And now, The 2020 Harvey Award Comics Industry Winners are…

As part the New York Comic Con and MCM Comic Con 2020 (both online as part of the “Metaverse,” because of the pandemic), the unveiling of the winners of the 2018 Harvey Awards commenced, carrying its annual tradition through a virtual ceremony.

The Harvey Awards remain part of the comic industry’s most prestigious awards. Since 1988, the Harvey Awards have highlighted significant achievements in the sequential arts industry, named after named in honor of legendary writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman.

But this year, a new change from the category of Best European Book to Best International Book. This amend, many will agree is long overdue.

Also among the winners announced, seven recipients were also honored for their outstanding contributions and important work done for the comic arts industry:  Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Buddha), award-winning illustrator Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Beasts of Burden), and the core members of the groundbreaking Milestone Media imprint, Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis.

Voting was done by eligible industry professionals, currently headlined by the ReedPOP Exhibitions company.

Here below, the winners highlighted among the nominees are…

Book of the Year

• Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second)
• Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (First Second) (WINNER!)
• Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (Drawn and Quarterly)
• The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis (Drawn and Quarterly)
• Invisible Kingdom Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Dark Horse Books/Berger Books)
• Little Bird: The Fight for Elder’s Hope by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram (Image Comics)
• Making Comics by Lynda Barry (Drawn and Quarterly)
• Reincarnation Stories by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics)
• Rusty Brown by Chris Ware (Pantheon Graphic Library)
• Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)

Digital Book of the Year

• Afterlift by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (comiXology Originals)
• The Eyes by Javi De Castro https://www.javidecastro.com/theeyes
• Fried Rice  by Erica Eng https://friedricecomic.com/
• Harley Quinn: Black White & Red edited by Chris Conroy, Maggie Howell, Andy Khouri, and Amedeo Turturro (DC Comics / DC Digital First)
• The Nib edited by Matt Bors https://www.thenib.com (WINNER!)

Best Children or Young Adult Book

• Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha (HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray)
• Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
• Guts by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
• Stargazing by Jen Wang (First Second)
• Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (DC Comics) (WINNER!)

Best Adaptation from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel

• Blacksad: Under the Skin video game by Microïds, based on Blacksad (Dark Horse Comics)
• I Am Not Okay With This by Netlfix, based on I Am Not Okay With This (Fantagraphics)
• Joker by Warner Bros. Pictures, based on Batman (DC Comics)
• Legion: Season 3 by FX Productions and Marvel Television, based on X-Men (Marvel Comics0
• Locke & Key: Season 1 by Netflix, based on Locke & Key (IDW Publishing)
• The Old Guard by Netflix, based on The Old Guard (Image Comics)
• The Sandman audio drama by Audible, based on The Sandman (DC Comics/Vertigo)
• Stumptown: Season 1 by ABC, based on Stumptown (Oni Press)
• The Umbrella Academy: Season 2, by Netflix, based on The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse Comics)
• Watchmen by HBO, based on Watchmen (DC Comics) (WINNER!)

Best Manga

• H.P. Lovecraft’s At Mountains of Madness by Gou Tanabe (Dark Horse Manga)
• The Man Without Talent by Yoshiharu Tsuge (New York Review Comics)
• The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio (Fantagraphics)
• The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono (VIZ Media)
• Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (Kodansha Comics) (WINNER!)

Best International Book

(Note: This category has been wisely changed from the former catagory “Best European Book” for a more global perspective and inclusion)

• Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (Drawn and Quarterly) (WINNER)
• The House Paco Roca (Fantagraphics)
• Portrait of a Drunk by Olivier Schrauwen, Florent Ruppert and Jérôme Mulot (Fantagraphics)
• Stay by Lewis Trondheim and Hubert Chevillard (Magnetic Press)
• Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna (Drawn and Quarterly)

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For more information on the awards, its judges, and new Hall of Fame nominations, visit www.harveyawards.com.