Book Lovers Series

Book Lovers: Episode 31

Episode 31: The 2021 Eisners

September 14, 2021


We’re here with our first official mini-episode! And what better place to start than with a format that is near and dear to all of our hearts? Celebrating annual and lifelong achievements in the comics industry, the Eisner Awards have been presented since 1988 at San Diego Comic-Con (or at least as long as there isn’t a global pandemic they are). We’ve taken a good hard look at this year’s winners and nominees, and we’re here with a rundown of the big stories from the Eisners, plus some of our favorites from both this year’s pool of winners and pools from years past.




Titles discussed:

  • A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories by Will Eisner (2019 winner for Best Publication Design for Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind)
  • Department of Truth by James Tynion IV (2020 winner for Best Writer)
  • Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (2020 winner for Best Writer)
  • Black Widow by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande (2020 winner of Best New Series)
  • Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney
  • Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang (2020 winner for Best Publication for Kids and Best Adaptation from Another Medium)
  • Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber (2020 winner for Best Limted Series)
  • Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction
  • The Lego Batman Movie
  • Neil Gaiman (2020 Inductee into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame, 2007 winner of the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, 1991-1994 winner for Best Writer for Sandman, et al.)
  • Sandman by Neil Gaiman (1991-1993 winner for Best Continuing Series)
  • Scott McCloud (2020 Inductee in the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame)
  • Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud (1994 winner for Best Comics-Related Book)
  • Remina & Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito (2020 winner for Best Writer/Artist)
  • Nos4a2 by Joe Hill
  • The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine (2020 winner for Best Publication Design)
  • Making Comics by Lynda Barry (2019 winner for Best Publication Design)
  • The Caldecott Medal
  • Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki (2020 winner for Best Publication for Early Readers Up to Age 8)
  • Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola
  • Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf (2020 winner for Best Reality-Based Work)
  • Our all time Eisner favorites:
  • From Hell by Alan Moore (1995-1997 winner for Best Writer for From Hell)
  • Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (2013 winner for Best New Series; 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2017 winner for Best Continuing Series; 2013, 2014 and 2017 winner for Best Writer for Saga; 2014 winner for Best Painter/Digital Artist; 2015 & 2017 winner for Best Penciller/Inker; 2017 winner for Best Cover Artist)
  • Blankets by Craig Thompson (2004 winner for Best Writer/Artist and Best Graphic Album - New)