SDCC ’25: Announcing the 2025 Eisner Award winners

The 2025 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented at San Diego Comic-Con International on Friday, July 25 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Hosted by Phil LaMarr and Bill Morrison, the ceremony awarded trophies to winners across 32 categories. 

The Beat won Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism! Thank you so much for your support and congratulations in the 20 years that we’ve been online, run by our founder and editor-in-chief Heidi MacDonald!

David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One Artist’s Edition from IDW Publishing won in both of its nominated categories, and Lunar New Year Love Story published by First Second won in three of four categories. DC Comics led total publisher wins with five trophies, two of them shared; Fantagraphics, First Second, and IDW Publishing tied with four wins each (Fantagraphics and IDW each sharing one win, respectively). There were some surprise wins this year, with a diverse pool of creators seeing their work recognized by their peers.

The 21st annual Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing to filmmaker, novelist, and comics writer Don Glut and late animator, writer, and artist Sheldon Mayer. The honorees were chosen unanimously by the selection committee consisting of chair Mark Evanier, Charles Kochman, Kurt Busiek, Jim Amash, Scott Shaw!, and Marv Wolfman. Mayer’s granddaughter Shelly Mayer accepted for him alongside her support dog. Glut accepted his own award and began his speech by announcing, “No, I’m not dead,” nor has he retired.

This year’s Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award went to the L.A. Strong Charity Comic organized by Mad Cave Studios, which aided comics industry members impacted by the L.A. wildfires. Mike Marts accepted, saying, “When we set out to create L.A. Strong, we weren’t thinking about wining awards. We were thinking about our dear friends. There is no industry quite like ours.”

The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees were awarded at a separate ceremony on Friday morning. The 21 inductees chosen by the judges’ panel are deceased creators Peter Arno; Gus Arriola; Wilhelm Busch; Richard “Grass” Green; Rea Irvin; Jack Kamen; Joe Maneely; Shigeru Mizuki; Bob Oksner; Bob Powell; Ira Schnapp; and Phil Seuling. The living creators are Steve Bissette; Lucy Shelton Caswell; Philippe Druillet; Phoebe Gloeckner; Joe Sacco; Bill Schanes; Steve Schanes; Frank Stack; and Angelo Torres.

The Voters’ Choice Hall of Fame inductees are Junji Ito; Kyle Baker; Eddie Campbell; Roz Chast; Dan Clowes; Todd Klein; and John Romita, Jr.

The 2025 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award was presented to Akira Comics in Madrid, Spain, owned by Jesús Marugán, Iván Marugán, Mariano Marugán, and Justina Escobar.

And finally, The Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award was presented to Hexagon Bridge writer/artist Richard Blake.

See the complete list of 2025 Eisner Award winners below (bolded).

2025 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winners

BEST SHORT STORY

• “Anything Sinister” by Ross Murray, in NOW #13 (Fantagraphics)
• “Day 1703” by Chris Ware, in Smoke Signal #43 (Desert Island)
• “Pig” by Stacy Gougoulis, in NOW #13 (Fantagraphics)
• “Spaces” by Phil Jimenez, in DC Pride 2024 #1 (DC)
• “Water I’ve Loved: Moving Day” by Pam Wye, in Mutha Magazine
• “You Cannot Live on Bread Alone” by Kayla E., in NOW #13 (Fantagraphics)

BEST SINGLE ISSUE/ONE-SHOT

• Abortion Pill Zine: A Community Guide to Misoprostol and Mifepristone by Isabella Rotman, Marnie Galloway, and Sage Coffey (Silver Sprocket)
• Ice Cream Man #39: “Decompression in a Wreck, Part One” by W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo (Image Comics)
• PeePee PooPoo #1 by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket)
• Sunflowers by Keezy Young (Silver Sprocket)
• Unwholesome Love by Charles Burns (co-published with Partners and Son)
• The War on Gaza by Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics)

BEST CONTINUING SERIES

• The Department of Truth by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image)
• Detective Comics by Ram V, Tom Taylor, Riccardo Federici, Stefano Raffaele, Javier Fernandez, Christian Duce, March, and Mikel Janín (DC)
• Fantastic Four by Ryan North, Carlos Gomez, Ivan Fiorelli, and others (Marvel)
• Santos Sisters by Greg & Fake, Graham Smith, Dave Landsberger, and Marc Koprinarov (Floating World)
• Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto (Marvel)
• Wonder Woman by Tom King and Daniel Sampere (DC)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

• Alan Scott: The Green Lantern by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey (DC)
• Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross (BOOM! Studios)
• The Deviant by James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson (Image)
• Helen of Wyndhorn. by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (Dark Horse)
• Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade (BOOM! Studios)
• Zatanna: Bring Down the House by Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez (DC)

