Quick links and Eisner predictions

• So, next weekend is the Pittsburgh Comicon. The attendees are still generally not worth getting excited over, but Jim Rugg has recently signed up for a table, so yay for that. What I'm most looking forward to is meeting up with a few blogger people.

• While I'm on the convention tip, all the APE related posts around the internerd have me really looking forward to this year's MoCCA Arts Festival. Somehow, I missed that the preliminary line-up has been announced. Until recently, it seems lighter than last year's show, but more exhibitors have been announced since I last scoped the list.

• So, the Eisner nominees have been announced. Go check out the full list.

Back when I was in college, my Film as Lit. professors always ran an Academy Awards contest as extra credit--the person closest to the final result got five points or something towards the final grade. Since then, I've done similar things on and off just for kicks. I should mention that I'm never, ever close. But that's not going to stop me from sharing my predictions. These aren't the winners I would necessarily choose, but the ones that I think will come out on top.

Best Short Story: “Glenn Ganges: Jeepers Jacobs,” by Kevin Huizenga, in Kramer’s Ergot 5 (Gingko Press)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Eightball #23: “The Death Ray,” by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics)

Best Serialized Story: Astonishing X-Men #1-6: “Gifted,” by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series: The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series: DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC) (I had a hard time between this or We3, but I think Cooke will take it.

Best New Series: Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and Tom Fesiter (WildStorm/DC)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience: Owly, by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)

Best Humor Publication: Plastic Man, by Kyle Baker and Scott Morse (DC)

Best Anthology: McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, edited by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s)

Best Digital Comic: Mom's Cancer, by Brian Fies (www.momscancer.com/eisner.htm)

Best Graphic Album—New: It’s a Bird..., by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen (Vertigo/DC)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: Bone One Volume Edition, by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project: The Complete Peanuts, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material: Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi (Pantheon)

Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC); Runaways (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist: Dan Clowes, Eightball #23 (Fantagraphics)

Best Writer/Artist—Humor: Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); Kyle Baker, Cartoonist (Kyle Baker Publishing)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team: John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): David Mack, Kabuki (Marvel)

Best Coloring: Laura Martin, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Ministry of Space (Image); Planetary (WildStorm/DC); I Am Legion: The Dancing Faun (Humanoids/DC)

Best Lettering: Todd Klein, Promethea; Tom Strong; Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales (ABC); Wonder Woman (DC); Books of Magick: Life During Wartime; Fables; WE3 (Vertigo/DC); Creatures of the Night (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist: James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Green Arrow, Batgirl (DC)

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Raina Telgemeier (“Smile,” Takeout)

Best Comics-Related Periodical: Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)

Best Comics-Related Book: Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book, by Gerard Jones (Basic Books)

Best Publication Design: McSweeney’s Quarterly #13, designed by Chris Ware (McSweeney’s)

Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices: Lou Fine; René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo

Four will be selected from:

Matt Baker
Wayne Boring
Nick Cardy
Yves Chaland
Gene Colan
Johnny Craig
Reed Crandall
Floyd Gottfredson
Frank Hampson
Graham Ingels
Robert Kanigher
William Moulton Marston
Hugo Pratt
Frank Robbins

I hope I remember I posted this, so I can go back and see how close I was or wasn't.

• Speaking of the Eisners, check out Tom Spurgeon's commentary, if you haven't already.