The 2020 Eisner Award judges recognized IDW Publishing and its imprints, Artist’s Editions, EuroComics, Library of American Comics, Sunday Press, Top Shelf, and Yoe Books, with a combined fifteen nods this year (fourteen nominations and one shared nomination). The prestigious award ceremony honors exemplary work from the previous year in comics publishing.

“Every year, the announcement of Eisner Award contenders brings a brightness to our industry, as we celebrate the artistry and hard work of many talented creators,” says Chris Ryall, President, Publisher, and CCO of IDW Publishing. “We’re honored that the judges have recognized such a diverse selection of IDW books this year! To our writers, artists, letterers, editors, and everyone involved in bringing these projects to fruition -- a hearty congratulations from all of us at IDW!”


IDW’s 2020 Eisner Nominees include:

Best Limited Series: Ghost Tree, by Bobby Curnow and Simon Gane (IDW)

Best Publication for Teens: Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Diabolical Summer, by Thierry Smolderen and Alexandre Clerisse, translation by Edward Gauvin (IDW)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Gramercy Park, by Timothée de Fombelle and Christian Cailleaux, translation by Edward Gauvin (EuroComics/IDW)

Best Graphic Album — New: Life on the Moon, by Robert Grossman (Yoe Books/IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project — Comic Books: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project — Strips: Ed Leffingwell’s Little Joe, by Harold Gray, edited by Peter Maresca and Sammy Harkham (Sunday Press Books)

Best Writer: Bobby Curnow, Ghost Tree (IDW)

Best Writer: MK Reed and Greg Means, Penny Nichols (Top Shelf)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: Simon Gane, Ghost Tree (IDW)

Best Painter/Digital Artist: Alexandre Clarisse, Diabolical Summer (IDW)

Best Lettering: Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)

Best Lettering: Deron Bennett, Canto (IDW); Batgirl, Green Arrow, Justice League, Martian Manhunter (DC); Assassin Nation, Excellence (Skybound/Image); To Drink and To Eat, Vol. 1 (Lion Forge); Resonant (Vault)

Best Comics-Related Book: Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny, by Paul Tumey (Library of American Comics/IDW)

Best Reality-Based Work: They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)


“I’m excited to see the wide range of creators, subject matters, formats, and approaches recognized by the Eisner judges,” says John Barber, Editor-in-Chief at IDW. “It’s wonderful to see Bobby and Simon get these nominations for a deeply personal work like Ghost Tree, for Deron and Stan to get deserved credit for their lettering, and for every other book that got nominated — but I’ll let others speak to those nominations!”

Paul C. Tumey, author of Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny, says, "This nomination provides meaningful support for the modern work being done to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the past lineage of our industry."

“It’s exciting to see noted YA author Timothée de Fombelle’s first foray into comics nominated for both the Eisner and Angoulême awards,” says editor Dean Mullaney of LOAC and EuroComics.

“Stan Sakai is a master storyteller and I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to do this book with him, and with Shawn Lee, who really did a tremendous job on the design,” says Artist’s Edition editor Scott Dunbier.

"Harold Gray took the reins of Little Joe after the untimely death of his cousin and fellow cartoonist, Ed Leffingwell.... and yet, to show respect for the family, he took no credit. We're honored that Gray's work on this seminal Western comic strip has been recognized by the Eisner judges,” says Peter Maresca of Sunday Press.

“We’re so proud to have Penny Nichols and They Called Us Enemy honored with Eisner nominations,” says Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros. “Penny Nichols is a hilarious celebration of DIY creativity and a love letter to the comics community, so it’s wonderful to see that love being returned. And unfortunately, George Takei’s memories of legalized racism are still painfully relevant today, making They Called Us Enemy a vital book that calls us to build a better future.”

