The Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

industry analog of such groups as the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

. Composed of comic-book professionals and initially formed as an honorary society focused on discussing the comic-book craft and hosting an annual awards banquet, the ACBA evolved into an advocacy organization focused on creators' rights. The ACBA award, the Shazam, was a statuette in the shape of a lightning bolt. In addition to the creative awards, the ACBA also established the Academy of Comic Book Arts Hall of Fame award, inducting Superman creators

Jerry Siegel Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/ Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, i ...

and

Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 (c ...

as its initial honorees.

History

Founded in 1970, the ACBA's first president was Stan Lee; its first vice-president was

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early ...

(presidents initially served one-year terms). The ACBA met monthly at the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

headquarters of the

Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...

. The Academy's Shazam Award was a successor to the 1960s

Alley Award The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with th ...

; the ACBA held its first annual awards banquet at the

Statler Hilton Hotel The Statler Hotel company was one of the United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler in Buffalo, New York. Early ventures In 1901, Buffalo hosted the ...

's Terrace Ballroom on May 12, 1971. Aside from its Shazam Awards, the ACBA also published an annual fundraiser sketchbook. Contributing to the 36-page ''ACBA Sketchbook 1973'' were

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Sup ...

Sergio Aragones Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass * ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film * ''Se ...

Frank Brunner Frank Brunner (born February 21, 1949) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known for his work at Marvel Comics in the 1970s. Early life Brunner attended Manhattan's High School of Art and Design. He was in the same graduating class ...

Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker. Early life ...

Dave Cockrum David Emmett Cockrum (; November 11, 1943 – November 26, 2006) was an American comics artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, and Mystique, as well as the antiheroine Black Cat. Cockrum was ...

, Reed Crandall,

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...

Michael Kaluta Michael William Kaluta, sometimes credited as Mike Kaluta or Michael Wm. Kaluta (born August 25, 1947), is an American comics artist and writer best known for his acclaimed 1970s adaptation of the pulp magazine hero ''The Shadow'' with writer De ...

Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...

Gray Morrow Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow (March 7, 1934 – November 6, 2001).e., the Gilberton Company, publisher of the ''Classics Illustrated'' comic-book series of literary adaptations], and I was given a script. One thing led to another and I was soo ...

John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...

, Mike Royer,

Syd Shores Sydney Shores (1916 – June 3, 1973) was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books. Bi ...

Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, an ...

, Jim Steranko,

Herb Trimpe Herbert William Trimpe (; May 26, 1939 – April 13, 2015) was an American comics artist and occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist on '' The Incredible Hulk'' and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolve ...

, and

Wally Wood Wallace Allan Wood (June 17, 1927 – November 2, 1981) was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, widely known for his work on EC Comics's titles such as '' Weird Science'', '' Weird Fantasy'', and ''MAD Magazine'' fr ...

. The 48-page ''ACBA Sketchbook 1975'' included Adams, Aragones, Chaykin, Kaluta, Kane, Romita Sr., Steranko, Wood, and John Byrne,

Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018), was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's "Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...

, Jeff Jones,

Harvey Kurtzman Harvey Kurtzman (; October 3, 1924 – February 21, 1993) was an American cartoonist and editor. His best-known work includes writing and editing the parodic comic book '' Mad'' from 1952 until 1956, and writing the ''Little Ann ...

Walt Simonson Walter Simonson (born September 2, 1946) is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' ''Thor'' from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned w ...

Michael Whelan Michael Whelan (born 29 June 1950) is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years, he worked as an illustrator, specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art. Since the mid-1990s, he has pursued a fine art career, ...

, and

Berni Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his ...

. Wood also contributed to the 1976 and 1977 sketchbooks.Includes Under its later president, artist

, the ACBA became an advocacy organization for creators' rights. The comic-book industry at that time typically did not return artists' physical artwork after shooting the requisite film for printing, and in some cases destroyed the artwork to prevent unauthorized reprints. The industry also did not then offer royalties or residuals, common in such creative fields as

book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, news ...

