Svetlana Chmakova’s AWKWARD Wins Dwayne McDuffie Award
The second annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics was presented to Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward at the recent Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF).
Awkward tells a story that is very much of this moment but at the same time ageless—a story about the missteps of middle school, about rivalries and hurt feelings, and about the many twists and turns of friendship. Of the scores of comics from 2015 read by the judges, Chmakova’s book best met the four main criteria for selection: Quality, Timelessness, Originality and Diversity.
Those four values represent core concerns of Kids Read Comics, the nonprofit that sponsors A2CAF and the McDuffie Award. They also fit the man the award was named for. Dwayne McDuffie was a comics and animation writer, a winner of the Humanitas Prize, and the creator of Static, the teenaged superhero who first appeared in 1993, and Static Shock, the animated series based on the comic. McDuffie was an enthusiastic supporter of Kids Read Comics who believed in comics and believed in kids. He shared KRC’s belief that comics can expand young minds and change young lives for the better.
There is no more appropriate name to attach to an award that showcases the incredible variety of outstanding comics currently being created for kids and teens.
In accepting the award on video, Svetlana Chmakova said, “When I heard about the award, I was so happy to see that one of the four judging criteria was diversity. When I create my work, inclusion is something that’s always at the forefront of my mind. And not just because I think it’s actually overdue…but also because I was an immigrant, and I experienced it. I experienced inclusion.” Recapturing what that experience meant to her, she added, “I was a kid and it was so important.”
“While I’m truly, truly thankful to be the recipient of this year’s award,” Chmakova went on to say, “I’m even more thankful that this award exists.”
Judges for this year’s Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics were Edith Donnell, a Kids Read Comics cofounder and youth and teen librarian; Andrew Woodrow-Butcher, manager of Little Island Comics, a comic shop exclusively for kids; Eva Volin, a children’s librarian and comics-in-libraries advocate; and Marv Wolfman, a comics and animation writer and editor whose storied career goes back nearly half a century.
The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival is held annually at the Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library, and features over fifty artists alley guests ranging from national bestselling authors and award winners—this year including Cece Bell, Kazu Kibuishi, Nathan Hale, Tom Angleberger and Ben Hatke—to teenaged cartoonists and even younger students from local cartooning classes. A2CAF programming focuses largely on hands-on workshops and interactive drawing games, allowing event attendees of all ages and skill levels to participate. The event attracts approximately 3,000 visitors each year.
See Svetlana Chmakova's acceptance speech: https://youtu.be/smeYqRCQqJ4
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Friday, June 24, 2016
Titan to Produce Comic Books Based on Balls-to-the-Wall Indonesian Film, "The Raid"
TITAN SECURES LICENSE TO PUBLISH THE RAID COMICS.
Publisher teams up with director Gareth Evans to make all-new comics based on the popular martial-arts blockbuster.
Titan Comics are thrilled to announce that The Raid is punching its way into comic books, in late 2016. Titan is working closely with the director Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2) and XYZ Films to develop all-new stories featuring characters from the series.
Premiering in 2011, Indonesian martial-arts movie The Raid (also known as The Raid: Redemption) sent pulses racing at the Toronto International Film Festival and secured unanimous critical praise, rocketing to cult film status across the world.
The movie captured audiences with its boundary-pushing, inventive choreography and piston-pumping narrative where a lone, isolated SWAT team are trapped by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs inside a tenement block, and they have to fight through to the top.
Directed by Gareth Evans and produced by PT. Merantau Films and XYZ Films, the high-octane franchise has garnered great success since its release. The first film had 10 nominations at the 2012 Maya Awards. It was followed, in 2014, by The Raid 2, which featured the character of Rama returning to battle against corruption in his own police force.
“At Titan we’re thrilled to be publishing The Raid comic books,” said editor Martin Eden. “Gareth is a visionary and a huge talent. It’s a pleasure to work with him on developing his characters for the comic book page. We promise to deliver the same thrilling, fifth-gear adrenaline that fans have come to expect from the franchise.”
Titan’s The Raid comics are set to debut soon. Look out for more announcements about the creative team shortly.
To keep up to date with news about Titan’s The Raid comics follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr
ABOUT TITAN COMICS
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.
For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTita
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
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Publisher teams up with director Gareth Evans to make all-new comics based on the popular martial-arts blockbuster.
Titan Comics are thrilled to announce that The Raid is punching its way into comic books, in late 2016. Titan is working closely with the director Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2) and XYZ Films to develop all-new stories featuring characters from the series.
Premiering in 2011, Indonesian martial-arts movie The Raid (also known as The Raid: Redemption) sent pulses racing at the Toronto International Film Festival and secured unanimous critical praise, rocketing to cult film status across the world.
The movie captured audiences with its boundary-pushing, inventive choreography and piston-pumping narrative where a lone, isolated SWAT team are trapped by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs inside a tenement block, and they have to fight through to the top.