"I say this not as the publisher, but as a fan: Think of the greatest graphic novels. Among them Life on the Moon, with its astonishing story and art (fascinatingly centered on the original fake news of turn-of-the-last-century) deserves to be likewise widely read, shared, taught, and celebrated! I only wish the writer and artist Robert Grossman was alive to see that the esteemed Eisner judges have recognized his brilliance," says Yoe Books editor, Craig Yoe.

To acquire copies of IDW Publishing’s nominated comic book and graphic novel releases, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. Graphic novels are also available for order via bookstores, online booksellers, and digital platforms.

Deadline reports that after the Hall H triumphant of 2019, Jean-Luc Picard will be back in the Comic-Con house again this year. However, due to concerns and restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic, the Sir Patrick Stewart-led CBS All Access series will be making its appearance remotely at this year’s Comic-Con@Home on July 23.

Comic-Con will be releasing another part of its schedule later today, but, setting phasers to shock and awe, Star Trek: Picard will be the headliner in another behemoth Star Trek Universe panel later this month. That sprawling Trekverse shindig also includes 2020 virtual appearances from Star Trek: Discovery, the lead cast of newest franchise addition Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the August 6th premiering animated Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Helping to kick off the first full day of what would have been SDCC 51, the Trekverse panel starts at 10 AM PT on the 23rd with a welcome and overview from executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin, and moderated by myself.

In the spirit of inclusion and adventures in the final frontier that has always been defined by the Gene Roddenberry created franchise, Secret Hideout’s Kurtzman and Kadin will be followed by a virtual table read of Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 2 finale with Commander Michael Burnham herself Sonequa Martin-Green and the rest of the cast.

Additionally, forthcoming Strange New Worlds stars Rebecca Romijn (Number One), Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), and Ethan Peck (Spock) will be a part of the read with Discovery EP and co-showrunner Michelle Paradise and EP Olatunde Osunsanmi, who helmed the show’s 2-part Season 2 finale. With that much star power in one setting and Discovery getting ready for lift-off on its third season soon-ish, the Q&A following the table read could prove a hard-hitting energy pulse of its own.

Deadline reports that ABC has handed a pilot production commitment to The Wonder Years, a new iteration of the network’s 1980s family comedy-drama. It comes from Dave executive producer Saladin K. Patterson, Empire co-creator Lee Daniels, the original series’ breakout star Fred Savage and 20th Century Fox TV.

Written by Patterson inspired by his experiences growing up in Montgomery, AL, the new incarnation of Wonder Years chronicles how a middle-class Black family in Montgomery in the turbulent late-1960s — the same era as the original series — made sure it was the Wonder Years for them too.

The approach is reminiscent of the successful current reimagining of the classic family sitcom One Day at a Time with a Latinx family.

Archie Comics and Spotify have signed an exclusive first-look deal to adapt the publisher’s critically acclaimed and bestselling characters and stories into multiple podcasts on the streaming platform. The anticipated slate of series will span the entire Archieverse of characters, including mainstays Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina, Josie & The Pussycats and many more and is the next part of Archie’s continued effort to expand to new audiences and story-telling mediums with its wide array of world famous characters. 

"The podcast and audio space is so vibrant, and Spotify is, hands down, the industry leader there," said Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater. "Bringing the iconic Archie library of characters to Spotify is a perfect match, and we're so excited to partner with them to explore new, compelling stories featuring our characters. It's an amazing frontier and we can't wait to unveil what we've been working on."

The creative team at Archie Comics will collaborate with Spotify Studios on the development of multiple series, with potential for all-ages content as well as content aimed at older audiences. Archie Comics continues to expand its multimedia offerings as the brand's digital and print partnerships include deals with Scholastic, Comixology and Little Bee Books. It’s television deals include partnerships with Warner Brothers Television which has produced worldwide hits including as The CW's Riverdale, Katy Keene, and Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. 

