Inkwell Awards

In January 2008, Bob Almond began an online discussion on the Inkwell Yahoo Group about recognition for comic book inkers. where the topic of an award was broached. Almond invited participants from the group to form a core committee.[5] The founding members were artists Tim Townsend, Jim Tournas, and Bill Nichols, and writer Daniel Best.[6] Artist Adam Hughes and DC Comics editor Mike Marts were recruited as ambassadors to lend support.[7]

For year one, the committee selected several career-retrospective categories.[8] The resulting ballot was open and ran for two months from April through May with the committee selecting nominations for the Hall of Fame award, the "Joe Sinnott", named in honor of that veteran inker.[5] Voting took place online and was open to the public.[9] Following the inaugural results,[10] Townsend departed in July and Nichols in August.[6] The core group choose as successor artist representative Bob Shaw in November and artist-writer Dave Simons in December.[6][11][12][13] An Inkwell Awards forum was created September 16, 2008.[11]

The following year, with the partially revised ballot categories, a separate Nomination Committee was selected to choose nominees whose work had appeared in the previous year.[8][14] The election took place for one month in June 2009.[14][15] Following Simons' death,[16] the core created the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship for students attending the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Artist Nathan Massengill joined the core after the 2009 awards were announced.[17]

Wizard Entertainment announced in February 2010 that it would support the Inkwell Awards through promotion and space at its shows, and by sponsoring the awards' first live presentation, scheduled to take place at The New England Comic Con on October 1–3, 2010.[18] Voting was rescheduled from June to August.[19] This presentation did not take place, however. In 2011, Heroes Convention took up the position of host show for the annual live presentation ceremony.[20] In 2018, the Inkwells announced the annual live presentation ceremonies would now be hosted in Oaks, Pennsylvania at the Great Philadelphia Comic Con! starting with its 2019 ceremony.[21][22][23] In 2020, there was no live ceremony. Originally there was to be a rescheduled ceremony at the Great Philadelphia Comic Con!, but this convention was later canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.[24]

Inker Michael Kellar was the first assistant director of the Inkwell Awards, overseeing auctions and fundraising. Mike Pascale (storyboardist, writer, and artist), who became the second assistant director, is the copy & graphics assistant, handling public relations announcements, proofreading, and fundraising. Erick "the Guru" Korpi oversaw the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund. He was the Ms. Inkwell Model Liaison in 2011 and 2013. Erick resigned from the committee in 2015 but joined back up in 2017, the first member to ever serve two terms.

Some committee members do not currently serve full-time. They include Stacey Aragon (who served on the committee from November 2011 to June 2012, handling social networking, press release circulation, and fundraising); Sarah L. Covert (who was technical consultant from November 2011 to August 2013), and Joe Goulart (who was the administrative assistant for conventions, Ms. Inkwell model liaison, and fundraiser from January 2013 to September 2014).

The Inkwell Awards are self-funded and rely entirely on donations.[28] A 2010 donation book produced by Jimmy Tournas debuted at the Boston Comic Con that April.[29]

MVP Award

• 2008 Danny Miki[30]

The Call of Duty Award

• 2008 Bob Almond[30]

Favorite Finisher / Embellisher

• 2008 (retro)Tom Palmer/ (modern) Kevin Nowlan[30]

Most-Prolific Inker

• 2008 Danny Miki[30]

Favorite Inker
Favorite ink artist over the pencil work of another artist from award year cover-dated, interior, American comic book material.

• 2008 (retro) Terry Austin & Joe Sinnott (tie)/ (modern) Danny Miki[30]
• 2009 Wade Von Grawbadger[31]
• 2010 Mark Morales[32]
• 2011 Scott Hanna[33]
• 2012 Mark Farmer[34]
• 2013 Klaus Janson[35]
• 2014 Norm Rapmund[36]
• 2015 Victor Olazaba[37]
• 2016 Joe Prado[38]
• 2017 Scott Hanna[39][40]
• 2018 Scott Hanna[41]
• 2019 Walden Wong[42][43]
• 2020 Walden Wong[44][24][45]

Most-Adaptable Inker
Ink artist showing exceptional ink style versatility over other pencil artists in award year interior, cover-dated, American comic book material.

• 2008 Danny Miki[30]
• 2009 Tim Townsend[31]
• 2010 Scott Hanna[32]
• 2011 Scott Hanna[33][46]
• 2012 Scott Hanna[34]
• 2013 Jonathan Glapion[35]
• 2014 Walden Wong[36]
• 2015 Walden Wong[37]
• 2016 Walden Wong[38]
• 2017 Walden Wong[39][40]
• 2018 Scott Hanna[41]
• 2019 Walden Wong[42][43]
• 2020 Walden Wong [44][24][45]

Props Award
Ink artist deserving of more attention for their work over other pencilers from award year interior cover-dated American comic book material.

• 2008 Danny Miki[30]
• 2009 Matt Ryan[31]
• 2010 Jonathan Glapion[32]
• 2011 Art Thibert[33][47]
• 2012 Scott Hanna[34]
• 2013 Eber Ferreira[35]
• 2014 Walden Wong[36]
• 2015 Wade Von Grawbadger[37]
• 2016 Wade Von Grawbadger[38]
• 2017 Scott Hanna[39][40]
• 2018 Joe Prado[41]
• 2019 Elisabetta D'Amico[42][43]
• 2020 Eber Ferreira[44][24][45]

The "SPAMI" Award (Small Press and Mainstream-Independent)
Favorite Small Press And Mainstream-Independent award year interior, cover-dated, American comic book ink work over another pencil artist (Non-Marvel or DC work).

