Okay comic book guys and dolls, the day is here; the Harvey Awards nominees have been announced, and it’s a great crop this year. Winners, as always, will be announced at this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con September 8th.  Need another reason to attend?  There you go.  You’re welcome.

I’m excited to see Pearls Before Swine, Mutts, get nods for Synicated Strip or Panel, Ozma of Oz (a favorite story of mine from my kiddie days) get a Best New Series nod, and the amazaing work of Drawn & Quarterly on the American edition of Onward Toward Our Noble Deaths.  And hey wait — did a United States Government publication get a Harvey Award nod?  Yep; Preventive Maintenance Monthly is so cool it almost makes me wanna sign up…almost.

I’ll leave it at that, otherwise I’ll never get on with announcing the nominees….

Straight from Harvey…er, the press release:

BALTIMORE, MD (July 2, 2012) — The 2012 Harvey Awards Nominees have been announced with the release of the final ballot, presented by the Executive Committees of the Harvey Awards and the Baltimore Comic-Con. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, one of the industry’s most innovative talents, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be presented September 8, 2012 in Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con.

This will be the seventh year for the Harvey Awards in Baltimore, MD.  Look for more details soon on how you can attend the Harvey Awards dinner.

Without further delay, the 2012 Harvey Award Nominees

BEST LETTERER

____   Chris Eliopoulos, FEAR ITSELF, Marvel Comics
____   Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
____   Todd Klein, S.H.I.E.L.D.: ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER, Marvel Comics
____   David Lanphear, SECRET AVENGERS, Marvel Comics
____   Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts

 

BEST COLORIST

____   Elizabeth Breitweiser, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY, Marvel Comics
____   Francesco Francavilla, BLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR, Marvel Comics
____   Sunny Gho, ARTIFACTS, Top Cow
____   Dave McCaig, THE MAGDALENA, Top Cow
____   Dave Stewart, HELLBOY: THE FURY, Dark Horse

 

BEST SYNDICATED  STRIP or PANEL

____   BIZARRO, Dan Piraro, syndicated by King Features Syndicate

____   CUL DE SAC, Richard Thompson, syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
____   DOONESBURY, Garry Trudeau, syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
____   MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, syndicated by King Features Syndicate
____   PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, Stephen Pastis, syndicated by United Feature Syndicate

 

BEST ONLINE COMICS WORK

___   BATTLEPUG, Mike Norton

____   BUCKO, Erika Moen and Jeff Parker

____   DELILAH DIRK AND THE TURKISH LIEUTENANT, Tony Cliff
____   GRONK, Katie Cook

____   HARK! A VAGRANT, Kate Beaton

BEST AMERICAN EDITION of FOREIGN MATERIAL

____   ADVENTURES OF HERGE, Drawn & Quarterly
____   THE KILLER VOL. 3: MODUS VIVENDI!, Archaia Entertainment
____   THE MANARA LIBRARY VOL. 1: INDIAN SUMMER AND OTHER STORIES, Dark Horse
____   ONWARD TOWARD OUR NOBLE DEATHS, Drawn & Quarterly
____   SINGLE MATCH, Drawn & Quarterly

 

BEST INKER

____   Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
____   Mark Morales, THOR, Marvel Comics
____   Sal Regla, THE MAGDALENA, Top Cow
____   Joe Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts

 

BEST NEW SERIES

____   ANGEL & FAITH, Dark Horse
____   ANIMAL MAN, DC Comics
____   DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   LAST MORTAL, Top Cow
____   OZMA OF OZ, Marvel Comics
____   RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studio

 

MOST PROMISING NEW TALENT

____   Nick Bradshaw, ASTONISHING X-MEN, Marvel Comics
____   Nathan Edmondson, WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, Image Comics
____   Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
____   Justin Jordan, THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE, Image Comics
____   Sara Pichelli, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, Marvel Comics

 

SPECIAL AWARD FOR  HUMOR IN COMICS

____   Kate Beaton, HARK! A VAGRANT, print edition by Drawn & Quarterly
____   Evan Dorkin, MILK AND CHEESE: DAIRY PRODUCTS GONE BAD, Dark Horse
____   Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
____   Roger Langridge, SNARKED, kaboom!
____   Lela Lee, FAIRY TALES FOR ANGRY LITTLE GIRLS, Abrams ComicArts

 

BEST ORIGINAL GRAPHIC PUBLICATION FOR YOUNGER READERS

____   ANYA’S GHOST, First Second
____   DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
____   FRAGGLE  ROCK, IDW
____   MYSTIC, Marvel Comics
____   OZMA OF OZ, Marvel Comics
____   SNARKED, kaboom!

