Winners Of The 2019 Bram Stoker Awards for Horror & Dark Fiction Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) have announced the winners of the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards®.

The HWA is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with over 1,600 members. The Bram Stoker Awards® were first presented in 1987.

Superior Achievement in a Novel

• Owl Goingback – Coyote Rage (Independent Legions Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

• Sarah Read – The Bone Weaver’s Orchard (Trepidatio Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

• Nzondi – Oware Mosaic (Omnium Gatherum)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

• Neil Gaiman (w) & Colleen Doran (a) – Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples (Dark Horse Books)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

• Victor LaValle – Up From Slavery (Weird Tales Magazine#363) (Weird Tales Inc.)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

• Gwendolyn Kiste – “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy Westenra’s Diary)” (Nightmare Magazine Nov. 2019, Issue 86)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

• Paul Tremblay – Growing Things and Other Stories (William Morrow)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

• Jordan Peele – Us (Monkeypaw Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Dentsu, Fuji Television Network, Universal Pictures)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

• Ellen Datlow – Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories (Gallery/Saga Press)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

• Lisa Kröger & Melanie R Anderson – Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction (Quirk Books)

Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

• Gwendolyn Kiste – “Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman” (Vastarien: A Literary Journal Vol. 2, Issue 1)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

• Linda D Addison & Alessandro Manzetti – The Place of Broken Things (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Final Ballot for the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) have announced the Final Ballot for the 2019 Bram Stoker Awards®.

The HWA is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with over 1,600 members. The Bram Stoker Awards® were first presented in 1987.

Superior Achievement in a Novel

• Owl Goingback – Coyote Rage (Independent Legions Publishing)
• Josh Malerman – Inspection (Del Rey)
• SP Miskowski – The Worst is Yet to Come (Trepidatio Publishing)
• Lee Murray – Into the Ashes (Severed Press)
• Chuck Wendig – Wanderers (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

• Gemma Amor – Dear Laura (Independently Published)
• Eric J Guignard – Doorways to the Deadeye (JournalStone)
• Michelle Renee Lane – Invisible Chains (Haverhill House Publishing)
• Sarah Read – The Bone Weaver’s Orchard (Trepidatio Publishing)
• Caitlin Starling – The Luminous Dead (Harper Voyager)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

• Amelinda Bérubé – Here There Are Monsters (Sourcebooks Fire)
• Ann Dávila Cardinal – Five Midnights (Tor Teen)
• Liana Gardner – Speak No Evil (Vesuvian Books)
• Kate Alice Marshall – Rules for Vanishing (Viking Books for Young Readers)
• Nzondi – Oware Mosaic (Omnium Gatherum)
• Peter Adam Salomon – Eight Minutes, Thirty-Two Seconds (PseudoPsalms Press)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

• Cullen Bunn – Bone Parish Vol 2 (BOOM! Studios)
• Neil Gaiman – Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples (Dark Horse Books)
• Marjorie Liu – Monstress Volume 4: The Chosen (Image Comics)
• Alessandro Manzetti – Calcutta Horror (Independent Legions Publishing)
• Gou Tanabe – HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness Volume 1 (Dark Horse Manga)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

• Victor LaValle – Up From Slavery (Weird Tales Magazine#363) (Weird Tales Inc.)
• Alessandro Manzetti – The Keeper of Chernobyl (Omnium Gatherum)
• Anna Taborska – The Cat Sitter (Shadowcats) (Black Shuck Books)
• Sara Tantlinger – To Be Devoured (Unnerving)
• Kaaron Warren – Into Bones Like Oil (Meerkat Shorts)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

• Greg Chapman – “The Book of Last Words” (This Sublime Darkness and Other Dark Stories) (Things in the Well Publishing)
• Gwendolyn Kiste – “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy Westenra’s Diary)” (Nightmare Magazine Nov. 2019, Issue 86)
• Jess Landry – “Bury Me in Tar and Twine” (Tales of the Lost Volume 1: We All Lose Something!) (Things in the Well Publishing)
• Cindy O’Quinn – “Lydia” (The Twisted Book of Shadows) (Twisted Publishing)
• Tim Waggoner – “A Touch of Madness”(The Pulp Horror Book of Phobias) (LVP Publications)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

• Ted Chiang – Exhalation: Stories (Knopf)
• Jonez, Kate – Lady Bits (Trepidatio Publishing)
• Langan, John – Sefira and Other Betrayals (Hippocampus Press)
• Read, Sarah – Out of Water (Trepidatio Publishing)
• Tremblay, Paul – Growing Things and Other Stories (William Morrow)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

• Ari Aster – Midsommar (B-Reel Films, Square Peg)
• The Duffer Brothers – Stranger Things (Season 3, Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt) (Netflix)
• Robert & Max Eggers – The Lighthouse (A24, New Regency Pictures, RT Features)
• Mike Flanagan – Doctor Sleep (Warner Bros., Intrepid Pictures/Vertigo Entertainment)
• Jordan Peele – Us (Monkeypaw Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Dentsu, Fuji Television Network, Universal Pictures)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

• Jennifer Brozek – A Secret Guide to Fighting Elder Gods (Pulse Publishing)
• Ellen Datlow – Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories (Gallery/Saga Press)
• Christopher Golden & James A Moore – The Twisted Book of Shadows (Twisted Publishing)
• Eric J Guignard – Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror (Dark Moon Books)
• Robert S Wilson – Nox Pareidolia (Nightscape Press)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

• Eleanor Beal & Jonathan Greenaway – Horror and Religion: New Literary Approaches to Theology, Race, and Sexuality (University of Wales Press)
• Harriet EH Earle – Gender, Sexuality, and Queerness in American Horror Story: Critical Essays (McFarland)
• Alexandra Heller-Nicholas – Masks in Horror Cinema: Eyes Without Faces (University of Wales Press)
• John B Kachuba – Shapeshifters: A History (Reaktion Books)
• Lisa Kröger & Melanie R Anderson – Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction (Quirk Books)

Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

• Gwendolyn Kiste – “Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman” (Vastarien: A Literary Journal Vol. 2, Issue 1)
• Vince A Liaguno – “Slasher Films Made Me Gay: The Queer Appeal and Subtext of the Genre” (LGBTQ+ Horror Month: 9/1/2019, Ginger Nuts of Horror)
• Karen J Renner – “The Evil Aging Women of American Horror Story” (Elder Horror: Essays on Film’s Frightening Images of Aging) (McFarland)
• Kelly Robinson – “Film’s First Lycanthrope: 1913’s The Werewolf” (Scary Monsters Magazine #114)
• Valerie E Weich – “Lord Byron’s Whipping Boy: Dr. John William Polidori and the 200th Anniversary of The Vampyre” (Famous Monsters of Filmland, Issue #291)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

