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1997 Ignatz Award Nominees and Winners

(winners are in bold and marked with *)

"The 1997 Small Press Expo (SPX) inaugurated a new award for outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The Ignatz, named after George Herriman's brick-wielding mouse, recognizes outstanding work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an artform and as a means of personal expression. The Ignatz is a festival prize, the first such of the United States comic book industry. Winners were determined by ballot at the Small Press Expo, a weekend convention and tradeshow showcasing creator-owned comics.

"Voting was open to all attendees of the Small Press Expo in Silver Spring, MD, just outside of Washington, DC, and awards were presented at the gala Ignatz Awards ceremony on Saturday, September 20, 1997.

"The ballot consisted of five nominees for each category. A jury of five artists worked independently to arrive at the Ignatz ballot. Jury members were precluded from nominating themselves and none knew who the others were. Each jury member provided three nominations, and a second round of voting established the final ballot."
--Small Press Expo webpage

Outstanding Artist

  • Gilbert Hernandez for New Love (Fantagraphics Books)
  • Dylan Horrocks for Pickle (Black Eye Productions)
  • C. S. Morse for Soulwind (Image Comics)
  • Gary Panter for Jimbo (Zongo Comics)
  • Seth for Palookaville (Drawn & Quarterly Publications) *

Breakout Talent

  • Debbie Dreschler for Nowhere (Drawn & Quarterly) *
  • Tom Hart for The Sands (Black Eye)
  • C. S. Morse for Soulwind (Image)
  • Walt Holcombe for King of Persia (self published/Accordian Press)
  • Steve Weissman for Yikes! (Alternative Press, Inc.)

Outstanding Story

  • "A Death In the Family" in Silly Daddy by Joe Chiappetta (self-published)
  • "Ghost World" in Eightball by Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics)
  • "Hicksville" in Pickle by Dylan Horrocks (Black Eye)
  • From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (Kitchen Sink Press) *
  • "It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken" in Palookaville by Seth, (Drawn & Quarterly)

Outstanding Series

  • Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics) *
  • Berlin by Jason Lutes (Black Eye)
  • Eightball by Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics)
  • Palookaville by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
  • Strangehaven by Gary Millidge (self-published/Abiogenesis)

Outstanding Comic

  • Eightball #17 by Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics) *
  • Hey Mister #1 by Pete Sickman-Garner (self-published)
  • Keyhole #2 by Dean Haspiel and Josh Neufeld (Modern)
  • King of Persia by Walt Holcombe (self-published/Accordian Press)
  • Palookaville #10 by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)

Outstanding Minicomic

  • Hey Mister #4 by Pete Sickman-Garner (self-published)
  • King-Cat Comics #52 by John Porcellino (self-published)
  • Magic Whistle #9 by Sam Henderson (self-published)
  • Out There #5 by Alan Hunt (self-published)
  • The Perfect Planet by James Kochalka (self-published) *

Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection

  • At The Seams by Ed Brubaker (Alternative Press, Inc.)
  • It's A Good Life if You Don't Weaken by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly) *
  • Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: Stories by Ben Katchor (Little, Brown)
  • L'Ascension Du Haut Mal by David B. (L'Association)
  • Lost in the Alps by Cosey (NBM)

1997 Jury Members:
Jessica Abel (Artbabe)
Chester Brown (Underwater)
Ed Brubaker (Detour)
Mark Wheatley (Radical Dreamer)
Joe Zabel (Tresspassers)