The 2011 Eisner Award Nominations came out the other day and it seems eveyone is speculating as to who the winner will be. Well, here at the CCL  we have you covered! Let’s have a little fun and guess What Should Win and What Will Win (coupled with a bit of wit and wisdom of my own). Please keep in mind this is all purely for enjoyment and we congratulate all of the nominees and publishing houses, many of whom are friends of this blog and podcast. Let’s get to it:

Best Short Story
 “Bart on the Fourth of July,” by Peter Kuper, in Bart Simpson #54 (Bongo)
 “Batman, in Trick for the Scarecrow,” by Billy Tucci, in DCU Halloween Special 2010 (DC)
 “Cinderella,” by Nick Spencer and Rodin Esquejo, in Fractured Fables(Silverline Books/Image)
 “Hamburgers for One,” by Frank Stockton, in Popgun vol. 4 (Image)
 “Little Red Riding Hood,” by Bryan Talbot and Camilla d’Errico, in Fractured Fables (Silverline Books/Image)
 “Post Mortem,” by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, in I Am an Avenger #2 (Marvel)
So much comic in such a short amount of time. Time to go back issue hunting.
What Should Win: Trick or Treat
What Will Win: I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
 The Cape, by Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, and Zack Howard (IDW)
 Fables #100, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and others (Vertigo/DC)
 Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
 Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1: “Sparrow,” by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
 Unknown Soldier #21: “A Gun in Africa,” by Joshua Dysart and Rick Veitch (Vertigo/DC)
When it comes to find out what comic you should be reading, no other category can help you out as much as this one.
What Should Win: Cape and Cowl
What Will Win: 100 and counting

Best Continuing Series
 Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
 Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
 Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
 Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma (Shadowline/Image)
 Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
 Scalped, by Jason Aaron and R. M. Guéra (Vertigo/DC)
All of these series are available in collected edition form and are special in their own way. Chew won Best New Series last year and Walking Dead won this category. That said, it’s Joe Hill’s turn at TV fame.
What Should Win: Brian Savage
What Will Win: Locke the door

Best Limited Series
 Baltimore: The Plague Ships, by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Ben Stenbeck (Dark Horse)
 Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus (Vertigo/DC)
 Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Vertigo/DC)
 Joe the Barbarian, by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy (Vertigo/DC)
 Stumptown, by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth (Oni)
Joe The Barbarian just made it under the wire as #8 was released just a few weeks ago. I’m very happy it did.
What Should Win: Yo, Joe!
What Will Win: Sunday driver, yeah!

Best New Series
 American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC)
 iZombie, by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred (Vertigo/DC)
 Marineman, by Ian Churchill (Image)
 Morning Glories, by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma (Shadowline/Image)
 Superboy, by Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo (DC)
I don’t envy the guys who have to pick the nominees for this category. So many good comics came our the past 12 months and some much better then listed here.
What Should Win: iWant Brains!
What Will Win: Oh what a glorious day!

Best Publication for Kids
 Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, by Sara Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney/Hyperion)
 Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
 Binky to the Rescue, by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press)
 Scratch9, by Rob M. Worley and Jason T. Kruse (Ape Entertainment)
 Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)
 The Unsinkable Walker Bean, by Aaron Renier (First Second)
Anyone else find it funny that there are two Amelia’s listed here?
What Should Win: Scratch that itch
What Will Win: Titans! What is your profession?!

Best Publication for Teens
 Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel (Scholastic Graphix)
 Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch (Amulet Books)
 Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
 Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
 Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, by G. Neri and Randy DuBurke (Lee & Low)
I’d like to know just who are these teens that are buying comics. I though they only read Manga.
What Should Win: Here today. Gone tomorrow.
What Will Win: Dapper Dan

Best Humor Publication
 Afrodisiac, by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca (Adhouse)
 Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book, by Ian Boothby, John Delaney, and Dan Davis (Bongo)
 Drinking at the Movies, by Julia Wertz (Three Rivers Press/Crown)
 I Thought You Would Be Funnier, by Shannon Wheeler (BOOM!)
 Literature: Unsuccessfully Competing Against TV Since 1953, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish Studios)
 Prime Baby, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
Great Christmas presents for people in your life that understand you, but don’t understand why you like comics.
What Should Win: Oscar Gamble
What Will Win: Funny business

Best Anthology
 The Anthology Project, edited by Joy Ang and Nick Thornborrow (Lucidity Press)
 Korea as Viewed by 12 Creators, edited by Nicolas Finet (Fanfare&midot;Ponent Mon)
 Liquid City, vol. 2, edited by Sonny Liew and Lim Cheng Tju (Image)
 Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard, edited by Paul Morrissey and David Petersen (Archaia)
 Trickster: Native American Tales, edited by Matt Dembicki (Fulcrum Books)
Anthologies are important on a number of fronts. Besides being fun, when you read them you can show up your LCS friends every Wednesday.
What Should Win: Seoul survivor
What Will Win: On Guard!

