You may notice (and if you do, good lord, please find better things to occupy your attention) that not only are this year's Granties™ late, but also light: There aren't as many medallists this year in a slew of categories.
Now, this is for a variety of reasons, first and foremost being that holy FUCK, this last calendar year has been a real piece of frozen elk shit. A few deaths, some job transitions, health scares, and the fucking dumbest episode of car troubles I could've imagined (thanks, capitalism!). Between my depression and the narrowing of my bandwidth to focus mostly on my wife and kids (and even then I feel like I did a pretty shitty job), I haven't been able to relax in the world of sequential art like I wanted to.
What sliver of time and scrapings of cash I did have available, I backed Kickstarters and tried to make a trip to ye olde comic shoppe at least once every three months. ALSO: getting SQ ready for Scout while trying to tie up the last issue via KS and doing 36 fucking episodes of ItCC really burned me out.
BUT BUT BUT (I like big "buts"), this is not me whining how weally weally twoubling things were for ol' Granty boy -- but yeah, it kinda is -- so much as me saying: Others have had it worse, and right now it's okay. Things are okay for me, my family, my friends. What is life but a series of hurdles followed by recovery and then joy?
There was solace in the comics I did catch, though. There was joy in the podcasts I consistently listened to, in the new webcomics I stumbled upon. And, to assuage my guilt at being unable to put out a thick, girthy Grantie™ list, other folks were coming out with their own awards! Being able to give recognition to a wider field of independent creators is truly a wonderful thing because, as we all often retweet on Twitter, one of the best ways to help creators is to draw attention to them. So, if you finish up my dumb award shenanigans for this year, do please check out other indie awards like the CBY ICE Awards or the Geeklies! And hell, please keep making your own awards for creators; Grantie™ awards are just for the books & stuff that I spent my time and money on, and if your book or art didn't get one it doesn't mean it's bad, it just means it's not my bag, and other awards can cover the books that don't normally fall into my purview. MORE AWARDS I SAY!
...except the Eisners. Those suck now.
JFC, are you still reading? I'm so sorry. So very sorry. Here we go!
Fav Writers
Ram V (Aquaman: Andromeda, Swamp Thing, the Vigil)
Jarred Luján (Twin Blades: Blood & Obsidian, Crash & Troy)
Markisan Naso (By the Horns: Dark Earth)
Justin Jordan (Harrower, Urban Animal)
Fellhound (And We Love You)
Fav Line Artists
Alaire Racicot (Crown & Anchor, Sidequest)
Jason Muhr (By the Horns: Dark Earth)
Max Sarin (Giant Days, Great British Bump Off)
Julio Suarez (Twin Blades: Blood & Obsidian)
Daniel Warren Johnson (Do a Powerbomb)
Fellhound (And We Love You)
Kyler Clodfelter (Crash & Troy)
Fav Color Artist
Jordie Bellaire
Fav Cover Artists
Fav Letterers
Fav Editors
Fav Podcasts
Comics Coffee Metal
Word Bros
Bitches on Comics
Amazing Action Podcast
Cryptid Creator Corner
Gatecrashers Pod
PlayComix
Fav One-Pagers
Fav Webcomic
Fav Young Reader Comic
Investi Gators
Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters
Fav Mini
Human Target
the Vigil
Fav Ongoing
By the Horns
Doom Patrol
Nice House on the Lake
What's the Furthest Place From Here
Fav KS Book
The Twin Blades: Blood & Obsidian
Sidekick for Hire
Frankenstein the Unconquered
Pilgrim’s Dirge
Dust Pirates
Fav Anthology
Breakneck Fantasy Anthology
The Amber Door
The Color of Always
Pop’s Choc’lit Shop of Horrors
Fav Publisher
Scout Comics
Vault Comics
Ahoy Comics
Band of Bards
Mad Cave Studios
Image
Fav One-Shot
And We Love You
Archie Vs the World
Artemis Wanted
Those That Inherit the Earth
Static Team-Up: Anansi
Fav Horror Series
Evie and the Helsings
Tomb of the Black Horse
Deadliner
I Hate This Place
Harrower
Swamp Thing
Fav Humor Series
Crash & Troy
Not All Robots
Fav Fantasy Series
Quests Aside
Giantess
End After End
Step by Bloody Step
And that's it, chums! Congrats to all the medallists, you've helped make my year a bit easier. Please keep making those sweet, sweet comics. Oh! And don't forget to support independent creators, publishers, crowdfunding, podcasts, and A W A R D S! The more recognition indie folks get, the better!