The 49th Annual Nebula Award Winners Announced

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the winners for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

Each year, the organization’s members vote on which stories they consider to be the best novel, novella, novelette, short story and Young Adult story in the genre, as well as the best outstanding dramatic presentation. The 49th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend were held May 15-18, 2014, in San Jose at the San Jose Marriott.

The winners are...

Best Novel
'Ancillary Justice', Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

Best Novella
'The Weight of the Sunrise', Vylar Kaftan (Asimov's 2/13)

Best Novelette
'The Waiting Stars', Aliette de Bodard (The Other Half of the Sky)

Best Short Story
'If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love', Rachel Swirsky (Apex 3/13)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
'Gravity' (Alfonso Cuarón, director; Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, writers) (Warner Bros.)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
'Sister Mine', Nalo Hopkinson (Grand Central)

Damon Knight Grand Master Award

Samuel R. Delany

Kevin O’Donnell Jr Service to SFWA Award

Michael Armstrong

The 49th Annual Nebula Awards Finalists Announced

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the finalists for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with contenders for the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

Each year, the organization’s members vote on which stories they consider to be the best novel, novella, novelette, short story and Young Adult story in the genre, as well as the best outstanding dramatic presentation. The 49th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend will be held May 15-18th, 2014, in San Jose at the San Jose Marriott. Active members of the SFWA have between March 1st – 30th to vote.

Best Novel
'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves', Karen Joy Fowler (Marian Wood)
'The Ocean at the End of the Lane', Neil Gaiman (Morrow; Headline Review)
'Fire with Fire', Charles E Gannon (Baen)
'Hild', Nicola Griffith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
'Ancillary Justice', Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
'The Red: First Light', Linda Nagata (Mythic Island)
'A Stranger in Olondria', Sofia Samatar (Small Beer)
'The Golem and the Jinni', Helene Wecker (Harper)

Best Novella
'Wakulla Springs', Andy Duncan & Ellen Klages (Tor.com 10/2/13)
'The Weight of the Sunrise', Vylar Kaftan (Asimov's 2/13)
'Annabel Lee', Nancy Kress (New Under the Sun)
'Burning Girls', Veronica Schanoes (Tor.com 6/19/13)
'Trial of the Century', Lawrence M. Schoen (lawrencemschoen.com, 8/13; World Jumping)
'Six-Gun Snow White', Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean)

Best Novelette
'Paranormal Romance', Christopher Barzak (Lightspeed 6/13)
'The Waiting Stars', Aliette de Bodard (The Other Half of the Sky)
'They Shall Salt the Earth with Seeds of Glass', Alaya Dawn Johnson (Asimov's 1/13)
'Pearl Rehabilitative Colony for Ungrateful Daughters', Henry Lien (Asimov's 12/13)
'The Litigation Master and the Monkey King', Ken Liu (Lightspeed 8/13)
'In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind',  Sarah Pinsker (Strange Horizons 7/1 – 7/8/13)

Best Short Story
'The Sounds of Old Earth', Matthew Kressel (Lightspeed 1/13)
'Selkie Stories Are for Losers', Sofia Samatar (Strange Horizons 1/7/13)
'Selected Program Notes from the Retrospective Exhibition of Theresa Rosenberg Latimer', Kenneth Schneyer (Clockwork Phoenix 4)
'If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love', Rachel Swirsky (Apex 3/13)
'Alive, Alive Oh', Sylvia Spruck Wrigley (Lightspeed 6/13)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
'Doctor Who: 'The Day of the Doctor' (Nick Hurran, director; Steven Moffat, writer) (BBC Wales)
'Europa Report' (Sebastián Cordero, director; Philip Gelatt, writer) (Start Motion Pictures)
'Gravity' (Alfonso Cuarón, director; Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, writers) (Warner Bros.)
'Her' (Spike Jonze, director; Spike Jonze, writer) (Warner Bros.)
'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' (Francis Lawrence, director; Simon Beaufoy & Michael deBruyn, writers) (Lionsgate)
'Pacific Rim' (Guillermo del Toro, director; Travis Beacham & Guillermo del Toro, writers) (Warner Bros.)

