2012 Stumptown Comic Arts Awards - Final Nominees Announced

Stumptown Comics Fest is proud to announce the final list of nominees for the 2012 Stumptown Comic Arts Awards as chosen by our panel of judges. Voting will take place online until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, April 18. Anyone with internet access is eligible to vote at https://stumptowncomics.com/awards.php. Votes will be tabulated, and the awards will be presented to the winners during the Comics Fest After Party on Saturday, April 28 at the Jupiter Hotel.

The Nominees are . . .

Best Writer

• Joshua Willamson, Sketch Monsters
• Phillip Gelatt, Petrograd
• Cullen Bunn, The Sixth Gun V. 2: Crossroads
• Brandon Graham, Prophet
• John Arcudi and Mike Mignola, BPRD: Hell on Earth -- Russia

Best Artist

• Tyler Crook, Petrograd
• Fiona Staples, Saga
• Gary Gianni, Monster Men
• Brian Hurt, The Sixth Gun V. 2: Crossroads
• Jonathan Case, Green River Killer

Best Cartoonist

• Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Fox Hunt
• Roman Muradov, The Yellow Zine
• Ray Fawkes, One Soul
• Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets
• Carla Speed McNeil, Finder

Best Letterer

• Nate Piekos, Green River Killer
• Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Fox Hunt
• Tom Orzechowski and Lois Buhalis, Manara Library
• Roman Muradov, The Yellow Zine
• Doug Sherwood, Petrograd

Best Colorist

• Bill Crabtree, The Sixth Gun V. 2: Crossroads
• Dave Stewart, Hellboy: House of the Living Dead; Chimichanga
• Roman Muradov, The Yellow Zine
• Richard Ballermann, The Prophet
• Diana Nock, The Intrepid Girlbot: Unconditional, Vol. 1

Best Publication Design

• Petrograd, Tyler Crook and Keith Wood
• Any Empire, Nate Powell and Tony Ong
• Luci's Let Down, Marjee Chmiel and Sandra Lanz
• Kus! #9, Ryan Sands
• Dotter of her Father's Eyes, Bryan Talbot

Best Anthology

• Study Group Magazine #1, edited by Zack Soto
• Lies Grownups Told Me, edited by Nomi Kane, Jen Vaughn, Caitlin M.
• Kus! #9, edited by Ryan Sands
• Elf World #2, edited by Francois Vigneault
• Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson

Best Small Press

• Gangsta Rap Posse #2, Benjamin Marra
• The Intrepid Girlbot: Unconditional, Vol. 1, Diana Nock
• Fugue #1, Beth Hetland
• Luci's Let Down, Marjee Chmiel and Sandra Lanz
• Study Group Magazine #1, Zack Soto

Best New Talent

• Jonathan Case, Dear Creature, Green River Killer
• Roman Muradov, The Yellow Zine
• Diana Nock, The Intrepid Girlbot: Unconditional, Vol. 1
• Marjee Chmiel, Luci's Let Down
• Johnny Negron, Diamond Comics #6

Reader's Choice: Voters are encouraged to list their three favorite comics of the last twelve months, and the winner will be tabulated from all submissions received.

Only one vote will be counted per person, duplicates will be eliminated.

SHARKNIFE 2: DOUBLE Z book release party with Corey Lewis Location: Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., Portland, OR 97209 ()
Date: Thu, Apr. 5, 2012
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
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Ceasar Hallelujah & friends return in this EPIC sequel to 2005′s Sharknife: Stage First!

Sharknife has fought 100 battles and its time to level up! But at what cost? Will he face defeat at the hands of his nemesis, Ombra the Orcasword? Who is Daring Hallelujah? And who are the SCARS of REXIMUS? Find out in SHARKNIFE: DOUBLE Z! Complete with new villains, new heroes, and new transformations!

Corey Lewis will be down from Seattle to celebrate the book release and present an exhibit of original artwork. Thursday,

First Thursday with Tony Morgan and Mike Dringenberg Location: Groove Suite, 440 NW Glisan, Portland, OR 97209 ()
Date: Thu, Apr. 5, 2012
Time: 9:00pm - 11:00pm

Tony Morgan and Mike Dringenberg present... Works on Paper

Prints, Drawings, Tittlebats, Snarks, Honeybadgers, and Other Bestiary Miscellania for your various divrs. amusement.

A rare Portland appearance, Groove Suite is honored to be showing the works of these fine artists.

JOHNNY WANDER book signing with Ananth Panagariya & Yuko Ota Location: Floating World Comics, 400 NW Couch St., Portland, OR 97209 ()
Date: Wed, Mar. 28, 2012 - Wed, Mar. 28, 2012
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Visit Website

Johnny Wander is slice-of-life comics about life after college, striking out on your own, living with your friends, moving to a new city - all the moments in between the adult stuff, as seen through a lens of whimsy. Johnny Wander Vol. 1: Don't Burn the House Down came out in September 2010, followed up by Johnny Wander Vol. 2: Escape to New York in December 2011. It updates twice a week and can be read online at johnnywander.com.

TFAW Geek Trivia at the Kennedy School Location: Mcmenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Avenue, Portland, OR ()
Date: Tue, Apr. 3, 2012 - Tue, Jun. 26, 2012
Time: Every other Tuesday, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Things From Another World's Geek Trivia is going strong with hosts Cort & Fatboy! If you haven't made it out yet, come to the McMenamin's Kennedy School and discover what hundreds of geeks already know--it's the most exciting (and controversial) trivia game in town! Doors open at 6:30 (or earlier), and the game starts at 7:00!