BEST NEW SERIES

• Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta (DC)’
• Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman (DC)
• Minor Arcana by Jeff Lemire (BOOM! Studios)
• The Pedestrian by Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman (Magma Comix)
• The Power Fantasy by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard (Image)
• Uncanny Valley by Tony Fleecs and Dave Wachter (BOOM! Studios)

BEST PUBLICATION FOR EARLY READERS

• Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp (Annick Press)
• Club Microbe by Elise Gravel, translated by Montana Kane (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Hilda and Twig Hide from the Rain by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye)
• Night Stories by Liniers (Astra Books)
• Poetry Comics by Grant Snider (Chronicle Books)

BEST PUBLICATION FOR KIDS

• How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger (Greenwillow/HarperCollins Early Readers)
• Next Stop by Debbie Fong (Random House Graphic/Random House Children’s Books)
• Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol (First Second/Macmillan)
• Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr. and Jes & Cin Wibowo (First Second/Macmillan)
• Young Hag and the Witches’ Quest by Isabel Greenberg (Abrams Fanfare)

BEST PUBLICATION FOR TEENS

• Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang (First Second/Macmillan)
• Big Jim and the White Boy by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson (Ten Speed Graphic)
• The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag (Scholastic)
• The Gulf by Adam de Souza (Tundra)
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (First Second/Macmillan)
• Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman (Andrews McMeel)

BEST HUMOR PUBLICATION

• Adulthood is a Gift! by Sarah Andersen (Andrews McMeel)
• Forces of Nature by Edward Steed (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Kids Are Still Weird: And More Observations from Parenthood by Jeffrey Brown (NBM)
• A Pillbug Story by Allison Conway (Black Panel Press)
• Processing: 100 Comics That Got Me Through It by Tara Booth (Drawn & Quarterly)

BEST ANTHOLOGY

• EC Cruel Universe edited by Sierra Hahn and Matt Dryer (Oni Press)
• Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary edited by Jake Williams and others (IDW)
• Now: The New Comics Anthology #13 edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
• Peep #1 edited by Sammy Harkham and Steve Weissman (Brain Dead/Kyle Ng)
• So Buttons #14: “Life and Death” by Jonathan Baylis and various artists (So Buttons Comix)

BEST REALITY-BASED WORK

• Djuna by Jon Macy (Street Noise Books)
• The Heart That Fed: A Father, a Son, and the Long Shadow of War by Carl Sciacchitano (Gallery 13/S&S)
• The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis & J. R. R. Tolkien by John Hendrix (Abrams Fanfare)
• The Puerto Rican War: A Graphic History by John Vasquez Mejias (Union Square)
• Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in the U.S. by Caitlin Cass (Fantagraphics)

BEST GRAPHIC MEMOIR

• Degrees of Separation: A Decade North of 60 by Alison McCreesh (Conundrum)
• Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls (MCD/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
• The Field by David Lapp (Conundrum)
• I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir by Maurice Vellekoop (Pantheon)
• Something, Not Nothing: A Story of Grief and Love by Sarah Leavitt (Arsenal Pulp Press)

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM—NEW

• Final Cut by Charles Burns (Pantheon)
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (First Second/Macmillan)
• My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
• Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen (Fantagraphics)
• Victory Parade by Leela Corman (Pantheon)

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM—REPRINT

• Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story by Patrick McDonnell (Abrams ComicArts)
• Lackadaisy, vols. 1–2 by Tracy J. Butler (Iron Circus)
• The One Hand and The Six Fingers by Ram V, Dan Watters, Laurence Campbell, and Sumit Kumar (Image)
• Rescue Party: A Graphic Anthology of COVID Lockdown edited by Gabe Fowler (Pantheon)
• Seattle Samurai: A Cartoonist’s Perspective of the Japanese American Experience by Kelly Goto and Sam Goto (Chin Music Press)
• UM Volume One by buttercup (Radiator Comics)

BEST ADAPTATION FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM

• Thomas Piketty’s Capital & Ideology: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Clare Alot and Benjamin Adam (Abrams ComicArts)
• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, adapted by Benjamin Flao and Fred Bernard (Greystone)
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy, adapted by Manu Larcenet (Abrams)
• Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne, adapted by Travis Dandro (Drawn & Quarterly)
• The Worst Journey in the World, Volume 1: Making Our Easting Down by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, adapted by Sarah Airriess (Iron Circus)

BEST U.S. EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIAL

• All Princesses Die Before Dawn by Quentin Zuttion (Abrams ComicArts)
• The Jellyfish by Boum, translated by Robin Lang and Helge Dascher (Pow Pow Press)
• Mothballs by Sole Otero; translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
• Return to Eden by Paco Roca; translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
• Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen (Fantagraphics)

