Ringo Award Winners Announced
[photo of Wieringo: Rose Toth-Cates, Ryland Portrait Studios Charlotte, NC]
The third annual Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards were announced Saturday, October 19, during the Baltimore Comic-Con. Determined by both professionals in the industry and fans, the awards recognize “the creativity, skill and fun of comics”.
Mike Wieringo got his start in comics with Doc Savage: Doom Dynasty #1, followed by work at DC Comics on The Flash, where he and writer Mark Waid created Bart Allen, AKA Impulse. He also worked with Chuck Dixon on Robin. For Marvel, his work included pencils for the Amalgam title Spider-Boy #1 and runs on The Sensational Spider-Man, Rogue, and Fantastic Four.
Wieringo teamed up with Todd Dezago to create Tellos, a coming-of-age adventure set in a magical world of pirates, for Image Comics, where he also co-founded the short-lived imprint Gorilla Comics for Image.
Wieringo died of an aortic dissection at age 44. Brother Matt described him thus: “Most of all, Mike thought good comics were entertaining and innovative. If you could hold his attention and delight and intrigue his artistic sensibilities at the same time, he’d shout your name from the rooftops. And, if it turned out you were a decent, nice person to boot, he’d be your friend for life.”
Winners are in red, as reported by Pop Culture Squad.
Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)
- Echorise
- Enjelicious
- Terry Moore
- Sean Murphy
- Jim Woodring
Best Writer
- Brian Michael Bendis
- Richard Dent
- Rylend Grant
- Jeff Lemire
- Scott Snyder
- Brian K. Vaughan
Best Artist or Penciller
- Joe Bennett
- Shawn Daley
- Ezra Claytan Daniels
- Steve Ellis
- Ronilson Freire
- Dan Mora
- Dustin Nguyen
- Ryan Ottley
- Sean Phillips
Best Inker
- J.P. Mayer
- Mark Morales
- Ron Randall
- Fiona Staples
- Sana Takeda
Best Letterer
- David Aja
- Arechan
- Taylor Esposito
- Jared K. Fletcher
- Todd Klein
Best Colorist
- Tamra Bonvillain
- Steve Conley
- Matt Hollingsworth
- Rachel Smythe
- Dave Stewart
- Matt Wilson
- YaongYi
Best Cover Artist
- Travis Charest
- Nick Derington
- Dan Mora
- Sara Richard
- Alex Ross
- Fiona Staples
- Jim Woodring
Best Series (tie)
- Batman: White Knight, DC Comics
- Bitter Root, Image Comics
- Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Dark Horse Comics
- Blammo, Kilgore Books
- The Highest House, IDW Publishing
- The Immortal Hulk, Marvel Comics
- Venom, Marvel Comics
Best Single Issue or Story
- Aberrant #4, Danger Zone
- Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, Dark Horse Comics
- Champions #24, Marvel Comics
- Klaus and the Crying Snowman, BOOM! Studios
- Swamp Thing Winter Special, DC Comics
Best Original Graphic Novel
- The Ghost, The Owl, Action Lab Entertainment
- My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, Image Comics
- Son of Hitler, Image Comics
- Upgrade Soul, Lion Forge
- Woman World, Drawn & Quarterly
Best Anthology
- Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman, DC Comics
- All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World, A Wave Blue World
- Femme Magnifique: 50 Magnificent Women Who Changed the World, Black Crown/IDW Publishing
- Grief, Source Point Press
- Twisted Romance, Image Comics
- Where We Live, A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas, Image Comics
Best Humor Comic
- Bluechair, WEBTOON
- Get Naked, Image Comics
- Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell, WEBTOON
- MAD, DC Comics
- Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, IDW Publishing
Best Comic Strip or Panel
- Amazing Spider-Man, Stan Lee/Larry Lieber, King Features Syndicate
- Bloom County, Berkeley Breathed, Andrews McMeel Universal
- Doonsbury, Garry Trudeau, Andrews McMeel Universal
- Garfield, Jim Davis, King Features Syndicate
- Luann, Greg Evans, Andrews McMeel Universal
- Nancy, Olivia Jaimes, Andrews McMeel Universal
- Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis, Andrews McMeel Universal
Best Webcomic
- Age Matters, Enjelicious
- Aztec Empire, Paul Guinan, Anina Bennett, David Hahn
- The Contradictions, Sophie Yanow
- Existential Comics, Corey Mohler
- Lavender Jack, Dan Schkade
- Luff, Arechan
- The Nib, various
- Nothing Special, Katie Cook
Best Non-fiction Comic Work
- All the Answers, Simon & Schuster
- The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York, Abrams ComicArts
- Hey, Kiddo, Graphix
- I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation, BOOM! Studios
- Let’s Make Comics!, Watson-Guptill
- Where We Live, A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas, Image Comics
Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel
- Aquacorn Cove, Oni Press
- Be Prepared, First Second Books
- Jupiter Jet, Action Lab Entertainment
- The Nameless City: The Divided Earth, First Second Books
- The Prince and the Dressmaker, First Second Books
- Punk Taco, Adam Wallenta Entertainment
Best Presentation in Design
- Absolute Sandman Overture, DC Comics
- Berlin, Drawn & Quarterly
- Madman Quarter Century Shindig, IDW Publishing
- My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, Image Comics
- Only Living Boy Omnibus, Papercutz
- Persephone, BOOM! Studios
- Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs
- Yellow Negros and Other Imaginary Creatures, New York Review Comics
Also at the ceremony, the Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award was presented to Louise Simonson. The Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. The Ringo Spirit Award went to Image Comics’ Isola.
Fan Favorite Awards
- Fan Favorite Hero: Toaster Dude
- Fan Favorite Villain: Lance Cordrey
- Fan Favorite New Series: Luff
- Fan Favorite New Talent: Agelicious
- Fan Favorite Publisher: Dynamite
Over 120 countries participated in nominations this year. The jury included Dr. Christina Blanch, Tim Lenaghan, Afua Richardson, Bob Schreck, and Tom Spurgeon.
More information about the award can be found on their web site.