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
'The Coldest Girl in Coldtown', Holly Black (Little, Brown; Indigo)
'When We Wake', Karen Healey (Allen & Unwin; Little, Brown)
'Sister Mine', Nalo Hopkinson (Grand Central)
'The Summer Prince', Alaya Dawn Johnson (Levine)
'Hero', Alethea Kontis (Harcourt)
'September Girls', Bennett Madison (Harper Teen)
'A Corner of White', Jaclyn Moriarty (Levine)

Damon Knight Grand Master Award

Samuel R. Delany

Special Guest

Frank M. Robinson

Shortlist For The Annual British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) Awards

The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA) have announced the shortlist for its annual BSFA Awards for works first published in 2013.

The BSFA Awards draw on nominations from their membership, and in the case of the Best Novel Award are open to UK publications only.

The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Satellite 4 Eastercon convention the Crown Plaza Hotel, Glasgow Sunday 20th April 2014. BSFA Prize-winners will receive a coveted BSFA trophy. Also in the ceremony will be the annual James White Award announcing its short story competition winner.

Best Novel
God’s War by Kameron Hurley (Del Rey)
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
Evening’s Empires by Paul McAuley (Gollancz)
Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L Powell (Solaris)
The Adjacent by Christopher Priest (Gollancz)

Best Short Fiction
Spin by Nina Allan (TTA Press)
“Selkie Stories are for Losers” by Sofia Samatar (Strange Horizons)
“Saga’s Children” by EJ Swift (The Lowest Heaven, Pandemonium)
“Boat in Shadows, Crossing” by Tori Truslow (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)

Best Artwork
Cover for Tony Ballantyne’s Dream London by Joey Hi-fi (Solaris)
Poster for Metropolis by Kevin Tong (tragicsunshine.com)
“The Angel at the Heart of the Rain” by Richard Wagner (Interzone #246)

Best Non-Fiction
Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer (Abrams Image)
“Going Forth by Night” by John J Johnston (Unearthed, Jurassic)
“Sleeps with Monsters” by Liz Bourke (Tor.com)

Geeky Nerfherder 2nd Anniversary & My 2013 Favourites

It's now two years since I started this blog! And big thanks to everyone that visits here and I hope that you enjoy my posts of pop culture geekery.

I'm also on almost all the major social media sites too, although mostly Twitter and Instagram. So if you’re not already following me, but want to keep up with blog posts and other ramblings, here are the links to my profiles on each of these sites:

on Twitter (@GeekyNerfherder)

on Instagram (thegeekynerfherder)
on Pinterest
on Flickr (GeekyNerfherder)
on Red Bubble (GeekyNerfherder)
on Google Plus (Andy Barbieri)
on FaceBook (Andy Barbieri)

And so it's that time of year, where everybody lists all their favourites of the past year, and I'm no different. I have a big love of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, so I'm always going to be biased towards those genres and I'd say it's been another good year for SF&F output too. I've enjoyed the movies I've seen at the cinema this year, including some classic movies re-released on the big screen like 'The Princess Bride' and the 'Indiana Jones' Trilogy, plus once again, there has been a lot of awesome art inspired by pop culture, and I've even managed to bag a few awesome prints this year too!

This year I've 'discovered' the pulps and developed a new found love for the Golden Age of Science Fiction & Fantasy from the 1930's to the 1950's, as well as the movies, books, comics etc that have been inspired by the stories of the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Otis A Kline, Leigh Brackett, Robert E Howard, Kenneth Robeson and more, but most of all, I've been enjoying the awesome illustrated art from that era, which I've been serialising on the blog every Monday (and lots more to come too).

But back to the present day, and here is a list of some of my favourite things from 2013.

2013 World & British Fantasy Award Winners

2013 World & British Fantasy Award winners were announced today (November 3) at the World Fantasy Convention 2013 in Brighton, UK.

The nominees in each category had been decided by the voters of the British Fantasy Society and FantasyCon 2012. The winners on the day were . . .

World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement:
Susan Cooper & Tanith Lee

British Fantasy Society Karl Edward Wagner Award:
Iain Banks / Iain M Banks

British Fantasy Society Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel: 
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

British Fantasy Society August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel: 
Last Days by Adam Nevill

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel: 
Alif The Unseen by G Willow Wilson

Special World Fantasy Award – Non-Professional:
ST Joshi for Unutterable Horror: A History Of Supernatural Fiction, Volumes 1 & 2

Special World Fantasy Award – Professional: 
Lucia Graves for translation of The Prisoner Of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

British Fantasy Society Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer: 
Helen Marshall for Hair Side, Flesh Side.