• Linda D Addison & Alessandro Manzetti – The Place of Broken Things (Crystal Lake Publishing)
• Octavia Cade – Mary Shelley Makes A Monster (Aqueduct Press)
• Donna Lynch – Choking Back The Devil (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
• Michelle Scalise – Dragonfly and Other Songs of Mourning (LVP Publications)
• Marge Simon & Bryan D Dietrich – The Demeter Diaries (Independent Legions Publishing)
• Stephanie M Wytovich – The Apocalyptic Mannequin (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

The Geeky Nerfherder 8th Anniversary & My 2019 Favourites

2019, the year that was. Another year of watching some really good movies and TV shows, playing some great video games, reading some awesome books and comics, as well as travelling around the UK on nerdy days out at various Comic/Geek Cons and events this year, and getting to meet actors from some of my favourite movies and games, plus some of the finest authors, comic creators and alternative poster artists!

Highlights from 2019 include meeting authors of some of my favourite books: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (aka James SA Corey) - authors of 'The Expanse' series, Zen Cho (The True Queen), Samantha Shannon (Priory Of The Orange Tree, The Bone Season), Tamsyn Muir (Gideon The Ninth), Tasha Suri (Empire Of Sand, Realm Of Ash) and Ian Livingstone & Steve Steve Jackson (Fighting Fantasy gamebooks), as well as meeting lots of the creators behind some of my favourite comics (way too many mention) at the various geek cons I went to around the UK, especially at the Thought Bubble Comic Festival in Harrogate; plus attending a screening of 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' with a live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall; as well as attending the 'Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds' concert, also at the Royal Albert Hall.

It's also a Happy Birthday to The Geeky Nerfherder, as it's been 8 years to the day since this nerdy blog began with a blog post way back on this day in 2011. The Geeky Nerfherder has come a long way since then too, but the aim is always showcasing awe-inspiring art, whether it's poster art, comic art or art from the latest new contemporary exhibitions, and the artists that make them.

My social media profiles, where I sometimes post bonus content, such as the #OnThisDay feature where I post some of my favourite films, books, comics that were first released or published on a particular date, continue to gain new followers, with the number of followers now numbering in the thousands! WOW! Thank you so much!! It's always great to know that people are also enjoying the artworks I'm posting and hopefully discovering new artists along the way as well. But if you’re not already following, here are the links to my social media profiles:

on Twitter (@GeekyNerfherder)
on Instagram (@geekynerfherder)
on Tumblr (GeekyNerfherder)
on Pinterest
on YouTube
on Ello (@geekynerfherder)
on Goodreads

Stores:
on Threadless (GeekyNerfherder)
on Red Bubble (GeekyNerfherder)
on Society6 (GeekyNerfherder)

I'm still featuring the latest poster releases and highlighting some of the pop culture inspired and new contemporary art shows on the blog, continuing my 'Artist Spotlight' series, as well as my #ArtOfTheDay series. I'm also trying to add more reviews of the books and movies I read and watch over the year.

As well as the video project on my YouTube channel of the Geek Cons I go to, I have also been tinkering away on another side project; writing a story I've had in my head for a while. It's no surprise that I'm hugely inspired by science fiction and fantasy, and the story I'm building is definitely taking inspiration from those genres. I'm fairly happy with how it's slowly progressing so far, especially with the world building and the lore of the world. There's still a long way to go yet, but it's been fun to dip into my imagination and get creative in some way, whenever I can.

As always, a big thanks to everyone I've met throughout the year at the Geek Cons I've been to; from the familiar and to the new faces, and of course to everyone that drops by the blog and/or follows me through the various socials I post to. I hope that you continue to enjoy my posts of cool art and pop culture geekery.

You can also help support the blog by using these Affiliate Links when shopping online:

• SkillShare
• Zavvi
• Waterstones Books
• Kobo Ebooks & Audiobooks (UK)
• Alibris UK Books, Movies & Music
• Audible Audiobooks (UK)
• Forbidden Planet
• Kobo Ebooks & Audiobooks (US)
• Kobo Ebooks & Audiobooks (Canada)
• GB Posters

And so, it's that time of year once again, where everybody lists all their favourites from the year, and here are mine:

Winners Of The 2019 World Fantasy Awards Announced

The winners of the 2019 World Fantasy Awards were announced during the World Fantasy Convention weekend in Los Angeles.

Novel

• Witchmark by CL Polk (Tor.com)

Novella

• “The Privilege of the Happy Ending” by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Aug. 2018)

Short Fiction

• “Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake” by Mel Kassel (Lightspeed, October 2018)
• “Like a River Loves the Sky” by Emma Törzs (Uncanny Magazine, March-April 2018)

Anthology

• Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo (Tor.com)

Collection

• The Tangled Lands, by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S Buckell (Saga Press/Head of Zeus UK)

Artist

• Rovina Cai

Special Award – Professional

• Huw Lewis-Jones, for The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands (University of Chicago Press)

Special Award – Non-Professional

• Scott H Andrews, for Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Literary Adventure Fantasy

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Hayao Miyazaki
• Jack Zipes

2019 Nommo Awards Winners Announced by the ASFS

The 2019 Nommo Awards winners have been announced by the ASFS (African Speculative Fiction Society), an organization of African writers, artists, editors, and publishers in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and related genres.

The Nommo Awards recognize works of speculative fiction by Africans, defined as "Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the broadest possible definition of speculative/fantastical fiction including horror, slipstream, interstitial, stories based on traditional beliefs, alternate history etc. An inclusive rather than exclusive term designed to include most especially any distinctively African forms that may develop."

The awards take their name from Dogon cosmology, and the ancestral spirits / deities who take a variety of forms, including appearing on land as fish, walking on their tails.

The awards were presented during the opening ceremony of the Aké Arts & Books Festival in Nigeria on Thursday October 24 2019.

