Comic Book
Awards Almanac

American Awards

Eisner Awards
Info Page
1988
1989
1990 (Not awarded)
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Summary of winners

Non-U.S. Awards
Other Awards
Administrivia

Main Page

1996 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners


The nominated creators have been recognized by their peers for having produced some of the outstanding achievements in comics in 1995.
(Winners are in bold and marked with *)

Best Single Issue

  • The Acme Novelty Library #4, by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics)
  • Bacchus Color Special, by Eddie Campbell and Teddy Kristiansen (Dark Horse)
  • Eightball #16, by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
  • Kurt Busiek's Astro City #4: "Safeguards," by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (Jukebox Productions/Image) *
  • Stray Bullets #3: "The Party," by David Lapham (El Capitan)

Best Short Story

  • "Caricature" by Dan Clowes, in Eightball #15 (Fantagraphics)
  • "Horsing Around with History," by Carl Barks and William Van Horn, in Uncle Scrooge Adventures #33 (Gladstone)
  • "Jimmy Corrigan," by Chris Ware, in Blab #8 (Kitchen Sink)
  • "Klingon Battle Helmet," by Rob Maisch and Scott Hampton, in Confessions of a Cereal Eater (NBM)
  • "Pink Frosting," by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #2 (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • "The Eltingville Comic-Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Role-Playing Club in Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett" by Evan Dorkin, in Instant Piano #3 (Dark Horse) *

Best Serialized Story

  • "The Chuckling Whatsit," by Richard Sala, in Zero Zero #2-7 (Fantagraphics)
  • "Naked City," by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher #5-7 (DC/Vertigo)
  • "Palestine: In the Gaza Strip," by Joe Sacco, in Palestine #6-9 (Fantagraphics)
  • Strangers in Paradise #1-8, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studios) *
  • "The Wake," by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli, in Sandman #70-72 (DC/Vertigo)

Best Continuing Series

  • Acme Novelty Library, by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics) *
  • Kurt Busiek's Astro City, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (Jukebox Productions/Image)
  • Preacher, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (DC/Vertigo)
  • Strangers in Paradise, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studios)
  • Stray Bullets, by David Lapham (El Capitan)

Best Title for Younger Readers

  • Akiko on the Planet Smoo, by Mark Crilley (Sirius)
  • Batman & Robin Adventures, by Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and Rick Burchett (DC) *
  • Bone, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books/Image)
  • Lisa Comics #1, by Mary Trainor, Mili Smythe, Stephanie Gladden, Bill Morrison, and Chris Clements (Bongo)
  • Uncle Scrooge, by Don Rosa (Gladstone)
  • Walt Disney's Comics & Stories, by William Van Horn and others (Gladstone)

Best Limited Series

  • Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci, by Dave Rawson, Pat McGreal, Chas Truog and Rafael Kayanan (DC/Vertigo)
  • Father & Son, by Jeff Nicholson (Kitchen Sink)
  • Nexus: The Wages of Sin, by Mike Baron and Steve Rude (Dark Horse)
  • Sin City: The Big Fat Kill, by Frank Miller (Dark Horse/Legend) *

Best New Series

  • Black Hole, by Charles Burns (Kitchen Sink)
  • The Book of Ballads and Sagas, by Charles Vess and others (Green Man Press)
  • Kurt Busiek's Astro City, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (Jukebox Productions/Image) *
  • Optic Nerve, Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Preacher, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (DC/Vertigo)
  • Stray Bullets, by David Lapham (El Capitan)

Best Anthology

  • The Big Book of Conspiracies, edited by Bronwyn Taggart (Paradox Press) *
  • Blab #8, edited by Monte Beauchamp (Kitchen Sink)
  • Drawn & Quarterly, edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Weird Business, edited by Joe R. Lansdale and Richard Klaw (Mojo Press)
  • Zero Zero, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album: New

  • Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century, by Osamu Tezuka (Cadence Books)
  • Dropsie Avenue: The Neighborhood, by Will Eisner (Kitchen Sink)
  • Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, adapted by Doug Wheeler and David Wenzel (NBM)
  • Jar of Fools, Part 2, by Jason Lutes (Black Eye Productions)
  • Stuck Rubber Baby, by Howard Cruse (Paradox Press) *

