News for Saturday, April 13, 2024

Here’s the latest news about Canadian comic book and graphic novel creators from this week for Saturday, April 13, 2024:

Doug Wright Award nominees announced
The nominees for the 20th Annual Doug Wright Awards were recently announced. They include:

The Doug Wright Award for best book

Val-d’Or Neon by Olivier Ballou (self-published)
A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll published by First Second
Harvey Knight’s Odyssey by Nick Maandag published by Drawn & Quarterly
Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman by Éloïse Marseille published by Pow Pow Press
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki published by Drawn & Quarterly
JAJ by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas published by Douglas & McIntyre

The Nipper: The Doug Wright Award for emerging talent

James Collier for The Lonesome Shepherd published by Wig Shop
Vincy Lim for When I was a kid I was taught how to die. Now that I’m an adult I’m learning how to live. (I love you.) and When She Set Fire to My Friends’ Houses (self-published)
Syd Madia for Syd Madia’s Dracula (self-published)
Christopher Twin for Bad Medicine published by Emanata/Conundrum
Kyle Vingoe-Cram for Kettle Harbour published by Conundrum

The Pigskin Peters: The Doug Wright Award for best small- or micro-press book

Endsickness No. 2 by Sofia Alarcon (self-published)
The Lonesome Shepherd by James Collier published by Wig Shop
Old Caves by Tyler Landry published by Uncivilized
Power 9: Part One by John Little and David Little (self-published)
Index by Sven, Rachel Evangeline Chiong, and Joyce Kim (self-published)

The Egghead: The Doug Wright Award for best kids’ book

ThunderBoom by Jack Briglio and Claudia Dávila published by Kids Can Press
Pluto Rocket: New in Town by Paul Gilligan published by Tundra Books
Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks published by First Second
Otis & Peanut by Naseem Hrab and Kelly Collier published by Owlkids Books
Bad Medicine by Christopher Twin published by Emanata/Conundrum

The 20th annual Doug Wright Awards takes place on Saturday, May 11th, at 8 p.m. ET, at the Arts & Letters Club, 14 Elm Street, Toronto, hosted by Dustin Harbin. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube. Read more at https://dougwrightawards.com/announcing-the-nominees-of-the-20th-annual-doug-wright-awards/

Spring for Canadian children’s books
CBC Books published a list of 32 Canadian books for children to read this spring. Notables on the list include:
– Simon and Chester: Super Friends! by Cale Atkinson
– The Racc Pack by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Whitney Gardner
– Club Microbe by Elise Gravel
– The Kodiaks by David A. Robertson
– Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas with Hilary Jenkins
Read more at https://www.cbc.ca/books/32-canadian-books-for-children-to-check-out-in-spring-2024-1.7166492

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s the most valuable comic in the world!
Smithsonian Magazine reported that 1938’s Action Comics #1 sold for a record breaking USD $6 million at a recent auction. Illustrated by Canadian Joe Shuster and written by Jerry Siegel, Action Comics #1 from the auction is described in the article as ‘very fine’ with a grade of 8.5 out of 10 according to a CGC grading. Read more at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/original-superman-is-now-the-most-valuable-comic-book-in-the-world-180984125/

Comic Con comes to Angus, Ontario
CTV News Barrie wrote about the recent Comic Con that came to Angus, Ontario. Quotes included Zelpha Comics Cardboard Artist Lue Nuwame and event organizer David Wyldstar who said commented these and other comic cons are ‘very multi-generational’. Read more at https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/comic-enthusiasts-packed-the-angus-recreation-centre-for-annual-comic-con-1.6837148

More Ducks for Canadians
Bleeding Cool reported that Ducks: Ten Years In The Oil Sands by Kate Beaton was the biggest selling book in Canada for 2023. BookNet Canada was the source of the news while the article also reiterated that Ducks won Canada Reads. Read more at https://bleedingcool.com/comics/kate-beatons-ducks-was-the-biggest-selling-canadian-book-in-2023/

Jeff Lemire teams up with BOOM! Studios
Forbes wrote that Jeff Lemire has agreed to write and illustrate a new untitled ongoing series for BOOM! Studios. The article said no plot details have been revealed. The only hint is a teaser logo — the triangular Eye of Providence (famously printed on the American dollar bill). Read more at https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshweiss/2024/04/10/black-hammer–sweet-tooth-creator-jeff-lemire-teams-with-boom-studios-for-new-ongoing-series/?sh=34fbab541c5d

Writer Cecil Castellucci to become a comic book
Bleeding Cool reported that Cecil Castelluci has a new project called ‘I am the comic book’ with the novel idea of getting artist-designed tattoos. The unique manner for created a comic book will feature a sequential story illustrated by 24 artists including Pia Guerra, Sanya Anwar, Faith Erin Hicks and more to come. Read more at https://bleedingcool.com/comics/cecil-castellucci-to-become-her-own-comic-book-with-artist-tattoos/

And in case you missed it, check out this interviews from the week:
– Thom chats with True North Country Comics Podcast about his new graphic novel Botanica Drama from Pow Pow Press.
– Graham Misiurak chats with True North Country Comics Podcast about his comic book plans for Artsy Fartsy Con 2024.
– Boum chats with True North Country Comics Podcast about her new graphic novel ‘The Jellyfish’ from Pow Pow Press.