28-DEC-2011 Each year, the CGS (Comic Geek Speak) podcast gathers nominations and then votes on a “Best of” list just like many podcasts. This year, I sent in some indie-heavy nominations. *Note: I have nothing to do with establishing the categories.*

Below is how I submitted the nominations to the guys at CGS. I have a couple qualifiers in there because several of the books I read this year and enjoyed, were small self-published enterprises. I’ve also added some nominations below that I didn’t include in my email to CGS because they are asking for only one nomination. I’m torn on several categories so I’m writing in a couple “tied for best” here.

BEST NEW HERO OR TEAM (debut in 2011)

* The protagonist known as “Ghost” in DEAD MAN’S PARTY by Jeff Marsick/Scott Barnett  (self published)

* VIC BOONE by Shawn Aldridge (writer) and Geoffo (artist) from @215ink

BEST NEW VILLAIN OR TEAM (debut in 2011)

* “Bone,” new villain of Catwoman

BEST NEW COMIC (#1 shipped in 2011)

* DEAD MAN’S PARTY #1 by Jeff Marsick (writer) and Scott Barnett (artist) (self published)

* VIC BOONE by Shawn Aldridge (writer) and Geoffo (artist) from @215ink

BEST LIMITED SERIES (that finished in 2011)

* SWEETS by Kody Chamberlain

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR ONESHOT (usually under 80 pages)

* CATWOMAN #1

BEST CLIFFHANGER OR MOMENT

* Barbara Gordon out of her wheelchair (maybe not “best” but certainly most talked about that didn’t involve sex), BATGIRL #1

BEST STORYLINE WITHIN A SERIES OR MULTIPLE SERIES

* Mark & Abby become home owners in LOVE AND CAPES by Thom Zahler (IDW)

BEST SLEEPER/SURPRISE HIT

* PRINCELESS by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin from ActionLab

BEST ONGOING COMIC (doesn’t have to start in 2011)

* TINY TITANS by Art Balthazar and Franco (DC)

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

* PSYCHIATRIC TALES volume 1 by Darryl Cunningham

BEST PUBLICATION ABOUT COMICS (Print)

* PREVIEWS CATALOG

BEST WRITER 

* Judd Winnick (CATWOMAN)

BEST ARTIST 

* Geoffo (VIC BOONE series from 215ink), yes he is only known as “Geoffo,” no last name.

BEST WRITER/ARTIST (individual that does both)

* Brian Smith (THE INTREPID ESCAPEGOAT from Th3rdWorld Studios)

BEST INKER

* I have not found that any of the comics/collections I’ve read this year have individual inkers! It’s a dying breed. Many artists ink their own work these days.

BEST COLOR ARTIST

* Carlos Lopez (GREEN HORNET: YEAR ONE)

BEST LETTERER

* Carlos M. Mangual (BIRDS OF PREY)

BEST EDITOR

* Rachel Gluckstern (CATWOMAN)

BEST COVER ARTIST

* Francesco Francavilla

BREAKOUT TALENT OF 2011 (doesn’t have to have their first work in 2011)

* Jeff Marsick (writer) and Scott Barnett (artist) for DEAD MAN’S PARTY self published

* Shawn Aldridge (writer) and Geoffo (artist) for VIC BOONE by @215ink

* Paul Allor (writer) with various artists for CLOCKWORK by @govtcomics

BEST COMIC PROJECT IN ANOTHER MEDIUM (movie, TV, toys, novels, etc.)

* Captain America: The First Avenger movie

MOST IMPORTANT NEWS OF 2011

* Womanthology breaks Kickstarter records

MOST ANTICIPATED FOR 2012

* CGS Supershow 2012 Can we include that as “news?”

* The next Darwyn Cooke adaptation of Richard Starker’s PARKER series

BEST REVAMP/REVISION/RE-IMAGINING OF AN EXISTING CHARACTER OR CONCEPT (done in 2011)

* BIRDS OF PREY (DC)

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.