British Fantasy Award for Best Screenplay:
The Cabin in the Woods by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard

British Fantasy Award for Best Comic/Graphic Novel:
Saga by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples

British Fantasy Award for Best Magazine/Periodical:
Interzone by Andy Cox (ed.)

British Fantasy Award for Best Non-Fiction:
Pornokitsch by Anne C Perry and Jared Shurin (eds)

British Fantasy Award for Best Small Press (PS Publishing Award):
ChiZine Publications (Brett Savory & Sandra Kasturi)

British Fantasy Award for Best Artist:
Sean Phillips

World Fantasy Award for Best Artist:
Vincent Chong

British Fantasy Award for Best Collection:
Remember Why You Fear Me by Robert Shearman

British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology:
Magic: an Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane by Jonathan Oliver (ed.)

World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology:
Postscripts #28-29: Exotic Gothic 4

World Fantasy Award for Best Collection:
Where Furnaces Burn by Joel Lane

British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story:
Shark! Shark! by Ray Cluley (Black Static #29)

World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction:
The Telling by Gregory Norman Bossert

British Fantasy Award for Best Novella:
The Nine Deaths of Dr Valentine by John Llewellyn Probert

World Fantasy Award for Best Novella:
Let Maps To Others by KJ Parker

2013 British Comic Awards Nomination Shortlist

The British Comic Awards is an annual celebration of the very best comics made in Britain over the past twelve months. The Awards aim to recognise and promote to a wider audience the finest examples of storytelling in this most underrated of mediums. The British Comic Awards committee are very pleased to announce the shortlist for this year’s Awards. The shortlisted titles for each category were decided by the committee of 9 comic industry professionals and academics from 100s of eligible titles submitted by the public as well as publishers and the creators themselves.

This year’s nominees are:
Best Comic
The Absence #5 – Martin Stiff (self published)
The Listening Agent – Joe Decie (Blank Slate Books)
Mud Man #6 – Paul Grist (Image Comics)
Soppy #2 – Philippa Rice (self published)
Winter’s Knight: Day One – Robert M Ball (Great Beast/self published)

Best Book
The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil – Stephen Collins (Jonathan Cape)
Judge Dredd: Trifecta – Al Ewing, Rob Williams, Simon Spurrier, Henry Flint, D’Israeli, Carl Critchlow and Simon Coleby (2000AD Graphic Novels)
The Man Who Laughs – David Hine and Mark Stafford (Self Made Hero)
Mrs. Weber’s Omnibus – Posy Simmonds (Jonathan Cape)
The Nao of Brown – Glyn Dillon (Self Made Hero)

Young People’s Comic Award
Cindy & Biscuit #3 – Dan White (self published)
The Complete Rainbow Orchid – Garen Ewing (Egmont)
Hilda & The Bird Parade – Luke Pearson (NoBrow)
Playing Out – Jim Medway (Blank Slate Books)
The Sleepwalkers – Vivianne Schwarz (Walker Books)

Emerging Talent
Isabel Greenberg (The River of Lost Souls)
Dilraj Mann (Frank Ocean VS Chris Brown, Make You Notice, Turning Point)
Will Morris (The Silver Darlings)
Jade Sarson (Cafe Suada)
Lizzy Stewart (Solo, Four Days In Brussels, Four Days in Iceland, Object Stories)

And the second entrant to their Hall of Fame will be Leo Baxendale.

The nominated titles will now be passed over to their panel of judges who will decide the winner for each category except the Young People’s Comic Award which is chosen reading groups of young people from schools and libraries around the UK.

The 2nd Annual British Comic Awards Ceremony will take place Saturday 23rd November as part of the Thought Bubble Festival in Leeds. Now in it’s seventh year, the festival will take place in a variety of venues across the city from 17th – 24th November, with a huge 2 day comic convention at the Royal Armouries on the 23rd and 24th. Thought Bubble is the UK’s largest annual event which celebrates sequential art in all its forms and caters to both long-time comic book fans and those who have never picked up a graphic novel before.

