Ignatz Awards 2023 Winners, Nominees, and more
by Jayasree D
Updated Sep 12, 2023
Ignatz Awards 2023
The Ignatz Awards in 2023 celebrated the best independent and small press comics. These awards have been going on for 26 years, and they honor outstanding work in the world of comics. The winners were announced both in person and through livestream at the Small Press Expo.
One of the remarkable winners was "Wash Day Diaries," which won the Outstanding Story category. It's a graphic novel that celebrates the beauty and strength of Black women and their relationships, including their hair. Another winner, "Death Bloom," tells the story of Niloufar and her late lover, Shadi, and how gardening helps her cope with her grief. These awards highlight the creativity and diversity in the world of comics, giving well-deserved recognition to talented artists and storytellers.
Overall, the 2023 Ignatz Awards recognized outstanding comics across various categories, from anthologies to online comics. It's a significant event for comic enthusiasts and a platform for artists to showcase their unique and meaningful work to a wider audience.
Ignatz Awards Winner List
Ignatz Awards
The Ignatz Awards are special prizes given to people who make really cool comics and drawings. These awards are not for the big, famous comic books you might see in stores. Instead, they celebrate the creative work of small groups or individuals who make their own comics, and sometimes they also honor comics made by bigger companies but still owned by the people who created them.
These awards are named after a funny cartoon character called Ignatz, who used to throw bricks in a comic strip called Krazy Kat. Every year since 1997, these awards have been given out at a big event called the Small Press Expo, except for one year when it was canceled because of a sad event called the September 11 attacks.
To decide who wins these awards, people who love comics and go to the Small Press Expo get to vote for their favorites. There's also a special group of experts who pick out some of the best comics to be nominated. These awards help shine a light on the talented folks who make comics that might not be as famous but are still super cool.
Ignatz Awards History
The Ignatz Awards have a neat history! They started in 1997 and have been given out every year at a cool event called the Small Press Expo (except for 2001 when it was canceled because of the sad September 11 attacks). These awards were created to celebrate comics and drawings made by small groups or individuals. It's a bit different from the big, famous comic book awards like the Eisner Awards because it focuses on comics created by just one person who does both the writing and the drawing.
The name "Ignatz" comes from a funny comic strip character called Ignatz, who liked to throw bricks. The awards were inspired by another event called the OrlandoCon, but they're not connected to it anymore. The idea for these awards came from two people, Chris Oarr and cartoonist Ed Brubaker, who wanted to give recognition to comics that weren't as famous but still super cool.
The Ignatz Awards have grown over the years, and they have different categories like "Outstanding Artist" and "Outstanding Graphic Novel" to honor different parts of the comic-making world. These awards help shine a spotlight on the creative and talented folks who make comics that might not be on the big store shelves but are loved by many comic fans.
Ignatz Awards Categories
Outstanding Artist
Recognizing exceptional comic book artists.
Outstanding Anthology
Celebrating outstanding comic book anthologies.
Outstanding Collection
Honoring remarkable comic book collections.
Outstanding Graphic Novel
Highlighting outstanding graphic novels.
Outstanding Story
Recognizing excellence in comic book storytelling.
Promising New Talent
Honoring up-and-coming comic book creators.
Outstanding Series
Celebrating exceptional comic book series.
Outstanding Comic
Recognizing outstanding individual comic books.
Outstanding Minicomic
Honoring exceptional small comic book productions.
Outstanding Online Comic
Highlighting outstanding comics published online.
Category
Description
Ignatz Awards 2023-FAQs
The Ignatz Awards 2023 celebrated outstanding independent and small press comics, honoring diverse talent and creativity.
The awards have been going on for 26 years, starting in 1997.
Wash Day Diaries won the Outstanding Story category for celebrating the beauty and strength of Black women and their relationships, including their hair.
These awards highlight the creativity and diversity in the world of comics, giving recognition to talented artists and storytellers.
The winners were announced both in person and through livestream at the Small Press Expo.