Deadline reports that Quibi has given a green light to Tomie, a series based on Junji Ito’s cult hit horror manga series of the same name, with Adeline Rudolph attached to star in the title role. The series hails from director-producer Alexandre Aja (High Tension), writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Aquaman), Sony Pictures Television and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Written by Johnson-McGoldrick, Tomie is the story of a beautiful high school girl (Rudolph) who goes missing and pieces of her body are discovered scattered around a small town. But what starts out as a murder mystery turns into something even more horrific.

Aja and Johnson-McGoldrick executive produce. Hiroki Shirota is co-producer. Sony Pictures Television co-produces with UCP.

The clock is ticking! Just five days remain to get Lucio Parrillo's breathtaking crowdfunded Vampirella cover. Make sure you don't miss out on this exclusive collectible of the Daughter of Drakulon. A limited run of this cover will be produced based on the number of backers.

We also did some digging and we've got some sweet add-ons added to the campaign for collectors to check out. We were able to find extremely limited quantities of some of Lucio's rare virgin covers from recent bestselling issues. We're talking Vampirella, Vengeance of Vampirella, Sacred Six, Red Sonja: Age of Chaos, Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil, Dejah Thoris, and more. Some of them only had two copies available, so they're already off the shelf. But if you go to the campaign right now, there are still a few left.



Get Yours Today! 5 Days Left

Dynamite announces its trio of exciting, newsbreaking virtual panels for this year's virtual San Diego Comic Con. Fans can tune in across three days in July for deep dives on the latest series announcements, teases for future plans, and commentary on their favorite comics from some of today's top creators.

Though circumstances are different this year, with fans having to engage with a "virtual" convention experience, Dynamite is showing up in full force to this seminal annual event in comics, with heavy-hitting reveals and more. This marks exactly a year after Dynamite kicked off celebrations for Vampirella's 50th anniversary with the debut of the new series written by Christopher Priest and a star-studded panel. It was an anniversary extravaganza, with Dynamite as a publisher also celebrating 15 years in business. And last but certainly not least, Executive Editor Joseph Rybandt sat down with legendary artist Darick Robertson to discuss a massive career in comics and the then around the corner release of the streaming adaptation of his co-creation The Boys.

This year anniversaries officially come to a close, but the party never stops. Across three stacked panels featuring a diverse lineup of talent, Dynamite fans will get the scoops and enjoy discussion of their favorite titles.

On Thursday July 23 at 11 AM PST, all things Bond, James Bond 007 in comic books will be discussed by a deep roster of writers. Current writer Danny Lore (Ironheart) is joined by preceding 007 chronicler Greg Pak (Star Wars, Incredible Hulk) and Reflections of Death contributor Mark Russell (Red Sonja, Swamp Thing). Editors Nate Cosby and Matt Idelson chime in as well. And the real surprise guest is... Steve Orlando of Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman fame. Who may or may not be discussing a new series with more details coming soon, such as in this panel. The bursting panel go back and forth, sharing their interpretations of Bond as a character and their own works, past, present and future.



The huge anniversary comes to a close, even with Dynamite celebrating a full 365 days, with the Vampirella 50th Anniversary Finale panel on Friday at 4 PM PST. The writers of Vampirella and Vengeance of Vampirella return and are joined by two of the fanbase's favorite cover artists, and one unruly editor. That would be the one and only Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Deathstroke), the ever-amazing Tom Sniegoski (Bone, Punisher), renaissance man Lucio Parrillo, whipsmart Meghan Hetrick, and lastly the adjectiveless Matt Idelson. This cast discuss the lasting appeal of the Daughter of Drakulon, how they approach her across their different trades, their current storylines, and tease the future. Here's to another 50!