, film and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, and the

recording industry A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

. Historian Jon B. Cooke writes: Adams wanted to focus on creator rights and pay rates, essentially making the ACBA a labor union. In a 1998 interview, Lee said, "ACBA became divided into two camps, it seemed. I wasn't interested in starting a union, so I walked away from it." During 1970-1974, the ACBA Newsletter, varying in page count from 4-12 pages, was published by ACBA themselves on a roughly bi-monthly basis, subscriptions available to any interested party. The last known rom this writerissue was #29, 1974. Once the ACBA — riding a wave begun by the mid-'70s independent startup

Atlas/Seaboard Comics Atlas/Seaboard is the term comic book historians and collectors use to refer to the 1970s line of comics published as Atlas Comics by the American company Seaboard Periodicals, to differentiate from the 1950s' Atlas Comics, a predecessor of Marvel ...

, which instituted royalties and the return of artwork in order to attract creators — helped see those immediate goals achieved, it then gradually disbanded. As writer Steven Grant notes, by 1977 the ACBA had "... disintegrated into what became Adams' "First Friday" professional get-togethers at his studio or apartment." Irene Vartanoff was the final ACBA

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

.. In early 2005, approximately $3,000 in sketchbook sales plus general contributions to the ACBA and accumulated interest was donated from the ACBA's

Bill Everett William Blake Everett (; May 18, 1917 – February 27, 1973) was an American comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner as well as co-creating Zombie and Daredevil with writer Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. He was alleg ...

Fund — created in 1975 to help comics professionals in financial need — to

The Hero Initiative The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consorti ...

(formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR), a federally chartered, not-for-profit corporation likewise dedicated.

Legacy

The ACBA was the first in a string of largely unsuccessful comics-industry organizations that includes the Comic Book Creators Guild (1978–1979), the Comic Book Professionals Association (CBPA, 1992–1994), and Comic Artists, Retailers and Publishers (CARP, 1998). The long-running exception had been the publishers' group the

Comics Magazine Association of America The Association of Comics Magazine Publishers (ACMP) was an American industry trade group formed in the late 1940s to regulate the content of comic books in the face of public criticism during that time. It was a precursor to the Comics Magazine As ...

(CMAA), founded in 1954 and lasting through 2011, as a response to public pressure and a Senate subcommittee on juvenile delinquency, and which created the self-censorship board the

Comics Code Authority The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation. The CCA allowed the comic publishers to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. ...

. Grant summed up the ABCA's legacy this way:

Shazam Awards

The Shazam Awards were a series of awards given between 1970 and 1975 for outstanding achievement in the comic book field. Awards were given in the year following publication of the material (at a dinner ceremony modeled on the National Cartoonist Society's

Reuben Award The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...

dinners). The Shazam Awards were based on nominations and were the first comics awards voted upon by industry professionals. The name of the award is that of the magic word used by the original Captain Marvel, a popular superhero of the 1940s and early 1950s. Marvel's comic-book ''

Secret Wars II ''Secret Wars II'' is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom. The series was a ...

'' #1 (1985) features a fictional scriptwriter, Stewart Cadwall (based on real-life writer

Steve Gerber Stephen Ross Gerber (; September 20, 1947 – February 10, 2008) was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include '' Man-Thing'', '' Omega the Unknown,'' '' Marvel Spotlig ...

) who has a Shazam Award on his table. When Cadwall becomes a superhuman, his Shazam Award turns into a weapon. Cadwall and his Shazam Award re-appeared in ''Iron Man'' #197 (1985).

1970

; Winners. Presented May 12, 1971. * Best

Letterer A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comi ...

: Sam Rosen (

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

) * Best

Colorist In comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black-and-white line art. For most of the 20th century this was done using brushes and dyes which were then used as guides to produce the printing plates. Since the late 20th century it is ...

: Jack Adler (

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

) * Best Story: "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight" by

Dennis O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...

, ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' #76 (DC Comics) * Outstanding Achievement by an Individual: Jim Steranko (for book ''The Steranko History of Comics'') * Best Foreign Title: ''Legionarios del Espacio'' (writer-artist

Esteban Maroto Esteban Maroto (born 1942) is a Spanish Comics, comic book artist. Career Born in Madrid, he began his career in the 1960s with series like ''Cinco por infinito'', published in English by Continuity Comics as ''Zero Patrol'' (heavily retouche ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) * Best New Talent: Barry Smith (Marvel Comics) * Best Humor Inker:

Henry Scarpelli Henry Scarpelli (July 30, 1930 – April 4, 2010) was an American comic book artist. His work won him recognition from the industry, including the Shazam Award for Best Inker (Humor Division) in 1970, for his work on '' Date With Debbi'', '' ...

(DC Comics) * Best Humor

Penciller A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...

