The Tripwire Awards returned for a fifth consecutive year in 2023 and, this week, the winners of the various gongs and goblets were presented at a subtle, yet glittering affair at the capital’s prestigeious Cartoon Museum on Thursday night.
Tripwire Magazine’s EIC Joel Meadows and the site’s Senior Editor Andrew Colman got dressed in their fineries, powered up the Powerpoint and announced who would be proclaimed the finest talents in comics, at home and further afield.
“For a fifth year running, we have selected a range of nominees that reflects the breadth and range of the comics industry in the UK and US. We are excited as ever to be putting something back into the industry that has supported us for over thirty years now,” Tripwire’s editor-in-chief Meadows said, while snorting a vol-eu-vent.
The winners took in the width, depth and breadth of comics, with DC Comics’ Jenny Frison (HARLEY QUINN) and Aditya Bidkar (THE SWAMP THING), 2000AD’s Michael Carroll (JUDGE DREDD) and Matt Smith, (Editor), and Image Comics’ Fiona Staples (SAGA), Tamra Bonvillain (THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and Liam Sharp (STARHENGE) all walking away with platitudes. The full list of nominees are below with the winners highlighted in capitals and in bold. Because they’re feckin’ awesome, that’s why.
THE TRIPWIRE AWARDS 2023: Nominees and Winners
Best Writer Sponsored By Image Comics
- MICHAEL CARROLL (Judge Dredd, 2000AD)
- Tom King (Human Target (DC)
- Mark Russell (Second Coming: Trinity (Ahoy), Superman: Space Age (DC))
- Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel (Marvel))
- Mark Millar (Ambassadors (Millarworld/ Image)
Best Artist Sponsored By Image Comics
- Greg Smallwood (Human Target, DC)
- Dan Mora (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest/Shazam, DC)
- Elsa Charretier (Love Everlasting (Image))
- Jorge Jimenez (Batman (DC), Nemesis: Reloaded (Millarworld/ Image))
- FIONA STAPLES (Saga, (Image))
Best Cover Artist Sponsored By Ace Comics
- Greg Smallwood (Human Target, DC))
- David Mack (Batman & the Joker the Deadly Duo (DC), The Seasons Have Teeth, (Boom! Studios))
- Bruno Redondo (Nightwing, (DC))
- JENNY FRISON (Harley Quinn (DC))
- Steve Beach (Action Comics, (DC))
Best Colourist
- TAMRA BONVILLAIN (Once And Future (Boom!), Department of Truth (Image Comics))
- Giovanna Niro (The Ambassadors (Millarworld/ Image Comics), 3 Keys (Image Comics))
- Taki Soma (Murder Inc (Jinxworld/ Dark Horse)
- Triona Farrell (Alien / Scarlet Witch (Marvel Comics))
- Jacob Phillips (Night Fever/ Reckless, (Image Comics))
Best Letterer
- Jim Campbell (Barbaric (Vault))
- Ed Dukeshire (Magic (Boom!))