Directed by Gareth Evans and produced by PT. Merantau Films and XYZ Films, the high-octane franchise has garnered great success since its release. The first film had 10 nominations at the 2012 Maya Awards. It was followed, in 2014, by The Raid 2, which featured the character of Rama returning to battle against corruption in his own police force.
“At Titan we’re thrilled to be publishing The Raid comic books,” said editor Martin Eden. “Gareth is a visionary and a huge talent. It’s a pleasure to work with him on developing his characters for the comic book page. We promise to deliver the same thrilling, fifth-gear adrenaline that fans have come to expect from the franchise.”
Titan’s The Raid comics are set to debut soon. Look out for more announcements about the creative team shortly.
To keep up to date with news about Titan’s The Raid comics follow Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr
ABOUT TITAN COMICS
Titan Comics offers astounding comics and graphic novels from the world's greatest licensed properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and world-renowned talent and classic graphic novels re-mastered for brand-new audiences.
For more information, visit: https://www.titan-comics.com
Connect with Titan Comics:
https://twitter.com/ComicsTita
https://facebook.com/ComicsTitan
http://titancomics.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicsTitan
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Winners Announces for the Comic Book "Inkwell Awards 2016"
Inkwell Awards 2016 Winners Announced
(New Bedford, MA/USA) The Inkwell Awards has released the names of the winners of its ninth annual awards for excellence in the art form of comic book inking. As before, nominees were chosen by a separate and independent nomination committee. Voting via live ballot at the non-profit advocacy’s website ran from April 15-30, 2016. One winner was chosen in each of five categories based on American-based interior comic-book work cover-dated 2015.
Separately, the Inkwells selected internally the two recipients of the annual Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award and the Special Recognition Award (SRA) category. Winners were contacted and some invited guests were present to receive their trophies at North Carolina’s Heroes Con, the host show for the Inkwells, for the sixth live ceremony on Friday, June 17. Winners and nominees are listed below, along with the percentage of vote received, where applicable.
FAVORITE INKER: Joe Prado (24.5%)
(Batman '66 The Lost Episode; Cyborg [DC Comics]). Other nominees: Wade von Grawbadger (23.7), Scott Hanna (22%), Danny Miki (20.4%) and Karl Kesel (9.4%).
MOST-ADAPTABLE INKER: Walden Wong (26.8%)
(Earth 2: World’s End; Justice League Dark [DC]; Wolverines; A-Force [Marvel]).Other nominees: Norm Rapmund (20.2%), Scott Hanna (18.3%), Jonathan Glapion (14.4%), Wade von Grawbadger (12.8%) and Jay Leisten (7.5%).
PROPS (inker deserving of more attention): Wade Von Grawbadger (22.6%)
(All-New Captain America; Spider-Man [Marvel]; Justice League of America; Legends of the Dark Knight [DC]; Astro City [Vertigo/DC]).
Other nominees: Eber Ferreira (20.5%), Danny Miki (13.5%), Juan Vlasco (10.8%), Mark Irwin (9.8%), Jonathan Glapion (9.4%), Stefano Gaudiano (8.4%) and Sean Parsons (5.1%).
S.P.A.M.I. (Small Press and Mainstream Independent): Stefano Gaudiano (37%)
(The Walking Dead, Manifest Destiny [Image]). Other nominees: Jordi Tarragona (17.6%), Cliff Rathburn (16.6%), Ryan Winn (16.6%) and Rich Koslowski (12.2%).
ALL-IN-ONE (pencilling and inking together): Jason Fabok (37%)
(Justice League[DC]). Other nominees: Fiona Staples (17.7%), Erik Larsen (13.7%), Franchesco Francavilla (9.6%), Terry Moore (8.2%), Paul Gulacy (8.0%) and Ben Dewey (5.8%).
THE SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Vince Colletta. Other nominees: Allen Milgrom, Jack Abel (tie for runner-up), Violet Barclay (aka Valerie Smith), Gary Martin and Dave Simons.
THE JOE SINNOTT HALL OF FAME: Frank Giacoia and Josef Rubenstein. Other nominees: Bob McLeod and Jerry Ordway (tie for runner-up), Dan Adkins, John Beatty and Ernie Chan (aka Chua).
Joe Sinnott, the award’s namesake and first recipient, made a statement in April regarding this year’s inductees:
“I was quite pleased to hear that the Inkwell Awards has selected two very deserving inkers into the Hall of Fame class of 2016: Frank Giacoia and Jose Rubinstein.
Frank was a fabulous inker and a good friend of mine, who left us much too soon. It was always a pleasure meeting up with Frank at shows and spending time with him. Frank’s smooth, thick line graced the pages of virtually every Marvel title. I really enjoyed Frank’s inking over Jack Kirby on Captain America. Like myself, we pretty much inked the Marvel Universe.
Joe is an outstanding inker and portrait artist as well.
I absolutely am honored by the great job he did in capturing my likeness for the cover of the 2nd Annual Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge. I once pencilled a piece that Joe inked for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Index collection. At that time Joe was doing all these Marvel Universe books and he told me that he had actually worked on more Marvel characters than I had. Joe also did some great background inks on the Superman Vs. Spider-Man Treasury Edition that I inked over John Buscema.
