The Harvey Awards 2009 Nominees

Here they are the Nominees for the 2009 Harvey Awards. The ceremony will be held at the 2009 Baltimore Comic Con this October. This year I’m going to make a better effort to check out the works of some of the nominees that I’m not familiar with. I’m glad to see All Star Superman getting props, I enjoyed that limited series a great deal. Check out the trade paper backs if you missed the monthly issues.

Congrats to all the nominees!

BEST WRITER
Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams books
Ed Brubaker, CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Grant Morrison, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics

BEST ARTIST
Gabriel Ba, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics
Kyle Baker, NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Jason Kruse, WORLD OF QUEST, Yen Press
Frank Quitely, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics

BEST CARTOONIST
Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO, www.leasticoulddo.com
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Thom Zahler, LOVE & CAPES, Maerkle Press

BEST LETTERER
Jimmy Gownley, AMELIA RULES, Renaissance Press
Rob Leigh, THE SPIRIT, DC Comics
Doug Sherwood, LOCAL, Oni Press
John Workman, MARVEL 1985, Marvel Comics
Thom Zahler, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics

BEST  INKER
Rich Faber, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
Mark Morales, THOR, Marvel Comics
Ryan Winn, THE DARKNESS, Image Comics

BEST COLORIST
Frank Cammuso, OTTO’S ORANGE DAY, Raw Junior, LLC
Jamie Grant, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
Laura Martin, THOR, Marvel Comics
Wil Quintana, THE MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
Dave Stewart, UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics

BEST COVER ARTIST
Frank Cho, BUZZBOY: SIDEKICKS RULE!#3, Sky Dog Press
James Jean, FABLES, Vertigo Comics
Jay Lynch, MINDSHAFT #23, Mindshaft Publishing
Ken Rocafort, PILOT SEASON: CORE #1, Top Cow
Alex Ross, JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, DC Comics

BEST NEW SERIES
THE DREAMER, IDW
ECHO, Abstract Studios
HIGH MOON, www.zudacomics.com
NIGHT OWLS, www.zudacomics.com
SUPERTRON, www.zudacomics.com

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, DC Comics
CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel Comics
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
MICE TEMPLAR, Image Comics
UMBRELLA ACADEMY, Dark Horse Comics

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
DRAW!, edited by Mike Manley, Twomorrows Publishing
HOW TO MAKE WEBCOMICS, Brad Guigar, Dave Kellett,
Scott Kurtz, and Kris Straub, Image   Comics
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES, edited by Dean Mullaney, IDW
WORDLESS BOOKS: THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVELS,
edited by David A. Berona, Abrams Books

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL
BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!, Tim Rickard, Tribune Media Services
GET FUZZY, Darby Conley, United Features Syndicate
MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate
THE NORM, Michael Jantze, Uclick Gocomics
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, Stephan Pastis, United Features Syndicate

BEST ANTHOLOGY
COMIC BOOK TATTOO, edited by Rantz Hoseley, Image Comics
FLIGHT VOLUME 5, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Villard
MOME VOLUME 10, edited by Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics Books
PIXU #1, edited by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, Self-Published
POPGUN VOLUME 2, edited by Joe Keatinge and Mark Andrew Smith, Image Comics

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM – ORIGINAL
BOTTOMLESS BELLY BUTTON, Fantagraphics Books
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, Amulet Books
ESSEX COUNTY: THE COUNTRY NURSE, Top Shelf
SKIM, Groundwood Books
TOO COOL TO BE FORGOTTEN, Top Shelf
WORLD OF QUEST: VOL. 2, Yen Press

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM – PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
AMELIA RULES!: FUNNY STORIES, Renaissance Press
M, Abrams Books
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE MICE TEMPLAR: VOL. 1, Image Comics
Queen and country: VOLUME, Oni Press
SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST (HARDCOVER), Adhouse Books

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY #19, Self-Published
FIRST BORN: AFTERMATH #1, Top Cow
LOVE AND ROCKETS, VOL. 3 #1, Fantagraphics Books
M, Abrams Books
NASCAR HEROES #5, NASCAR Comics
NAT TURNER, Abrams Books
THE AMAZiNG REMARKABLE MONSIEUR LEOTARD, First Second
Y: THE LAST MAN #60, Vertigo Comics

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS, IDW
COMPLETE PEANUTS, Fantagraphics Books
COMPLETE TERRY AND THE PIRATES, IDW
SCORCHY SMITH AND THE ART OF NOEL SICKLES, IDW
WACKY PACKAGES, Abrams Books

