Last week’s Eagle Awards were notable for both an uncharacteristic lean towards mainstream titles, and for a Scarlet Witch-esque announcement made by MCM Expo convention-runner Brian Cooney at the ceremony that from now on, there would be no more Eagle Awards.  It was widely reported that the ceremony – the longest established comic book awards show in the world, having first started in 1977 – would be replaced by a new show called ‘The MCM Awards’.

This came as a surprise to many people, but not least to Cassandra Conroy, the Chair of The Eagle Awards, who this week issued a press release contesting Cooney’s claim:

The Eagles are neither dead nor morphing into anything else. MCM Expo is in no position to announce, imply or indicate otherwise. In fact no third party can casually discard what my father has developed over the past 36 years.

Conroy made it clear in the release that neither her nor her father Mike Conroy, who founded the awards, were actually in attendence at the ceremony this year, ominously hinting that the pair had boycotted the event;

in response to actions that are now being reviewed by my lawyer.

First Brett Ratner leaves the Oscars, and now this. The Conroys go on to clarify that;

The Eagles will continue to soar into 2013 and beyond. We’ll be announcing further details of our plans for next year in the near future.

In response, the owners of the MCM Expo (and co-claimants of the Eagle Awards) have said that Cooney’s announcement was more an announcement that, from MCM’s perspective, the awards were done with forever. They view the MCM Awards as a replacement for the Eagles, rather than a spiritual successor or continuation, and are looking to launch in 2013. So, if the Conroys can regain their full claim on The Eagle Awards, it’s likely that they’d also be hosting a ceremony next year.

Remembering that we also have the Hugos, Stan Lee Awards, Eisners, and Harvey Awards – among others – then it looks like 2013 is looking to be an excellent year for people who like seeing Paul Cornell in a smart suit.

1 COMMENT

  1. Well, considering that the Eisner and Harvey Awards came into being over a disagreement with the Kirby Awards, this doesn’t seem out of the ordinary.