Eisner Award

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the Comics Industry's equivalent of the Oscar Awards. They are named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner, who was a regular participant in the award ceremony until his death in 2005. The Eisner Awards include the Comic Industry's Hall of Fame.

The nominations in each category are generated by a five-member panel, then voted on by comic book professionals and presented at the annual San Diego Comic-Con International convention held in July, usually on a Friday.

History

The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the discontinuation of the Kirby Awards after 1987.

There was no Eisner Award ceremony, or awards distributed, in 1990, due to widespread balloting mix-ups. The previous administrator, Dave Olbrich, left the position, and Jackie Estrada has been the award administrator since 1990. The Eisner Award ceremony returned to the San Diego Comic Con beginning in 1991.