Best Novel (The Ilube Award)

• 'Freshwater', Akwaeke Emezi (Grove Press)

Best Novella

• 'The Firebird', Nerine Dorman (Amazon)

Best Short Story

• 'The Witching Hour', Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald (Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores)

Best Graphic Novel

• 'Shuri', Nnedi Okorafor, Leonardo Romero (Marvel Comics)

2019 British Fantasy Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the 2019 British Fantasy Awards have been announced by the British Fantasy Society. The winners were revealed at Fantasy Con in Glasgow, Scotland on October 18-20 2019.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)

• The Bitter Twins, by Jen Williams (Headline)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)

• Little Eve, by Catriona Ward (W&N)

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J Bounds Award)

• Tasha Suri, for Empire of Sand (Orbit)

Best Novella

• The Tea Master and the Detective, by Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean Press)

Best Short Fiction

• “Down Where Sound Comes Blunt”, by GV Anderson (F&SF March/April 2018)

Best Anthology

• Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5, ed. Robert Shearman & Michael Kelly (Undertow Publications)

Best Collection

• All the Fabulous Beasts, by Priya Sharma (Undertow Publications)

Best Non-Fiction

• Noise and Sparks, by Ruth EJ Booth (Shoreline of Infinity)

Best Independent Press

• Unsung Stories

Best Magazine / Periodical

• Uncanny Magazine

Best Audio

• Breaking the Glass Slipper (www.breakingtheglassslipper.com)

Best Comic / Graphic Novel

• Widdershins, Vol. 7, by Kate Ashwin

Best Artist

• Vince Haig

Best Film / Television Production

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman

The Karl Wagner Award (for important contribution to the genre or the Society)

• Ian Whates

2019 Harvey Awards Winners Announced

The 2019 Harvey Awards winners have been announced.

The Harvey Awards are named in honour of the late Harvey Kurtzman, the cartoonist and founding editor of MAD magazine, and are voted on entirely by comics professionals.

The awards were presented during New York Comic Con at a gala event on Friday, October 4.

Book of the Year

• Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)

Digital Book of the Year

• Check, Please by Ngozi Ukazu

Best Children’s or Young Adult Book

• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (First Second)

Best Manga

• My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi (VIZ Media)

Best European Book

• Waves by Ingrid Chabbert and Carole Maurel (Archaia)

Best Comics Adaptation Award

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, based on Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)

The 45th Saturn Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the 45th Annual Saturn Awards have been announced by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films at a special ceremony in Avalon Hollywood, Hollywood, California on Friday September 13 2019.

The Saturn Awards are dedicated to honouring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, that are sometimes overlooked in mainstream awards.

FILM

Best Comic Book-to-Film Release 

• Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Science Fiction Film Release

• Ready Player One (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Fantasy Film Release

• Toy Story 4 (Pixar Animation / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Horror Film Release

• A Quiet Place (Paramount)

Best Thriller Film Release

• Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)

Best Action / Adventure Film Release

• Mission: Impossible: Fallout (Paramount)

Best Animated Film Release

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)

Best Independent Film Release

• Mandy (RLJ Entertainment)

Best International Film Release

• Burning (Well Go USA)

Best Actor in a Film

• Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Actress in a Film

• Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween (Universal)

Best Supporting Actor in a Film

• Josh Brolin, Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Supporting Actress in a Film

• Zendaya, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Marvel / Sony Studios)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film

• Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Marvel / Sony Pictures)

Best Film Director

• Jordan Peele, Us (Universal Pictures)

Legion M Best Breakout Director

• Ari Aster, Hereditary (A24)

Best Film Screenplay

• Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski, A Quiet Place (Paramount)

Best Film Production Design

• Charles Wood, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Editing

• Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Music

• Marc Shaiman,  Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Costume Designer

• Michael Wilkinson, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Make-Up

• John Blake, Brian Sipe, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Special / Visual Effects

• Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

TELEVISION

Best Superhero Television Series

• Supergirl (The CW)

Best Science Fiction Television Series

• Westworld (HBO)

Best Fantasy Television Series

• Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Horror Television Series

• The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Action/Thriller Television Series

• Better Call Saul (AMC)

Best Animated Series On Television

• Star Wars Resistance (Disney Channel)

Best Actor on a Television Series

• Sam Heughan, Outlander (Starz)

Best Actress on a Television Series

• Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series

• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series

• Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series

• Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Guest-Starring Performance on Television

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead (AMC)

STREAMING

Best Streaming Superhero Series

• Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)

Best Streaming Science-Fiction, Action & Fantasy Series

• Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series

• Stranger Things (Netflix)

Best Actor In A Streaming Presentation

• Henry Thomas, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Best Actress In A Streaming Presentation

• Sonequa Martin-Green, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

Best Supporting Actor In A Streaming Presentation

• Doug Jones, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

Best Supporting Actress In A Streaming Presentation

• Maya Hawke, Stranger Things (Netflix)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Best DVD/BD Release

• King Cohen (La La Land)

Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (4K) (Warner)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release

• Waterworld (Limited Edition) (Arrow)

Best DVD/BD Collection Release

• Universal Classic Monsters 30 Film Collection (Universal)

Best DVD/BD Television Series Release

• The Outer Limits (Season 1 and 2) (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

LIVE STAGE PRODUCTION

Best Local Live Theatre Production

• Puppet Up! Uncensored (Henson Alternative)

SPECIAL AWARDS

Stan Lee World Builder Award

• Kevin Feige

Visionary Award

• Jon Favreau

Dan Curtis Legacy Award

• Jeff Loeb

Leamington Spa Comic Con Back For A 5th Year!

Five is the magic number for Leamington Spa’s comic book convention, Leam Comic Con, as the independently run show gears up for its fifth annual show on Saturday October 5 2019 at All Saints Parish Church. 

The comics-focused show, which promotes independent creators and publishers alongside mainstream guests, has been keeping comic con about comics since it burst unexpectedly onto the convention scene in 2014. 

Show Creator, Dan Mallier, said: “Leam Comic Con continues to champion comics, creativity and community, but none of it would have been possible without our early supporters who crowdfunded the show into existence.” 

The origin of Leam Comic Con began when 74 comic book fans donated £1,796 to fund the first show, which was later acknowledged as a local cultural asset winning the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ accolade at the 2015 Leamington Business Awards. 

The 2019 show will bring a strong line-up of writers and artists for Britain’s cult sci-fi comic 2000AD, including John Wagner an American-born, British comics writer best known for co-creating the iconic 2000AD character Judge Dredd and artist Dan Cornwell. 

Fans who prefer their comics a little darker can meet Jamie Delano the first writer of the comic book series Hellblazer and Mike Carey who wrote the devilish good spin-off comic, Lucifer and author of the popular novel ‘The Girl With All The Gifts’. 