2013 Hugo Award Winners

2013 Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955 by the World Science Fiction Society, recognize the best in science fiction and fantasy. The winners were announced over the weekend at LoneStarCon 3 in San Antonio, Texas.

This year's trophy was designed by Vincent Villafranca.

Best Novel
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor)

Best Novella
The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)

Best Novelette
“The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi”, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris)

Best Short Story
“Mono no Aware”, Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC)

Best Related Work
Writing Excuses Season Seven, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson

Best Graphic Story
Saga, Volume One, written by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
The Avengers, Screenplay & Directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel Studios, Disney, Paramount)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Game of Thrones, “Blackwater”, Written by George R.R. Martin, Directed by Neil Marshall. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (HBO)

Best Editor, Short Form
Stanley Schmidt

Best Editor, Long Form
Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Artist
John Picacio

Best Semiprozine
Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Jason Heller, Sean Wallace and Kate Baker

Best Fanzine
SF Signal, edited by John DeNardo, JP Frantz, and Patrick Hester

Best Fancast
SF Squeecast, Elizabeth Bear, Paul Cornell, Seanan McGuire, Lynne M. Thomas, Catherynne M. Valente (Presenters) and David McHone-Chase (Technical Producer)

Best Fan Writer
Tansy Rayner Roberts

Best Fan Artist
Galen Dara

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2011 or 2012, sponsored by Dell Magazines. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)
Mur Lafferty

25th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Winners

The winners of the 25th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, given for creative achievement in American comic books, often referred to as the Comics Industry's equivalent of the Oscar Awards, were presented last night at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront in conjunction with Comic-Con International,

The winners on the night were:

Best Short Story
“Moon 1969: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch,” by Michael Kupperman, in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 (Fantagraphics)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
The Mire, by Becky Cloonan (self-published)

Best Continuing Series
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best New Series
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)

Best Humour Publication
Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)

Best Digital Comic
Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover

Best Anthology
Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Best Reality-Based Work (tie)
Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion)
The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song, by Frank M. Young and David Lasky (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—New
Building Stories, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
King City, by Brandon Graham (TokyoPop/Image)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil Born Again: Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best US Edition of International Material
Blacksad: Silent Hell, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)

Best US Edition of International Material—Asia
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer
Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Writer/Artist
Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Penciller/Inker (tie)
David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel); Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom (IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist
David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)

Best Colouring
Dave Stewart, Batwoman (DC); Fatale (Image); BPRD, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson, The Massive (Dark Horse)

Best Lettering
Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
The Comics Reporter, edited by Tom Spurgeon

Best Comics-Related Book
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe (HarperCollins)

Best Educational/Academic Work
Lynda Barry: Girlhood Through the Looking Glass, by Susan E. Kirtley (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design
Building Stories, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Cool Art: 2013 'Into The Pixel' Collection Revealed

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced the 16 winning pieces of the world-renowned 2013 Into the Pixel (ITP) collection, now in its tenth year.

Martin Rae, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science, said, “Our industry continues to expand with the emergence of compelling content from independent, mobile and free-to-play developers, and the 2013 collection really reflects the incredibly diverse landscape of the interactive community as a whole. These pieces run the stylistic gamut, showcasing the varied inspirations of their truly talented creators. Many congratulations to this year’s artists and to the tenth anniversary of Into the Pixel!”

Check out the 16 winning pieces below, and you'll want to click to embiggen on these for the hi-res close up look at these gorgeous beauties!
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Freljord Tower (inspired by League of Legends) by James Paick

2013 British Fantasy Award Nominees

The nominees for the 2013 British Fantasy Awards 2013 have been announced. The winners will be revealed at an awards banquet during the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton on Sunday, November 3.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)
Blood and Feathers, Lou Morgan (Solaris)
The Brides of Rollrock Island, Margo Lanagan (David Fickling Books)
Railsea, China Miéville (Macmillan)
Red Country, Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)
Some Kind of Fairy Tale, Graham Joyce (Gollancz)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)
The Drowning Girl, Caitlin R. Kiernan (Roc)
The Kind Folk, Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing)
Last Days, Adam Nevill (Macmillan)
Silent Voices, Gary McMahon (Solaris)
Some Kind of Fairy Tale, Graham Joyce (Gollancz)

