Fanbase Press’ coverage of the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards continues with the “Countdown to the Eisners” series. From Wednesday, May 29, through Wednesday, July 10, 2019, Fanbase Press will highlight each of the Eisner Awards’ 31 nomination categories, providing comic book industry members and readers alike the opportunity to learn more about the nominees and their work. Stay tuned for Fanbase Press’ continued coverage of the Eisner Awards, including live coverage of the ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 19.
The Best Comics-Related Book award category began in 1992 and is bestowed upon books that are about comics, be it a specific series or book, artist, writer, history, and so on. Previous recipients of the award include Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD and Revolutionized Humor in America by Bill Schelly, MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman and Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier.
Here are the 2019 Eisner Award nominees for the Best Comics-Related Book category:
Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978 by Keith Dallas and John Wells (TwoMorrows)
Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978 takes a laser focus at DC in the late ’70s when editorial director Jenette Kahn launched the “DC Explosion.” This was an attempt to compete with Marvel by launching new characters, non-superhero titles, and increasing the page count of issues along with the price. The move was ultimately not successful. Comic Book Implosion looks back to the history of this period and its influence on the comics industry.
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Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)
Representation matters and Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists looks to represent women comic creators and illustrators from the last two centuries. Filled with artwork pulled directly from the Library of Congress, the book focuses on the careers of eighty women in comics and their careers, along with special attention paid to other words they’ve done, from political cartoons to cover design work.
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The League of Regrettable Sidekicks by Jon Morris (Quirk Books)
While there are many iconic sidekicks in comics history, such as Robin (Batman) and Bucky (Captain America), there are a plethora of other sidekicks that fell into obscurity and were rarely used. The League of Regrettable Sidekicks aims to spotlight the forgotten superhero sidekicks and does so with vintage art along with backstories and commentaries for each one. The book goes hand in hand with Quirk Books’ previous other titles, The League of Regrettable Superheroes and The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains.
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Mike Grell: Life Is Drawing Without an Eraser by Dewey Cassell with Jeff Messer (TwoMorrows)
Mike Grell has been working as a writer and artist since the early ’70s. Early in his career at DC, he helped resurrect Green Lantern/Green Arrow while creating his own series, the sword and sorcery comic, Warlord. Mike Grell: Life Is Drawing Without an Eraser is a retrospective of Grell’s career, full of illustrations and a Q&A between Grell and the authors.
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Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy by Florent Gorges, translated by Laure Dupont and Annie Gullion (Dark Horse)
For over four decades, Yoshitaka Amano has worked on many iconic properties such as Speed Racer, Vampire Hunter D, and Battle of the Planets. He’s collaborated with other comic creators, such as with Neil Gaiman on Sandman. Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy acts a tribute to the work of Amano, with over 400 illustrations and a variety of supplemental material.
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Stay tuned to the Fanbase Press website each day as we continue our “Countdown to the Eisners” coverage! Plus, follow Fanbase Press’ Facebook, Twitter (@Fanbase_Press), and Instagram (@fanbasepress) with the hashtag #FPSDCC to stay up to date on our SDCC and Eisner Awards updates, including a live-tweet of the 2019 Eisner Award Ceremony from the Hilton Bayfront Hotel at San Diego Comic-Con on the evening of Friday, July 19th!
