If it felt like a lot of creators were snubbed by the Eisners, it's because they were.
The nominations felt stilted and uncomfortable, furthering damning itself with constant repetition of the same several names for the last several years in the same several categories. There never seems to be much change, and it never seems to honor folks who are doing completely unique work. Creators and artists and thinkers who are pushing the medium to bigger and better heights.
What I wanted to do with the 2021 Granties™ was to award several people per category (I chose six because I am neurotic and it’s my favorite number) whose work encouraged me to spend money on their books. During a pandemic, where money was incredibly tight for not just me, but for readers in general, I feel like the best acknowledgment of success is to spend hard-earned cash on books that absolutely knock the reader out. Also, this stuff is incredibly subjective!
So these Grantie™ medalists are creators whose books I purchased and thoroughly enjoyed over the last calendar year (May 2020-May 2021). I was tempted several times to include books I borrowed or read reviews of, but that would be SHITTY and I would never dole out such prestigious accolades without truly believing in them. Also, some of my bias may show at time, but shut the fuck up – these are MY awards.
Without further ado, here are the 2021 Grantie™ award winners!
FAVORITE WRITER
Ram V (Swamp Thing, These Savage Shores, Justice League Dark)
Alex Paknadel (Red Fork, Giga)
James Tynion (Dept of Truth, Batman, Something Is Killing the Children)
Vita Ayala (New Mutants, Children of the Atom, Marvel Voices, Quarter Killer)
Si Spurrier (Hellblazer, Alienated, Way of X)
Mark Russell (Second Coming, Billionaire Island)
FAVORITE LINE ARTIST
Rebekah Isaacs (Reaver, Money Shot)
Daniel Warren Johnson (Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, Beta Ray Bill)
Sophie Campbell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Dan Mora (Once and Future, Dark Detective)
Alaire Racicot (Crown & Anchor, Sidequest)
Sanford Greene (Bitter Root)
FAVORITE COLOR ARTIST
Martinia Bonanni (Sidequest)
Gab Contreras (20 Fists, TRVE KVLT)
AHG (Burn After Reading, Broken Bear)
Tamra Bonvillain (Once and Future, Wonder Woman)
Stephanie Hans (Die)
Jack Foster (Gun, Gun: Slaughterball)
FAVORITE LETTERER
Aditya Bidiker (Hellblazer, These Savage Shores, Isola)
Micah Myers (Urban Animal, Grit, Maybe Someday)
Toben Racicot (Sidequest, Crown & Anchor, Beastlands)
Justin Birch (Dry Foot, Road of Bones, Villainous)
Christine Larsen (Orcs)
DC Hopkins (TRVE KVLT, Broken Bear, Heavy Metal)
FAVORITE EDITOR
Chris Conroy (Hellblazer, Detective Comics)
Heather Antos (Shadowman, Quantum & Woody)
Stephanie Cooke (Tartarus, Sidequest)
Adrian Wassel (Money Shot, Giga)
Brian Hawkins (Black Cotton, Honor and Curse)
Danny Lore (Project: Starless Daydream, Tomb of the White Horse)
FAVORITE COVER ARTIST
Maria Wolf (By the Horns, Women of Marvel)
Jack Foster (Gun, Gun: Slaughterball)
Heather Vaughan (Midnight Western Theater)
Kevin Wada (Commanders in Crisis, Barbalien: Red Planet)
Sweeney Boo (Becstar, Sagas of the Shield Maiden)
Jenn St-Onge (Cherry Gilbert: Necromancer, Vampire Emmy and the Garbage Girl)
FAVORITE WEBCOMIC
Urban Animal (Justin Jordan, John Amor)
Beware of Toddler (George Gant)
Rising Sand (Jenn Lee, Ty Dunitz)
Crown & Anchor (Alaire and Toben Racicot)
Quarantine Comix (Rachael Smith)
Sarah Scribbles (Sarah Andersen)
FAVORITE YA COMIC
Orcs
The Last Witch
Oh My Gods
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters
Superman Smashes the Klan
Nubia: Real One
FAVORITE MINI-SERIES (3-8 Issues)
Grit
Hawkeye Freefall
Dry Foot
Villainous
Secret History of the DC Universe
Forgotten Home
FAVORITE ONGOING (10 or More Issues)
John Constantine: Hellblazer
Money Shot
X-Factor
Second Coming
Die
Dept of Truth
FAVORITE KICKSTARTER BOOK
20 Fists
Shield Maiden
The OZ
Beastlands
Commander Rao
FAVORITE ANTHOLOGY
Maybe Someday
Project Big Hype
Marvel Voices
A Cold Dark Universe
Project: Starless Daydream
Shield Maiden
FAVORITE COMIC PODCAST
FAVORITE PUBLISHER
Vault
Scout Comics
Mad Cave
Image
Aftershock
Ahoy
FAVORITE ONE-SHOT
Commander Rao
Eden
Red Fork
Hell. Hath. No. Fury.
Leap M
The Dark Knight Returns: the Golden Child
FAVORITE COMIC SITE
FAVORITE HORROR SERIES
Sweet Heart
Tomb of the White Horse
Road of Bones
Killadelphia
Seeds of Eden
Red Fork
FAVORITE HUMOR SERIES
Money Shot
MetalShark Bro
TRVE KVLT
Giant Days
Billionaire Island
FAVORITE FANTASY SERIES
Dryad
Beastlands
Grit
Sidequest
Die
White Ash
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