Forget the Eisners, forget the Harveys, the Shuster Awards are the only ones that you really need to pay attention to!

First awarded in 2005, the Joe Shuster Awards are given out annually for outstanding achievements in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics by Canadians. The awards are administered by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association, a not-for-profit organization formed in 2004 to work on the awards. The awards are named in honour of Joe Shuster (1914–1992), the Canadian-born co-creator of Superman.

The nominees for this year’s awards have just been announced, and the full press release can be found below:

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2011 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS
(for comics, graphic novels and webcomics published in 2010)

7th Annual Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards – Presentation Ceremony on June 18, 2021 at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo

Toronto, Canada — February 1, 2011. From coast to coast, Canada is home to many of the comic book industry’s top talents, and the JOE SHUSTER AWARDS are a way of recognizing and celebrating their achievements. Since it was established in 2004, the Joe Shuster Award program has been the national awards program for recognizing the outstanding achievements of Canadian comic book creators, publishers and retailers. The awards are named after pioneering Toronto-born artist Joe Shuster who, along with writer Jerry Siegel, created the iconic super-powered hero, Superman.

In January of this year, nominees were selected from master lists of eligible works originally published during the 2010 calendar year*. Canadian citizens living at home or abroad, as well as permanent residents were eligible for consideration**. Now that the lists of nominees have been finalized, nominated creators will have their work reviewed by juries, who will decide the winners.

Winners will be announced at a public ceremony in Calgary, Alberta on the evening of Saturday, June 18th, 2011 at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo which takes place June 17-19, 2011 at the BMO Round-Up Centre.

THE NOMINEES ARE:

Outstanding Comic Book Artist / Dessinateur Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

• CAMILLA D’ERRICO – Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #4-5, “Little Red Riding Hood” from Fractured Fables (Image Comics)
• STUART IMMONEN – New Avengers #61-62/Finale/Vol.2 #1-7, “The Avengers” from Origins of Marvel Comics #1, “Second Coming: Prologue” from X-Men – Second Coming: Prepare (Marvel Comics)
• JACQUES LAMONTAGNE – Aspic 01: La naine aux ectoplasmes (Soleil)
• FRANCIS MANAPUL –  Adventure Comics #6, The Flash #1-6, Superman/Batman #75 (DC Comics)
• JULIE ROCHELEAU – La fille invisible (Glénat Québec)
• FIONA STAPLES – Mystery Society #1-5 (IDW), Northlanders #29 (DC/Vertigo), Fringe: Tales from the Fringe #4 (DC/Wildstorm)
• CAMERON STEWART – Batman and Robin #7-9, 16 (DC Comics), Prince of Persia: Before the Sandstorm (Disney Press)

Outstanding Comic Book Cartoonist / Créateur Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

• SCOTT CHANTLER – Two Generals (McClelland & Stewart), Three Thieves Book One: Tower of Treasure (Kids Can Press)
• DARWYN COOKE – Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Man with the Getaway Face (IDW), Weird War Tales #1 (DC Comics)
• PASCAL GIRARD – Jimmy et le Bigfoot (La Pastèque) / Bigfoot (Drawn & Quarterly)
• JEFF LEMIRE – Sweet Tooth #5-16 (DC/Vertigo), “A Civilized Thing” from Strange Tales II #1 (Marvel Comics)
• BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY – Scott Pilgrim Vol.6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (Oni Press)
• SIRIS – Vogue la valise (La Pastèque)
• JAMES STOKOE – Orc Stain #1-5 (Image Comics), “Silver Surfer” from Strange Tales II #3 (Marvel Comics)
• TIN CAN FOREST (aka Pat Shewchuk and Marek Colek) – Baba Yaga and the Wolf (Koyama Press)

Outstanding Comic Book Colourist /Coloriste Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

Due to space considerations, nominees with a large number of publications have been reduced to a listing of the publishers for whom they coloured books in 2010. A full list of publications will be made available on the website.

• BRAD ANDERSON - Clients include: Dark Horse, DC Comics, Marvel Comics
  
• JEAN-FRANÇOIS BEAULIEU - Clients include: Marvel Comics
  
• BLOND - Clients include: Boom! Studios, DC Comics, Zenoscope
  
• NATHAN FAIRBAIRN - Clients include: DC Comics, Marvel Comics
  
• FRANÇOIS LAPIERRE – Magasin général Tome 6: Ernest Latulippe(Casterman)
• DAVE McCAIG – Clients include: DC Comics, Image/Top Cow, Marvel Comics
  
• JULIE ROCHELEAU – La fille invisible (Glénat Québec)

Outstanding Comic Book Cover Artist / Dessinateur Couvertures Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

• KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY – Action Comics #887, R.E.B.E.L.S. #12- 19 (DC Comics), Dazzler, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #2-5 (Marvel Comics), Artifacts #3 (Image/Top Cow), Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero #3 (Boom! Studios)
• CHRIS BACHALO – Amazing Spider-Man #630-633, Secret Avengers #4 Variant, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants: Storm & Gambit #1 Variant (Marvel Comics)
• JACQUES LAMONTAGNE – Aspic 01: La naine aux ectoplasmes (Soleil)
• MIKE DEL MUNDO – Amazing Spider-Man #626, 628 Variant , Daredevil #506 Variant, Heroic Age: One Month to Live #1-5, Hulk: Let the Battle Begin, Klaws of the Panther #1-4, Marvel Heartbreakers, Marvel Zombies 5 #5, Origins of Marvel Comics: X-Men #1, Spider-Girl #1 Variant, S.W.O.R.D. #4-5 (Marvel Comics)
• JEFF LEMIRE – Sweet Tooth #5-16 (DC/Vertigo)
• FIONA STAPLES – Mystery Society #1-5 (IDW), DV8: Gods and Monsters #1-8 (DC/Wildstorm), Superman/Batman #79 (DC Comics), Acts of Violence: An Anthology of Crime Comics (New Reliable Press), Magus #1 (12 Gauge Comics)
• ZVIANE – Apnée (POW POW)

Outstanding Comic Book Publisher / Éditeur Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

• LES 400 COUPS
• CONUNDRUM PRESS
• DRAWN & QUARTERLY
• KIDS CAN PRESS
• KOYAMA PRESS
• LA PASTÈQUE
• UDON ENTERTAINMENT

Outstanding Web Comics Creator(s) /Créateur(s)  Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées Web

• ATTILA ADORJANY – Metaphysical Neuroma
• KATE BEATON – Hark! A Vagrant
• EMILY CARROLL – His Face All Red, Dream Journals, The Death of José Arcadio, Out the Door, The Hare’s Bride
• KARL KERSCHL – The Abominable Charles Christopher
• DRAZEN KOZJAN – The Happy Undertaker, Friday’s Fables
• SIMON ROY – Dead Lands SIMON ROY & ED BRISSON – Skimming the Till, Catching Up
• SALGOOD SAM (aka Max Douglas) – Dream Life
• CONNOR WILLUMSEN – Everett, Hot Brunette, Batman Comic, Explanation for Sator Stuff

Outstanding Comic Book Writer(s) / Écrivain(s) Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

• ANTHONY DEL COL & CONOR MCCREERY – Kill Shakespeare #1-8 (IDW)
• KATHRYN IMMONEN – Heralds #1-5, X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #1-4, “Good to be Lucky” from Girl Comics #2, “It’s Not Lupus” from Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way #1, “A Chemical Romance” from Marvel Heartbreakers (Marvel Comics)
• SYLVAIN LEMAY – Pour en finir avec novembre (Mécanique Générale)
• JEFF LEMIRE Brightest Day: The Atom Special #1, “The Atom” stories in Adventure Comics #516-521, – “A Look At Things to Come In… Superboy” from Action Comics #892, Superboy #1-2 (DC Comics)
• J. TORRES – Lola: A Ghost Story, Yo Gabba Gabba: Good Night Gabbaland, Yo Gabba Gabba: Gabba Ball (Oni Press), Batman: The Brave and the Bold #11 (DC/Jonny DC), Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E #2-3 (Boom! Studios), “Psyche” from Hack/Slash: Trailers #2 (Image Comics)
• ÉMILIE VILLENEUVE – La fille invisible (Glénat Québec)
• JIM ZUBKAVICH – Skullkickers #1-4 (Image Comics), Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki #1-4 (Udon Entertainment)

Comics for Kids / Bandes Dessinées pour Enfants

This award recognizes the works which capture the attention and fascination of young readers, and help to create a passion for life-long reading. Works considered for this award are comic books and graphic novels by Canadian creators that are targeted at readers 14 and under. Nominees for this award are selected from the eligible creators lists by a team of educators led by Jennifer Haines, MA, B.Ed., who is also the proprietor of Guelph, Ontario’s The Dragon comic book shop.

• BINKY TO THE RESCUE by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press)
• FÉLICE ET LE FLAMBOYANT BLEU by Mikaël (PLB Editions)
• FISHING WITH GUBBY written by Gary Kent, art by Kim La Fave (Harbour Publishing)
• FOOD FIGHT: A GRAPHIC GUIDE ADVENTUREwritten by Liam O’Donnell, art by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers)
• TITI KRAPOUTI & CIE Tome 1 by Stéphanie Leduc ( Glénat Québec)
• THREE THIEVES BOOK 1: TOWER OF TREASURE by Scott Chantler (Kids Can Press)
• TWO GENERALS by Scott Chantler (McClelland & Stewart)

The Gene Day Award for Self-Publishers / Le Prix Gene Day pour Éditeurs Direct de Bandes Dessinées

Named after the late Howard Eugene Day (1951-1982), this award honours Canadian comic book creators or creative teams who self-published their work during the previous calendar yearor, but did not have the books distributed by a third party distribut. The nominees were selected from over 50 individual publications submitted for review. The award winner will also receive a bursary of $500.

