Okay, this was legitimately a surprise:
PUBLIC DOMAIN won the Eisner for BEST NEW SERIES! I genuinely didn’t think I was going to win this so I DIDN’T WRITE A SPEECH. Which meant my long-suffering friend and editor (and Chipclass star pupil) Allison had to use my BEST WRITER speech which I very much did not need to write.
Basically I asked her to begin by reading my entire wikipedia entry and then this:
James Tynion IV won for Best Writer. A lot of people don’t know this, but everyone else in that category has to refer to themselves as the Worst Writer for an entire calendar year. Doesn’t seem fair!
Anyway, holy shit! I’m truly moved by receiving this award. Back in 2014 I won my first Eisner with my best chum Matt for SEX CRIMINALS. That category was also Best New Series. Being able to do that again with a thing that I solely created almost ten years later is incredibly satisfying. Making comics is hard work. Not, like, working in the coal mines hard work, but it takes a lot out of you. Having that be recognized is really nice, especially for a book that is about that work, about the sacrifices made in the pursuit of a career in comics.
But enough about me!!
THIS IS YOUR NEWSLETTER
True, true, but I couldn’t have done this without, well, you! This project started—and continues—on this substack. The feedback and encouragement from this community keeps me going, keeps me working on this personal project, so thanks to everyone who subscribes and comments for making this the best job in the world.
And thanks to Image for publishing my little book and to Allison for shepherding this project and for forever being a class act
…I’m not getting that award am I?
MAYBE IF YOU GIVE ALLISON A RAISE
In this economy???
A couple of other fun things from this SDCC weekend!
There was a Gotham panel where my very talented collaborators talked about future plans in the bat-books. Tini was there in person to give some details on GOTHAM WAR, so I very happily sent a video along to be played for the crowd:
Do I know how to sell a book or what??
Also, some fun news on the Marvel side of the pond: it’s HOWARD THE DUCK’s 50th anniversary so we’re doing a special one-shot!
That’s right! Me and JOE QUINONES are back and contributed a short story to this issue! It was really fun getting to write our stupid gags again, and Joe has already had a cover shot down by Legal so you just know we’re bringing our A-game again!
So, a pretty great SDCC even though I didn’t go to SDCC. Thanks to everyone again, and congrats to all the Eisner winners. Making stuff is fun and celebrating friends’ successes is also fun.
And now, for my paid subscribers, a massive turning point in … KAPTARA!