In advance of the 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, we here on Suvudu will be running down all the nominees in all the categories. Except this year, we’re going to let you tell us who you think will win. So check out a few synopsis, some artwork, and debate the merits of each if you see fit, then cast your vote at the bottom of the post. Be sure to keep an eye out for a few free samples along the way!
Okay then, let’s get started. And the nominees are…
Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
Fantagraphics provides an outstanding overview not only of Abstract Comics the book, but also of the thing itself. Excerpted from their overall description, they write about the book:
Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu, an art historian as well as one of the best-known contemporary abstract-comic creators, is the first collection devoted to this budding genre. It gathers the best Abstract Comics so far created, including early experiments in the form by cartoonists primarily known for other types of comics, such as Gary Panter, Patrick McDonnell, or Lewis Trondheim, and pieces by little-known pioneers such as Benoit Joly, Bill Boichel and Jeff Zenick, as well as by recent creators who have devoted a good part of their output to perfecting the form, such as Ibn al Rabin, Billy Mavreas, Mark Staff Brandl, and many others. It also features first attempts, commissioned specifically for this anthology, by well-known cartoonists such as James Kochalka, J.R. Williams and Warren Craghead. Comprehensive in scope, Abstract Comics gathers work not only from North America, but also from France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, showing the rise in popularity of the genre to be a true international phenomenon. In the process, the anthology highlights the wide variety of approaches taken to the combination of abstraction and sequential art — approaches resulting in work that is not only graphically bold, but also often proves to be surprisingly humorous or emotionally disturbing.
And once again, Fantagraphics gives you a look at their book for free. Take a look on their site for the twenty-page free sample download they’re offering for Abstract Comics by clicking here: 20-page free sample | Abstract Comics
Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
To introduce this project, the W.W. Norton Books writes:
Mesmerized by the power of Bob Dylan’s lyrics and intrigued by the possibilities of translating his powerful, enigmatic personality into art, thirteen leading graphic artists banded together to create this unusual testament to the universality and transcendent vision of an American musical genius.
Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
Flight returns for a sixth volume of awesomeness and varying styles. I’ve made no secret here (and here) on Suvudu that Flight is one of my favorite things going in the graphic novel market today, and it appears that I’m not alone. Flight is once again nominated and just as good in its sixth volume as it has ever been. Be sure to check out the free sample found in the widget on it’s Random House page for a look at one of the stories found within as well as the title pages for some other stories. Flight Volume Six | Villard
Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
The self-styled “graphic mixtape” is introduced on its website with the following:
The original, critically acclaimed graphic mixtape returns in a new volume, once again mashing up the next generation of cartoonists with the some of the medium’s finest in stories covering nearly every genre and style imaginable!
And be sure to check out the free previews hidden on the Popgun V.3 page. Here’s a hint, click on the thumbnails below the large lead graphic: Popgun // Vol.3
Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
Syncopated is a collection of Non-Fiction
The stories in Syncopated challenge convention, provide perspective, and search out secret truths-all in the inviting, accessible form of comics.
Syncopated will give you a daringly different view of the past-from the history of vintage postcards to the glory days of old Coney Island. It will immerse you in fascinating subcultures, from the secret world of graffiti artists to the chess champs of Greenwich Village. And it will open your eyes to pieces of forgotten history-for example, the Tulsa race riots of 1921-and to new perspectives on critical current events, such as the interrogation of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. These “picto-essays” encompass memoir, history, journalism, and biography in varied visual styles-each handpicked by Brendan Burford, one of America’s top editors.
Also, be sure to check out the free sample offered by Villard. It contains the Eisner-nominated Short, “How to Bale Hay” in its entirety. You can find it here: Syncopated | Villard
What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)
GalleryNucleus answers the question, “What is Torch Tiger?”:
“What is Torch Tiger?” is the follow up to the wildly successful “Who is Rocket Johnson?” A graphic novel anthology being self-published by Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Story Artists and Directors. It’s an all-ages book in which every artist answers the question: “What is Torch Tiger?”
My vote is for Flight, but I sure do love those Disney artists. I’m going to have to bribe someone to buy me the next installment at the SDCC this summer.