Best Novella
Curaré, Michael Moorcock (Zenith Lives!) (Obverse Books)
Eyepennies, Mike O’Driscoll (TTA Press)
The Nine Deaths of Dr Valentine, John Llewellyn Probert (Spectral Press)
The Respectable Face of Tyranny, Gary Fry (Spectral Press)

Best Short Story
Our Island, Ralph Robert Moore (Where Are We Going?) (Eibonvale Press)
Shark! Shark! Ray Cluley (Black Static #29) (TTA Press)
Sunshine, Nina Allan (Black Static #29) (TTA Press)
Wish for a Gun, Sam Sykes (A Town Called Pandemonium) (Jurassic London)

Best Collection
From Hell to Eternity, Thana Niveau (Gray Friar Press)
Remember Why You Fear Me, Robert Shearman (ChiZine Publications)
Where Furnaces Burn, Joel Lane (PS Publishing)
The Woman Who Married a Cloud, Jonathan Carroll (Subterannean Press)

Best Anthology
A Town Called Pandemonium, Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin (eds) (Jurassic London)
Magic: an Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane, Jonathan Oliver (ed.) (Solaris)
The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women, Marie O’Regan (ed.) (Robinson)
Terror Tales of the Cotswolds, Paul Finch (ed.) (Gray Friar Press)

Best Small Press (the PS Publishing Independent Press Award)
ChiZine Publications (Brett Alexander Savory and Sandra Kasturi)
Gray Friar Press (Gary Fry)
Spectral Press (Simon Marshall-Jones)
TTA Press (Andy Cox)

Best Non-Fiction
Ansible, David Langford
The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn (eds) (Cambridge University Press)
Coffinmaker’s Blues, Stephen Volk (Black Static) (TTA Press)
Fantasy Faction, Marc Aplin (ed.)
Pornokitsch, Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin (eds)
Reflections: On the Magic of Writing, Diana Wynne Jones (David Fickling Books)

Best Magazine/Periodical
Black Static, Andy Cox (ed.) (TTA Press)
Interzone, Andy Cox (ed.) (TTA Press)
SFX, David Bradley (ed.) (Future Publishing)
Shadows and Tall Trees, Michael Kelly (ed.) (Undertow Publications)

Best Artist
Ben Baldwin
David Rix
Les Edwards
Sean Phillips
Vincent Chong

Best Comic/Graphic Novel
Dial H, China Miéville, Mateus Santolouco, David Lapham and Riccardo Burchielli (DC Comics)
Saga, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
The Unwritten, Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Gary Erskine, Gabriel Hernández Walta, M.K. Perker, Vince Locke and Rufus Dayglo (DC Comics/Vertigo)
The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard (Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics)

Best Screenplay
Avengers Assemble, Joss Whedon
Sightseers, Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Amy Jump
The Cabin in the Woods, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J. Bounds Award)
Alison Moore, for The Lighthouse (Salt Publishing)
Anne Lyle, for The Alchemist of Souls (Angry Robot)
E.C. Myers, for Fair Coin (Pyr)
Helen Marshall, for Hair Side, Flesh Side (ChiZine Publications)
Kim Curran, for Shift (Strange Chemistry)
Lou Morgan, for Blood and Feathers (Solaris)
Molly Tanzer, for A Pretty Mouth (Lazy Fascist Press)
Saladin Ahmed, for Throne of the Crescent Moon (Gollancz)
Stephen Bacon, for Peel Back the Sky (Gray Friar Press)
Stephen Blackmoore, for City of the Lost (Daw Books)

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E3 2013: 'The Dark Sorcerer' PS4 Tech Demo

From the makers of 'BEYOND: Two Souls', Quantic Dream, watch the full PlayStation 4 next gen tech demo revealed at E3 2013 called 'The Dark Sorcerer: A Next Gen Comedy'.

Teaser Trailer And Poster For 'Gravity'

Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side,” “The Proposal”) and George Clooney (“Up in the Air,” “Syriana”) star in “Gravity,” a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar® nominee Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”). 

Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. 

The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

'Gravity' is out in cinemas October 4 (US) and October 18 (UK).

MCV Awards 2013: The Winners

The MCV Awards are organised by the team behind MCV, the market for computer and video games, and have been running for 11 years. There were sixteen different winners across the 25 prizes, reflecting a diverse UK games business with players of all sizes.

