Slate and CCS announce finalists for inaugural Cartoonist Studio Prize

The Slate Book Review and the Center for Cartoon Studies have teamed up for a new cartooning honor: The Cartoonist Studio Prizes. There are two categories—Best Graphic Novel and Best Web Comic—with 10 finalists in each category. Winners will each receive a $1,000 prize

The shortlists were selected by Slate Book Review editor Dan Kois, the faculty and students at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and this year’s guest judge, New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly.

A growing number of literary awards have entered comics of late — the LA Times graphic novel category, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel prize. As is the purpose of literary prizes, It’s a way to recognize the great work being done that doesn’t necessarily fall into more populist categories. And here are this year’s nominees:

Lilli Carré for Heads or Tails.
Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido for Blacksad: A Silent Hell
Tom Gauld for Goliath.
Brandon Graham for King City.
Jesse Jacobs for By This Shall You Know Him.
Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez for Little White Duck: A Childhood in China.
Luke Pearson for Hilda and the Midnight Giant.
Chris Ware for Building Stories.
Julia Wertz for The Infinite Wait and Other Stories.
Frank M. Young and David Lasky for The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song.