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I’ve been a comics fan for as long as I could perceive art with my own eyes. From X-Men through to Teen Titans, I’ve been consumed by this world of heroes that shaped the person I am today. I remember being in grade school and having my Frank Miller Daredevil book torn up in front of those same two eyes because it was “lame” to read comics.
And then, without warning, two decades later I find myself attending the Eisner Awards.
Not as a fan, but as a collaborator of this industry. I sat in this room of greatness to support the Eisner nominees and judges that I am grateful enough to call my friends and colleagues. At my table I am loudly cheering beside Eisner nominated 2000 AD editor Oliver Pickles, Bulgilhan Press Editor-in-Chief Zach Clemente, award-winning comics writer Paul Cornell, Shelfdust journalist Steve Morris and so many other people.
Rewind to the previous day. I am working at the 2000 AD booth when Tiffany Babb, a friend and Eisner judge, scurries over to tell us the news that the Eisner winners list has been leaked. She then asked us if we’d like to know who won in the respective categories. Oliver and Steve, already skeptical they’d win, both said yes. I watched expressions of sadness cross their faces followed by relief. Steve expressed his joy that his not-really-rival and more-really-friend David Harper had won instead, saying “Well deserved”. Having briefly met Harper at Comics Pro and followed his work, I couldn’t have agreed more.
Our group reacted with another question, “will anyone still attend the Eisners now?” and that really worried me. Would anyone care now that the winners were public? Would anyone show up in solidarity or support? Although I’d been part of the comics community from the outside for years, I had only recently begin to understand the internal side of things. I was curious how things would go; to me the appropriate answer would be to go and support the phenomenal people nominated regardless of if they’d won or not. Being nominated is the dream of so many, and deserves respect and recognition among peers after a hard year of work, surely.
I also heard about the new direction for the ceremony and, amid rumors hoping the Eisners would be as prestigious as the Oscars one day, I arrived expecting a more lavish and serious event than in previous years. Only really knowing stories from friends about what to expect, I decided to dress the part and match the elevated approach for the show. There were smart new elements like Comic Book Couples Counseling and Near Mint Condition running the Blue Carpet, and the show as a whole sounded like it was working to truly match that ideal of an “Oscars for Comics”.
The night arrived, and so did a packed house. The Blue Carpet was popping, and the food disappeared so quickly that the three of us shared a single plate of chicken, piled as high as the remnants of the buffet would allow. The lights went down and the room immediately had the insane feeling of camaraderie. It was like sitting down for prom at the end of the school year; like it was a season finale for comics and the tension was relieved as we all felt “we’ve made it… together”. The ceremony was filled with laughter, excitement, and tears; each table cheering for their peers. It was beyond beautiful to witness the love and support shown to every presenter and nominee alike. The applause and cheers never stopped. It felt as though the leaked list of winners actually relieved the tension allowing everyone the ability to appreciate what was happening before us.
Several moments stood out for me, such as the love shown to Jenny Blake Isabella for winning the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. She talked about her struggles coming out as a trans woman so late in life but determined to make everyone know it’s never too late to start living as your true self. Later, George Takei won Best Graphic Memoir for his book It Rhymes With Takei, receiving a beautiful standing ovation while sharing similar support for the queer community.
The moment that affected me most was Absolute Martian Manhunter writer Deniz Camp’s speech after winning Best New Series. His speech, which you can just about find online, went as follows:
“In this book we talk about xenophobia, institutional failure, racism, disability, and injustice. As we accept this honor for our fictional crisis it’s important to acknowledge the real world crisis going on all around us, that is the genocide in Palestine, the dehumanization of trans people, the targeting and criminalization of minorities and immigrants, rising tide of fascism, and much more. As artists and as human beings it is incumbent upon us all to call these things what they are and stand against them in whatever ways we can. Freedom of speech is a right not a privilege. A right that comes with responsibility. ABOLISH ICE, FREE PALESTINE, AND CRUSH FASCISTS. Thank you very much.”
The passionate speech deeply moved the room, setting the tone for the rest of the night. For me it also felt like it filled everyone with hope for the future of what comics could do for the world. That inspiration spread throughout the crowd, and I later heard a lot of people asking each other later on, “how do I become more involved in this community?” I also heard from so many: “I feel so inspired to write a comic now.”
I heard variations of the same encouraging sentiments from countless people. And one conversation I was lucky enough to have at the ceremony summed up the positive energy for me: “It’s as though for the first time in a long time, comics is the place to be.”
A few glasses of prosecco later while talking to more and more people. I noticed something I don’t think I’d ever experienced before. Despite differences in status, job title, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or whether someone left with an award in their hands or not, everyone was treated as equal. Everyone was happy to celebrate this community and its achievements together. I might have been new to the room, but that made me feel incredibly accepted into this strange, weird, fun, diverse industry.
As Daniel Warren Johnson put it while accepting Best One-Shot/Single Issue: “It’s a tough world out there: at least we have comic books.”
A few more Eisner Images – High Res TK:
