Mike Richardson, Jim Shooter at C2E2

DARK HORSE TO KICK OFF NEW GOLD KEY COMICS PROGRAM AT C2E2!


LEGENDARY CREATORS JIM SHOOTER AND MIKE RICHARDSON TO RE-INTRODUCE FANS TO THESE ICONIC SUPERHEROES

Dark Horse and Classic Media announced today that this weekend’s C2E2 convention will be the launch for the much-anticipated new Gold Key Comics program. Fans will have the chance to meet Dark Horse President Mike Richardson and creator Jim Shooter, and gain insider information on what to expect from this summer’s upcoming releases. News of the line was first announced at San Diego Comic Con International 2009, and fans have been anxiously awaiting details ever since.

“Jim and I share a great affection for these terrific characters. We have some very exciting ideas on how to introduce them to a whole new generation of fans.” said Mike Richardson, president of Dark Horse Comics. “C2E2 is just the beginning.”

“I've done this long enough to know when it feels right -- and it does -- so there's a chance, at least, that it is. I stand on the shoulders of giants like Manning, Newman and Du Bois,” said Jim Shooter. “On top of that I've had terrific support from Mike Richardson and Senior Editor Chris Warner, plus great art from Bill Reinhold and Dennis Calero. Overture, curtain, lights...!”

In addition, throughout the C2E2 weekend, Dark Horse will announce the creative teams and more titles in the works for Gold Key. Then, the new line will kick off in print only a few weeks later, on Saturday, May 1st, as part of Free Comic Book Day, and fans can look for exciting promotional Apps on iTunes in early May.

Doctor Solar, the first title in the line, will arrive in stores this summer!


About Dark Horse Comics
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and bestselling prose author, Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as The Mask, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Additionally, their highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Mass Effect, Tim Burton, Serenity and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry's leading publisher of licensed material.

About Classic Media™
Classic Media, one of the world’s largest independent entertainment companies, is a leader in reinventing the classics of yesterday and creating the entertainment classics of tomorrow. The Company owns and manages a globally-recognized portfolio of well-known family and pop-culture entertainment brands, including Casper the Friendly Ghost®, Where’s Waldo?®, The Lone Ranger®, Gold Key Comics, Lassie®, Postman Pat®, and new global brands Tinga Tinga Tales® and Guess with Jess®. Big Idea, a member of the Classic Media family, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children’s programming, including the best-selling animated series, VeggieTales®. More than 3,600 hours of Classic Media programming is distributed in more than 170 territories worldwide and showcased in multiple formats, including TV, film, home video, consumer products, publishing, digital, and music.

ZombieBomb Sells Out at Boston Comic Con

ZombieBomb! Sold Out at Boston Comic Con on Day 1


Word from the Terminal Press ZombieBomb! booth at the Boston Comic Con came in before the finish of the first day that all copies had completely sold out. With a whole other day left of the convention, the ZombieBomb! creative team will be sketching and directing fans to the Terminal Press website to pick up copies from a limited supply of ZombieBomb! books that will ship out from the publisher this upcoming week.

Since it's debut, ZombieBomb! has become a hit with both critics and fans alike. Terminal Press has already exhausted their supply of the limited run first printing and plans on releasing the book to comic shops and book stores in the near future. More information will be available at terminalpress.com in the coming weeks.

"ZombieBomb! Dead Not Dead" is available in limited supply at TerminalPress.com (http://www.terminalpress.com/comics/zombies.html).

Visit the Terminal Press Fan Page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terminal-Press/110121042984.

Visit the ZombieBomb! Fan Page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zombie-Bomb-Comic-Anthology/151064240675

Comic Book Shops to Experience a "Flare" Up in 2010

ALL-NEW FLARE ADVENTURES COMING YOUR WAY IN 2010!


Comics' glittering goddess of light returns in this year with a series of all-new adventures!

In begins in June, in FLARE ANNUAL #3. In this special ANNUAL edition of FLARE, her regular newspaper comic strip artist, SEAN HARRINGTON, makes his FLARE comic book debut with a brilliant cover, plus a fabulously rendered all-new adventure featuring FLARE battling crime in San Francisco, side-by-side with her police officer boyfriend, LUCAS MADISON. This story also serves as a prologue to Flare's 25th Anniversary celebration, coming your way in the summer of 2011.

Then in July, in the pages of FLARE ADVENTURES #26, when comics' glittering goddess of the light meets the world's sexiest spy, it's time to go SPYING WITH LANA! In this booklength crossover epic, enjoy a SEAN HARRINGTON tour de force as he brings two of his favorite females together for the very first time. If you'd like to learn more about Lana, check out Sean's popular "Spying with Lana" webcomic, updated every Monday and Thursday at www.spyingwithlana.com.