Bob Oksner Bob Oksner (October 14, 1916 in Paterson, New Jersey – February 18, 2007) was an American comics artist known for both adventure comic strips and for superhero and humor comic books, primarily at DC Comics. Biography Oksner's early wo ...

(DC Comics) * Best Humor Writer: Carl Barks, ''Junior Woodchucks'' (

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

) * Best Continuing Feature: ''

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

/ Green Arrow'' (DC Comics) * Special Recognition outside the Field: '' Nostalgia Press'' (for comic strip reprints) * Best Drama Inker:

* Best Drama Penciller: Neal Adams * Best Drama Writer: Dennis O'Neil * Hall of Fame:

* Special Plaque: Stan Lee ("for forming ACBA")

1971

; Winners. Presented 1972. * Best Continuing Feature: ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'' (Marvel) * Best Individual Story: "

Snowbirds Don't Fly "Snowbirds Don't Fly" is a two-part anti-drug comic book story arc which appeared in ''Green Lantern/ Green Arrow'' issues 85 and 86, published by DC Comics in 1971. The story was written by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, with the latter also provid ...

" by Dennis O'Neil & Neal Adams, ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' #85 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Roy Thomas * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Neal Adams * Best Inker (Dramatic Division):

* Best Writer (Humor Division): John Albano * Best Penciller (Humor Division):

Dan DeCarlo Daniel S. DeCarlo (December 12, 1919 – December 18, 2001) was an American cartoonist best known for having developed the look of Archie Comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s, modernizing the characters to their contemporary appearance and es ...

* Best Inker (Humor Division): Henry Scarpelli * Best Letterer:

Gaspar Saladino Gaspar Saladino (September 1, 1927 – August 4, 2016) was an American letterer and logo designer who worked for more than sixty years in the comic book industry, mostly for DC Comics. Eventually Saladino went by one name, "Gaspar," which he wrote ...

* Best Colorist:

Tatjana Wood Tatjana Wood (née Tatjana Weintraub,Tatjana Wood prof ...

* Best Foreign Artist:

Frank Bellamy Frank Bellamy (21 May 1917Khoury, George. ''True Brit: Celebrating The Comic Book Artists Of England'' (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2004). – 5 July 1976) was a People of the United Kingdom, British comics artist, best known for his work on the ...

* Outstanding New Talent: (tie)

Richard Corben Richard Corben (October 1, 1940December 2, 2020) was an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in '' Heavy Metal'' magazine, especially the ''Den'' series which was featured in the magazine's first film ada ...

* Special Recognition:

, "for '' Blackmark'', his paperback comics novel" * Special Achievement by an Individual:

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...

, "for his Fourth World series in ''

Forever People Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February–March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby ...

'', '' New Gods'', ''

Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...

'', ''

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it co ...

''" * Hall of Fame:

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series '' The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was no ...

1972

; Winners. Presented 1973. * Best Continuing Feature: n.a. * Best Individual Story (Dramatic): "Dark Genesis" by Len Wein &

, ''

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...

'' #1 (DC). ::Also nominated: "The Black Hound of Vengeance," by Roy Thomas & Barry Smith, ''Conan the Barbarian'' #20 (Marvel) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Demon Within" by John Albano &

Jim Aparo James N. Aparo (August 24, 1932 – July 19, 2005) was an American comic book artist, best known for his DC Comics work from the late 1960s through the 1990s, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman, and the Spectre, along with famous stories ...

, ''

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strang ...

'' #201 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Len Wein, ''Swamp Thing'' * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson, ''Swamp Thing'' * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): n.a. * Best Humor Story: "The Poster Plague" by

Steve Skeates Steve Skeates (; born 1943) is an American comic book creator known for his work on such titles as ''Aquaman'', '' Hawk and Dove'', ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'', and ''Plop!'' He has also written under the pseudonyms Chester P. Hazel and Warren Savin ...

, ''

'' #202 (DC) * Best Writer (Humor Division): n.a. * Best Penciller (Humor Division): n.a. * Best Inker (Humor Division): Sergio Aragones, '' Mad'' * Best Letterer: n.a. * Best Colorist: n.a. * Best Foreign Artist: n.a. * Outstanding New Talent: n.a. * Special Award: DC

letterer A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comi ...

proofreader Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to find and correct reproduction errors of text or art. Proofreading is the final step in the editorial cycle before publication. Professional Traditiona ...