Hannah Berry the UK’s current and first Comics Laureate will also be in attendance. The job is described as an “ambassadorial and educational role” for the comic genre, intended to raise awareness of the impact comics can have on literacy and creativity. 

For the last five years Leam Comic Con has delivered a unique, fun-filled day for comic-book fans and families. More than 4,500 people have attended a show and its organisers have given away 5,000+ comics to inspire a new generation of comic fans. 

While big names in the comic book industry help attract crowds, Leam Comic Con continues to support independent creators and publishers, giving them an affordable platform to raise the profile of their work with 80% of tables reserved for ‘small press’. 

Dan Mallier added: “We’ve seen over 20 small press comics launched at our shows. There’s no room for egos. Whether you’re a well-known name or indie creator, it’s your talent and approachable manner that ultimately depicts your success at our show.” 

Leam Comic Con is a family-friendly show with its organisers choosing not to charge parents for tickets for children under the age of 13. Over the past five years 1,500 free Children’s tickets have been snapped up so young ones can enjoy the show, creative workshops and meet superheroes without breaking the bank of mum and dad. 

Doors for the 2019 Leam Comic Con at All Saints Church, Priory Terrace, Leamington Spa CV31 1AA will open Saturday October 5 at 10am for advance ticket holders. The general public can pay on the door from 11am with last admission at 4pm before the doors close at 5pm. Adult tickets cost £8 in advance. Children under 13 are free with a paying adult. Concessions are charged at £5 and registered carers are free. 

If you want to help Leam Comic Con remain a permanent fixture in the convention calendar, please support the show by buying an advance ticket and telling others about the event. For more information and tickets visit: leamcomiccon.co.uk

Winners of the 2019 Hugo Awards Announced

Winners of the Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955 by the World Science Fiction Society, to recognize the best in science fiction and fantasy, have been announced.

The winners were announced at the World Science Fiction Convention in Dublin, Ireland, on August 18 2019.

2019 Hugo Award Winners

Best Novel

• The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor)

Best Novella

• Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)

Best Novelette

• “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again,” by Zen Cho (B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog)

Best Short Story

• “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies,” by Alix E Harrow (Apex Magazine, February 2018)

Best Related Work

• Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Best Graphic Story

• Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman (Sony)

Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form

• The Good Place: “Janet(s),” written by Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan, directed by Morgan Sackett

Best Editor – Short Form

• Gardner Dozois

Best Editor – Long Form

• Navah Wolfe

Best Professional Artist

• Charles Vess

Best Semiprozine

• Uncanny Magazine, publishers/editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, managing editor Michi Trota, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky, Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction Special Issue editors-in-chief Elsa Sjunneson-Henry and Dominik Parisien

Best Fanzine

• Lady Business, editors Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay, & Susan

Best Fancast

• Our Opinions Are Correct, hosted by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders

Best Fan Writer

• Foz Meadows

Best Fan Artist

• Likhain (Mia Sereno)

Best Series

• Wayfarers, by Becky Chambers (Harper Voyager)

Best Art Book

• The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition, illustrated by Charles Vess, written by Ursula K. Le Guin (Saga Press)

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
Award for the best new book published for young adult readers. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)

• Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi (Henry Holt)

John W Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)

• Jeannette Ng (2nd year of eligibility)

Finalists for the 2019 Harvey Awards Announced

The finalists for the 2019 Harvey Awards have been announced.

The Harvey Awards are named in honour of the late Harvey Kurtzman, the cartoonist and founding editor of MAD magazine, and are voted on entirely by comics professionals.

The awards will be presented during New York Comic Con at a gala event on Friday, October 4.

Book of the Year

• Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug (Scribner)
• Berlin by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)
• BTTM FDRS by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore (Fantagraphics)
• Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)
• Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley (First Second)
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (First Second)
• My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips(Image)
• On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (First Second)
• Upgrade Soul by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge)
• When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll (Koyama Press)

Digital Book of the Year

• Check, Please by Ngozi Ukazu
• Space Boy by Stephen McCranie
• The Contradictions by Sophie Yanow
• The Nib edited by Mat Bors
• Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal

Best Children’s or Young Adult Book

• Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)
• Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (First Second)
• Mr. Wolf’s Class #2: Mystery Club by Aron Nels Steinke (Scholastic Graphix)
• New Kid by Jerry Craft (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (First Second)

Best Manga

• Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito (VIZ Media)
• Mob Psycho 100 by ONE (Dark Horse Manga)
• My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi (VIZ Media)
• Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani (Seven Seas)
• Smashed by Junji Ito (VIZ Media)
• Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (Kodansha Comics)

Best European Book

• Corto Maltese by Hugo Pratt (IDW Publishing)
• Josephine by Jason (Fantagraphics)
• Radiant by Tony Valente (VIZ Media)
• Red Ultramarine by Manuele Fior, translated by Jamie Richards(Fantagraphics)
• Waves by Ingrid Chabbert and Carole Maurel (Archaia)

Best Comics Adaptation Award

• Alita: Battle Angel, by 20th Century Fox, based on Battle Angel Alita (Kodansha USA)
• Avengers: Endgame by Marvel Studios, based on The Avengers (Marvel Comics)
• The Boys by Amazon Studios, based on The Boys (Dynamite Entertainment)
• Captain Marvel by Marvel Studios, based on Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, by Netflix, based on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Archie Comics)
• Doom Patrol by DC Universe, based on Doom Patrol (DC Comics)
• Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive, based on Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
• The Snagglepuss Chronicles, by Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and Die-Cast, based on Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles (DC Comics)
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, based on Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
• The Umbrella Academy by Netflix, based on The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse Comics)

2019 Dragon Awards Finalists Announced

The finalist for the 2019 Dragon Awards have been announced. The winners will announced at a ceremony during Dragon*Con 2019, August 29 - September 2 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

The Dragon Awards are a program of fan-chosen awards to recognize outstanding achievement in science fiction and fantasy literature, comics, gaming and filmed entertainment, and was introduced as part of Dragon*Con’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2016.