MCV AWARDS 2013: THE WINNERS

Independent Retailer – High Street 
GAMES CENTRE

Independent Retailer – Online
SIMPLY GAMES

Retail Concept
HMV OXFORD STREET GAMES SHOWCASE

Mainstream Retailer
AMAZON

Specialist Retailer
GAME

Digital Retailer
STEAM

Digital Distribution Team
UBISOFT

High Street Distribution Team
CENTRESOFT

Sales Triumph
MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION (MOJANG/MICROSOFT)

UK Sales Team
ELECTRONIC ARTS

Export Sales Team
UBISOFT

Marketing Team
UBISOFT

PR Team
2K GAMES

UK Games Studio
TRAVELLER’S TALES

Third Party Games Hardware
SKYLANDERS GIANTS (ACTIVISION)

New Game Brand
DISHONORED (BETHESDA)

Digital Campaign
ASSASSIN’S CREED III (UBISOFT)

Audience Engagement
EUROGAMER EXPO

Media Sales Team
IGN

Trade Marketing Team
ACTIVISION

Game Campaign
ASSASSIN’S CREED III (UBISOFT)

Specialist Games Publisher
NAMCO BANDAI

Game Publisher
ELECTRONIC ARTS

MCV Special Recognition
MARTYN GIBBS

Grand Prix
CENTRESOFT

Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees 2013 are out!

The nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2013 have been announced. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today.

Best Short Story

• “A Birdsong Shatters the Still,” by Jeff Wilson and Ted May, in Injury #4 (Ted May/Alternative)
• “Elmview” by Jon McNaught, in Dockwood (Nobrow)
• “Moon 1969: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch,” by Michael Kupperman, in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 (Fantagraphics)
• “Moving Forward,” by drewscape, in Monsters, Miracles, & Mayonnaise (Epigram Books)
• “Rainbow Moment,” by Lilli Carré, in Heads or Tails (Fantagraphics)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

• Lose #4: “The Fashion Issue,” by Michael DeForge (Koyama Press)
• The Mire, by Becky Cloonan (self-published)
• Pope Hats #3, by Ethan Rilly (AdHouse Books)
• Post York #1, by James Romberger and Crosby (Uncivilized Books)
• Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8, by Michael Kupperman (Fantagraphics)

Best Continuing Series

• Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
• The Manhattan Projects, by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra (Image)
• Prophet, by Brandon Graham and Simon Roy (Image)
• Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best New Series

• Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)
• Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
• Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
• Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel)
• Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)

• Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)
• Benny and Penny in Lights Out, by Geoffrey Hays (Toon Books/Candlewick)
• Kitty & Dino, by Sara Richard (Yen Press/Hachette)
• Maya Makes a Mess, by Rutu Modan (Toon Books/Candlewick)
• Zig and Wikki in The Cow, by Nadja Spiegelman and Trade Loeffler (Toon Books/Candlewick)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)

• Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)
• Amulet Book 5: Prince of the Elves, by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic)
• Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse, by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos (Archaia)
• Crogan’s Loyalty, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)
• Hilda and the Midnight Giant, by Luke Pearson (Nobrow)
• Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• Adventure Time: Marceline and the Scream Queens, by Meredith Gran (kaboom!)
• Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion)
• Ichiro, by Ryan Inzana (Houghton Mifflin)
• Spera, vol. 1, by Josh Tierney et al. (Archaia)
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)

Best Humour Publication

• Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)
• BBXX: Baby Blues Decades 1 & 2, by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman (Andrews McMeel)
• Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)
• Naked Cartoonists, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Digital Comic

• Ant Comic, by Michael DeForge
• Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover
• It Will All Hurt, by Farel Dalrymple
• Our Bloodstained Roof, by Ryan Andrews
• Oyster War, by Ben Towle

Best Anthology

• Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
• No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics, edited by Justin Hall (Fantagraphics)
• Nobrow #7: Brave New World, edited by Alex Spiro and Sam Arthur (Nobrow)
• 2000 AD, edited by Matt Smith (Rebellion)
• Where Is Dead Zero?, edited by Jeff Ranjo (Where Is Dead Zero?)