Best Digital Comic
 Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc
 The Bean, by Travis Hanson, www.beanleafpress.com
 Lackadaisy, by Tracy Butler, www.lackadaisycats.com
 Max Overacts, by Caanan Grall, occasionalcomics.com
 Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil, www.zahrasparadise.com
You have to wonder when the Eisner’s will expand the Digital category, it’s growing by terabytes every year.
What Should Win: Pass the Bean dip
What Will Win: Abomination!

Best Reality-Based Work
 It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
 Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Special Exits: A Graphic Memoir, by Joyce Farmer (Fantagraphics)
 Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Terrible Axe Man of New Orleans, by Rick Geary (NBM)
 Two Generals, by Scott Chantler (McClelland & Stewart)
 You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage, by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics)
Reality in comics, usually means tragedy, so it may be a tough read for some of you. However , if you got through Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #3, you’ll be OK.
What Should Win: Lumber Jack of the Bayou
What Will Win: Digging in the dirt

Best Graphic Album-New
 Elmer, by Gerry Alanguilan (SLG)
 Finding Frank and His Friend: Previously Unpublished Work by Clarence ‘Otis’ Dooley, by Melvin Goodge (Curio & Co.)
 Market Day, by James Sturm (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)
 Wilson, by Daniel Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)
I’ve heard nothing but good things about all these books, but especially the latter two.
What Should Win: Dapper Dandy, Baby!
What Will Win: Serve and Volley

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
 The Amazing Screw-on Head and Other Curious Objects, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
 Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
 Motel Art Improvement Service, by Jason Little (Dark Horse)
 The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis, by Ian Boothby, James Lloyd, and Steve Steere Jr. (Abrams Comicarts)
 Tumor, by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon (Archaia)
 Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)
Wednesday Comics was my #1 book of 2010 and with good reason. The original newspaper comics were an undertaking the likes we rarely see in comics these days and the collected edition was exceptional.
What Should Win: Bender and Barney
What Will Win: Day 4

Best Adaptation from Another Work
 Dante’s Divine Comedy, adapted by Seymour Chwast (Bloomsbury)
 The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, adapted by Joann Sfar (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
 The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
 7 Billion Needles, vols. 1 and 2, adapted from Hal Clement’s Needle by Nobuaki Tadano (Vertical)
 Silverfin: A James Bond Adventure, adapted by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker (Disney/Hyperion Books)
Adaptations are always tricky as they are interpretations of other great works for a brand new audience. Add to that if you mess with it too much and the natives get restless.
What Should Win: Divine intervention
What Will Win: You look Marvelous!

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips
 Archie: The Complete Daily Newspaper Strips, 1946–1948, by Bob Montana, edited by Greg Goldstein (IDW)
 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective, by G. B. Trudeau (Andrews McMeel)
 George Heriman’s Krazy Kat: A Celebration of Sundays, edited by Patrick McDonnell and Peter Maresca (Sunday Press Books)
 Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, by Cliff Sterrett, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW)
 Roy Crane’s Captain Easy, vol. 1, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)
IDW and Dean Mullaney could win this category every year, the craftsmanship and love for the medium shows up in every book that is published. Unfortunately for them they won last year with Bloom County.
What Should Win: Tie – Polly want a comic?
What Will Win: Zonkers!

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books
 Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
 The Horror! The Horror! Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read!, edited by Jim Trombetta (Abrams Comicart)
 The Incal Classic Collection, by Alexandro Jodorowsky and Moebius (Humanoids)
 Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, edited by Art Spiegelman (The Library of America)
 Thirteen “Going on Eighteen,” by John Stanley (Drawn & Quarterly)
This may seem like it’s a tough one to call, but it really isn’t. The Rocketeer won last year, so I have to take it out of the runing. As far as The Incal goes, I couldn’t find any info on the Classic Collection, just the Oversized Deluxe Hardcover with Slipcase that was limited to 750 copies – hard to vote on it if no one read it. Spiegelman’s book didn’t get a wide audience either. The Library of America is not the same as The Library of American Comics from IDW. So we have two left:
What Should Win: Wertham’s lament
What Will Win: Betty and Veronica in the Twilight Zone

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
 It Was the War of the Trenches, by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
 The Killer: Modus Vivendi, by Matz and Luc Jacamon (Archaia)
 King of the Flies, Book One: Hallorave, by Mezzo and Pirus (Fantagraphics)
 The Littlest Pirate King, by David B. and Pierre Mac Orlan (Fantagraphics)
 Salvatore, by Nicolas De Crécy (NBM)
The more I listen to the 11 O’Clock Comics podcast, the more I hear great things about Jacques Tardi. It’s not for everyone though. This is Fantagraphics category to lose.
What Should Win: War is Hell
What Will Win: Flies Me to the Moon

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia
 Ayako, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
 Bunny Drop, by Yumi Unita (Yen Press)
 A Drunken Dream and Other Stories, by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)
 House of Five Leaves, by Natsume Ono (VIZ Media)
 Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
I’m going to guess this one. Feel free to call it on your own.
What Should Win: You say Ayako, I say Ayako
What Will Win: Century 21