2019 Dragon Award Finalists

Best Science Fiction Novel

• A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
• A Star-Wheeled Sky by Brad R. Torgersen
• Europe at Dawn by Dave Hutchinson
• Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
• Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Tiamat’s Wrath by James SA Corey

Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

• Deep Roots by Ruthanna Emrys
• Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
• House of Assassins by Larry Correia
• Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

• Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
• Armageddon Girls by Aaron Michael Ritchey
• Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
• Imposters by Scott Westerfeld
• Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
• The King’s Regret by Philip Ligon
• The Pioneer by Bridget Tyler

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

• A Pale Dawn by Chris Kennedy, Mark Wandrey
• Order of the Centurion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
• Marine by Joshua Dalzelle
• Sons of the Lion by Jason Cordova
• The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
• Uncompromising Honor by David Weber

Best Alternate History Novel

• Black Chamber by SM Stirling
• Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• The Iron Codex by David Mack
• The World Asunder by Kacey Ezell
• Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar

Best Media Tie-In Novel

• Big Damn Hero by James Lovegrove, Nancy Holder
• Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
• Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray
• The Replicant War by Chris Kennedy
• The Way to the Stars by Una McCormack
• Thrawn: Alliances by Timothy Zahn

Best Horror Novel

• Cardinal Black by Robert McCammon
• Little Darlings by Melanie Golding
• Riddance by Shelley Jackson
• We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
• Zombie Airman by David Guenther
• 100 Fathoms Below by Steven L Kent, Nicholas Kaufmann

Best Comic Book

• Batman by Tom King, Tony S Daniel
• Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart
• Mister Miracle by Tom King, Tony Daniel
• Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man by Chip Zdarsky, Adam Kubert
• Saga by Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples
• The Batman Who Laughs by Scott Snyder, Mark Simpson

Best Graphic Novel

• Berlin by Jason Lutes
• Hey, Kiddo by Jarret J Krosoczka
• I Am Young by M. Dean
• Monstress Vol 3 by Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda
• On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
• X-Men: Grand Design – Second Genesis by Ed Piskor

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series

• Game of Thrones, HBO
• Good Omens, Amazon Prime
• Lucifer, Netflix
• The Orville, Fox
• The Umbrella Academy, Netflix
• Star Trek: Discovery, CBS All Access

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

• Alita: Battle Angel by Robert Rodriguez
• Aquaman by James Wan
• Avengers: Endgame by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Captain Marvel by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Spider-Man: Far From Home by Jon Watts
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game

• Apex Legends by Electronic Arts
• Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey by Ubisoft
• Life Is Strange 2 by Dontnod Entertainment
• Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar Games
• Outer Wilds by Mobius Digital
• World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth by Blizzard

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game

• Cyber Hunter by NetEase
• Elder Scrolls: Blades by Bethesda Softworks
• Grimvalor by Direlight
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite by Niantic, WB Games San Francisco
• Reigns: Game of Thrones by Nerial
• Sega Heroes: Puzzle RPG Quest by SEGA

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

• Architects of the West Kingdom by Garphill Games
• Betrayal Legacy by Avalon Hill Games
• Cryptid by Osprey Games
• Everdell by Starling Games (II)
• Nemesis by Awaken Realms
• Root by Leder Games

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game

• Call of Cthulhu: Masks of Nyarlathotep Slipcase Set by Chaosium Inc.
• Fallout: Wasteland Warfare by Modiphius Entertainment
• Keyforge: Call of the Archons by Fantasy Flight Games
• Magic: The Gathering - Ravnica Allegiance by Wizards of the Coast
• Magic: The Gathering - War of The Spark by Wizards of the Coast
• Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team by Games Workshop

2019 World Fantasy Award Finalists Announced

2019 World Fantasy Award finalists have been announced. The awards will be presented during the World Fantasy Convention, held during October 31 - November 3 in Los Angeles.

Novel

• In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey (John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley (MCD/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
• The Poppy War by RF Kuang (Harper Voyager)
• Witchmark by CL Polk (Tor.com)
• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (Saga Press)

Novella

• The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Black God’s Drums by P Djèlí Clark (Tor.com)
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean Press)
• “The Privilege of the Happy Ending” by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, Aug. 2018)
• Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com)

Short Fiction

• “The Ten Things She Said While Dying: An Annotation” by Adam-Troy Castro (Nightmare Magazine, July 2019)
• “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” by Alix E Harrow (Apex Magazine, February 2018)
• “Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake” by Mel Kassel (Lightspeed, October 2018)
• “The Court Magician” by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed, January 2018)
• “Like a River Loves the Sky” by Emma Törzs (Uncanny Magazine, March-April 2018)

Anthology

• Sword and Sonnet, edited by Aidan Doyle, Rachael K Jones, and E Catherine Tobler (Ate Bit Bear)
• The Book of Magic, edited by Gardner Dozois (Bantam Books US/HarperVoyager UK)
• Best New Horror #28, edited by Stephen Jones (Drugstore Indian Press UK)
• Robots vs. Fairies, edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe (Saga Press)
• Worlds Seen in Passing: Ten Years of Tor.com Short Fiction, edited by Irene Gallo (Tor.com)

Collection

• The Tangled Lands, by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S Buckell (Saga Press/Head of Zeus UK)
• Still So Strange, by Amanda Downum (ChiZine Publications)
• An Agent of Utopia: New & Selected Stories, by Andy Duncan (Small Beer Press)
• How Long ’til Black Future Month? by NK Jemisin (Orbit)
• Phantom Limbs, by Margo Lanagan (PS Publishing)

Artist

• Rovina Cai
• Galen Dara
• Jeffrey Alan Love
• Shaun Tan
• Charles Vess

Special Award – Professional

• CC Finlay, for F&SF editing
• Irene Gallo, for Art Direction at Tor Books and Tor.com
• Huw Lewis-Jones, for The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands (University of Chicago Press)
• Catherine McIlwaine for Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth exhibition (The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford)
• Julian Yap, Molly Barton, Jeff Li, and James Stuart for Serial Box

Special Award – Non-Professional

• Mike Allen, for Mythic Delirium
• Scott H Andrews, for Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Literary Adventure Fantasy
• Lynne M Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, for Uncanny Magazine
• E Catherine Tobler, for Shimmer Magazine
• Terri Windling, for Myth & Moor

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Hayao Miyazaki
• Jack Zipes

Finalists For The 2019 British Fantasy Awards Announced

The finalists for the 2019 British Fantasy Awards have been announced by the British Fantasy Society. The winners will be revealed at Fantasy Con in Glasgow, Scotland on October 18-20 2019.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)

• The Bitter Twins, by Jen Williams (Headline)
• Empire of Sand, by Tasha Suri (Orbit)
• Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher Books)
• The Green Man’s Heir, by Juliet E McKenna (Wizard’s Tower Press)
• The Loosening Skin, by Aliya Whiteley (Unsung Stories)
• Priest of Bones, by Peter McLean (Jo Fletcher Books)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)

