Canada has a rich tradition of supporting our national arts communities with awards that recognize the achievements of our citizens in books, music, stage, television and film – the JOE SHUSTER AWARD is Canada’s national award that honours and raises the awareness of Canadians that create, self-publish and sell comic books, digital comics and graphic novels.
They are named after pioneering Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster (July 10, 1914- July 30, 1992), whose clear, dynamic style and inventive visual flourishes set the standard for graphic storytelling during the infancy of the North American comic book industry. It was Superman, a co-creation of Shuster and his friend and neighbour Jerry Siegel, published by National Periodical Productions (now known as DC Comics) that electrified the industry over 75 years ago in 1938 and, almost overnight, transformed comic books into an enormous pop-cultural phenomenon and spawned a legion of costume-clad adventure heroes and heroines.shusteraward-portraitcolour6.jpg
It was the absence of Superman and his costumed peers from Canadian newsstands during World War II that would help spawn Canada’s first and last country-wide attempt at launching an indigenous, Canadian comic book industry and saw the rise of popular characters like Freelance, Nelvana and Johnny Canuck.
The end of the war eliminated these restrictions and Canadian comic companies disappeared shortly afterwards. Since then Canadian creators have been part of a larger North America-wide comic-book industry and in some cases, international publishing efforts, which is why we recognize Canadian creators who work within the framework of the larger comics ‘industry’ rather than only those creators who have successfully published their creations within Canada alone.
montreal-comiccon
The award winners will be chosen by a jury vote to ensure every nominee is given adequate consideration.
All images shown are copyright (c) and trademark (TM) their respective owners, and are used to promote the nominations.
The ceremony will take place at the Montreal Comic Con July 6-8, 2018 at the Palais des congrès, Montreal, QC. Exact date and time, room information and the Master of Ceremonies to be announced.
And the nominees are:
Webcomics Creator / Créateur de Bandes Dessinées Web
BOUMERIES – BOUM
MENAGE A 3 – GISELE LAGACE, DAVID LUMSDON (adult content)
SUBNORMALITY – WINSTON ROWNTREE
BUN TOONS – TY TEMPLETON
STRANGEBEARD – KELLY TINDALL
TRUE PATRIOT PRESENTS #2-6 – VARIOUS
RAGMOP – ROB WALTON
Writer / Scénariste
ED BRISSON – IRON FIST 1-7, 73, BULLSEYE 1-3, CABLE 150, OLD MAN LOGAN 25-29 (MARVEL COMICS)
MEREDITH FINCH – ROSE 1-6 (IMAGE COMICS), CATWOMAN: ELECTION NIGHT 1 (DC COMICS)
JEFF LEMIRE – DEATH OF X 3-4, EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN 16-20, IVX 1-6, MOON KNIGHT 8-14, OLD MAN LOGAN 13-24, THANOS 1-12 (MARVEL COMICS), BLOODSHOT REBORN 0, BLOODSHOT SALVATION 1-4, BLOODSHOT USA 4 (VALIANT COMICS), BLACK HAMMER 7-13, GIANT-SIZED ANNUAL 1, SHERLOCK FRANKENSTEIN AND THE LEGION OF EVIL 1-3 (DARK HORSE COMICS), DESCENDER 18-25 (IMAGE COMICS), HAWKMAN FOUND 1 (DC COMICS)
CHIP ZDARSKY – DR. STRANGE 1.MU, PETER PARKER – THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 1-5, STAR-LORD 1-6, ANNUAL 1 (MARVEL COMICS) HARLEY QUINN 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (DC COMICS)
JIM ZUB – AVENGERS 1.MU, SECRET EMPIRE UNITED 1, THUNDERBOLTS 7-12, UNCANNY AVENGERS 25-28, ZOMBIES ASSEMBLE 1-3, 0, ZOMBIES ASSEMBLE 2 1-2 (w/Yusako Komiyama) (MARVEL COMICS), GLITTERBOMB: THE FAME GAME 1-4, WAYWARD 21-25 (IMAGE COMICS), DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FROST GIANT’S FURY 3-5 (IDW) FREELANCE 1-4 (w/Andrew Wheeler) (CHAPTERHOUSE)
Cover Artist / Dessinateur Couvertures
MICHAEL CHO – DC Comics, Marvel Comics
MIKE DEL MUNDO – Marvel Comics
DALE KEOWN – Marvel Comics, DC Comics
MIKAEL – Dargaud
DJIBRIL MORISSETTE-PHAN – Chapterhouse, Image Comics
JULIE ROCHELEAU – Casterman
FIONA STAPLES – Image Comics
Artist / Dessinateur
MIKE DEL MUNDO – THE AVENGERS 1-6, 9-11, MIGHTY THOR 700 (MARVEL COMICS)
DAVID FINCH – BATMAN 16-20, 24 (DC COMICS)
