It’s time once again for The Doug Wright Awards for excellence in (English language) Canadian cartooning! “Founded in 2004 to recognize the best English-language graphic novels and comics, The Doug Wright Awards have grown into one of Canada’s premier cartooning events,” according to the press release.
The 2009 Finalists for Best Book are:
Burma Chronicles, by Guy Delisle (Drawn & Quarterly)
Drop-in, by Dave Lapp (Conundrum Press)
Paul Goes Fishing, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)
Skim, by Jillian & Mariko Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
The 2009 finalists for Best Emerging Talent are:
Kate Beaton (History Comics)
Caitlin Black (Maids in the Mist)
Jesse Jacobs (Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow)
Jason Kieffer (Kieffer #2)
Nick Maandag (Jack & Mandy)
The finalists for non-traditional works (Pigskin Peters’ Award) are:
Hall of Best Knowledge Ray Fenwick (Fantagraphics)
Ojingogo Matthew Forsythe (Drawn & Quarterly)
All We Ever Do is Talk About Wood Tom Horacek (Drawn & Quarterly)
Small Victories Jesse Jacobs (self-published)
Further, this year the DWAs will induct cartoonist Jimmie Frise (d. 1948), creator of the popular strip ‘Birdseye Center’, into The Giants of the North, the Hall of Fame for Canadian cartooning.
The 2009 Doug Wright Awards will be handed out on Saturday, May 9th at 7pm, in a ceremony hosted by Canadian filmmaker Don McKellar and held at the recently renovated (and gorgeous) Art Gallery of Ontario. Just after the first day of TCAF, I might add, so another reason to come.
The DWAs are decided by a rotating jury, and this year the jury includes; Bob Rae (the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and 21st premier of Ontario), Andrew Coyne (national editor for Maclean’s and political panelist on CBC Television’s The National), Martin Levin (books editor for The Globe and Mail and contributor to What I Meant to Say), cartoonist Joe Ollmann (author of the 2007 DWA Best Book This Will All End in Tears) and cartoonist Diana Tamblyn, the Ignatz-nominated author of several mini-comics including The Rosie Stories and There You Were.
…I still think it’s strange that the nominating committee, who wasn’t named (and Christ do I hate that) didn’t opt to put Scott Pilgrim 4 on there, but it’s not like all four of those best books aren’t amazing, amazing work.
– Christopher
Way awesome to see Kate’s name on there, and Dave Lapp!! Woo! Definitely two talents deserving of not only the noms, but the wins!!
Here’s hoping…
Right, I just read Drop-In today and am conflicted because both that and Skim are amazing. So happy to see Kate Beaton get nominated!
Chris, the nominating committee consisted of Chester Brown, Sean Craig, Brad Mackay, Seth and myself. Besides the fact that I personally don’t think Scott Pilgrim 4 qualifies as best book material, I don’t think it came out in 2008.
Bryan is right: there was no Scott Pilgrim book published in 2008, so it wasn’t even up for consideration.