Joe Shuster Awards

The Joe Shuster Awards (sometimes referred to as the "Shusters" or the "JSAs") are given for achievement in the creation of comic books by Canadians. The full name is the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards.

The Joe Shuster Awards were created in 2005 by the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association - James Waley, Kevin A. Boyd, Tyrone Biljan and Dave Darrigo and are named in honour of Joe Shuster (1914-1992), the Canadian-born co-creator of Superman.

Overview

The Joe Shuster Awards are nominated by a committee made up of industry journalists and fans from across Canada. The top five (sometimes six) nominees in each category are placed on a ballot. The ballot is open to a national public vote (restricted to Canadian citizens and residents) from which the winners are chosen.

A second nominating committee consisting of Canadian comic book historians select additions for the Hall of Fame.

Finally, a third committee of journalists, publishers, and creators select the Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer from nominations submitted by fans, staff, customers and/or professionals.

In 2007, the Joe Shuster Awards added two awards open to all voters, regardless of their location: International Voters Choice: Favourite Canadian Comic Book Creator (English Language) and Favourite Canadian Comic Book Creator (French Language).

From 2005-7 the awards were presented on the same weekend as the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon in Toronto, Canada. In 2008 the awards will not be presented in conjunction with a comic book convention but on the same weekend as Book Expo Canada.

Although they were founded the same year, the Joe Shuster Awards have no connection with the Doug Wright Awards. A common comparison of the two is that the JSAs are mainstream-biased and the Wrights more indie-oriented. A more accurate comparison is that the JSAs are comic book industry oriented awards (honouring individual Canadians who work on comics and graphic novels for their body of work from the previous year) while the Wrights are graphic novel work-centric awards (Canadian cartoonists win for best graphic novel or best emerging talent with a specific graphic novel). While the two both have Hall of Fame Awards, the JSAs focus more on comic book artists and writers, while the Wrights' 'Giants of the North' seems to be focused more on strip cartoonists and illustrators.

2008 Changes

As of 2008, the categories of Artist, Cartoonist, Colourist (new), Publisher, Writer and the new "Cover Art by a Canadian Comic Book Artist" will be juried awards instead of decided by public vote. The jury will consist of prominent Canadian media figures with ties to comics.

The number of nominees in each category will be set at 8. Six English language and two French language for each.

Three categories will remain open for public vote: Favourite Canadian Creator - English Language Publications, Favourite Canadian Creator - French Language Creators, Favourite International Creator.

Webcomics and Retailer will remain juried awards.

In 2008 the Joe Shuster Awards were presented on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at a ceremony held in Toronto at the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library in conjunction with festivities tied into the 70th anniversary of the publication of Action Comics #1 in June 1938, the first published appearance of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's Superman.

Categories

Categories and winners of Joe Shuster Awards are as follows:

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Achievement

*2005 Dave Sim and Gerhard for completing "Cerebus" in 2004. Begun in 1977, this 300-issue series is a milestone in comic book publishing and is the longest running creator-owned comic book series.
* 2006 Category on hiatus.
* 2007 Category on hiatus.
* 2008 David Watkins for using comic books as a teaching tool

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artist

* 2005 Kaare Andrews for "Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One" (published by Marvel Comics)
* 2006 Pia Guerra for "" (published by DC Comics/Vertigo) and a story in "Spider-Man Unlimited" #10 (published by Marvel Comics}
* 2007 Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone for "Batman/The Spirit" #1 (published by DC Comics).
* 2008 Dale Eaglesham for "Justice Society of America" #2-4, 6-7, 9-11 (DC Comics)

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)

* 2005 Darwyn Cooke for "" (published by DC Comics)
* 2006 Bryan Lee O'Malley for "Scott Pilgrim" Vol. 2 (published by Oni Press)
* 2007 Darwyn Cooke for "The Spirit" #1 (published by DC Comics).
* 2008 Jeff Lemire for "Essex County Vol. 1: Tales From The Farm", "Essex County Vol. 2: Ghost Stories" (Top Shelf)

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Publisher

* 2005 Arcana Studio
* 2006 Drawn & Quarterly
* 2007 Drawn & Quarterly
* 2008 Drawn & Quarterly

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer

* 2005 (tie) Samm Barnes for "Doctor Spectrum" (published by Marvel Comics)
* 2005 (tie) Ty Templeton for "The Batman Adventures" (published by DC Comics)
* 2006 J. Torres for "" and "Teen Titans Go!" (published by DC Comics), and "Love As A Foreign Language" (published by Oni Press)
* 2007 Darwyn Cooke for "Superman Confidential" #1-2 (published by DC Comics).
* 2008 Cecil Castellucci for "The P.L.A.I.N. Janes" (DC/Minx)