• The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay (Titan Books)
• Little Eve, by Catriona Ward (W&N)
• The Way of the Worm, by Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing)
• Wolf’s Hill, by Simon Bestwick (Snowbooks)

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J Bounds Award)

• Tomi Adeyemi, for Children of Blood and Bone (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• Cameron Johnston, for The Traitor God (Angry Robot)
• RF Kuang, for The Poppy War (HarperVoyager)
• Tasha Suri, for Empire of Sand (Orbit)
• Marian Womack, for Lost Objects (Luna Press Publishing)
• Micah Yongo, for Lost Gods (Angry Robot)

Best Novella

• Binti: The Night Masquerade, by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
• “Breakwater”, by Simon Bestwick (Tor.com)
• The Land of Somewhere Safe, by Hal Duncan (NewCon Press)
• The Last Temptation of Dr Valentine, by John Llewellyn Probert (Black Shuck Books)
• The Only Harmless Great Thing, by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Tea Master and the Detective, by Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean Press)

Best Short Fiction

• “Down Where Sound Comes Blunt”, by GV Anderson (F&SF March/April 2018)
• “Her Blood the Apples, Her Bones the Trees”, by Georgina Bruce (The Silent Garden: A Journal of Esoteric Fabulism)
• “In the Gallery of Silent Screams”, by Carole Johnstone & Chris Kelso (Black Static #65)
• “A Son of the Sea”, by Priya Sharma (All the Fabulous Beasts)
• “Telling Stories”, by Ruth EJ Booth (The Dark #43)
• “Thumbsucker”, by Robert Shearman (New Fears 2)

Best Anthology

• The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, ed. Ellen Datlow (Night Shade Books)
• Humanagerie, ed. Sarah Doyle & Allen Ashley (Eibonvale Press)
• New Fears 2, ed. Mark Morris (Titan Books)
• This Dreaming Isle, ed. Dan Coxon (Unsung Stories)
• Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5, ed. Robert Shearman & Michael Kelly (Undertow Publications)

Best Collection

• All the Fabulous Beasts, by Priya Sharma (Undertow Publications)
• The Future is Blue, by Catherynne M Valente (Subterranean Press)
• How Long ‘til Black Future Month?, by NK Jemisin (Orbit)
• Lost Objects, by Marian Womack (Luna Press Publishing)
• Octoberland, by Thana Niveau (PS Publishing)
• Resonance & Revolt, by Rosanne Rabinowitz (Eibonvale Press)

Best Non-Fiction

• The Evolution of African Fantasy and Science Fiction, ed. Francesca T Barbini (Luna Press Publishing)
• The Full Lid, by Alasdair Stuart (alasdairstuart.com/the-full-lid)
• Ginger Nuts of Horror (www.gingernutsofhorror.com)
• Les Vampires, by Tim Major (PS Publishing)
• Noise and Sparks, by Ruth EJ Booth (Shoreline of Infinity)

Best Independent Press

• Fox Spirit Books
• Luna Press Publishing
• NewCon Press
• Unsung Stories

Best Magazine / Periodical

• Black Static
• Gingernuts of Horror
• Interzone
• Shoreline of Infinity
• Uncanny Magazine

Best Audio

• Bedtime Stories for the End of the World (endoftheworldpodcast.com)
• Blood on Satan’s Claw, by Mark Morris (Bafflegab)
• Breaking the Glass Slipper (www.breakingtheglassslipper.com)
• PodCastle (podcastle.org)
• PsuedoPod (pseudopod.org)

Best Comic / Graphic Novel

• 100 Demon Dialogues, by Lucy Bellwood (Toonhound Studios)
• B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Vol. 1, by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis, Tyler Crook & Dave Stewart (Dark Horse)
• Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories, Vol. 1, by Mike Mignola and others (Dark Horse)
• The Prisoner, by Robert S Malan & John Cockshaw (Luna Press Publishing)
• Saga #49-54, by Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
• Widdershins, Vol. 7, by Kate Ashwin

Best Artist

• Vince Haig
• David Rix
• Daniele Serra
• Sophie E Tallis

Best Film / Television Production

• Annihilation, Alex Garland
• Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
• Black Panther, Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole
• The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan
• Inside No. 9, series 4, Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman

Winners of the 2019 Eisner Awards Announced

The winners for the 2019 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 announced at a special ceremony during this year's San Diego Comic-Con.

The Winners:

Best Short Story

• “The Talk of the Saints,” by Tom King and Jason Fabok, in Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

• Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310, by Chip Zdarsky (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series

• Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julaa Madrigal (Boom Box)

Best Limited Series

• Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

Best New Series

• Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• The Divided Earth, by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Best Humour Publication

• Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julia Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

Best Web Comic

• The Contradictions, by Sophie Yanow, (thecontradictions.com)

Best Digital Comic

• Umami, by Ken Niimura (Panel Syndicate), (panelsyndicate.com/comics/umami)

Best Anthology

• Puerto Rico Strong, edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz (Lion Forge)

Best Reality-Based Work

• Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, by Box Brown (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—New

• My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• The Vision hardcover, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh (Marvel)

Best Adaptation From Another Medium

• “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, adapted by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

• Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

• Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights… And Assassins... Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best US Edition of International Material

• Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu, translated by Montana Kane (First Second)

Best US Edition of International Material—Asia

• Tokyo Tarareba Girls, by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha)

Best Writer

• Tom King, Batman, Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Writer / Artist

• Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second)

Best Penciller / Inker

• Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)

Best Painter / Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)

Best Cover Artist

• Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image); Submerged (Vault)

Best Colouring

• Matt Wilson, Black Cloud, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); The Mighty Thor, Runaways (Marvel)

Best Lettering

• Todd Klein, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald (Dark Horse); Batman: White Night (DC); Eternity Girl, Books of Magic (Vertigo/DC); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical / Journalism

• Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
• PanelxPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Best Comics-Related Book

• Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists, by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work

• Sweet Little C*nt: The Graphic Work of Julie Doucet, by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Uncivilized Books)

Best Publication Design

• Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink / Dark Horse)

Bill Finger Award for Excellence In Comic Writing

• E Nelson Bridwell
• Mike Friedrich

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award

• Lisa Wood (aka Tula Lotay)
• Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer

• Lorena Alvarez, (Hicotea, Nightlights)

Spirit Of Comics Retailer Award

• La Revisteria, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hall Of Fame Inductees

• Bill Sienkiewicz
• Wendy & Richard Pini
• Paul Levitz
• Jenette Kahn
• Jose Luis Garcia Lopez
• Morrie Turner
• Dave Stevens
• June Tarpe Mills
• Jim Aparo

The 45th Saturn Award Nominees Announced

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films have revealed the nominations for the 45th Annual Saturn Awards.