Gerda Gattel "for bringing her special warmth to our history" * Superior Achievement by an Individual:

Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various ...

"for bringing the

Shazam Family The Marvel Family, also known as the Shazam Family (or "Shazamily"), are a group of superheroes who originally appeared in books published by Fawcett Comics and were later acquired by DC Comics. Created in 1942 by writer Otto Binder and artist M ...

back into print" * Hall of Fame: n.a.

1973

; Nominees where known, and winners. Presented 1974. * Best Continuing Feature: ''Swamp Thing'' (DC) ::Also nominated: ''Conan the Barbarian'' (Marvel), ''

The Tomb of Dracula ''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces. On rare ...

'' (Marvel) * Best Individual Story (Dramatic): "Song of Red Sonja" by Roy Thomas & Barry Smith, ''Conan the Barbarian'' #24 (Marvel) ::Also nominated: "A Clockwork Horror" by Len Wein & Berni Wrightson, ''Swamp Thing'' #6 (DC); "Finally, Shuma-Gorath" by

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own serie ...

'' #10 (Marvel) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Himalayan Incident" ( Manhunter) by Archie Goodwin &

, '' Detective Comics'' #437 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Archie Goodwin (Manhunter in ''Detective Comics'' #437-443) ::Also nominated: Roy Thomas (''Conan the Barbarian''); Len Wein (''Swamp Thing'') * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson (''Swamp Thing'') ::Also nominated: John Buscema (''Conan the Barbarian'', ''The Savage Sword of Conan'');

Mike Ploog Michael G. Ploog (; born July 13, 1940 or 1942) is an American storyboard and comic book artist, and a visual designer for films. In comics, Ploog is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' 1970s ''Man-Thing'' and '' The Monster of Frankenst ...

(''

Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. The series origin ...

'', ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

'') * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): Dick Giordano (''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in '' The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceive ...

'') ::Also nominated: Tom Palmer (''The Tomb of Dracula''); Berni Wrightson (''Swamp Thing'') * Best Humor Story: "The Gourmet", ''Plop!'' #1 (DC) ::Also nominated: "The Escape", ''Plop!'' #1; "F-f-frongs", ''Spoof'' #3 (Marvel); "Kung Fooey", ''Crazy'' #1 (Marvel) * Best Writer (Humor Division): (tie) Stu Schwartzberg; Steve Skeates ::Also nominated: Roy Thomas,

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...

* Best Penciller (Humor Division):

Marie Severin Marie Severin (; August 21, 1929 – August 29, 2018) was an American comics artist and colorist best known for her work for Marvel Comics and the 1950s' EC Comics. She is an inductee of the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame and the Harvey Awards ...

(''Crazy'') ::Also nominated: Bob Foster (''Crazy''); Larry Hama (''Crazy''); Mike Ploog (''Crazy'') * Best Inker (Humor Division):

Ralph Reese Ralph Reese (born May 19, 1949) is an American artist who has illustrated for books, magazines, trading cards, comic books and comic strips, including a year drawing the '' Flash Gordon'' strip for King Features. Prolific from the 1960s to the 1 ...

::Also nominated:

;

John Severin John Powers Severin (; December 26, 1921 – February 12, 2012) was an American comics artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics ''Two-Fisted Tales'' and ''Frontline Combat''; for Marvel Comics, ...

;

* Best Letterer: Gaspar Saladino * Best Colorist:

Glynis Wein Glynis Oliver, also credited as Glynis Wein (), is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. For several years, she was married to Len Wein. She returned to her maiden name in 1985. Work In the fall of 1972, Len Wein and wr ...

* Best Foreign Comic Series: '' Lieutenant Blueberry'' * Outstanding New Talent: (tie) Walt Simonson;

::Also nominated: Klaus Janson * Superior Achievement by an Individual: Richard Corben * Hall of Fame: Carl Barks

1974

; Nominees and winners. Presented 1975. * Best Continuing Feature: ''Conan the Barbarian'' (Marvel) ::Also nominated: ''

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...

'' (Marvel), ''The Tomb of Dracula'' (Marvel) * Best Individual Story (Dramatic): "Götterdämmerung" by Archie Goodwin & Walt Simonson, ''Detective Comics'' #443 (DC) ::Also nominated: "Night of the Stalker" by

Sal Amendola Sal Amendola (born 1948, in Italy) is an Italian American comics artist and teacher primarily known for his association with DC Comics. Career Sal Amendola graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1969 with the school’s then offered 3-year ...

with Vin Amendola,

, and

, ''Detective Comics'' #439 (DC); "Red Nails" by Roy Thomas & Barry Smith, ''

Savage Tales ''Savage Tales'' is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics, and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment. Publication history Ma ...