STUART IMMONEN – AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 25-31, 789, MARVEL LEGACY 1 (MARVEL COMICS), EMPRESS 7 (ICON/MARVEL COMICS)
RAMON PEREZ – JANE (ARCHAIA), NOVA 1-5, 7, GENERATIONS: MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN, PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN 1 (MARVEL COMICS)
JULIE ROCHELEAU – BETTY BOOB (CASTERMAN)
FIONA STAPLES – SAGA 42-48 (IMAGE COMICS)
Cartoonist / Auteur
MICHEL FALARDEAU – L’ESPRIT DU CAMP (STUDIO LOUNAK)
RON KASMAN – THE TOWER OF COMIC BOOK FREAKS (CALIBER COMICS)
JEFF LEMIRE – ROUGHNECK (GALLERY 13), ROYAL CITY 1-8 (IMAGE COMICS)
LORNA MAPA – DURAN DURAN, IMELDA MARCOS AND ME (CONUNDRUM PRESS)
JOE OLLMANN – THE ABOMINABLE MR. SEABROOK (DRAWN+QUARTERLY)
STEVE SKROCE – MAESTROS 1-3 (IMAGE COMICS)
JILLIAN TAMAKI – BOUNDLESS (DRAWN+QUARTERLY)
FRANCOIS VIGNEAULT – TITAN (POW POW)
ANNE VILLENEUVE – UNE LONGUE CANICULE (MECANIQUE GENERALE)
Gene Day Award (Self-Publishers) / Prix Gene Day (Auto-éditeurs)
Named after the late Howard Eugene Day (1951-1982), this award honours Canadian comic book creators or creative teams who self-published their work but did not have the books distributed by a third party such as Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. The nominees were selected from individual publications submitted for review before the deadline of May 13th, 2017.
This year the award will be split into two categories:
Single Creator/Creative Team:
GLADIASAURS, BEAVER DAMN 1 – A. SHAY HAHN (C)
FEAST OF FIELDS – MOR: PART 1 – SEAN KAREMAKER (C)
DEAD CHARLIE T.3: LES AMAZONES DE VENUS – THIERRY LABROSSE (C)
WHERE IS ZORG?, WRESTLEMON – JEFF MARTIN (C)
HEROES OF HOMEROOM C – ANTHONY RUTTGAIZER (W) w/ Carlos Granda (A)
FIR VALLEY – JASON TURNER (C)
MARIE AND THE WORRYWART, MAGICAL BEATDOWN VOL.2 – JENN WOODALL (C)
(C)=Cartoonist, (A)=Artist, (W)=Writer
Anthology Format:
HOGTOWN HORROR – BOOK DESIGN AND LAYOUT BY TIM LAI (HOGTOWN COMICS)
MOONSHOT: THE INDIGENOUS COMICS COLLECTION VOL. 2 – EDITED BY HOPE NICHOLSON (AH COMICS)
RAID.ONE – EDITED BY ROB COUGHLER AND RAMON PEREZ (RAID STUDIO)
READ MORE COMICS 3 – DAVID CRAIG, JAMES SPENCER AND ROBB MIRSKY (READMORECOMIX.COM)
YONGE AT HEART – EDITED BY STEVE ANDREWS, AARON FELDMAN, ALLISON O’TOOLE (TORONTO COMICS)
Harry Kremer Award (Retailers) / Prix Harry Kremer (Détaillants)
Named after the Harry Kremer, the original owner of Now & Then Books (in Kitchener, Ontario). The CCBCAA maintains a list of active comic book stores across the country and a database of recommendations, referrals and secret shopper reports.
ALPHA COMICS – CALGARY, ALBERTA
COMIC READERS – REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN
DOWNTOWN COMICS – ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND
GOTHAM CENTRAL – MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO
LIBRAIRIE Z – MONTREAL, QUEBEC
TAZMANIAN COMICS – VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
TITAN GAMING AND COLLECTIBLES – WHITEHORSE, YUKON
The Dragon Award (Comics for Kids) / Le Prix Dragon (Bandes Dessinées pour Enfants)
This award recognizes the works which capture the attention and fascination of young readers, and help to create a passion for life-long reading. Works considered for this award are comic books and graphic novels by Canadian creators that are targeted at readers 14 and under. Nominees for this award are selected by a team of educators led by Jennifer Haines, MA, B.Ed., who is also the proprietor of Guelph, Ontario’s The Dragon comic book shop.
Nominees List Pending
The T.M. Maple Award / Prix T.M. Maple
The T.M. Maple Award will go to someone (living or deceased) selected from the Canadian comics community for achievements made outside of the creative and retail categories who have had a positive impact on the community.
2018 Recipient: MARK ASKWITH (1956-)
Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame / Temple de la renommée Créateur Canadien de Bandes Dessinées
SID BARRON (1917-2006)
JACQUES GOLDSTYN aka BORIS (1958-)
DAVID BOSWELL (1953-)
TOM GRUMMETT (1959-)
2018 sponsors include:
The Dragon
All New Comics
The Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund (CLLDF)
Montreal Comic Con
About Author