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL
GUS AND HIS GANG, First Second
POCKET FULL OF RAIN, Fantagraphics Books
RED COLORED ELEGY, Drawn and Quarterly
SOLANIN, Viz
WITCHBLADE TAKERU MANGA #’s 11 & 12, Top Cow

BEST ON-LINE COMICS WORK
BLACK CHERRY BOMBSHELLS, Tony Trovarello and John Zito, www.zudacomics.com
HIGH MOON, Scott O. Brown, www.zudacomics.com
LEAST I COULD DO, Lar deSouza and Ryan Sohmer, www.leasticoulddo.com
NIGHT OWLS, Bobby & Peter Timony, www.zudacomics.com
PVP, Scott Kurtz, www.pvponline.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR IN COMICS
Lar deSouza, LEAST I COULD DO, www.leasticoulddo.com
John Gallagher, BUZZBOY, Sky Dog Comics
Al Jaffee, TALL TALES, Abrams Books
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Amulet Books
David Malki, WONDERMARK, www.wondermark.com

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
COMPLETE LOCAL: HARDCOVER EDITION, Ryan Kelly and Brian Wood, Oni Press
KIRBY: KING OF COMICS, Mark Evanier, Abrams Books
QUEEN AND COUNTRY: VOLUME 3, Greg Rucka, Mike Norton,
Steve Rolston, and Chris Samnee, Oni Press
TALL TALES, Al Jaffee, Abrams Books
WONDERMARK, VOL. 1: BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS, David Malki, Dark Horse Comics

BEST NEW TALENT
Matt Cassan, NASCAR: HEROES, Nascar Comics
Bryan J.L. Glass, THE MICE TEMPLAR, Image Books
Laura Innes, THE DREAMER, IDW
Tim Sievert, THAT SALTY AIR, Top Shelf
Bobby Timony, NIGHT OWLS, www.zudacomics.com

Old School Marvel: Giant-Size Man-Thing

Just surfing around looking at old Marvel comic book covers before heading home from work. Came across this one. I have the sense of humor of a 10 year old, because the title of this comic still makes me snicker.

Police Digging into Jackson Death

Following in a long tradition of celebrities putting misplaced trust in their “doctor”, it looks like Michael Jackson’s physician is coming under some tight scrunity by police. So much so that the doc’s car has been impounded by the police and they are searching for the doctor for more questioning. My big question is…  if the police have this dude’s car, how was able to get away so fast?

Anyway its sad and puzzling how these folks with access to what one would think is the best medical treatment money can by, end up falling victim to con artists and opportunists in doctor’s guise. I’m not convicting this man of anything, but this investigation and the scenario are all to similar.

Well first place I’d look for the dude is Argentina.

CNN: 911 call from Jackson home: He’s not breathing

Comic Book Reviews: Batman & Robin #1, Red Robin #1

It’s an all Batman comic book review extravaganza! I seriously have never been so enthusiastic or into Batman as I am currently.  I’ve always enjoyed Batman comics when it just stuck to classic mysteries or going up against one of the usual rogue gallery. Rarely did I find Batman events interesting and they often resulted in losing me as a reader. But the shake up in the Batman family resulting from Bruce Wayne’s death in Final Crisis and the following Battle for the Cowl mini series has set us up for some fresh and different Batman story lines.

Batman & Robin #1, DC Comics

Writer: Grant Morrison, Artist: Frank Quitely

We jump right into the action with this new series. Dick Grayson is now Batman picking up the mantle of his mentor and father figure. Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son from a night with Talia Ah Guhl is now Robin. Its funny how with these two the personalities are a reversal from previous Batman/Robin teams. With this pair Damian/Robin, in their conversations, is the darker and more intense of the twosome, while Grayson who turns-on a great Dark Knight bad-ass persona for the crooks and cops is a much lighter, easier going Batman when out of the public eye. Basically he’s still the original Robin and Nightwing we’ve grown up with but he knows how to play the part of Batman when needed.

This is a great issue. Grant Morrison gives us a straightforward, superhero action story. We get to see the new duo in action. We get a new Batmobile (that can fly!). And  some creepy new villains in the Circus of Strange, to boot. All in all fantastic. As a double bonus to me the artwork is turned in by Frank Quitely. I know everyone isn’t a Quitely fan, but I love his style. He and Morrison were a great team on the All Star Superman series, so to have them together again for the first issues of this new Batman & Robin series is awesome.