• JASON BRADSHAW – Boredom Pays #2
• MICHEL HELLMAN– Iceberg
• NICK MAANDAG – Streakers
• JOHN MARTZ– Heaven All Day
• ELAINE WILL – Look Straight Ahead #1-2

The Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Comic Book Retailer /Le Prix de Harry Kremer pour Détaillant Exceptionnel de Bandes Dessinées

Named after the late Harry Kremer, original owner of Now & Then Books (in Kitchener, Ontario). Shops are recommended by the general public and a separate Retailer Award Committee reviews all materials received and select a short list of stores that has shown merit in a variety of categories such as: (1) Support of a wide variety of innovative material, (2) Overall appeal of the store and usage of space, (3) Knowledge, (4) Community activity, and (5) Adherence to standard ethical business practices.

• AMAZING FANTASY (Red Deer, AB)
• AMAZING STORIES (Saskatoon, SK)
• ANOTHER DIMENSION COMICS(Calgary, AB)
• COMIC BOOK ADDICTION (Whitby, ON)
• THE COMIC HUNTER (Moncton, NB)
• COMIC READERS (Downtown Regina, SK)
• GOLDEN AGE COLLECTIBLES (Vancouver, BC)
• HILL CITY COMICS & GAMES (Thunder Bay, ON)
• L’IMAGINAIRE (Quebec City, QC)
• PLANÈTE BD (Montreal, QC)

Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame / Temple de la renommée Créateur Canadien de Bandes Dessinées

• CHESTER BROWN (1960-)

Selected credits:
Yummy Fur (Self-Published/Vortex) (1980-1993)
Ed the Happy Clown (Vortex/Drawn & Quarterly) (1989/2005-6)
The Playboy (Drawn & Quarterly) (1992)
I Never Liked You (Drawn & Quarterly) (1994)
Underwater (Drawn & Quarterly) (1994-1997)
Louis Riel (Drawn & Quarterly) (1999-2003)
The Little Man – Short Strips 1980-1995 (Drawn & Quarterly) (2006)
Paying for It (Drawn & Quarterly) (2011)

• TODD McFARLANE (1961-)

Selected credits:
Coyote (Eclipse) (1985)
Infinity, Inc. (DC Comics) (1985-1987)
Detective Comics (DC Comics) (1987)
The Incredible Hulk (Marvel Comics) (1987-1988)
Invasion (DC Comics) (1988)
The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) (1988-1990)
Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) (1990-1991)
IMAGE COMICS (Founding Partner) (1992-Present)
Spawn and related titles (Image Comics) (1992-present)
MCFARLANE TOYS (1994-Present)
MCFARLANE ENTERTAINMENT (1996-Present)
Haunt (Image Comics) (2009-present)

Hall of Fame inductees selected by Robert Pincombe, Phil Latter and Joe Kilmartin. Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist, Cover Artist & Writer Nominees selected by: Laurent Boutin, Peter DeCourcy, Patrick Marleau, David Kelly, Ty Buttars, Eric Bouchard, Martin Dubé, Sarrah Young , Kevin de Vlaming, Leonard Wong, Steven J. Hodges, Jeff Brown, Mike Jozic, Troy Wilson, Jonathan Ellis, and Kelly Dowd. Webcomics and Publisher Nominees selected by Andrew Walsh, Allison Covey, Tyrone Biljan, Robert Haines and Kevin Boyd. Gene Day Award Nominees selected by Allison Covey, Kevin Boyd and Robert Haines. Nominating committees coordinated by Kevin Boyd and Robert Haines. Special thanks to Jason Truong and Laurent Boutin for their assistance in compiling the eligible books from 2010.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and all of the eligible creators for another memorable year of great comics, both in print and online!

About Joe Shuster (1914 – 1992)

With the permission of his estate, the Joe Shuster Awards are named in honor of the great artist, JOE SHUSTER (1914-1992), whose clear, dynamic style and inventive visual flourishes set the standard for graphic storytelling during the infancy of the North American comic book industry. It was Superman, a co-creation of Shuster and Siegel, which electrified the industry 71 years ago and, almost overnight, transformed comic books into an enormous pop-cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

About The Joe Shuster Award

The Joe Shuster Award is a national achievement award program for Canadians working on comic books, graphic novels and webcomics and has no restrictions on language, content and/or genre. Creator nominees are nominated for their work during the previous calendar year. The Joe Shuster Awards also honour the people who publish and sell comics. Retailer and self-publisher awards are submission-based. The Joe Shuster Award program is administered by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2004.

For more information please contact [email protected] or visit www.joeshusterawards.com

Kevin A. Boyd, Executive Director [email protected]
Robert Haines, Associate Director [email protected]
Allison Covey, Publisher Relations [email protected]
Tyrone Biljan, Art Director [email protected]
Chris Owen, Media Relations [email protected]
Andrew Walsh, Webcomics [email protected]

* Creators in most categories are nominated for the SUM of their work. Periodicals are listed even if a collected edition is released during the same category year.

** The exceptions being the Publisher and Self-Publisher awards which have residency requirements.

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3. 2010 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced!
4. 2009 Joe Shuster Award Winners Announced This Weekend at the University of Toronto’s Innis Town Hall
5. ComicsPRO Announces 2011 Industry Appreciation Award Nominees