Prove your geek cred, experience authentic nerd rage, and watch (or take part in!) Street Fighter tie-breakers every other Tuesday at the Kennedy School. We give away hundreds of dollars in prizes from TFAW as well as other nerdy local businesses, so form your team (up to five people), or take on the ultimate challenge and play solo!

21+ unless accompanied by parent or guardian, R-Rated event (language).

Avengers VS X-Men LAUNCH PARTY Location: Excalibur Comics, 2444 SE Hawthorne Blvd Ste 1, Portland, OR ()
Date: Tue, Apr. 3, 2012
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm

The Battle begins at Excalibur! Join us for the Official Portland Launch Party for AvX!! This Tuesday evening, get AvX #1 at Portland's #1 destination for comic book adventure!

Our special guests are some of the talent responsible for this blowout battle royale between our favorite heroes:

-->AvX co-writer MATT FRACTION (Casanova, Invincible Iron Man, Defenders, Fear Itself)

-->Marvel talent scout/writer/editor CB CEBULSKI

These two gentlemen are among the top talents responsible for all the action and excitement that comes out of The House of Ideas, you won't want to miss out on hearing them discuss their work and what goes into creating such a giant comics event such as AvX!

We polled our customers, and your voice was loud and clear, Excalibur is officially an X-MEN ally in this melee! Stop by for exclusive goodies!

It's ON!

The Storm in the Barn Location: The Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway at Main St., Portland, OR ()
Date: Sat, Apr. 28, 2012 - Sun, May. 20, 2012
Time: Saturdays at 2pm and 5pm, Sundays at 2pm
Visit Website

A world premiere play based on a graphic novel, and featuring orginal music composed by local band Black Prairie.

It's 1937 and the Kansas dust swirls as far as the eye can see. Eleven-year-old Jack and his family struggle to survive the Dust Bowl. With no rain clouds on the horizon, the future is grim.

Bullied, not big enough to work, and a disappointment to his father, Jack feels useless in the face of hardship--until he discovers a sinister figure with a face like a thunderstorm. Is it just "dust dementia"? Or has he found a way to pull the town out of desperation?

Both tall tale and thrilling historical fiction, The Storm in the Barn--with original music by Portland band Black Prairie--captures the spare, muted, ethereal mood of the award-winning graphic novel.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.

March 26: Guests Announced!

Dan Piraro
Dan Piraro has been sharing his off-kilter view of the world through his daily strip Bizarro since 1985. Since its inception it has been syndicated on four continents, and has been collected into fifteen different albums. He's been recognized with three National Cartoonist Society Panel awards, and he won the Reuben for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2010. Dan also performs his one-man comedy show, The Bizarro Baloney Show, winner of the Best Solo Show award at the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival.

Chris Samnee
Chris has drawn comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Vertigo and Oni Press. Artist of Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale, Siege: Embedded, The Mighty, Capote In Kansas and other titles. His latest work includes a much-anticipated run on Marvel's Daredevil.

Pete Bagge
Pete Bagge's groundbreaking comic Neat Stuff, was published by Fantagraphics from 1985 to 1989, and helped to popularize the grunge movement of the Seattle cultural underground. His most popular character from that series, Buddy Bradley, moved on to star in his own series as Neat Stuff evolved into Hate, which continues to be published as Hate Annual.

Matthew Southworth
Matthew Southworth's first major comics work, Stumptown, graphically reminds its readers of its Portland-based setting with his beautifully-rendered artwork, telling the story of Dex, a private detective working the seamier side of the Rose City. Matthew will be on-hand over the weekend to share his inspirations and the techniques he uses to capture all of the drama of this town we call home.

Farel Dalrymple
Farel Dalrymple is probably best known for his breakout work on Marvel's Omega The Unknown with Jonathan Lethem, and DC Comics's Bizarro World with Dylan Horrocks. His creator-owned works include the Xeric-award-winning Pop Gun War, later published by Dark Horse Comics, and contributions to the Meathaus anthology. His latest project is titled The Wrenchies, and will be published by First Second Books.

Brandon Seifert
Brandon's first first published comics work, Witch Doctor, from Skybound Entertainment exploded onto the scene in 2011, and the first issue was the fifth-highest selling comic from Image the month it was released. The first five issues have been collected in the Witch Doctor: Under the Knife, and a second miniseries will be debuting later in 2012.

Lukas Ketner
Lukas's work on Witch Doctor brought him a nomination for the 2009 Russ Manning Award for Best New Talent. This led to him being published in the inaugural issue of Dark Horse Comics's relaunched Creepy series. He has also worked with Super Size Me creator Morgan Spurlock, and is a regular illustration contributor to Portland's Willamette Week. He is currently working on the second Witch Doctor miniseries with collaborator Brandon Seifert.

2012 Poster Revealed!

We're excited to reveal the official poster for the 2012 Stumptown Comics Fest, featuring artwork by our guest Mike Allred! These posters measure 18x24", and will be for sale at the Fest for only $5!

And because we love the sound-effect plastered background so much, we've also created a few desktop wallpapers, to give your computer that vintage aged-comics feel. To download the wallpapers, just right-click each image and "Save As..."

Comics Fest Tickets Available Now!

Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 Stumptown Comics Fest, available through TicketsWest! Day passes are $7 per person, or $12 for a weekend pass. Student tickets are available for $5 (with valid student ID), and children ten and under are free.

We're also running a special group rate for Sunday, where groups of 8 or more can get in for just $4 each! All of these rates will also be available at the Oregon Convention Center Box Office the weekend of the Fest, but why wait?

Follow this link to buy your tickets today!

Update: The earlier posted price of $10 for a weekend pass was incorrect. $10 is the price of a weekend pass with a Student Discount (valid ID required)