The Comics Industry Celebrates the 2023 Ringo Awards

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – September 10, 2023 – Comic creative professionals, publishers, retailers, and fans came together Saturday night, September 9, 2023 to experience the comic book industry celebrating recognition of their peers, co-workers, and competitors at the 2023 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards.

This year’s Ringo Awards was sponsored by Cards, Comics & Collectibles, the Baltimore Comic-Con, as well as A Wave Blue WorldBig Lick Comic-ConBOOM! StudiosComix Well SpringGem City Comic Con, Geppi Family Enterprises, Hake’s AuctionsHard Rock CafeImage ComicsMad Cave StudiosModern FanaticOni PressPrana: Direct Market Solutions, and Rocketship Entertainment.
The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards is an annual celebration of the creativity, skill, and fun of comics. The nomination ballot is determined by fans and pros alike.
Mark Waid

Mark Waid, a New York Times-bestselling author, bought his first comic book at age four and never stopped. Since entering the field as a professional in the mid-1980s, he has been an editor, a writer, a publisher, an artist, a colorist, a letterer, a publicist, a creative consultant, a chief creative officer, and even a comic shop owner, meaning he’s done literally everything you can do in comics outside of running the actual printing presses. As a writer, he’s worked with every major and almost every minor publisher, writing and editing over 2000 stories (and counting). Among them are his collaboration with artist Alex Ross, Kingdom Come, one of the all-time highest-selling American graphic novels, as well as long, critically acclaimed runs on Flash, Daredevil, Archie, Fantastic Four, and many, many other titles. Currently, he’s enjoying a new groundswell of success at DC Comics with World’s Finest, Teen Titans, and Shazam! while, in his “spare time,” embarking on a full-scale teaching career, presenting comics writing classes at select conventions and venues.

A very special thanks go to the sponsors who donated items to the 2022 Ringo Awards Gift Bags, including A Wave Blue WorldAbrams BooksAfterShock ComicsAWA StudiosAWA StudiosBad Egg PublishingBOOM! StudiosCOMICS2MOVIESDark Horse ComicsDiamond Comic Distributors,Image ComicsMad Cave StudiosOni PressRocketship EntertainmentScholastic/GraphixSource Point Press, and WEBTOON Unscrolled.
Winners of the 2023 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards are:
Fan Favorites:
  • Sponsored by Rocketship Entertainment:
  • Favorite Hero: Sam Young from Let’s Play (Rocketship Entertainment)
  • Favorite Villain: Adam from The Guy Upstairs (WEBTOONS)
  • Favorite New Series: Nevermore (WEBTOON)
  • Favorite New Talent: Ellie Wright
  • Favorite Publisher: Dark Horse
Jury and Fan Winners:
  • Sponsored by BOOM! Studios:
  • Best Non-fiction Comic Work: Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, Drawn & Quarterly
  • Sponsored by Modern Fanatic:
  • Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel: Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Oni Press
  • Sponsored by Image Comics:
  • Best Series: Something is Killing the Children, BOOM! Studios
  • Sponsored by Geppi Family Enterprises:
  • Best Humor Comic: The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Z2 Comics
  • Best Anthology: Young Men in Love, A Wave Blue World
  • Sponsored by BOOM! Studios:
  • Best Letterer (tie): Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and Stan Sakai
  • Sponsored by Image Comics:
  • Best Single Issue or Story: Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters, Oni Press
  • Sponsored by A Wave Blue World:
  • Best Original Graphic Novel: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, Image Comics
  • Sponsored by Gem City Comic Con:
  • Best Presentation in Design: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition—Last Call, IDW Publishing
  • Mike Wieringo Spirit Award: World’s Finest, DC Comics
Hero Initiative Awards:
  • Dick Giordano Humanitarian of the Year Award: Al Milgrom
  • Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award: Chris Claremont
In addition, the Baltimore Comic-Con would like to thank those individuals who presented at this year’s award ceremony, including: Keynote speaker Mark Waid; Sarah Andersen and Scott Snyder, Louise Simonson, Jamal Igle and John Petrie, Todd Dezago, Craig Rousseau, and Mark Waid, Brian Michael Bendis and Patrick McDonnell, Amy Chu and Abby Denson, Steve Rude, Thom Zahler, and Katie Cook and Dan Feuerriegel. We would also like to thank John Gallagher for his contributions to our awards ceremony program and presentation.
Please join us next year for the eighth annual Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards taking place at the 25th annual Baltimore Comic-Con on September 21, 2024, and keep an eye on our website and social media accounts below for 2024 ballot information.

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