The Hugo Award nominations, which honor the best in science fiction, were announced over the weekend, and the graphic story nominees are
BEST GRAPHIC STORY (552 ballots)
Girl Genius, Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne & The Sleeping City written by Phil and Kaja Foglio; art by Phil Foglio; colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
“The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who” written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Jimmy Broxton (Doctor Who Special 2013, IDW)
The Meathouse Man adapted from the story by George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Raya Golden (Jet City Comics)
Saga, Volume 2 written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics )“Time” by Randall Munroe (XKCD)
This is a little interesting, since The Foglio book won the first few times this category was added to the Hugos and I think they had informally pulled out or something – but no, they are back! Saga Volume 1 won the award last year. I’m glad to see Munroe’s immense Time nominated as it is one of the most daring and unique comics-related achievements of the last 12 months.
Some other comics germane categories:
BEST PROFESSIONAL ARTIST (624 ballots)
Galen Dara
Julie Dillon
Daniel Dos Santos
John Harris
John Picacio
Fiona Staples
BEST FAN ARTIST (316 ballots)
Brad W. Foster
Mandie Manzano
Spring Schoenhuth
Steve Stiles
Sarah Webb
BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION (LONG FORM) (995 ballots)
Frozen screenplay by Jennifer Lee, directed by Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios)
Gravity written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Esperanto Filmoj; Heyday Films; Warner Bros.)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire screenplay by Simon Beaufoy & Michael Arndt, directed by Francis Lawrence (Color Force; Lionsgate)
Iron Man 3 screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black, directed by Shane Black (Marvel Studios; DMG Entertainment; Paramount Pictures)
Pacific Rim screenplay by Travis Beacham & Guillermo del Toro, directed by Guillermo del Toro (Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney Double Dare You)
And in the Hugo Controversy category, after avowed feminist Jonathan Ross was publically bounced as host of the Hugos (held this year in London), the avowed racist/misogynist Vox Day was nominated for best short story. You win some, you lose some.
The Foglios withdrew from nomination for one year, as others have done in other categories. I suspect part of this had to do with, as is now common, the Best Graphic Story category was created with an automatic sunset; N years after it started (I believe 3, but aren’t checking to be sure), it had to be reaffirmed by the Worldcon business meeting to become permanent. For various reasons, it’d look a lot better for that if the same thing hadn’t won every year. It did pass, and no longer faces a possible sunsetting.
Yeah, congrats to Saga, but the Hugos are bullshit.
[…] Beat – Saga, Foglio Nominated for Hugo Awards – […]
Yeah, congrats to them, but I lost a lot of respect for the Hugo Award when they gave it to what amounted to Star Trek fanfiction last year.
Always happy to see Saga getting more recognition.