The winners of the 15th annual Joe Shuster Awards were announced this weekend, which included Chip Zdarsky, Emily Carroll, Karl Kerschl and more.
Established in 2004, The Joe Shuster Awards are Canada’s national award recognizing outstanding achievement in the creation of comic books, graphic novels and webcomics. Named in honor of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, the awards recognize the best of the Canadian comics world; nominees must be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada. The winners were chosen by a jury.
Congratulations to this year’s winners, whose names are in bold below::
ARTIST
- Dylan Burnett – Cosmic Ghost Rider (Marvel Comics), Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers 2018 Annual (BOOM! Studios), Reactor (Vault Comics)
- Emily Carroll – Speak: The Graphic Novel (Farrar, Straus And Giroux)
- Marc Delafontaine – Les Nombrils 08: Ex, Drague Et Rock’n’roll! (Dupuis)
- Mike Feehan – Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (Dc Comics)
- Karl Kershl – Isola (Image Comics)
- Sacha Lefebvre – U-merlin (éditions Michel Quintin)
- Yanick Paquette – Action Comics, Wonder Woman Earth One Book Two (DC Comics)
- Denis Rodier – Arale (Dargaud)
WRITER
- Maryse Dubuc, Marc Delafontaine – Les Nombrils 08 Ex, Drague Et Rock’n’roll! (Dupuis)
- Meredith Finch – Xena: Warrior Princess (Dynamite Entertainment), Rose (Image Comics)
- Jean-francois Laliberte – U-merlin (éditions Michel Quintin)
- Jeff Lemire – Black Hammer: Age Of Doom, Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, Doctor Star & The Kingdom Of Lost Tomorrows, Quantum Age (Dark Horse), The Terrifics (DC Comics), Descender, Gideon Falls, Hit-Girl (Image Comics), The Sentry (Marvel Comics), Bloodshot: Salvation (Valiant)
- Tristan Roulot – Arale (Dargaud)
- Chip Zdarsky – Marvel 2-In-One, Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man (Marvel Comics), The Wicked + The Divine: The Funnies (Image Comics)
- Jim Zub – Dungeons & Dragons: Evil At Baldur’s Gate (IDW), Wayward (Image Comics), Avengers, The Champions, Hunt For Wolverine: Mystery In Madripoor, Infinity Countdown: Champions (Marvel Comics), Rick & Morty Vs. Dungeons & Dragons (Oni Press)
CARTOONIST
- Ho Che Anderson – Godhead (Fantagraphics)
- Emily Carroll – Beneath The Dead Oak Tree (Shortbox)
- Svetlana Chmakova – Crush (Yen Press)
- Johnnie Christmas – Firebug (Image Comics)
- Francis Desharnais – Le Petite Russie (éditions Pow Pow)
- Michel Falardeau – L’esprit Du Camp T.2 (Studio Lounak)
- Faith Erin Hicks – The Divided Earth: Nameless City Vol. 3 (First Second)
- Jeff Lemire – Royal City (Image Comics)
- Mikael – Giant T.2 (Dargaud)
Gene Day Award FOR SELF-PUBLISHED COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS
- Beaver Damn 2 – A. Shay Hahn
- Christie Pits – Jamie Michaels, Doug Fedrau
- Happily Ever After – Ricky Lima, Nicolas Londeix, Andrew Thomas
- Hockey Apocalypse Season 4: Cult Of Hockey – Jeff Martin
- Les Animaux Se Revoltant (Ringo Starr Aussi) – Val-bleu
- The Complete Squid-gee Octology – Keenan Poloncsak
GENE DAY AWARD FOR INDEPENDENT PRESS ANTHOLOGY COLLECTIONS
- Cauldron 1 (Shane Heron)
- Gothic Tales Of Haunted Love (Bedside Press)
- Jewish Comics Anthology Vol. 2 (Ah Comics)
- Swan Song (Cloudscape Comics Collective)
- Toronto Comics: Osgoode As Gold (To Comix Press)
- Wayward Sisters (To Comix Press)
The Dragon Award (Comics for Kids)
- Peter and Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths – Graham Annable (First Second)
- Crafty Cat and the Great Butterfly Battle – Charise Mericle Harper (First Second)
- The Nameless City: The Divided Earth – Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)
- Crush – Svetlana Chmakova (Yen Press)
- 13e Avenue – Genevieve Pettersen et Francois Vigneault (La Pasteque)
- Aventurosaure tome 1 – Julien Pare-Sorel (Presses Aventure)
TM MAPLE AWARD (FOR ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSIDE THE CREATIVE)
Jennifer Haines. A leading Canadian comic retailer for over 20 years, Jenn Haines has been an active and vocal supporter of the comics industry and the role comics and comic shops have in their communities. She established the Comics in the Classroom initiative to help educators use comics and graphic novels in their classrooms to improve student literacy.
Harry Kremer Award (Retailers)
- Alpha Comics (Calgary, AB)
- Cape and Cowl Comics (Lower Sackville, NS)
- Comic Book Addiction (Whitby, ON)
- Comic Hunter (Moncton, NC)
- Curious Comics (Victoria, BC)
- Cyber City Comics (North York, ON)
- Variant Edition (Edmonton, AB)
HARRY KREMER AWARD (Special Bonus)
Eisner Award-Winning Guelph, ON retailer The Dragon celebrated their 20th Anniversary in 2018. In 2019 they are being given an honorary Harry Kremer Award for their Contributions to the Canadian comic retail landscape and beyond.
As an awards sponsor and booster, they have self-omitted themselves previously from consideration for the Kremer Award, but unbeknownst to them, the Awards Executive felt that in light of their special anniversary year as well as the JSA’s 15th, and in lieu of Jenn being honored with the TM Maple Award and the awards being presented in Guelph that all of these factors added up to it being the right time for the Dragon to officially be included to the short list of Canada’s top comic retailers. Congratulations Jenn!
Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame
Al Hewetson (1946-2004)
(active from 1970-1999)
Alan Hewetson was a Scottish-Canadian writer and editor of American horror-comics magazines, best known for his work with the 1970s publisher Skywald Publications, where he created what he termed the magazines’ “Horror-Mood” sensibility. He went on to become a publisher of city magazines in Canada.
Gerhard (1959-)
(active 1984-present)
Gerhard is the professional name of a Canadian artist known for the elaborately detailed background illustrations in the comics series Cerebus the Aardvark.
Dale Keown (1962-)
(active 1986-present)
Dale Keown is a Canadian comic book artist, known for his runs on The Incredible Hulk and his creator-owned book, Pitt.
Ken Lashley (1967-)
(active 1988-present)
Ken Lashley is a prolific artist and editor, credited as a colorist, penciller, cover colorist, inker, finisher, cover, and variant cover artist, has worked across the comic book industry with DC (The Flash, Cyborg, Suicide Squad, Superwoman, Batwing, Superboy) and Marvel (Excalibur, X-Men, Rising Stars, Black Panther, Spider-Man).