South Korean cartoonist Sanho has become the first Korean creator to win an Eisner Award, one of the comics industry’s most prestigious honors.
Publisher Munhakdongne announced Friday that Sanho’s “Purgatory Funeral Cakes” won Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Asia at this year’s Eisner Awards. The 38th Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented on July 24 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront during Comic-Con International in California, with winners announced across 32 categories.
The Asia category honors the best work of Asian comics translated and published in English in North America. Originally established in 2007 as a Japan-only category, it expanded to include all of Asia in 2010. Sanho’s book beat out four other finalists for this year’s award.
Korean comics have been nominated in the category before: Kim Dong-hwa’s “The Story of Life on the Golden Fields” (2010), Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s graphic novel “Grass” (nominated in three categories in 2020) and Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok’s “Hell” (2023).
“Purgatory Funeral Cakes” is a fantasy graphic novel set in a bakery that makes cakes for the dead, told through an omnibus of stories about the customers who come to order them. The series began with its first volume in 2021 and concluded with a third volume in 2025.
Rights have been sold in nine countries beyond the US, including Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and France. The English edition was published last year by Dark Horse Comics, translated by Danny Lim.
Established in 1988 and named for comics legend Will Eisner (1917–2005), the Eisner Awards recognize the best work and creators published in North America each year. Alongside France’s Angouleme <a href="https://comicvibe.com/pachinko-star-kim-minha-to-open-busan-film-festival/” title=”'Pachinko' star Kim Minha to open Busan film festival”>Festival and the US Harvey Awards, it is regarded as one of the industry’s three most prestigious international honors.