BEST U.S. EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIAL—ASIA

• Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba, translated by Asa Yonola (Kodansha)
• Hereditary Triangle by Fumiya Hayashi, translated by Alethea and Athena Nibley (Yen Press)
• Kagurabachi, vol. 1 by Takeru Hokazono, translated by Camellia Nieh (VIZ Media)
• Last Quarter, vol. 1 by Ai Yazawa, translated by Max Greenway (VIZ Media)
• Search and Destroy vol. 1 by Atsushi Kaneko, based on the work of Osamu Tezuka; translated by Ben Applegate (Fantagraphics)
• Tokyo These Days, vols. 1–3 by Taiyo Matsumoto, translated by Michael Arias (VIZ Media)

BEST ARCHIVAL COLLECTION/PROJECT—STRIPS

• All In Line by Saul Steinberg (New York Review Books)
• Frank Johnson, Secret Pioneer of American Comics, vol. 1 edited by Chris Byrne and Keith Mayerson (Fantagraphics)
• Stan Mack’s Real-Life Funnies: The Collected Conceits, Delusions, and Hijinks of New Yorkers from 1974 to 1995 by Stan Mack, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Thorn: The Complete Proto-BONE Strips 1982–1986, and Other Early Drawings by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)

BEST ARCHIVAL COLLECTION/PROJECT—COMIC BOOKS

• The Complete Web of Horror edited by Dana Marie Andra (Fantagraphics)
• David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One Artist’s Edition by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• DC Comics Style Guide (Standards Manual)
• The Farewell Song of Marcel LaBrume by Attilio Micheluzzi, edited by Gary Groth and Conrad Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Wally Wood from Witzend: Complete Collection, commentary by J. David Spurlock (Vanguard)
• X-Men: The Manga Remastered, vol. 1 edited by Glenn Greenberg and others (VIZ Media)

BEST COMICS-RELATED PERIODICAL/JOURNALISM

• The Beat, edited by Heidi MacDonald and others, https://www.comicsbeat.com
• ICv2: The Business of Pop Culture, edited by Milton Griepp, icv2.com
• INKS, The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, edited by Susan Kirtley (Ohio State University Press)
• SOLRAD: The Online Literary Magazine for Comics, edited by Daniel Elkin, www.solrad.co (Fieldmouse Press)
• Zdarsky Comics News, edited by Allison O’Toole (Chip Zdarsky)

BEST COMICS-RELATED BOOK

• American Comic Book Chronicles: 1945-49 by Keith Dallas, John Wells, Richard Arndt, and Kurt Mitchell (TwoMorrows)
• Kate Carew: America’s First Great Woman Cartoonist by Eddie Campbell with Christine Chambers (Fantagraphics) 
• Q&A by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Reading Love and Rockets by Marc Sobel (Fantagraphics)
• Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund by Caitlin McGurk (Fantagraphics)
• Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: The Ultimate History edited by Daniel Kothen Schulte with text by David Gerstein and J. B. Kaufman (TASCHEN)

BEST ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY WORK

• Comics and Modernism: History, Form, and Culture edited by Jonathan Najarian (University Press of Mississippi)
• Drawing (in) the Feminine: Bande Dessinée and Women edited by Margaret C. Flinn (Ohio State University Press)
• From Gum Wrappers to Richie Rich: The Materiality of Cheap Comics by Neale Barnholden (University Press of Mississippi)
• Petrochemical Fantasies: The Art and Energy of American Comics by Daniel Worden (Ohio State University Press)
• Singular Sensations: A Cultural History of One-Panel Comics in the United States by Michelle Ann Abate (Rutgers University Press)

BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN

• Bill Ward: The Fantagraphics Studio Edition designed by Kayla E. (Fantagraphics)
• Brian Bolland: Batman The Killing Joke and Other Stories & Art, Gallery Edition designed by Josh Beatman (Graphitti Designs)
• David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One Artist’s Edition designed by Chip Kidd (IDW)
• One Bite at a Time designed by Ryan Claytor (Elephant Eater Comics)
• Scott Pilgrim 20th Anniversary Color Hardcover Box Set designed by Patrick Crotty (Oni Press)
• Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: The Ultimate History designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)

BEST DIGITAL COMIC

• The Beauty Salon, based on the novella by Mario Bellatin, adapted by Quentin Zuttion; translated by M. B. Valente (Europe Comics)
• Beyond the Sea, by Anaïs Flogny; translated by Dan Christensen (Europe Comics)
• Gonzo: Fear and Loathing in America, by Morgan Navarro; translated by Tom Imber (Europe Comics)
• My Journey to Her, by Yuna Hirasawa (Kodansha)
• The Spider and the Ivy, by Grégoire Carle; translated by M. B. Valente (Europe Comics)