I’ve read it 3 times already. This book sets the stage for the new status quo in the Batman family. Morrison does a great job of capturing the characters personalities, the pacing of the story is nearly perfect, plus its just damned enjoyable.  4 1/2 out of 5 stars, only because I wish it was longer.

Red Robin #1, DC Comics

Writer: Chris Yost, Artist: Ramon Bachs

This isn’t a creative team that I have much background with. I wasn’t familiar with either of their styles, so coming into this issue I didn’t have any expections. Actually going in I knew two things: I liked Tim Drake as Robin and I dug the Red Robin costume ever since I saw it back in Kingdom Come. Tim Drake is a young man whose dealt with a lot of loss. Losing his father, girl friend, and friends and now his adopted father. All this has taken a toll on Tim and he’s not doing well with it. Especially after he’d told he’s no longer Robin.

This first issue has a troubled Tim Drake, searching for Bruce Wayne through out Europe while taking time to deal with crime as he finds it. I enjoyed the storyline and the costume still kicks ass. Yost does a great job with the main character of the book, but I think characterization falls a part a bit with Damian. I mean he’s a dick in this comic like he is in the others, but the voice of the character just seemed off. The artwork was decent, it didn’t blow me away, but it told the story well. I wasn’t as bowled over by this issue as others were. I will get the 2nd issue, if because of the reveal on the last page of this book. 3 out of 5 stars.

In my country the comic book store comes to you!

Fantom Comics is an amazing store here in Washington, DC. They have a store in Union Station and will be reopening a location in the Tenleytown/Friendship Heights area soon I hope. Starting this month, they are offering a Wednesday comic book delivery service for these zipcodes: 20007, 20008, 20015, 20016, 20815 and 20816.

Check them out at http://www.fantomcomics.com/ for more details.

C’mon Give David Letterman a Break

By now through the news networks and Interweb we’ve all heard the joke Letterman made about Sarah Palin’s daughter. Did it overstep the bounds, yeah it wasn’t Dave’s best moment. Even he admits that. Not only does he admit this but he’s clarified the joke (which isn’t good enough for some people) and apologized more than once. Even with the second apology, Sarah Palin and her family & folks seem to have reached a level of forgiveness towards Letterman. Don sums the situation up  and similar feelings to mine very well in his blog. But that hasn’t stopped some Right-Wingnut busy bodies from taking the offensive as if this was their personal vendata to deal with.

Already this week I’m seeing blogs crying out to sponsors to pull their business away from CBS, both the network and websites. I guess with the final goal of taking Letterman off the air for good. Damn, that’s pretty extreme for one off color joke… a joke… a few misspoken words that honestly harmed no one even if they did offend. Check out the Glass Ball blog and the level of energy and enthusiasm being put out to contact advertisers and have them remove support for Letterman specifically and CBS in general. I can only imagine what this blog and its followers could accomplish for a cause that actually had some importance.

I’m going to put out my own call, maybe I’ll write a sponsor or two using the information on Glass Ball to tell them cut Letterman a slack burger. Out of all the shows the guy does night after night, always making me laugh out loud like an idiot, its the least I can do.

Captain America News — He’s Coming Back

Comic news pages were alive with the news that Steve Rogers, the original Captain America will be returning from the dead this summer. For those out of the loop, Cap was gunned down on the stairs of a courthouse while  being hauled in for defying the US superhuman registration laws that were being enforced by his bud, Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Bucky Barnes, Cap’s sidekick from the WWII, who after overcoming the mental programming that comes with being a Soviet Cold War cyborg assassin takes up the mantle of Captain America.

Despite the ongoing debate on Bucky Cap’s use of a sidearm and his different costume, I’ve actually enjoyed the new Captain America. Seeing Bucky, who is a more than competant combatant, deal with filling the boots of Steve Rogers has been an entertaining ride. It really seems unfair to the Bucky character that the original Cap is returning so soon. The surface has only been scratched in regards to the story potentials the new Cap can bring forward.

I’m wondering honestly if Steve Rogers will take back the shield and resume his role as Captain America. Nothing has  been said that I can read for sure that he will be definitely taking back to take the Captain America mantle. Steve Rogers returning and his returning as Captain America are two seperate things.

Either way I’m anxious to see how they pull this off. This has been a fun year for comic books so far!

Maraschino cherry shortage in Mid-Atlantic!