In September the regular FLARE comic book title returns to bimonthly publication with issue #39, featuring a complete 16-page FLARE adventure by Dennis Mallonee and Sean Harrington, revealing the secret origin of the super-swift DASH, and featuring special guest appearances by none other than the explosive BLONDE BOMBSHELL and the ever-naughty BLACK ENCHANTRESS! There's trouble in store when the maniacal super-speedster rises up from his deathbed, gives the slip to his keepers, and sets his sights on vengeance against an unsuspecting FLARE! Also in this issue, Dennis Mallonee, Gordon Purcell, and Terry Pallot bring you a suprise solo adventure starring Flare's police officer boyfriend, LUCAS MADISON! When the luscious LADY DARKON decides she wants hunky Lucas for herself, and recruits help from APHRODITE in order to get him, how in the world is a mere mortal ever going to be able to resist the mind-altering potions of the Olympian goddess of love?

And in November, in FLARE #40, in an adventure that ties in directly with events in LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS #13, FLARE faces "The Challenge of the Steel Shrike," an all-new tale by Dennis Mallonee and Duval Stowers. Also in this issue: The BLACK ENCHANTRESS stars in a surprise solo adventure as she takes it on herself to deal with a few loose ends that need some tying up. "Andrea's Adventure in Olympus" is an all-new tale by Dennis Mallonee and J. Adam Walters that helps set the stage for our glittering goddess of the light's 25th Anniversary celebration, coming your way in the summer of 2011!

Heroic Publishing's full-color comic book titles are now distributed exclusively through the new ComicsMonkey distribution service, www.comicsmonkey.com. Single copy purchases can be made from the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com, or from IndyPlanet at www.indyplanet.com.

FLARE™, BLACK ENCHANTRESS™, DASH™, LADY DARKON™ BLONDE BOMBSHELL™ STEEL SHRIKE™ and LUCAS MADISON™ are trademarks of Heroic Publishing, Inc. SPYING WITH LANA™ is a trademark of Harrington Artwerkes.

Heroic Publishing Announces Contest

WANT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FLARE DOING NEXT?

Heroic Publishing is letting fans decide what FLARE will be doing next!

Later this year, Heroic will produce a series of 10 full-color, limited edition posters featuring comics' glittering goddess of light. And in each of those 10 posters, it will be a Flare fan who says exactly what she's doing!

It's the official FLARE POSTER CONTEST! From now through the end of May, you can visit Flare's website (at www.heroicpub.com/flare), enter the contest, and tell Heroic what you want to see on a FLARE poster!

Heroic's going to take the ten best ideas they get, have each of them drawn by one of FLARE's great artists, and print them up as limited edition, autographed, full-color FLARE posters. And for each poster, the fan who suggested the idea will get the #1 copy! (In case of duplicate ideas, the earliest submission will win.)

Fans can make multiple suggestions, and enter the contest many times as they like!

So visit the Heroic Publishing website, and submit your idea to the FLARE POSTER CONTEST today!

Heroic Publishing's full-color comic book titles are now distributed exclusively through the new ComicsMonkey distribution service, www.comicsmonkey.com. Single copy purchases can be made from the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com, or from IndyPlanet at www.indyplanet.com.

Heroic Publishing Offers Discounts

GET 33% OFF FLARE AND CHAMPIONS BACK ISSUES WITH HERO CREDITS!

Did you know that if you use Heroic Publishing's new HERO CREDITS program to get back issues of FLARE, CHAMPIONS, and other Heroic Publishing titles, you can get up to 33% off the purchase price?

It's true! Once you register as a member of the Heroic Publishing website, a $50 donation gives you 7500 HERO CREDITS, which can then be redeemed for $75 worth of comics! Getting $75 of comics for only $50 is a discount of 33%!

So register and log in to the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com, check out our back issue page, find the issues you're missing, get those Hero Credits, and start saving today!

Heroic Publishing's full-color comic book titles are now distributed exclusively through the new ComicsMonkey distribution service, www.comicsmonkey.com. Single copy purchases can be made from the Heroic Publishing website at www.heroicpub.com, or from IndyPlanet at www.indyplanet.com.

FLARE™ is a trademark and CHAMPIONS® is a registered trademark of Heroic Publishing, Inc.

Jeremy Love at Meltdown Comics on Free Comic Book Day

RED FRAGGLE™ MAKES LIVE APPEARANCE ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY TO CELEBRATE RELEASE OF ARCHAIA’S ‘MOUSE GUARD/FRAGGLE ROCK’ FLIP BOOK

WRITER SAM HUMPHRIES AND ARTIST JEREMY LOVE ALSO ON HAND TO SIGN COPIES FOR FANS

To celebrate the release of its widely anticipated Free Comic Book Day flip book featuring fan-favorite properties Mouse Guard and Fraggle Rock™, Archaia is excited to announce RED FRAGGLE will make a live appearance on Free Comic Book Day (May 1, 2010) at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, Calif. to lead a short sing-along of favorite Fraggle Classics, take pictures with fans and sign comic books. Red and world-renowned puppeteer, KAREN PRELL, appear courtesy of The Jim Henson Company, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Archaia Entertainment and Meltdown Comics.