BEST WEBCOMIC

BEST WRITER

• Tom King, Archie: The Decision (Archie); Animal Pound (BOOM! Studios); Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse); Jenny Sparks, The Penguin, Wonder Woman (DC)
• Ram V, Rare Flavours (BOOM! Studios); Dawnrunner (Dark Horse); The One Hand (Image); Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! (Image Skybound)
• Kelly Thompson, Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey (DC); Scarlett (Image Skybound); Venom War: It’s Jeff #1 (Marvel)
• James Tynion IV, Something Is Killing the Children, Wynd (BOOM! Studios); Blue Book, The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos (Dark Horse); Spectregraph (DSTLRY); The Department of Truth, The Deviant, WORLDTR33 (Image)
• Gene Luen Yang, Lunar New Year Love Story (First Second/Macmillan)

BEST WRITER/ARTIST

• Charles Burns, Kommix (Fantagraphics); Final Cut (Pantheon); Unwholesome Love (co-published with Partners & Son)
• Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two (Fantagraphics)
• Jon Macy, Djuna (Street Noise Books)
• Paco Roca, Return to Eden (Fantagraphics)
• Olivier Schrauwen, Sunday (Fantagraphics)
• Maria Sweeney, Brittle Joints (Street Noise Books)

BEST PENCILLER/INKER OR PENCILLER/INKER TEAM

• Filipe Andrade, Rare Flavours (BOOM! Studios)
• Nick Dragotta, Absolute Batman (DC)
• Bilquis Evely, Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse)
• Manu Larcenet, The Road (Abrams ComicArts)
• Javier Rodriguez, Zatanna: Bring Down the House (DC)
• LeUyen Pham, Lunar New Year Love Story (First Second/Macmillan)

BEST PAINTER/MULTIMEDIA ARTIST

• Frederic Bremaud and Federico Bertolucci, Donald Duck: Vacation Parade (Fantagraphics)
• Leela Corman, Victory Parade (Pantheon)
• Benjamin Flao The Hidden Life of Trees (Greystone)
• Merwan, Aster of Pan (Magnetic Press)
• Eduardo Risso, The Blood Brothers Mother (DSTLRY)
• Maria Sweeney, Brittle Joints (Street Noise Books)

BEST COVER ARTIST

• Juni Ba, The Boy Wonder (DC); Godzilla Skate or Die, TMNT Nightwatcher and others (IDW) 
• Evan Cagle, Dawnrunner (Dark Horse), New Gods, Detective Comics
• Bilquis Evely, Animal Pound (BOOM!); Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse)
• Tula Lotay, Helen of Wyndhorn #1, Count Crowley: Mediocre Midnight Monster Hunter #3, Dawnrunner #1, Barnstormers TPB (Dark Horse); Somna and other titles (DSTLRY); The Horizon Experiment (Image)
• Hayden Sherman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns, Superman, Ape-ril, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) (DC)

BEST COLORING

• Jordie Bellaire, Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America, The Nice House by the Sea (DC); The City Beneath Her Feet (DSTLRY); The Exorcism at 1600 Penn (IDW); W0rldtr33 (Image); G.I. Joe, Duke (Image Skybound) 
• Matheus Lopes, Batman & Robin: Year One (DC); Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse)
• Justin Prokowich, Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze (Titan Comics)
• Javier Rodriguez, Zatanna: Bring Down the House) (DC)
• Dave Stewart, Dawnrunner, Free Comic Book Day Comic 2024 [general], The Serpent in the Garden, Hellboy, Hellboy and the BPRD, Paranoid Gardens, Shaolin Cowboy Cruel to Be Kin Silent but Deadly Edition (Dark Horse); Ultramega, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! (Image Skybound)
• Quentin Zuttion, All Princesses Die Before Dawn (Abrams ComicArts); Beauty Salon (Europe Comics)

BEST LETTERING

• Becca Carey, Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, Plastic Man No More! (DC); Radiant Black, Rogue Sun (Image); When the Blood Has Dried, Murder Kingdom (Mad Cave Studios)
• Leela Corman, Victory Parade (Pantheon)
• Clayton Cowles, Animal Pound (BOOM! Studios); FML, Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse); Absolute Batman, Batman, Batman & Robin: Year One, Birds of Prey, Jenny Sparks, Wonder Woman (DC); Strange Academy, Venom (Marvel)
• Emil Ferris, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book Two (Fantagraphics)
• Nate Powell, Fall Through (Abrams ComicArts); Lies My Teacher Told Me (New Press)

Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from SDCC ’25.