Outstanding Canadian Web Comic Creator

* 2007 Dan Kim, for "April & May & June, "Kanami" & "Penny Tribute".
* 2008 Ryan Sohmer & Lar deSouza, for Looking for Group & Least I Could Do

Outstanding Canadian Colourist

* 2008 Dave McCaig for "Nextwave", Agents of H.A.T.E. #12, "New Avengers" #27-35, "" #1: "Wolverine", "Marvel Comics Presents" #1-4, "Wolverine" #50, "Avengers Classic" #7 (Marvel Comics) DC Infinite Halloween Special #1 (DC Comics), "The Other Side" #4-5 (DC/Vertigo) "Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen" #1 (Oni Press)

Outstanding Cover by a Canadian Comic Book Artist

* 2008 Steve Skroce for "Doc Frankenstein" #6 (Burleyman)

Voters Choice - Outstanding International (Non-Canadian) Comic Book Creator

* 2006 Brian K. Vaughan for "Runaways" (published by Marvel Comics), "Ex Machina", and "" (published by DC Comics/Vertigo)
* 2007 Brian K. Vaughan for "Runaways" and ' (published by Marvel Comics), "Pride of Baghdad", "Ex Machina", and ' (published by DC Comics/Vertigo)
* 2008 Ed Brubaker for "Captain America", "Criminal", "Immortal Iron Fist" and "Uncanny X-Men" (Marvel Comics)

Voters Choice - Favourite Canadian Comic Book Creator (English Language)

* 2007 Dan Kim for "April & May & June, "Kanami" & "Penny Tribute".
* 2008 Faith Erin Hicks for "Zombies Calling"

Voters Choice - Favourite Canadian Comic Book Creator (French Language)

* 2007 Michel Rabagliati for "Paul a la Peche", published by La Pasteque.
* 2008 Philippe Girard for "Danger Public"

Harry Kremer Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer Recognition Award

* 2005 Harry Kremer, "Now & Then Books" (Kitchener, Ontario)
* 2006 Calum Johnston, "Strange Adventures" (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
* 2007 Jay Bardyla and Shawna Roe, "Happy Harbor" (Edmonton, Alberta)
* 2008 Walter Durajlija and Marc Sims, "Big B Comics" (Hamilton, Ontario)

Hall of Fame Inductees

* 2005 Joe Shuster (1914-1992)
* 2005 Leo Bachle (a.k.a. Les Barker) (1926-2003)
* 2005 Adrian Dingle (1911-1974)
* 2005 Hal Foster (1892-1982)
* 2005 Ed Furness (1911-2005)
* 2005 Rand Holmes (1942-2002)
* 2006 Jon St. Ables (1912-1999)
* 2006 Owen McCarron (1929-2005)
* 2006 Win Mortimer (1919-1998)
* 2006 Dave Sim (1956-)
* 2007 Albert Chartier (1912-2004)
* 2007 Gerald Lazare (1927-)
* 2007 Jacques Hurtubise aka ZYX (1950-)
* 2007 Gene Day (1951-1982)
* 2008 Ted McCall (1901-1975)
* 2008 Pierre Fournier (1949-)
* 2008 Stanley Berneche (1947-)
* 2008 John Byrne (1950-)

External links

* [http://www.joeshusterawards.com Joe Shuster Awards website]
* [http://www.thecomicbooks.com/audio.html Jamie Coville's Audio Recordings of the 4th Annual Joe Shuster Awards and talks from the Sequential Arts Symposium]
* [http://www.jonathankuehlein.com/?p=1709#respond Metro Columnist Jonathan Kuehlein's article on the 2008 Awards ceremony]
* [http://kev-the-mev.livejournal.com/101536.html?mode=reply 4th Annual JSA's Completed!]
* [http://www.collectortimes.com/2007_07/cons1.html Jamie Coville covers the 3rd Awards Ceremony] as part of his overall convention report and provides a link to an audio recording of the entire ceremony.
* [http://www.collectortimes.com/2006_06/cons2.html Jamie Coville covers the 2nd Awards Ceremony for the Collector Times]
* [http://www.collectortimes.com/2005_06/cons2.html Jamie Coville covers the 1st Awards Ceremony for the Collector Times]
* [http://www.bestofmostof.com/07jun/index070611.htm Blake Bell covers the 2007 Awards Ceremony]
* [http://www.jonathankuehlein.com/?p=789 Metro columnist & CCBCAA member Jonathan Kuehlein's article on the 2007 Awards ceremony]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/05/02/comicawards050502.html Canadian comic-book awards: one down, one to go] CBC Arts report on the 1st year