• 2009 Tim Townsend[31]
• 2010 Dan Parsons[32]
• 2011 Cliff Rathburn[33]
• 2012 Dexter Vines[34]
• 2013 Sal Buscema[35]
• 2014 Andrew Pepoy[36]
• 2015 Dan Parsons[37]
• 2016 Stefano Gaudiano[38]
• 2017 Jonathan Glapion[39][40]
• 2018 Sal Buscema[41]
• 2019 Stefano Gaudiano[42][43]
• 2020 Stefano Gaudiano[24][45]

The All-in-One Award
Favorite artist known for inking his/ her own pencil work in award year interior, cover-dated, American comic book material.

• 2009 Mike Mignola[31]
• 2010 Amanda Conner[32]
• 2011 Francis Manapul[33]
• 2012 J.H. Williams[34]
• 2013 Skottie Young[35]
• 2014 Stan Sakai[36]
• 2015 Fiona Staples[37]
• 2016 Jason Fabok[38]
• 2017 Erik Larsen[39][40]
• 2018 Liam Sharp[41]
• 2019 Lee Weeks[42][43]
• 2020 Liam Sharp[44][24][45]

Special Recognition Award (aka Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award” (SASRA)) At the June 2017 Inkwell Awards ceremony, founder Bob Almond announced the Special Recognition Award will be renamed the Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award in honor of the long-standing Inkwells member "who ... passed after a decade-long battle with cancer" in 2017.[39] This change will take effect in 2018.

• 2015 Bernie Wrightson[37]
• 2016 Vince Colletta[38]
• 2017 Allen Milgrom and Violet Barclay.[39][40] The award for Violet Barclay was accepted posthumously by Allen Bellman. At the time of the awards, the Inkwell Awards was unable to find any of her heirs or family.[39][40]
• 2018 Russ Heath[41]
• 2019 Jack Davis and Marie Severin[42][43]
• 2020 Allen Bellman, Sal Buscema, and Norman Lee[44][24][45]

The Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award
A hall of fame designation for an inking career in American comic books of outstanding accomplishment (lifetime achievement, 25 years minimum; two winners chosen annually).

• 2008 Joe Sinnott[30]
• 2009 Terry Austin & Dick Giordano[31]
• 2010 Klaus Janson & Al Williamson[32]
• 2011 Wally Wood & Kevin Nowlan[33][48][49]
• 2012 Mark McKenna & Scott Williams[34]
• 2013 Dick Ayers & Murphy Anderson[35]
• 2014 Joe Simon & Tom Palmer[36]
• 2015 Joe Kubert & Steve Ditko[37]
• 2016 Frank Giacoia & Josef Rubinstein[38]
• 2017 Jerry Ordway & Rudy Nebres[39][40]
• 2018 Joe Giella & Bob McLeod (comics)[41]
• 2019 Neal Adams & Dan Adkins[42][43]
• 2020 Bob Layton, John Romita, Sr., & Bernie Wrightson[44][24][45]

Above & Beyond Award
In celebration of the 10th anniversary in 2018, Almond created this award for organization members who have performed exceptionally or non-members who have made special efforts to further inking as an art form.

• 2018 Hailey Skaza-Gagne,[27] the longest-running Ms Inkwell, for her fundraising and event contributions; Robert Haines, for his 10 consecutive years on the Inkwell Nomination Committee; Mark Sinnott, for his work as Senior Inkwell Contributor for a decade, as liaison between the Inkwell Awards and his father, Joe Sinnott, and for his work in fundraising for the Inkwells.[41]
• 2019 Michael Hoskin, the second member to annually serve on the Inkwell Awards nomination committee; Shelton Drum, organizer/promoter of Heroes Con, the show to host the Inkwell Awards ceremonies from 2011-2018.
• 2020 -- none[45]

The position of ambassador is one of honor and appreciation.[50] It recognizes creators for their support for the Inkwell Awards. Unless noted otherwise, all ambassadors continue to hold this position.

At many of the live ceremonies, notable comic book creators are invited as guests of honor and keynote speakers.

• 2011: Dan Panosian, Keynote Speaker[57][58]
• 2012: Bob McLeod, Keynote Speaker[59][60][61]
• 2013: Jimmy Palmiotti, Keynote Speaker[62][63][64]
• 2014: Bill Sienkiewicz, Guest of Honor[65][66][67]
• 2015: Klaus Janson, Guest of Honor[68]
• 2016: Jim Steranko, Special Appearance[69][70][71]
• 2017: Joe Giella, Guest of Honor[40][72] and Allen Bellman, Guest Speaker[40][72]
• 2018: Mike Royer, Guest of Honor[41]
• 2019: Mark McKenna, Guest of Honor.[73]

Volunteer contributors[6][7] include artist Dan Panosian, who designed the Inkwell Awards logo. In January 2010, artist Randy Green was added as visual designer of the Ms. Inkwell charity spokesperson character, personified by model Chrissy Cutler.[25]

• Comic Art Fans Gallery
• Inkwell Awards on Facebook
• Inkwell Awards Twitter