Glyph Award nominees announced

Comments ¹¹

1. Eric Burke

   The third annual Glyph Comics Awards (GCAs), honoring the best in black comics and creators

   While I’m not trying to be a negative nelly here, it seems that this award is just the type of stereotype that several black cartoonists were speaking out against on Feb.10th.

   Is there a difference between an editor labeling/stereotyping a comic as a “black comic strip” and an organization celebrating a comic as a “black comic strip”?

   Yes, an editor’s stereotyping strips as “another Boondocks” can keep a comic out of a paper, but does it help or hinder the strip when an organization celebrates that very element of the comic?

   Darrin and Cory’s work deserve to be recognized as excellent comic strips(I’m somewhat unfamiliar with the others right now), but these limited awards, whether it’s based on race or sex, just seems to set the artists back…

2. Rich Diesslin

   Eric, I think you’ll find that stereotyping for recognition purposes won’t be objected to. Just a hunch.

3. Kyle Baker

   I think Black people giving prizes to Black people is a great thing.

4. Cory Thomas

   “Iâ??m somewhat unfamiliar with the others right now”

   Which is why awards like these exist. With the limited exposure that most minority artists get, it’s an opportunity to give recognition/praise/credit for work that would otherwise go unnoticed.

   It isn’t at odds with the February 10th thing at all. THAT was a statement against strips by black artists being treated interchangeably with little regard for the actual content. THESE awards are being presented BASED on the content of the work.

5. Rich Diesslin

   Let me clarify that I don’t have a problem with the category. Generally I find I like to be recognized for accomplishment regardless of how and dislike rejection for whatever reason. I don’t expect it to be different for anyone else. I’d be happy to receive an award in the category of aging, balding, bearded, white guys! A narrow field, although perhaps getting larger every day .

   Anyway, before getting sidetracked anymore, let me say (even be the first to say) congrats on the awards! The other thing I really like is that these awards went to folks we talk with often on this blog! Very cool when you sort-of-know people that get awards.

6. Darrin Bell

   Well, nobody’s gotten any awards yet, these are nominations. I’m glad they’re not just including syndicated comics, otherwise they’d have the same nominees every year and after a while it would just be a matter of 5 or so cartoonists passing a trophy around. Since they’re considering non-syndicated strips as well, it’s not such a narrow field.

   As Cory said, the February 10 thing wasn’t a complaint that people recognize the ethnicities of the characters and their authors (there’s nothing wrong with that), it was a reminder that the strips aren’t interchangeable because of ethnicity. And this award is all about judging the content and quality of the strips. It’s no different than the Image Awards.

7. Rich Diesslin

   Oops, my bad! I need to read more closely! Well, good luck then! 😉

8. Art Shamblin

   Blacks want to have it both ways: complain that they’re seen as “black strips” and whine that they don’t get more newspaper space, at the same time walk around celebrating being “black strips.”

   Not unlike Mike Lester’s beloved Republican friends who want to close all govt programs that help middle class/poor people, but while using the same govt to keep themselves superwealthy.

   We’re all the same.

9. Wiley Miller

   “Blacks want to have it both ways: complain that theyâ??re seen as â??black stripsâ? and whine that they donâ??t get more newspaper space, at the same time walk around celebrating being â??black strips.â? ”

   I believe the Glyph awards is about celebrating the achievements of Black cartoonists (not “black strips”) in a predominantly While male field. This oversimplification, and outright misrepresentation, of both the protest of Black cartoonists and the Glyph awards is disingenuous at best. Perhaps learning more about both would be a good idea before making such statements publicly.

10. Darrin Bell

    “…Not unlike Mike Lesterâ??s beloved Republican friends who want to close all govt programs that help middle class/poor people, but while using the same govt to keep themselves superwealthy.”
    ————

    I give you points for arguing by analogy, which is always interesting. But I think you could’ve used a better analogy. Like people who insist there’s nothing wrong with seeing them as “black strips,” but then get bent out of shape when they think “black strips” are being honored.

    It oversimplifies and misstates the issue just as well as the Republican analogy, but it has the bonus of being relevant.

11. Rich Diesslin

    I personally think awards are kind of superfluous, yet at the same time it is nice to be recognized for doing good work. It’s okay by me to have more categories so more good work can be recognized. At the end of the day, regardless of the awards, the reward is doing good work. When awards start to be given for not-so-good work, then complaints can be filed with some legitimacy. So, anyway, here’s to good work and best wishes the nominees!