It is wonderful that Frank and Joe are the recipients of the 2016 Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award. These two superb artists make the already great list of Hall of Famers even more elite.
Thank you to the Inkwell’s committee for electing them, and thanks to everyone for their continued support of the Inkwell Awards.
Joe Sinnott
In cooperation with Special Inkwell Ambassador and award-winning author J. David Spurlock, the ceremony kicked off with a special appearance by industry legend Jim Steranko who discussed the artform of comic-book inking, his related experiences in the medium, and its artists, including Joe Sinnott and Frank Giacoia. Inkwell Awards founder and director Bob Almond acted as both ceremony host and presenter, joined by hostess “Ms. Inkwell,” as portrayed by Holly Black. Artist Breno Tamura accepted Joe Prado’s award as a pre-recorded video of Prado’s acceptance speech was played. Guest speaker, artist-writer Mike Grell, spoke for Rubinstein. Writer Todd Dezago spoke for Giacoia, and statements from their respective families, including for Vince Colletta, were read. Silver Inkwell trophies were presented to three nomination committee members who served five years: Michele Witchipoo, Bob Bretall and Johnny B. Gerardy. All acceptance statements from the winners can be found in the “Results” section of the Inkwell Awards' website in the near future.
The Inkwell Awards is the only existing, official 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. The organization is overseen by a committee of industry professionals and assisted by various professional ambassadors and contributors. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.
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VIZ Media Announces Sexy, Supernatural Manga, "7th Garden"
Action-Filled Shonen Jump Series Depicts A Battle Between Powerful Angels, Sensual Demons And A Mysterious Gardener For The Fate Of The World
San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), a premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing, delivers a brand new supernatural action series with the launch of 7thGARDEN on July 5th, 2016.
The manga series, created by Mitsu Izumi, will be published in print and digitally under the Shonen Jump imprint with a rating of ‘T+’ for Older Teens. Print volumes will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. 7thGARDEN launches digitally on July 5th on VIZManga.com and also will be available via the VIZ Manga App, as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and Google Play stores. Future volumes of the ongoing series will be published in English on a quarterly basis.
Awyn Gardner will do anything to protect the beautiful mistress of the equally beautiful estate gardens he lovingly tends – even enslave himself to an also beautiful demon bent on world domination! The high-pitched battle is on between powerful angels, sexy demons and innocent people to dominate a world rife with political intrigue…and to win the heart of one hapless human man.
“Sexy demons, powerful angels, and handsome humans take center stage in this action- and humor-packed new series that’s rife with political intrigue” says Annette Roman, Editor. “We invite readers to spice up their summer manga reading with this hot new title!”
Mysterious manga artist / creator Mitsu Izumi is also the creator of the manga adaptation of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, which was originally serialized in Japan in Jump SQ.
For additional information on 7thGARDEN and other manga titles published in-print and digitally by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premier company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.
Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.
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Thursday, June 23, 2016
Image Comics Announces First "Cry Havoc" Trade Paperback Collection
LET SLIP THE WEREWOLVES OF WAR IN CRY HAVOC, VOLUME 1: MYTHING IN ACTION
Collects the first arc into trade paperback this August
“Flawless.” —The Nerdist
From writer Simon Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy) and superstar artist Ryan Kelly comes the darkly folkloric CRY HAVOC, VOLUME 1: MYTHING IN ACTION, which collects issues #1-6 in trade paperback this August.
Meet Lou: a street musician savaged by a supernatural terror.
Meet Lou: a civilian crossing war-torn Afghanistan with a unit of shapeshifting soldiers.
Meet Lou: a monstress held captive by the rogue beast she was sent to kill.
CRY HAVOC interweaves three stages of a remarkable life into a critically-exalted saga of military, myth, and mania, including an unprecedented use of multiple colorists (Matt Wilson, Lee Loughridge, & Nick Filardi) to define the story's threads.
CRY HAVOC, VOLUME 1: MYTHING IN ACTION (ISBN 978-1-63215-833-8) hits comic book stores Wednesday, August 17th, 2016 and bookstores Tuesday, August 23rd,2016 and will be available for $14.99. It can be ordered by retailers through Diamond Book Distributors with the Diamond Code MAY160675. It can be preordered now via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.
PRAISE FOR CRY HAVOC:
“An electrifying account of black ops, black dogs and weaponised folklore that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Best in show.” —Alan Moore
“CRY HAVOC is flawless. It sinks its teeth into you and won’t let go. Graceful, elegant, visceral and fierce, it runs the gamut. If there’s any justice in the world this will be another huge hit for Image Comics.” —The Nerdist
“The supernatural spec-ops comic for grownups. Literary, human, complicated, bloody, horrible, compulsive.” —Kieron Gillen
“CRY HAVOC arrives like Christmas, reads like candy, and lingers like a concussion. One of the most thrilling and surprising books I’ve read in ages.” —Gail Simone
ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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