The Saturn Awards are dedicated to honouring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, that are sometimes overlooked in mainstream awards.

The winners will be announced September 13 2019

FILM

Best Comic Book-to-Film Release 

• Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Captain Marvel (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony / Marvel Studios)
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)

Best Science Fiction Film Release

• Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox)
• Bumblebee (Paramount)
• Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom (Universal Pictures)
• Ready Player One (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm Ltd. / Walt Disney Studios)
• Sorry to Bother You (Mirror Releasing – Annapurna Pictures)
• Upgrade (BH Tilt)

Best Fantasy Film Release

• Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Dumbo (Walt Disney Studios)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Warner Bros. / Legendary Pictures)
• Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Toy Story 4 (Pixar Animation / Walt Disney Studios)
• Yesterday (Universal Pictures)

Best Horror Film Release

• The Dead Don’t Die (Focus Features)
• Halloween (Universal Pictures)
• Hereditary (A24)
• Overlord (Paramount)
• Pet Sematary (Paramount)
• A Quiet Place (Paramount)
• Us (Universal Pictures)

Best Thriller Film Release

• Bad Samaritan (Electric Entertainment)
• Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)
• Destroyer (Mirror / Annapurna Pictures)
• Dragged Across Concrete (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Greta (Focus Features) Ma (Universal Pictures)
• Searching (Sony Pictures)

Best Action / Adventure Film Release

• Cold Pursuit (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Escape Room (Columbia Pictures/Sony)
• Glass (Universal)
• John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Mission: Impossible: Fallout (Paramount)
• Skyscraper (Universal Pictures)

Best Animated Film Release

• The Grinch (Universal Pictures)
• How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World (Universal Pictures)
• The Incredibles 2 (Pixar Animation / Walt Disney Studios)
• Ralph Breaks the Internet (Walt Disney Studios)
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
• Toy Story 4 (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Independent Film Release

• American Animals (The Orchard)
• Anna and the Apocalypse (Orion Pictures)
• The Man Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot (RLJ Entertainment)
• Mandy (RLJ Entertainment)
• Ophelia (IFC Films)
• Summer of 84 (Gunpowder & Sky)
• Tomorrow Man (Bleecker St.)

Best International Film Release

• Aniara (Magnet / Magnolia Pictures)
• Border (Neon)
• Burning (Well Go USA)
• Ghost Stories (IFC Films)
• The Guilty (Magnolia Pictures)
• Shadow (Well Go USA)

Best Actor in a Film

• Jeff Bridges, Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)
• Nicolas Cage, Mandy (RLJ Entertainment)
• Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount)
• Chris Evans, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Mel Gibson, Dragged Across Concrete (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Lionsgate / Summit)

Best Actress in a Film

• Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Toni Collette, Hereditary (A24)
• Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween (Universal)
• Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (Mirror / Annapurna Pictures)
• Brie Larson, Captain Marvel (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Octavia Spencer, Ma (Universal Pictures) 

Best Supporting Actor in a Film

• Josh Brolin, Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• John Lithgow, Pet Sematary (Paramount)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Lewis Pullman, Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)
• Jeremy Renner, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Will Smith, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Steven Yeun, Burning (Well Go USA)

Best Supporting Actress in a Film

• Cynthia Erivo, Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)
• Karen Gillan, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Amber Heard, Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Scarlett Johansson, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Naomi Scott, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Hailee Steinfeld, Bumblebee (Paramount)
• Zendaya, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Marvel / Sony Studios)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film

• Evan Alex, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Asher Angel, Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Warner Bros. / Legendary)
• Jack Dylan Grazer, Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Marvel / Sony Pictures)
• Shahadi Wright Joseph, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place (Paramount)

Best Film Director

• Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Karyn Kusama, Destroyer (Mirror / Annapurna Pictures)
• Jordan Peele, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Guy Ritchie, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Steven Spielberg, Ready Player One (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• James Wan, Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Zhang Yimou, Shadow (Well Go USA)

Best Film Screenplay

• Drew Goddard, Bad Times at The El Royale (20th Century Fox)
• Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount)
• Oh Jung-mi, Lee Chang-Dong, Burning (Well Go USA)
• Jordan Peele, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski, A Quiet Place (Paramount)
• S Craig Zahler, Dragged Across Concrete (Lionsgate / Summit)

Best Film Production Design

• Bill Brzeski, Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Ruth De Jong, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Rick Heinrichs, Dumbo (Walt Disney Studios)
• Gemma Jackson, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Horace Ma Gwong-Wing, Shadows (Well Go USA)
• John Myhre, Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Charles Wood, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Editing

• Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• James Herbert, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Nicholas Monsour, Us (Universal Pictures)
• Kirk Morri, Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Evan Schiff, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Christopher Tellefsen, A Quiet Place (Paramount)

Best Film Music

• Danny Elfman, Dumbo (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Bear McCreary, Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Warner Bros. / Legendary)
• Alan Menken, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Marc Shaiman,  Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Alan Silvestri, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Alan Silvestri, Ready Player One (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Film Costume Designer

• Kym Barrett, Aquaman (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Leah Butler, Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Judianna Makovsky, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Chen Minzheng, Shadow (Well Go USA)
• Sandy Powell, Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
• Michael Wilkinson, Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Film Make-Up

• John Blake, Brian Sipe, Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Judy Chin, Mike Marino, The Dead Don’t Die (Focus Features)
• Bill Corso, Destroyer (Mirror / Annapurna Pictures)
• Lisa Love, Tate Steinsiek, Dragged Across Concrete (Lionsgate / Summit)
• Tristan Versluis, Naomi Dunne, Duncan Jarman, Overlord (Paramount)
• Annick Chartier, Adrien Morot, Pet Sematary (Paramount)
• Mark Coulier, Fernanda Perez, Suspiria (Amazon)

Best Film Special / Visual Effects

• A Quiet Place (Paramount)
• Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
• Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Warner Bros. / Legendary)
• Mission: Impossible: Fallout (Paramount)
• Ready Player One (Warner Bros.)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony Pictures)

TELEVISION

Best Superhero Television Series

• Arrow (The CW)
• Black Lightning (The CW)
• Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger (Freeform)
• DC’s Legend of Tomorrow (The CW)
• The Flash (The CW)
• Gotham (Fox)
• Supergirl (The CW)

