Animation, Illustration alumni up for Will Eisner Awards

The slate of nominations for the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have been released, with Sheridan Animation and Illustration alumni among those vying for top honours.

Eight Sheridan grads are nominated, with many up for awards in several categories.

Jeff Lemire (Advanced Illustration ’05) is nominated for four Eisner Awards: Best Single Issue/One Shot and Best Continuing Series for Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise; Best New Series for Gideon Falls; and Best Writer.

Emily Carroll (Animation ’05) and Chip Zdarsky (Illustration ’96) are also up for Best Single Issue/One Shot, with Carroll nominated for Beneath the Dead Oak Tree and Zdarsky for Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310. Carroll is also nominated in the Best Adaptation from Another Medium for Speak: The Graphic Novel, while Zdarsky is nominated for Best Writer alongside Lemire.

Graham Annable’s (Animation ’91) Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths is nominated for Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8). Three alumni will vie for Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12): Vera Brosgol (Animation ’05) for Be Prepared; Svetlana Chamkova (Animation ’02) for Crush; and Faith Erin Hicks (Animation ’04) for The Divided Earth.

Finally, Aminder Dhaliwal’s (Bachelor of Animation ’11) Woman World has been nominated for Best Humor Publication.

Named for acclaimed comics creator Will Eisner, the awards celebrate the best publications and creators in comic and graphic novels. Winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on July 19 at the San Diego Comic Convention, an annual non-profit entertainment and comic convention.

Graduates of Sheridan’s prestigious Animation and Illustration programs go on to make significant contributions to arts and culture communities, both in Canada and globally.

Alumni are taught by talented and skilled professors who have first-hand industry experience.

Faculty of Sheridan’s Animation program, which is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, have earned experience at high-profile studios including Pixar, Industrial Light and Magic, Disney, Lucas Gaming, Nelvana, Guru and Mr. X.

Joe Morse, professor and coordinator of Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Illustration program, was named a finalist in the Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books category of the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Awards for the book Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes, written by Wab Kinew.

Pictured at top of page: Will Eisner Award logo.