 

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

____   BIG QUESTIONS, Drawn & Quarterly
____   DARK TOWER OMNIBUS, Marvel Comics
____   THE DEATH RAY, Drawn & Quarterly
____   ECHOES, Top Cow
____   PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY, Abrams ComicArts
____   S.H.I.E.L.D.: ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER, Marvel Comics

 

BEST ANTHOLOGY

____   DARK HORSE PRESENTS, edited by various, Dark Horse
____   FLIGHT #8, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Villard Books
____   JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER, edited by Nate Cosby, Archaia Entertainment
____   SHAME ITSELF, edited by Tom Brennan, Marvel Comics
____   SOMEDAY FUNNIES, edited by Michael Choquette, Abrams ComicArts

 

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT

____   BLACKJACKED AND PISTOL WHIPPED: A CRIME DOES NOT PAY PRIMER, Dark Horse
____   THE COMICS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, Abrams ComicArts
____   DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON AND JUNGLE JIM, IDW
____   WALT DISNEY’S MICKEY MOUSE, Fantagraphics
____   WALT SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR ARTIST’S EDITION, IDW

 

BEST COVER ARTIST

____   John Tyler Christopher, ARTIFACTS, Top Cow
____   Marcos Martin, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   Paolo Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   Mark Simpson (Jock), DETECTIVE COMICS, DC Comics
____   J.H. Williams, BATWOMAN, DC Comics

 

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, or JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION

____   ALAN MOORE: STORYTELLER, Universe Books
____   THE COMICS JOURNAL, Fantagraphics
____   GENIUS ISOLATED: THE LIFE AND ART OF ALEX TOTH, IDW
____   GOVERNMENT ISSUE:  COMICS FOR THE PEOPLE, 1940s-2000s, Abrams ComicArts
____   PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY, Abrams ComicArts

 

SPECIAL AWARD for EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION

____   JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, designed by Eric Skillman, Archaia Entertainment
____   PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY,

             selected by Eddie Campbell, Abrams ComicArts
____   RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE MARTINI EDITION, designed by Darwyn Cooke, IDW
____   SOMEDAY FUNNIES, edited by Michael Choquette, Abrams ComicArts
____   WALT SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR ARTIST’S EDITION, edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW

 

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM ORIGINAL

____   EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
____   HABIBI, Pantheon Books
____   INFINITE KUNG FU, Top Shelf Productions
____   JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, Archaia Entertainment
____   ONE SOUL, Oni Press
____   PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books

 

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES

____   ATOMIC ROBO AND THE GHOST OF STATION X, Red 5 Comics
____   DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
____   ECHOES, Top Cow
____   RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studio

 

BEST WRITER

____   Joshua Fialkov, ECHOES, Top Cow
____   Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
____   Jeff Lemire, ANIMAL MAN, DC Comics
____   Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
____   Mark Waid, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics

 

BEST ARTIST

____   Paolo Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
____   Chris Samnee, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY, Marvel Comics
____   Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
____   Craig Thompson, HABIBI, Pantheon Books
____   J.H. Williams, BATWOMAN, DC Comics

 

BEST CARTOONIST

____   Kate Beaton, HARK! A VAGRANT, harkavagrant.com; print edition by Drawn & Quarterly
____   Jeremy Haun, PILOT SEASON: THE BEAUTY #1, Image Comics
____   Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
____   Roger Langridge, SNARKED, kaboom!
____   Comfort Love & Adam Withers, RAINBOW IN THE DARK
____   Craig Thompson, HABIBI, Pantheon Books

 

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY

____   DAREDEVIL #7, Marvel Comics
____   ECHOES #5, Top Cow
____   GANGES #4, Fantagraphics
____   THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE, Top Shelf Productions
____   JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, Archaia Entertainment
____   OPTIC NERVE #12, Drawn & Quarterly
____   ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1, Dynamite Comics