On Awards

Reflections on a post-Eisner morning

For those of you not in the industry, yesterday was the day that the Eisner award nominees were announced - it’s basically the “Oscars” of comics, where the most celebrated work of the year is honored. And to cut to the chase, none of my work was nominated, which wasn’t unexpected, isn’t the end of the world, but hey, still sucks a little, haha.

None for you, Douek!

I’m really ok with it - I made my peace with chasing awards a long time ago, but on social media, I’ve seen a lot of posts from wistful and disappointed creators lamenting their exclusion. Some are jokey - some are half jokey, some are out and out sad or angry. But even the jokey ones have that little touch of truth underneath - the pain of feeling overlooked.

So this one is for all of them, and for me too, if I’m being honest.

It’s really frustrating to put so much work into your craft and feel like it’s getting overlooked, time and time again. And it’s hard to talk about without it seeming like you’re full of sour grapes, or bitter about not being recognized.

Spoiler: I feel it too. The genuine happiness for those that were, but that little pang of wistfulness and self doubt that makes you question if you’re doing something wrong, if it’s even worth it to keep going, all that fun stuff.

So what I need to remind myself of is that none of my favorite bands ever won a Grammy. Very few of my favorite movies are Oscar nominated, and there are comics out there that I have absolutely loved that nobody ever talks about when great comics comes up in conversation.

There are writers that I deeply admire who have never been nominated - or received their first one this year, after 20 years in the business without one.

My other job is in advertising, an award-obsessed industry if there ever was one - to the point where creating fake ads aimed at winning them is distressingly common. And there too, I’ve seen brilliant work overlooked.

A small selection of the many awards nobody outside of the advertising industry has ever heard of.

What we all need to take comfort in is that we are creating something that has meaning to us. We want the industry, and the world to see that meaning and value, and it’s really hard when it feels like they don’t. Really. Fucking. Hard.

But if you can open a book you’ve made, flip through it and love what you see, if you can love the work you put into it, and would do it all again in a heartbeat, that’s a win, too. It has value, and so do you.

You put it out into the world, and if the world overlooks it, that’s not your fault, or your problem.

Pto tip: Start a bookshelf with all your work, even if you just contributed a single story. It’ll give you some real perspective on how far you’ve come.

Am I talking to myself a bit here? Sure. But on the off chance you’re a long time or a new creator feeling it too, hey, it’s ok. It’s natural. And I bet everyone on the nom list has felt it at some point in their career too. So don’t despair.

I heard a great quote from a comedian about the standup community - “we’re all out for ourselves, but we’re in this together.” For all the crap extant in this industry, it’s still full of great people. So support your peers whenever and however you can. It comes back to you.

That’s all. Reflections on a post-Eisner morning. Hang in there, folks. And congratulations again to everyone who received a nomination. I’m sincerely happy for the friends of mine who did!

- Rich