'' #1-3 (Marvel) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "Cathedral Perilous" (Manhunter) by Archie Goodwin & Walt Simonson, ''Detective Comics'' #441 (DC) ::Also nominated: "Burma Sky," by Archie Goodwin &

Alex Toth Alexander Toth (June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout ...

, '' Our Fighting Forces'' #146 (DC); "Jenifer" by Bruce Jones & Berni Wrightson, ''

Creepy Creepiness is the state of being wikt:creepy, creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or wikt:unease, unease. A person who exhibits creepy behaviour is called a creep. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others. The ...

'' #63 (Warren) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Archie Goodwin ::Also nominated: Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): John Buscema ::Also nominated:

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the

, Berni Wrightson * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): Dick Giordano ::Also nominated:

Frank Giacoia Frank Giacoia (July 6, 1924 – February 4, 1988) was an American comics artist known primarily as an inker. He sometimes worked under the name Frank Ray, and to a lesser extent Phil Zupa, and the single moniker Espoia, the latter used for collab ...

; Tom Palmer;

Joe Sinnott Joseph Leonard Sinnott (; October 16, 1926 June 25, 2020) was an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' '' Fantastic Four'', from 1965 to 1981 (and briefly in the l ...

* Best Humor Story: "Kaspar the Dead Baby" by Marv Wolfman & Marie Severin ''Crazy'' #8 (Marvel) ::Also nominated: "The Boob Rube Story" by Stu Schwartzberg & Marie Severin, ''Crazy'' #4; "The Ecchorcist" by Marv Wolfman & Vance Rodewalt (''Crazy'' #6); "Police Gory Story" by Stu Schwartzberg & Vance Rodewalt (''Crazy'' #8) * Best Writer (Humor Division): Steve Skeates Also nominated:

Nick Cuti Nicola Cuti (October 29, 1944 – February 21, 2020), known as Nick Cuti, was an American artist and comic book writer-editor, science-fiction novelist; he was the co-creator of '' E-Man'' (with artist Joe Staton) and Moonchild, Captain Cosmos, ...

; Steve Gerber;

Joe Gill Joseph P. Gill (July 13, 1919 – December 17, 2006)_Goodman.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Martin/nowiki> Goodman">/nowiki>Martin/nowiki> Goodman – who wnedMarvel later – into comics, and did the first omicsin my brother's office". Gill is reporte ...

* Best Penciller (Humor Division): Marie Severin ::Also nominated:

; Frank Roberge; George Wildman * Best Inker (Humor Division): Ralph Reese ::Also nominated: Rudy Lapick; Frank Roberge; Marie Severin; George Wildman * Best Letterer:

John Costanza John Costanza (born August 14, 1943, in Dover, New Jersey) is an American comic book artist and letterer. He has worked for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was the letterer during Alan Moore's acclaimed run on ''Swamp Thing''. The bulk of Co ...

::Also nominated: Annette Kawecki; Gaspar Saladino;

Artie Simek Arthur Simek (; January 6, 1916 - February 20, 1975) was an American calligrapher best known as a letterer for Marvel Comics during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of Comic Books. Along with letterer Sam Rosen, Simek lettered a ...

* Best Colorist: Tatjana Wood ::Also nominated: Marie Severin; Glynis Wein * Outstanding New Talent: Craig Russell ::Also nominated:

Paul Gulacy Paul Gulacy (; born August 15, 1953) is an American comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 '' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species'', ...

;

Al Milgrom Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of ''Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker ...

* Superior Achievement by an Individual: Roy Thomas ::Also nominated: Barry Smith; Jim Starlin * Hall of Fame: Jack Kirby ::Also nominated: Alex Toth;

Additional credits where not given in cited source:Grand Comics Database
/ref>

References

External links

* Bridwell, E. Nelson, "Siegel, Shuster & Superman", '' Amazing World of DC Comics: Special Edition'' #1 (Feb. 1976) * Additional . {{American Comic Book Industry Awards Comics-related organizations 1970 establishments in the United States 1977 disestablishments in the United States

History

Legacy

Shazam Awards

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

See also

References

External links