If you have never heard of the Eisner Awards, think of the Oscars, but for comic book creators. It’s arguably the biggest night for the comic book industry every year, and 2023 was no exception. 

For those of you wanting to know more, let’s dive into a quick history of the Eisner Awards and how they came to be.

The History Of The Eisner Awards

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are the premier prizes for those working in the comic book industry. Given out every year at San Diego Comic Con For a writer or artist, an Eisner represents nothing less than comic book excellence. It means you’ve made an impact on the industry.

Before the Eisner Awards, there was another award given to comic book creators, and that was the Kirby Awards. The Kirby Awards were named after comic book legend Jack Kirby (Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Eternals and SO MANY MORE), but in 1987 the awards were discontinued indefinitely. 

Comic book industry professional Dave Olbrich, helped to start the Harvey Awards and the Eisner Awards the following year. The awards were named after William Erwin Eisner (The Spirit 1940 – 1952), one of the earliest cartoonists in the industry and the person mainly responsible for popularizing the term “graphic novel” with the release of his book “A Contract With God” in 1978.

Will Eisner himself would regularly participate in the award ceremony until his passing in 2005.

The 2023 Eisner Awards Winners

It was DC Comics’ year this at this Eisner Awards, with the publisher’s creators taking home 8 awards this year (not all exclusive for DC projects.) That’s not to say that other publishers didn’t have a great year as well! Let’s take a look at the biggest winners of the night!

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Best Short Story

Finding Batman by: Kevin Conroy and J. Bone (Pride 2022) – DC Comics

Best Single Issue/ One-Shot

Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler by: Tom King and Mitch Gerads – DC Comics

Best Continuing Series

Nightwing by: Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo – DC Comics

Best New Series

Public Domain by Chip Zdarsky – Image Comics

Best Writer

James Tynion IV for House of Slaughter, Something Is Killing The Children, Wynd (Boom! Studios) The Nice House on the Lake, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country (DC) The Closet, and The Department of Truth (Image)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Greg Smallwood, The Human Target – DC Comics

Other Awards Given At The Eisner Awards 2023

• Best Limited Series

The Human Target, by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)

• Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! by Mo Willems (Union Square Kids)

• Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra (First Second/Macmillan)

• Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson (Image)

• Best Humor Publication

Revenge of the Librarians, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Best Anthology

The Nib Magazine, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)

• Best Reality-Based Work

Flung Out of Space, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer (Abrams ComicArts)

• Best Graphic Memoir

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Best Graphic Album—New

The Night Eaters, Book 1: She Eats the Night, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Abrams ComicArts)

• Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, by Richard Stark, Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, and Sean Phillips (IDW)

• Best Adaptation from Another Medium

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, adapted by Colleen Doran (Dark Horse)

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part 1, by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, translation by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander (Dark Horse)

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Shuna’s Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki; translation by Alex Dudok de Wit (First Second/Macmillan)

• Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

Come Over Come Over, It’s So Magic, and My Perfect Life, by Lynda Barry (Drawn &       Quarterly)

• Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

The Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta, edited by Dian Hansen (TASCHEN)

• Best Writer/Artist

Kate Beaton, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night (Abrams ComicArts); Monstress (Image)

• Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)

Bruno Redondo, Nightwing (DC)

• Best Coloring

Jordie Bellaire, The Nice House on the Lake, Suicide Squad: Blaze (DC); Antman, Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age (Marvel)

• Best Lettering

Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)

• Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

PanelXPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and Tiffany Babb (panelxpanel.com)

• Best Comics-Related Book

Charles M. Schulz: The Art and Life of the Peanuts Creator in 100 Objects, by Benjamin L. Clark and Nat Gertler (Schulz Museum)

• Best Academic/Scholarly Work

The LGBTQ+ Comics Studies Reader: Critical Openings, Future Directions, edited by Alison Halsall and Jonathan Warren (University Press of Mississippi)

• Best Publication Design

Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, designed by Sean Phillips (IDW)

• Best Webcomic

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe (WEBTOON)

• Best Digital Comic

Barnstormers, by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay (Comixology Originals)