Then on Saturday at 10 AM PST, all bets are off as Dynamite's Two Huge Crossovers are revealed! Keeping hush with more details to come, this much can be slipped out. Two completely separate huge storylines are coming this fall and winter, setting the tone for the ambitious future of Dynamite. Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight, Bog Bodies) is bringing his attuned writing to the cheeky titled DIE!namite. Declan is joined by his artist collaborator Justin Mason, who close followers of Dynamite already know is about to really break out. Then legendary writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Aquaman) unveils the biggest Dynamite project since Swords of Sorrow. Jonathan Lau, just one of the artists attached, joins the discussion. While Eisner-winning editor Nate Cosby rounds out the table. Almost every Dynamite character will appear across these bombshell series.



James Bond - 007 in Comics!
Thursday July 23 - 11 AM PST

Vampirella 50th Anniversary Finale
Friday July 24 - 4 PM PST

Dynamite's Two Huge Crossovers Revealed!
Saturday July 25 - 10 AM PST

Image Comics is pleased to announce that recent Humble Bundles have generated over $140K in proceeds to benefit the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation, that's core program provides assistance to employees and shop owners who have a demonstrated financial need arising from severe hardship and/or emergency circumstances.

Over $35K was raised to benefit Traveling Stories, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that seeks to empower kids to outsmart poverty by helping them fall in love with reading by the fourth grade. In a joint Bundle with multiple other publishers, over $4M was raised to benefit Race Forward, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and The Bail Project charities to support the Black community during the Black Lives Matter movement.

The “The Walking Dead by Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment” Bundle, “Creator Spotlight on Jonathan Hickman”, and the currently running “Image Comics Showcase” Bundle purchases all contributed to the total amount so far raised for Binc Foundation.

The “Image Comics Showcase” Bundle is live now and, in fewer than 24 hours, is already on track to be the highest ordered Image Central Humble Bundle in the past five years. Its proceeds will go toward Binc Foundation too, as well as to The Hero Initiative.

For more than twenty years, the Binc Foundation has helped bookstore and comic book store employees and owners who encounter unexpected financial crises. The Binc Foundation works to keep book people in their homes, in their jobs, and with their families – stabilizing the brick and mortar bookstore community. The Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) in the country dedicated exclusively to strengthening the book industry by supporting the people who work in bookstores and comics shops.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book artists and craftsmen in need. Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for yesterday's creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.

Variety reports that Universal Pictures is pushing back the openings of Candyman and its two Halloween sequels, marking only the latest release date delays amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Candyman will move back three weeks from Sept. 25 to Oct. 16. Halloween Kills has been delayed for a year from Oct. 16, 2020, to Oct. 15, 2021, and Halloween Ends will move from Oct. 15, 2021, to Oct. 14, 2022.

The studio also announced that The Forever Purge, the latest chapter in Universal Pictures’ dystopian horror franchise, would be released on July 9, 2021. The title was indefinitely delayed in May.

Universal’s moves come with most North American cinemas having been closed for nearly four months, with major chains having pushed back re-openings until the end of July. AMC recently said it now expects to open 450 of its more than 600 theaters on July 30. It hopes to be essentially fully operational by early August.

Deadline reports that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will end its run with its upcoming Part 4, which will be released in late 2020, leading to “a spooky, sexy & supernatural series finale,” Netflix has announced.

Originally developed for The CW, the Riverdale offshoot migrated to Netflix when the streamer offered a two-season order. The show’s seasons, referred to as Parts, ranged from 11 episodes, including a holiday special, in Part 1, 9 episodes in Part 2 and 8 each in Parts 3 and 4.

This is a typical lifespan for a successful recent Netflix scripted series; Ozark, one of the streamer’s most popular dramas, was just renewed for a fourth and final season. Sabrina‘s end date comes a few days after the other Riverdale offshoot, The CW’s Katy Keene, was canceled after one season. It is unclear whether any characters from either ending series would make their way to the mothership Riverdale. That would include Kiernan Shipka’s title character from Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Netflix has released a trailer for the second season of The Umbrella Academy.

The Umbrella Academy Season One is streaming now on Netflix. Season Two debuts on July 31.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Me0eoCwLj-A