Best Graphic Album: Reprint

  • Concrete: Killer Smile, by Paul Chadwick (Dark Horse)
  • Pussey! by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
  • Sandman Mystery Theatre: The Tarantula, by Matt Wagner and Guy Davis (DC/Vertigo)
  • The Tale of One Bad Rat, by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse) *
  • 32 Stories, by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection

  • Alley Oop, vol, 3 by V. T. Hamlin (Kitchen Sink)
  • The Comic Strip Century, edited by Bill Blackbeard and Dale Crain(Kitchen Sink)
  • The Complete Crumb Comics, vol. 11, by R. Crumb (Fantagraphics) *
  • EC Comics reprint series, comic book format (Gemstone Publishing)
  • Prince Valiant, vols. 23-25, by Hal Foster (Fantagraphics)
  • The Yellow Kid, by R. F. Outcault (Kitchen Sink)

Best Humor Publication

  • Acme Novelty Library, by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics)
  • Comic Book, by John Kricfalusi, Richard Pursel, Jim Smith, and Shane Glines (Marvel)
  • Eightball, by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)
  • Milk & Cheese #666, by Evan Dorkin (Slave Labor) *
  • Zippy's House of Fun, by Bill Griffith (Fantagraphics)

Best Writer

  • Kurt Busiek, Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Jukebox Productions/Image)
  • Garth Ennis, Preacher, Goddess (DC/Vertigo)
  • Neil Gaiman, The Sandman (DC/Vertigo)
  • Alan Moore, From Hell (Kitchen Sink) *
  • Grant Morrison, The Invisibles (DC/Vertigo)

Best Writer/Artist, Drama

  • Charles Burns, Black Hole (Kitchen Sink)
  • Howard Cruse, Stuck Rubber Baby (Paradox Press)
  • Will Eisner, Dropsie Avenue: The Neighborhood (Kitchen Sink)
  • David Lapham, Stray Bullets (El Capitan) *
  • Joe Sacco, Palestine (Fantagraphics)
  • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf: A Tale of the Twentieth Century (Cadence Books)

Best Writer/Artist, Humor

  • Sergio Aragones, Groo (Image) *
  • Dan Clowes, Eightball (Fantagraphics)
  • Kim Deitch, "The Strange Secret of Molly O'Dare," Zero Zero (Fantagraphics)
  • Evan Dorkin, Instant Piano stories (Dark Horse); Milk & Cheese #666, Dork #3 (Slave Labor)
  • Chris Ware, The Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)
  • Jim Woodring, Jim, Jim Special (Fantagraphics)

Best Painter

  • John Bolton, Batman: Manbat (DC) *
  • Dan Brereton, The Nocturnals (Malibu/Bravura)
  • Teddy Kristiansen, Bacchus Color Special (Dark Horse)
  • David Wenzel, Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (NBM)
  • Phil Winslade, Goddess (DC/Vertigo)

Best Penciller/Inker

  • Geof Darrow, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (Dark Horse/Legend) *
  • Steve Dillon, Preacher (DC/Vertigo)
  • Milo Manara, El Gaucho (NBM)
  • Al Williamson, Flash Gordon (Marvel Select)
  • Michael Zulli, The Sandman, #70-72: "The Wake" (DC/Vertigo)

Best Cover Artist

  • Frank Miller, X #18-21; Sin City: The Big Fat Kill and Silent Night (Dark Horse)
  • Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek's Astro City (Jukebox Productions/Image) *
  • Charles Vess, Books of Magic (DC/Vertigo); Ice Age on the World of Magic the Gathering (Acclaim/Armada); The Book of Ballads and Sagas #1 (Green Man Press)
  • Chris Ware, The Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics); Blab! #8 (Kitchen Sink)
  • Phil Winslade, Goddess, Vamps: Hollywood & Vein (DC/Vertigo)
  • Jim Woodring, Jim, Jim Special (Fantagraphics)