Best Reality-Based Work

• Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion)
• The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song, by Frank M. Young and David Lasky (Abrams ComicArts)
• A Chinese Life, by Li Kunwu and P. Ôtié (Self Made Hero)
• The Infinite Wait and Other Stories, by Julia Wertz (Koyama Press)
• Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me, by Ellen Forney (Gotham Books)
• You’ll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldier’s Heart, by C. Tyler (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album—New

• Building Stories, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
• Goliath, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly)
• The Hive, by Charles Burns (Pantheon)
• Unterzakhn, by Leela Corman (Schocken)
• You’ll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldier’s Heart, by C. Tyler (Fantagraphics)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

• Chico and Rita, by Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal (Self Made Hero)
• Homer’s Odyssey, adapted by Seymour Chwast (Bloomsbury)
• Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
• Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• Cruisin’ with the Hound, by Spain (Fantagraphics)
• Ed the Happy Clown, by Chester Brown (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Everything Together: Collected Stories, by Sammy Harkham (PictureBox)
• Heads or Tails, by Lilli Carré (Fantagraphics)
• King City, by Brandon Graham (TokyoPop/Image)
• Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson by Mark Siegel (First Second)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, vol. 2, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
• Mister Twee Deedle: Raggedy Ann’s Sprightly Cousin, by Johnny Gruelle, edited by Rick Marschall (Fantagraphics)
• Percy Crosby’s Skippy, vol. 1, edited by Jared Gardner and Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
• Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
• Roy Crane’s Captain Easy: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

• Crime Does Not Pay Archives, edited by Philip Simon and Kitchen, Lind & Associates (Dark Horse)
• David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil Born Again: Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Wally Wood’s EC Stories: Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge: Only a Poor Old Man, by Carl Barks, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Romance Comics, edited by Michel Gagné (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• Abelard, by Régis Hautiere and Renaud Dillies (NBM)
• Athos in America, by Jason (Fantagraphics)
• Blacksad: Silent Hell, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)
• The Making of, by Brecht Evens (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Monsieur Jean: The Singles Theory, by Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian (Humanoids)
• New York Mon Amour, by Benjamin LeGrand, Dominique Grange, and Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• Barbara, by Osamu Tezuka (Digital Manga)
• A Chinese Life, by Li Kunwu and P. Ôtié (Self Made Hero)
• Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
• Nonnonba, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Thermae Romae, by Mari Yamazaki (Yen Press/Hachette)

Best Writer

• Ed Brubaker, Fatale (Image)
• Matt Fraction, Hawkeye (Marvel); Casanova: Avaritia (Marvel Icon)
• Brandon Graham, Multiple Warheads, Prophet (Image)
• Jonathan Hickman, The Manhattan Projects (Image)
• Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)
• Frank M. Young, The Carter Family (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Writer/Artist

• Charles Burns, The Hive (Pantheon)
• Gilbert Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories, vol. 5 (Fantagraphics)
• Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories, vol. 5 (Fantagraphics)
• Luke Pearson, Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Everything We Miss (Nobrow)
• C. Tyler, You’ll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldier’s Heart (Fantagraphics)
• Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Penciller/Inker

• David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
• Becky Cloonan, Conan the Barbarian (Dark Horse); The Muse (self-published)
• Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
• Sean Phillips, Fatale (Image)
• Joseph Remnant, Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland (Zip Comics/Top Shelf)
• Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel); Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom (IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Brecht Evens, The Making Of (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)
• Teddy Kristiansen, The Red Diary/The RE[a]D Diary (MAN OF ACTION/Image)
• Lorenzo Mattotti, The Crackle of the Frost (Fantagraphics)
• Katsuya Terada, The Monkey King vol. 2 (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist

• David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
• Brandon Graham, King City, Multiple Warheads, Elephantmen #43 (Image)
• Sean Phillips, Fatale (Image)
• Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)
• J, H. Williams III, Batwoman (DC)

Best Colouring

• Charles Burns, The Hive (Pantheon)
• Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
• Brandon Graham, Multiple Warheads (Image)
• Dave Stewart, Batwoman (DC); Fatale (Image); BPRD, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson, The Massive (Dark Horse)
• Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Lettering

• Paul Grist, Mudman (Image)
• Troy Little, Angora Napkin 2: Harvest of Revenge (IDW)
• Joseph Remnant, Harvey Pekar’s Cleveland (Zip Comics/Top Shelf)
• C. Tyler, You’ll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldier’s Heart (Fantagraphics)
• Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• ComicsAlliance, edited by Joe Hughes, Caleb Goellner, and Andy Khouri
• The Comics Reporter, edited by Tom Spurgeon
• Robot Six, produced by Comic Book Resources
• tcj.com, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Book