Best Science Fiction Television Series

• The 100 (The CW)
• Counterpart (Starz)
• Doctor Who (BBC America)
• Krypton (SyFy)
• Manifest (NBC)
• The Orville (Fox)
• Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)
• Westworld (HBO)

Best Fantasy Television Series

• b (Starz)
• Charmed (The CW)
• Game of Thrones (HBO)
• The Good Place (NBC)
• The Good Witch (Hallmark Channel)
• The Magicians (SyFy)
• Outlander (Starz)
• The Outpost (The CW)

Best Horror Television Series

• NOS4A2 (AMC)
• American Horror Story: Apocalypse (FX)
• A Discovery of Witches (AMC)
• Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
• Preacher (AMC)
• Supernatural (The CW)
• The Walking Dead (AMC)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Best Action/Thriller Television Series

• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Killing Eve (BBC America)
• The Last Ship (TNT)
• Mr Mercedes (Audience TV Network)
• The Purge (USA Network)
• Riverdale (The CW)
• The Sinner (USA Network)

Best Animated Series On Television

• Archer (FX)
• Duck Tales (Disney Channel)
• Family Guy (Fox)
• The Simpsons (Fox)
• Star Wars Resistance (Disney Channel)

Best Actor on a Television Series

• Grant Gustin, The Flash (The CW)
• Kit Harington, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Sam Heughan, Outlander (Starz)
• Andrew Lincoln, The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Seth MacFarlane, The Orville (Fox)
• Bill Pullman, The Sinner (USA Network)
• Jeffrey Wright, Westworld (HBO)

Best Actress on a Television Series

• Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz)
• Melissa Benoist, Supergirl (The CW)
• Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Sandra Oh, Killing Eve (BBC America)
• Adrianne Palicki, The Orville (Fox)
• Candice Patton, The Flash (The CW)
• Jodie Whittaker, Doctor Who (BBC America)

Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series

• Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• David Harewood, Supergirl (The CW)
• Ed Harris, Westworld (HBO)
• Lennie James, Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
• Khary Payton, The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series

• Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO)
• Melissa McBride, The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Sophie Skelton, Outlander (Starz)
• Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series

• KJ Apa, Riverdale (The CW)
• Tosin Cole, Doctor Who (BBC America)
• Cameron Cuffe, Krypton (SyFy)
• Benjamin Wadsworth, Deadly Class (SyFy)
• David Mazouz, Gotham (Fox)
• Cole Sprouse, Riverdale (The CW)
• Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Best Guest-Starring Performance on Television

• Rainer Bock, Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Jon Cryer, Supergirl (The CW)
• Sydney Lemmon, Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead (AMC)
• Tonya Pinkins, Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
• Ed Speleers, Outlander (Starz)

STREAMING

Best Streaming Superhero Series

• DC’s Doom Patrol (DC Universe)
• DC’s Swamp Thing (DC Universe)
• Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)
• Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix)
• Marvel’s The Punisher (Netflix)
• Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu)
• The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

Best Streaming Science-Fiction, Action & Fantasy Series

• Black Mirror (Netflix)
• The Expanse (Amazon)
• Lost in Space (Netflix)
• Good Omens (Amazon)
• Russian Doll (Netflix)
• Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
• Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon)

Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series

• Castle Rock (Hulu)
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
• The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)
• You (Netflix / Lifetime)

Best Actor In A Streaming Presentation

• Penn Badgley, You (Netflix / Lifetime)
• Jon Bernthal, Marvel’s The Punisher (Netflix)
• Charlie Cox, Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)
• John Krasinski, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon)
• Zac Efron, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Netflix)
• David Tennant, Good Omens (Amazon)
• Henry Thomas, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Best Actress In A Streaming Presentation

• Carla Gugino, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
• Sonequa Martin-Green, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
• Elizabeth Lail, You (Netflix / Lifetime)
• Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)
• Molly Parker, Lost in Space (Netflix)
• Krysten Ritter, Marvel’s Jessica Jones (Netflix)
• Kiernan Shipka, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

Best Supporting Actor In A Streaming Presentation

• Wilson Cruz, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
• Michiel Huisman, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
• Timothy Hutton, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
• Doug Jones, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
• Ethan Peck, Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
• Maxwell Jenkins, Lost in Space (Netflix)
• Michael Sheen, Good Omens (Amazon)

Best Actress In A Streaming Presentation

• Maya Hawke, Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Ellen Page, The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
• Parker Posey, Lost in Space (Netflix)
• Victoria Pedretti, The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)
• Taylor Russell, Lost in Space (Netflix)
• Sissy Spacek, Castle Rock (Hulu)
• Deborah Ann Woll, Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Best DVD/BD Release

• Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
• Jonathan (Well Go USA)
• Kin (Lionsgate)
• King Cohen (La La Land)
• Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (Warner)
• Time Freak (Lionsgate)

Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release

• 2001: A Space Odyssey (4K) (Warner)
• Deep Rising (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• Jack the Giant Killer (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• Maximum Overdrive (Lionsgate/Vestron)
• The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• The Spiral Staircase (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release

• 12 Monkeys (Collector’s Edition) (Arrow)
• The Changeling (Limited Edition) (Severin)
• Crimson Peak (Limited Edition) (Arrow)
• A Fistful of Dollars (Special Edition) (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• Horror Express (Special Edition) (Arrow)
• Waterworld (Limited Edition) (Arrow)

Best DVD/BD Collection Release

• The Bloodthirsty Trilogy (Arrow)
• The Complete Sartana (Arrow)
• Jack Ryan: 5 Film Collection (4K) (Paramount)
• The Matrix Trilogy (4K) (Warner)
• The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• Universal Classic Monsters 30 Film Collection (Universal)

Best DVD/BD Television Series Release

• The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• The Martian Chronicles (Complete Mini-Series) (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• The Night Stalker (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• The Night Strangler (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• The Outer Limits (Season 1 and 2) (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
• Trilogy of Terror (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

LIVE STAGE PRODUCTION

Best Local Live Theatre Production

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Segerstrom Center for the Arts)
• A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (3-D Theatricals at Cerritos Center)
• An Inspector Calls (Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)
• The Old Man and the Old Moon (The PigPen Theatre Company at The Wallis)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: The Immersive Experience (After Hours Theatre Company)
• Puppet Up! Uncensored (Henson Alternative)
• The Secret Garden (3-D Theatricals at Cerritos Center)