Evidently there is a cherry shortage that is rocking the Mid-Atlantic. I’m suprised I’m the ONLY person reporting this and it hasn’t been noticed by anyone else. First me and the family rolled into Brusters Ice Cream of Gaithersburg last week, only to find out they were all out of Cherry Vanilla ice cream. I’m seriously passionate about the flavors of ice cream that I get as specific locations. For me Brusters equals Cherry Vanilla. I can go crazy with cone or cup choices, but that ice cream flavor is locked in. I was crushed of course, but had to move on. This was a brutal disappoint to me coming so soon after learning that Cold Stone Creamery doesn’t carry black cherries anymore.

Any way fast forward to this past weekend. We go up to Hershey, PA so my father in-law and my son can look around the Antique Auto Museum up there. Good times had by all strolling down memory lane amongst the cars. Afterwards we decided to visit one of the Sonic Drive-Ins that are becoming more common up there in PA. I had a Diet Cherry-Limeade, my beverage of choice at the ol’ Sonic. I order it with extra cherries, so I can have a cherry treat to munch on after I’m done with the drink.

No cherries at the bottom of the cup. At all. All I had in there were two lime wedges.

So later in the day before heading back to MD, we pulled through to get something to drink on the ride back home. I tried again at this different Sonic location.. and upon finishing the drink I’d found I’d been burned AGAIN. No cherries!

I’m just dumbfounded! I don’t know if there was a brutal freeze in Maraschino where ever that is or where ever these cherries come from. I just know I need’em back and I need them now.

I Lose

I’m coming away from a great Easter weekend. Like with Christmas, Asher is really aware of the holiday and into it. We took him to Arundel Mills Mall to have his photo taken with the Easter Bunny. Then on Sunday we did the Easter basket deal, went to morning service at church then later in the day went to the Kent Manor Inn & Restaurant for an amazing brunch buffet. It was just incredible. Think that’s definitely becoming a new tradition for Easter.

Then back to reality this morning. Waking up at 5am once again to get down to Arlington by 7:30. I wake up the boy, and he’s not in a good mood. He rebels against getting dressed, he is particularly against putting a pair of jeans on this morning and offended by the idea of any buttons on his clothes. Especially after having wear button clothes two days in a row over the holiday weekend.

” I don’t want to wear jeans” he says looking at the jeans that are laid out for him to wear today.

“Come on, kiddo they aren’t that bad” I say.

“No noooo” he says followed by crying

“Hey hey look there aren’t even buttons on these jeans, look.” I say trying to convince him this is a really comfy pair of blue jeans.

“No buttons?” he says sleepily.

“Nope, no buttons. As a matter of fact you don’t have any buttons at all on your clothes today. Not on your pants or your shirt. Look at me, I have a button shirt, tie and button pants. You are winning today, you don’t have wear anything like what I’m wearing”

Asher laughs at me after looking at me, “I’m winning, I don’t have buttons” Steps into his jeans with a smile on his face.

“Yeah pal, you’re winning for sure” I say after hitching the little guys pants up, while thinking he has no idea how true that is.

New, but not improved. What happened to Transformers??

Ah man, what a wonderful weekend. While locals and tourist alike descended upon the Tidal Basin to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms, my little family and I enjoyed a Sunday at one of Maryland’s wonderful state parks and then did a little shopping at TARGET for household stuff. My son also had some birthday cash which was burning a hole in his pocket.

He had a good time going through the toy department picking toy cars as well as a two pack of Transformers robots, that was marked down to $4.99 from $24.99. After we got home of course he tore through his purchases and racing the cars and trying to transform his robots into the jet fighter and mini van they were supposed take the shape of. These robots were specifically from the animated series thats on TV right now. Being a fresh 3 years old, I didn’t expect him to the transform the things, he hasn’t mastered this “art” yet. So it was up to me.

I used to have a couple Transformers when I was a kid in the 80’s, Asher actually plays with a couple of them mixed in with his new ones. When I started transforming this thing it amazed me at how far down the quality gone with these toys. First of the transformation process is way more involved and less secure when in either form than they were back in the day. Second, these things fall apart while transforming them and playing with them, the construction is really, really bad. I don’t know if this is only for the animated series line of the toys or not. Asher does have one “Classic Transformer” that is more like the ones from the 80’s, it seems to be put together better and transformers like the robots from my days of play.

If anything the animated series line should be more sturdy and easier to transform. This line based directly from the cartoon is more appealing to little kids. Hasbro has a good decent reputation in my book, but this series of Transformers is a complete failure. No wonder these things are on such a deep discount. The word has probably spread about how shoddily they are put together. Stick to the Classic line, kids, and avoid this animated series line, trust me.