Artist
Daniel Warren Johnson, Transformers (Image Skybound)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Jillian Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist
Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: Her Little Reapers (Abrams ComicArts); and Monstress (Image)
Best Cover Artist
Peach Momoko, Demon Wars: Scarlet Sin, various alternate covers (Marvel)
Best Coloring
Jordie Bellaire, Batman and Birds of Prey (DC); and Dark Spaces: Hollywood Special (IDW)
Best Lettering
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber, The Witcher: Wild Animals, and others (Dark Horse); Batman: City of Madness, The Flash, Poison Ivy, and others (DC); Black Cat Social Club (Humanoids); Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (IDW); The Cull and What’s the Furthest Place from Here? (Image); and others
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
The Comics Journal #309 edited by Gary Groth, Kristy Valenti, and Austin English (Fantagraphics)
Best Comics-Related Book
I Am the Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future by Michael Molcher (Rebellion)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men by J. Andrew Deman (University of Texas Press)
Best Publication Design
Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein boxed set designed by Mike Kennedy (Magnetic Press)
Best Webcomic
Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)
Best Digital Comic
Friday Vols. 7-8 by Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