“This is such a nice treat for fans, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to work with the great folks at The Jim Henson Company, Lionsgate and Meltdown to make this possible,” said Archaia Marketing Manager Mel Caylo. “Karen and Red’s appearance at San Diego Comic-Con was highly anticipated and well attended, so we’re excited for them to come to Los Angeles and share their special magic in celebration of the release of our Free Comic Book Day issue.”

Archaia’s Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock Free Comic Book Day flip book will feature a brand-new Fraggle Rock story by written by SAM HUMPHRIES (CBGB: The Comic Book) and drawn by Eisner Award-nominated artist JEREMY LOVE (Bayou). Humphries and Love will be on hand at Meltdown Comics with RED FRAGGLE to sign copies of the free comic for fans.

The pair join an already star-studded lineup between the covers of Archaia’s Free Comic Book Day flip book, which also features an original Mouse Guard story by David Petersen, and another never-before-seen Fraggle Rock story written by Nichol Ashworth and drawn by Jake Myler (Undertown).

In addition, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will display a collection of Fraggle Rock DVDs from the original series that started it all, including FRAGGLE ROCK: THE COMPLETE SERIES COLLECTION, which includes the entire award-winning series with over 47 hours of content on 20 discs, as well as FRAGGLE ROCK: THE ANIMATED SERIES, now available for the first time on DVD.

Free Comic Book Day is a single day—the first Saturday in May each year—when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE to anyone who comes into their stores. Fans at the Meltdown event will be able to sample some of the best talents and stories in the industry, free of charge!

Red Fraggle is one of the five main characters of the “Fraggle Rock” TV show, an award-winning television series launched by The Jim Henson Company in 1983 about an imaginary, colorful and fun world comprised of creatures called Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs. The show ran for four seasons and became an international sensation. This global fan-favorite brand is as popular today as it was when it premiered more than 25 years ago with a robust consumer products plan featuring apparel, plush toys and even designer jewelry.

The fun starts at 11 a.m. local time on May 1, 2010 at Meltdown Comics (7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90046, 323-851-7223, www.meltcomics.com). Red Fraggle, Karen Prell, Sam Humphries and Jeremy Love will be ready to greet fans and sign autographs. As an added bonus, the fan-favorite Grilled Cheese Truck, a mobile kitchen that creates gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, will set up outside of Meltdown Comics to sell its wares to fans during the Free Comic Book Day event!

In a few weeks, Archaia will announce additional Free Comic Book Day signings taking place all over the country.


About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy®-nominated “Sid the Science Kid,” “Dinosaur Train,” “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America” and “Pajanimals.” Features include “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth,” “MirrorMask,” and “Unstable Fables” and television productions include “Fraggle Rock” and the sci-fi cult series “Farscape.”

With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment.

The Company’s Henson Alternative brand recently launched the New York run of “Stuffed and Unstrung,” a live puppet improvisational show at the Union Square Theatre. www.henson.com

About Archaia
Archaia has built an unparalleled reputation for producing meaningful content that perpetually transforms minds. With a slate including the popular Eisner Award-winning title Mouse Guard, as well as Awakening, The Killer, Gunnerkrigg Court, Robotika, Killing Pickman, Artesia and the Publisher’s latest additions of Titanium Rain; The God Machine; Roddenberry Productions’ Days Missing; The Jim Henson Company library; and Mr. Murder Is Dead and Lucid with Before the Door Pictures, Archaia has become synonymous with quality content.

For more information on Archaia or any Archaia titles please visit www.Archaia.com. Archaia can also be found on Facebook (facebook.com/archaiacomics), MySpace (myspace.com/archaiacomics) and Twitter (twitter.com/archaiacomics).

2010 Eisner Award Nominations

The 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees

Best Short Story
"Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)
"Gentleman John," by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)
"How and Why to Bale Hay," by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
"Hurricane," interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)
"Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Brave & the Bold #28: "Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
The Unwritten #5: "How the Whale Became," by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
Usagi Yojimbo #123: "The Death of Lord Hikiji" by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series
Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc
Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Wolverine #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: "Old Man Logan," by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best New Series
Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)
Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens
Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)
Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)

Best Humor Publication
Drinky Crow's Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
Little Lulu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (BOOM Kids!)
Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O'Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology
Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)

Best Digital Comic
Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl,
www.abominable.cc
Bayou, by Jeremy Love,
http://zudacomics.com/bayou
The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark,
www.gunsofshadowvalley.com
Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber,
www.act-i-vate.com/67.comic
Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart,
www.sintitulocomic.com/

Best Reality-Based Work
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
The Impostor's Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Stitches, by David Small (Norton)

Best Adaptation from Another Work
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album-New
Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint
Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996-2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips
Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW)
The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937-1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W. W. Denslow (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books
The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia
The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second)
A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)

Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction
Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
David Small, Stitches (Norton)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: "Exodus Noir" (Vertigo/DC)
Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
É Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Cover Artist
John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)
Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project Superpowers (Dynamite)
J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Coloring
Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)
Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Lettering
Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)
David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)
Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson www.comicsalliance.com
Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
(www.comicsreporter.com)

Best Comics-Related Book
Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)
Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)
Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US)

Best Publication Design
Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)