You can always depend on comics. Whether it’s picaresque sequentials that deconstruct those poetic little moments that make up life, or explosive mutant mayhem dripping with radioactive ooze, these books dependably stay interesting. They’re strange and lurid. They’re enlightening and electrifying. It only becomes truer the further down you go.
For these reasons and more, Broken Pencil is proud to present The Pigskin Peters at the Doug Wright Awards. This is an honour awarded to accomplishments in self-published or micropress comics, creations that shine all the brighter from the underground. These five comics have been selected as the nominees for this year’s award.
Endsickness No. 2
by Sofia Alarcon, Self-published
Extinction, epidemics, societal collapse, and worst of all we can barely enjoy it. Sofia Alarcon’s anthology of modern maladies and all its many ironies provide a warm comfort in a late-stage capitalism rich with cold ones.
The Lonesome Shepherd
by James Collier, Published by Wig Shop
Beautifully rendered and amusingly observant, James Collier’s comics blend the humblest truths with nature’s various oddities. READ OUR FULL REVIEW IN ISSUE 102.
Old Caves
by Tyler Landry, Published by Uncivilized
The negative space of the page and the blinding white of the snow fuse harmoniously in Tyler Landry’s elegant and quiet tale of life deep in the chilly, isolating wilderness. Each stroke of ink a nimble detail to keep the reader curious.
Power 9: Part One
by John Little and David Little, Self-published
For hundreds of years, humanity has been led astray by cards, whether it’s the precognitive properties of the tarot, the cruel luck of a poker hand, or the terror of being really into Magic: The Gathering. From John and David Little comes an outrageous story about collectable card games and one schmuck who will stop at nothing for the full set. READ OUR FULL REVIEW IN ISSUE 102.
Index
by Sven, Rachel Evangeline Chiong and Joyce Kim, Self-published
Mind bending and world twisting, this exhaustive anthology of works by the artist Sven will keep readers guessing. Floating through strange tales from the tiniest mouse to the greatest cosmos.
Congratulations to everyone running for this uncanny award as well as the nominees for each Doug Wright category. The Doug Wright Awards celebrate the best and most startling in Canadian comics, championing all cartooning canucks.
The Doug Wright Awards will be presented on Saturday, May 11th during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. For more information, visit: Dougwrightawards.com