Best Coloring

  • George Freeman, The X-Files (Topps)
  • Claude Legris, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (Dark Horse/Legend)
  • Angus McKie, Neil Gaiman's Teknophage (Big Entertainment); Martha Washington: Stranded in Space (Dark Horse/Legend)
  • Maurice Vellekoop, stories in Drawn & Quarterly (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Chris Ware, The Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics) *

Best Lettering

  • Dan Clowes, Eightball (Fantagraphics)
  • Richard Sala, "The Chuckling Whatsit," Zero Zero (Fantagraphics)
  • Stan Sakai, Groo (Image); Usagi Yojimbo (Mirage) *
  • Bill Spicer, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (Dark Horse/ Legend)
  • Bill Yoshida, various Archie titles (Archie Comics)

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition

  • Kim Deitch (Zero Zero, Waldo World, etc.)
  • Peter Kuper (Kafka: Give it Up!, Stripped, etc.)
  • Jeff Nicholson (Father & Son, Through the Habitrails, etc.)
  • Joe Sacco (Palestine)
  • Seth (Palooka-Ville)
  • Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) *

Best Editor

  • Monte Beauchamp, Blab (Kitchen Sink)
  • Stuart Moore, Swamp Thing, The Invisibles, Preacher (DC/Vertigo) * (tie)
  • Chris Oliveros, Drawn & Quarterly (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Bronwyn Taggart, The Big Book of Weirdos, The Big Book of Conspiracies, Brooklyn Dreams, Stuck Rubber Baby (Paradox Press) * (tie)
  • Kim Thompson, The Acme Novelty Library, Palestine, Zero Zero (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Publication: Periodical

  • Comic Book Marketplace (Gemstone Publishing)
  • The Comics Journal (Fantagraphics) *
  • The Jack Kirby Collector (TwoMorrows)
  • The Staros Report (Chris Staros)

Best Comics-Related Publication: Book

  • Alex Toth, edited by Manuel Auad (Kitchen Sink) *
  • Collectibly MAD, by Grant Geissman (Kitchen Sink)
  • DC Comics: Sixty Years of Your Favorite Comic Book Heroes, by Les Daniels (Bullfinch Press)
  • The Golden Age of Comic Fandom, by Bill Schelley (Hamster Press)

Best Comics-Related Item

  • Comic strip stamps (U.S. Postal Service) *
  • Sandman: The Wake poster by Michael Zulli (DC)
  • Shadow limited-edition cold-cast bust, designed by Michael
  • Kaluta, sculpted by Randy Bowen (Graphitti Designs)
  • Vertigo Tarot Deck, illustrated by Dave McKean, text by Rachel Pollack (DC/Vertigo)
  • Vues de Sauve portfolio, by R. Crumb (Fantagraphics)
  • Zippo lighters: Love and Rockets, Milk & Cheese, Smoking Cat, Too Much Coffee Man (Smoke King)

Best Publication Design

  • The Acme Novelty Library, designed by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics) *
  • Betty Boop's Sunday Best, designed by Kevin Lison and Doug Bantz (Kitchen Sink)
  • Blab #8, designed by Monte Beauchamp (Kitchen Sink)
  • Bone hardbound collections, vols. 1 and 2, designed by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
  • Palooka-Ville, designed by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix deluxe signed and numbered hardcover slipcased edition with CD, designed by Bobbi Bongard and Lisa Stone (Kitchen Sink)

Hall of Fame
(Past winners: Carl Barks, C. C. Beck, Milton Caniff, R. Crumb, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Frank Frazetta, William Gaines, Walt Kelly, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Stan Lee, Jerry Siegel, Joe Schuster, Alex Toth, Wally Wood)

  • Jack Cole
  • Bill Finger
  • Hal Foster *
  • Gardner Fox
  • Chester Gould
  • Harold Gray
  • George Herriman
  • Bob Kane *
  • Sheldon Mayer
  • Winsor McCay *
  • Alex Raymond *
  • Alex Schomburg
  • Julius Schwartz
  • E. C. Segar
  • art spiegelman
  • Dick Sprang
  • John Stanley
  • Basil Wolverton