Best Writer
 Ian Boothby, Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book; Futurama Comics #47–50;Simpsons Comics #162, 168; Simpsons Super Spectacular #11–12 (Bongo)
 Joe Hill, Locke & Key (IDW)
 John Layman, Chew (Image)
 Jim McCann, Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia)
 Nick Spencer, Morning Glories, Shuddertown, Forgetless, Existence 3.0(Image)
Archaia had a huge presence at C2E2 this year and everyone had their 2010-11 signature book.
What Should Win: Spencer For Hire
What Will Win: I McCann Read Comic Books

Best Writer/Artist
 Dan Clowes, Wilson (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)
 Joe Kubert, Dong Xoai, Vietnam 1965 (DC)
 Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Studio)
 James Sturm, Market Day (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys (VIZ Media)
Ah, The Best Of Both World’s. Very hard to call this one. So I’ll go with own own personal favorites.
What Should Win: Give me the Kuball, I’ll break.
What Will Win: What’s Cookeing?

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
 Richard Corben, Hellboy (Dark Horse)
 Stephen DeStefano, Lucky in Love Book One: A Poor Man’s Story(Fantagraphics)
 Rob Guillory, Chew (Image)
 Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key (IDW)
 Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel)
I have such respect for the artist, if I had 1/10 the talent of these guys I’d be a happy man.
What Should Win: Angel Gabriel
What Will Win: Young Frankenstein

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
 Lynda Barry, Picture This: The Nearsighted Monkey Book (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Brecht Evens, The Wrong Place (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)
 Janet Lee, Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia)
 Eric Liberge, On the Odd Hours (NBM)
 Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know Book 2: Collateral Damage (Fantagraphics)
I’m not sure how much work painting is compared to other forms of comic art, but I’m sure it isn’t easy.
What Should Win: Sad sack
What Will Win: Psycho!

Best Cover Artist
 Rodin Esquejo, Morning Glories (Shadowline/Image)
 Dave Johnson, Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain (Dark Horse); Unknown Soldier (Vertigo/DC); Punisher/Max, Deadpool (Marvel)
 Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse)
 David Petersen, Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard (Archaia)
 Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)
2011 had so many great covers. This is another category I wouldn’t want to choose.
What Should Win: Johnson & Johnson
What Will Win: Blank page

Best Coloring
 Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
 Metaphrog (Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers), Louis: Night Salad(Metaphrog)
 Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian(Vertigo/DC)
 Hilary Sycamore, City of Spies, Resistance, Booth, Brain Camp, Solomon’s Thieves (First Second)
 Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint (Drawn & Quarterly)
Whenever I see the word Colorist, I’m always reminded how absurd it is that the Marvel Essentials and DC Showcase Presents credit the professional. FYI, Stewart won last year.
What Should Win: Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a Stew
What Will Win: Warehouse

Best Lettering
 Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)
 Dan Clowes, Wilson (Drawn & Quarterly)
 Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules!: True Things (Adults Don’t Want Kids to Know), Amelia Rules!: The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
 Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC);Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel);Driver for the Dead (Radical)
 Doug TenNapel, Ghostopolis (Scholastic Graphix)
 Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library 20: Lint (Drawn & Quarterly)
David Mazzuccheilli won this category last year for Asterios Polyp. I wonder if that level of lettering brilliance will ever be equaled? Probably not.
What Should Win: Darwynism
What Will Win: Klienfeld

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
 Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
 The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald (www.comicsbeat.com)
 ComicBookResources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com )
 ComicsAlliance, produced by Laura Hudson (www.comicsalliance.com )
 The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon (www.comicsreporter.com )
 USA Today Comics Section, by Life Section Entertainment Editor Dennis Moore; Comics Section Lead, John Geddes (www.usatoday.com/life/comics/index )
I’m a bit biased since I work freelance with TwoMorrows. All listed here are a bit different and share from each other. And besides, what is comics journalism? Blogging, podcasting, The Comics Journal? Wait, why isn’t TCJ nominated? (BTW, Tom won last year.)
What Should Win: Avatar
What Will Win: Capital reserve

Best Comics-Related Book
 Doonesbury and the Art of G. B. Trudeau, by Brian Walker (Yale University Press)
 Fire and Water: Bill Everett, the Sub-Mariner, and the Birth of Marvel Comics, by Blake Bell (Fantagraphics)
 The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, by Denis Kitchen and Charles Brownstein, edited by John Lind and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse Books)
 Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear (Abrams Comicarts)
 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, by Paul Levitz (TASCHEN)
I saw the 75 years book with my own eyes. I’m still looking at it.
What Should Win: Subby and Hot Head: A Timely Affair
What Will Win: You’ll be done with this book 75 years from now

Best Publication Design
 Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition, designed by Randall Dahlk (IDW)
 Polly and Her Pals Complete Sunday Comics, vol. 1, designed by Lorraine Turner and Dean Mullaney (IDW)
 Return of the Dapper Men, designed by Todd Klein (Archaia)
 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, designed by Josh Baker (TASCHEN)
 Two Generals, designed by Jennifer Lum (McClelland & Stewart)
75 Years probably deserves to win, but Absolute Justice won that last year, so it’s time to spread the wealth around.
What Should Win: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
What Will Win: Look’n good, my man

Check back after Comic-Con 2011 to see how we did.