The nominees for this year’s Ignatz Awards, which will be handed out at the upcoming Small Press Expo, have been announced. It’s a very, very indie list, with a decided emphasis on the small press and mini-comic scene — “big” companies like Fantagraphics and Drawn and Quarterly are only marginally represented. That being said, there’s some really great books on this list.
Outstanding Artist
Warren Craghead, How to Be Everywhere (self-published)
Lat, Town Boy (First Second Books)
Laura Park, Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream (self-published)
Michel Rabagliati, Paul Goes Fishing (Drawn & Quarterly)
Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)
Outstanding Anthology or Collection
Inkweed, Chris Wright (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Little Lulu Vol. 18, John Stanley (Dark Horse)
Papercutter #7, edited by Greg Means (Tugboat Press)
Pond Life, John Broadley (PictureBox)
Windy Corner #2, edited by Austin English (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Outstanding Graphic Novel
The Hot Breath of War, Trevor Alixopulos (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Notes for a War Story, Gipi (First Second Books)
Paul Goes Fishing, Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)
Skim, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
Spent, Joe Matt (Drawn & Quarterly)
Outstanding Story
“Americus”, MK Reed and Jonathan Hill, Papercutter #7 (Tugboat Press)
“The Candy Rod”, Onsmith, Hotwire Comics #2 (Fantagraphics Books)
“The Galactic Funnels”, Dash Shaw, Mome #11 (Fantagraphics Books)
The Thing About Madeleine, Lilli Carre (self-published)
“The Urn”, Chris Wright, Inkweed (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Promising New Talent
Oliver East, Trains Are… Mint (Blank Slate)
Austin English, Windy Corner #2 (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Chuck Forsman, Snake Oil #1 (self-published)
Sarah Glidden, How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less (self-published)
Lars Martinson, Tonoharu (Pliant Press/Top Shelf Productions)
Outstanding Series
Eye of the Magnetic Creature, Leslie Stein (self-published)
Injury, Ted May, Jason Robards, and Jeff Wilson (Buenaventura Press)
Paul series, Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)
Reich, Elijah Brubaker (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Snake Oil, Chuck Forsman (self-published)
Outstanding Comic
Cryptic Wit #2, Gerald Jablonski (self-published)
Department of Art, Dunya Jankovic (self-published)
Lucky Vol. 2 #2, Gabrielle Bell (Drawn & Quarterly)
Palooka-ville #19, Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
Snake Oil #1, Chuck Forsman (self-published)
Outstanding Mini-Comic
Bluefuzz, Jesse Reklaw
Dorado Park, Lilli Carre
How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, Sarah Glidden
Ochre Eclipse #2, Jonas Madden-Connor
Swell, Juliacks
Outstanding Online Comic
Achewood, Chris Onstad (www.achewood.com)
Danny Dutch, David King (www.reliablecomics.com)
Slow Wave, Jesse Reklaw (www.slowwave.com)
Thingpart, Joe Sayers (www.jsayers.com/thingpart/thingpart.html)
Traced, Tracy White (www.traced.com)
2008 Ignatz Jury
Gabrielle Bell
Farel Dalrymple
Eleanor Davis
John Hankiewicz
Andy Hartzell