• The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist, edited by Alvin Buenaventura (Abrams ComicArts)
• Marie Severin: The Mirthful Mistress of Comics, by Dewey Cassell (TwoMorrows)
• Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe (HarperCollins)
• Mastering Comics, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second)
• Team Cul De Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s, edited by Chris Sparks (Andrews McMeel)
• Woodwork: Wallace Wood 1927–1981, edited by Frédéric Manzano (CasalSolleric/IDW)

Best Educational/Academic Work

• Autobiographical Comics: Life Writing in Pictures, by Elisabeth El Refaie (University Press of Mississippi)
• Comics Versus Art, by Bart Beaty (University of Toronto Press)
• Crockett Johnson & Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature, by Philip Nel (University Press of Mississippi)
• Lynda Barry: Girlhood Through the Looking Glass, by Susan E. Kirtley (University Press of Mississippi)
• The Poetics of Slumberland, by Scott Bukatman (University of California Press)

Best Publication Design

• Building Stories, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
• Dal Tokyo, designed by Gary Panter and Family Sohn (Fantagraphics)
• David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil Born Again: Artist’s Edition, designed by Randy Dahlk (IDW)
• Mister Twee Deedle: Raggedy Ann’s Sprightly Cousin, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
• Wizzywig, designed by Ed Piskor and Chris Ross (Top Shelf)

BAFTA Video Game Awards 2013 - The Winners

Another video game awards, and another award (or few) for the trophy cabinet for 'Journey'. Yesterday the BAFTA Video Game Awards were announced and 'Journey' walked off with 5 awards, with Best Game honours going to Bethesda's 'Dishonored'.

Check out the full list of winners below and click here for the BAFTA Games brochure that was given out to all attendees on the night.
via


Best Game: Dishonored
Online Multiplayer: Journey
Game Design: Journey
Artistic Achievement: Journey
Original Music: Journey
Audio Achievement: Journey
Mobile & Handheld: The Walking Dead
Story: The Walking Dead
Game Innovation: The Unfinished Swan
Debut Game: The Unfinished Swan
Action: Far Cry 3
British Game: The Room
Performer: Danny Wallace - Thomas Was Alone
Family: Lego Batman 2
Strategy: Xcom - Enemy Unknown
Ones to Watch: Kind of a Big Deal - Starcrossed
Online Browser: SongPop
Sports/Fitness: New Star Soccer
BAFTA Fellowship: Gabe Newell

First Trailer For 'Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2'

I loved the first film, and if this food pun filled, Jurassic Park spoofed first trailer is anything to go by, I think I'll love this one too!

'Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2' is out in cinemas September 27 (US) and October 25 (UK).

Cool Art: 'BAFTA 2013 Best Film Nominees' by Jonathan Burton

Check out these illustrations by Jonathan Burton that will feature on the covers of the printed programmes at next month's BAFTA awards.

Burton was commissioned by Studio Small to create an illustration to represent each of the five nominated films in the Best Film category, namely, Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty, as well as designs for the tickets and the booklets in which they are packaged.

The artwork will also be available to buy as limited edition of 100 A2 giclée prints on Cotton Natural White 315gsm 100% cotton paper at £60 each direct from  here.

The BAFTA Film Awards will be held on February 10.
via

Short Film: 'Noon' by Kasra Farahani

I've previously posted the teaser trailer for 'Noon', a sci-fi short film, and now here is the completed short, which is in fact scene 3 from a completed feature screenplay by Kasra Farahani and Ari Bilow.

Check the Noon website and their Facebook page for more.

Synopsis:
2275 - Two hundred years after a nuclear mining disaster caused irreversible damage to earth, where the Sun no longer moves through the sky. In a massive, militarized immigration checkpoint, profit is pitted against morality as Gray struggles to reconcile his greed with his grudging impulse to protect an innocent girl.

New Doctor Who 2013 Trailer

Contains a bit of a spoiler, so don't watch this until after you've seen 'The Snowmen' Christmas Special (which is rather good by the way!). Liking the new intro too, very retro!

New 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Trailer

Star Trek Into Darkness is out in cinemas May 17th 2013.