- ADITYA BIDKAR (The Swamp Thing (DC))
- Lee Loughridge (I Hate This Place (Skybound/ Image))
- Steve Wands (Swamp Thing: Green Hell (DC))
Best New Talent Sponsored By The Convention Collective
- Alex Lins (Hellcat (Marvel))
- Filya Bratukhin (Agent of W.O.R.L.D. (Scout Comics))
- Federico Blee (colorist, X-Men)
- Danny Earls (artist, Captain America (Marvel)
- GUSTAFFO VARGAS (creator, Puno / Trujillo)
Best New Series
- Human Target by Tom King and Greg Smallwood (DC)
- Batman/Superman: World’s Finest by Mark Waid and Dan Mora (DC Comics)
- STARHENGE BY LIAM SHARP (Image Comics)
- Superman: Space Age by Mark Russell and Mike Allred (DC Comics)
- Dead Romans by Fred Kennedy and Nick Marinkovich (Image Comics))
Best Publisher Sponsored By Turnaround Publisher Services
- IMAGE COMICS
- Rebellion
- AHOY
- DC Comics
- Dark Horse Comics
Best Original Graphic Novel Sponsored By Image Comics
- Night Fever by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image Comics)
- Hancock by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page (B7)
- Ax-Wielder John by Nick Pittara
- John Tiffany by Stephen Desberg and Dan Panosian (Mad Cave Studios)
- IT’S LONELY AT THE END OF THE EARTH B Y ZOE THOROGOOD (Image Comics)
Best Collection Sponsored By CGC
- Seven To Eternity (Image Comics)
- THE 2000AD ART OF MICK MCMAHON: APEX EDITION (Rebellion)
- Kevin Nowlan’s Marvel Heroes Artists Edition by Kevin Nowlan (IDW)
- History of The DC Universe hardcover by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez (DC)
- JLA/ Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez (DC)
Best Comics-Related Website / Publication
- BROKEN FRONTIER
- Popverse
- Comic Book Creator
- The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog
- Shift Magazine
Best Small Press / Independent (U.K.) Sponsored By Knockabout Comics
- Time Bomb Comics
- Avery Hill
- SelfMade Hero
- MAD ROBOT COMICS
- The 77 Publications
Best Small Press / Independent (U.S.)
- Ablaze
- Mad Cave Studios
- Black Mask Studios
- DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
- AWA
Best Editor
- Daniel Chabon ( Dark Horse)
- Mike Marts (Mad Cave)
- MATT SMITH (2000AD)
- Chris Conroy (DC)
- Heather Antos (IDW)
Best Designer
- Nate Piekos (I Hate Fairyland)
- Tom Muller (Cold Iron, Comixology)
- RIAN HUGHES
- Darran Robinson (DC)
- Tim Daniel (Full Tilt)
Best Crowdfunding Campaign
- First Men On Mars (EM Press) Kickstarter
- Wicker Pasty (Trystan Mitchell) Kickstarter
- Dracula: The Return (Scratch Comics) Kickstarter
- FAST TIMES IN COMIC BOOK EDITING (Filth & Grammar)
- Full Tilt by Jason Copland Zoop
Best Convention Sponsored By The Convention Collective
- THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL
- New York Comic Con
- Lake Como Comic Festival
- San Diego Comic-Con
- Macc Pow!
Best Audio Adaptation
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by Marvel Press
- THE SANDMAN Act III by Audible
- Nemesis The Warlock Books 1-4 by Audible
- Doctor Who The Prisoners Of London by Big Finish
- The Boys by Audible
Best Humour Comic Print
- BEANO (DC Thomson)
- The Phoenix (Phoenix Publications)
- Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs (AHOY Comics)
- I Hate This Place by Skottie Young (Image)
- Barbaric by Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden (Vault Comics)
Person Of The Year
- Chip Mosher
- Scott Dunbier
- Mark London
- Kevin Feige
- LYSA HAWKINS
The Roll Of Honour Nominees – Winners in BOLD
- Walt Simonson
- Mark Chiarello
- John Wagner
- Archie Goodwin
- KEVIN O’NEILL
- Carlos Pacheco
- Chris Reynolds
- John Romita Sr
- Tim Sale
- Trina Robbins
- Bryan Talbot
- GEORGE PEREZ
- Louise Simonson
- Jenette Kahn
Full disclosure: I was one of the nominating judges this year (not all of my picks won their respective categories and I do hold a grudge, you bastards) and I, on behalf of this site, continued our tradition of supporting the Awards by sponsoring two of the categories dearest to my heart – Best Comic Convention (natch) and Best Newcomer. So, following that, I’d like to extend my particular congratulations to the organisers of Thought Bubble Festival and also to Gustaffo Vargas on their well-deserved wins. Huzzah!! [flips table]
Congratulations, indeed, to everyone involved – here’s looking forward to a fantastic selection in 2024.