Buddha Wins Another Harvey!

September 12, 2006 in Uncategorized by admin | No comments

Buddha won its second Harvey Award for Best US Edition of Foreign Material, yo!

Sweeeet. The awards were something else in and of. Baltimore’s only source of pride was John Waters and a handful of nubile Orioles three years ago, until Saturday past. I think Kyle Baker should be designated permanent MC for all comics awards.

He waltzed on stage wearing a V for Vendetta mask and kicked off the awards ceremony with two immediate jokes planted at DC and Marvel. It was good times. Efficient and fun. The only lull for me was hearing one unnamed veteran of the comics industry tell three jokes I’d heard at all the previous comics engagements I’d seen him in before. Seriously, the same exact jokes over and over…that’s a pathology.

Before I forget, a big-up to the people with whom I shared the Awards table:

The folks responsible for Elk’s Run, who were nominated for 7 Harveys and sadly lost to The Fantastic Threesome Marvels At XXX Factor Nebulon Revolutionary War blablablabla…I think they were more sad about losing that many nominations than they let on. If you’re reading this, Horse and Buggy Productions, might I suggest you give Drawn & Quarterly a call. They probably have three thousand nominations under their belt and still no boner to show for any of them.

Also, The Perry Bible Fellowhips dudes were at my table. At first looking like a wholesome gay couple from Portland ME, I found out they were there for something with the word “bible” in it and suddenly got scared, but fear not. They were super cool. The bible was just a way of saying you know, like “The Draconomicon” is the bible of virgin nerds.

Then we have Svetlana Chmakova, who is the author of Dramacon (awesome gal) and Carla Speed McNeil, who might be the most popular self-published woman comics artist out there right now. I just started her “Finder” and it’s friggin’ amazing. Note to all who pick it up – maneuvering around positive-negative space the way Speed McNeil does is not easy, no sir.

Speaking of ladies – I’m continually surprised to find such a dearth of the fairer sex in comics. I know I know, shojo manga, Allison Bechdel, things aren’t so bad, bla bla bla. But then why are 95% of comics awards shows still about MAN-made body paint costumes, adamantium claws and Chris Ware? Not one woman went up to accept an award at the Harvey’s, save me, and I’m only negligibly a woman who accepted on behalf of a dead dude.

Oh, I don’t really care, I suppose. There is, after all, something to be said of a large room filled with awkward men “letting loose” over Lite Beer and talk of pen widths.