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 Publication Design Eisner Award began in 1993 and is awarded to releases showcasing innovative, creative, artistic, or unique publication packaging, presentation, and design. Prior recipients for this award include Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Season of the Mists, Frank Miller’s 300 (designed by Mark Cox), and Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer: Artist’s Edition (designed by Randall Dahlik).
Here are the 2019 Eisner Award nominees for the Best Publication Design category:
A Sea of Love designed by Wilfrid Lupano, Grégory Panaccione, and Mike Kennedy (Magnetic/Lion Forge)
A Sea of Love is a wordless graphic novel that tells the story of an old fisherman who disappears one day while out at sea. While his village assumes he has died, his wife sets out to find him. Because the comic lacks dialogue, the art takes center stage, being able to convey emotion and action – similar to the cartoon film, Les Triplettes de Belleville. A Sea of Love is a hardcover release with a cover that evokes a older, vintage time.
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The Stan Lee Story Collector’s Edition designed by Josh Baker (Taschen)
For decades, Taschen Books has released ornate, large-sized books on photography, film, and artwork, at times becoming the definitive publisher to showcase the visual arts. The Stan Lee Story from Taschen is no exception, clocking in at a large 12.4 x 18.5 inches, autographed by Stan Lee, hardcover, and housed in a plastic slip case, and limited to 1,000 copies (and long since sold out). The book is filled with full-color art and unpublished photographs that complement the rise of one of the greatest influencers of pop culture.
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The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Worlds of Herbert Crowley designed by Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg (Beehive Books)
The Temple of Silence focuses on Herbert Edmund Crowley, a cartoonist and artist from the late 1800s to early 1900s who has fallen into obscurity. This book aims to renew interest in Crowley by offering a long biography and showcasing over 300 images of his art. The Temple of Silence is a hardcover, a thin and tall release, coming in at 11” x 17” with many pages alternating between being horizontal and vertical.
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Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios/NYC, (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)
Though Terry Moore’s long-running and acclaimed comic, Strangers in Paradise, ended in 2007, the series is kept alive with reprints, hardcover collections, pocketbooks, and art books. Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition is the newest release, offering a retrospective of Moore’s art from the series’ run, featuring original pages and their notes and commentary. To really show off the art, the book is mammoth in dimensions, coming in at 12” x 17”.
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Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)
Will Eisner’s A Contract with God was originally released in 1978 and contains four stories: “A Contract with God,” “The Street Singer,” “The Super,” and “Cookalein.” The Curator’s Edition reprints these stories in the original 1:1 ratio, but across two hardcover volumes housed in a slipcase; volume one contains reproductions of Eisner’s pencil layouts, while volume two contains the finished version. Together, both volumes demonstrate Eisner’s creative process.
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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!
