The 42nd Annual Saturn Awards Winners Announced

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films have revealed the winners for the 42nd Annual Saturn Awards.

The Saturn Awards are dedicated to honouring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment.

FILM AWARDS

Best Comic Book-to-Film Release

• 'Ant-Man' (Marvel / Walt Disney)

Best Science Fiction Film Release

• 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Fantasy Film Release

• 'Cinderella' (Walt Disney)

Best Horror Film Release

• 'Crimson Peak' (Universal Pictures)

Best Thriller Film Release

• 'Bridge of Spies' (DreamWorks / Walt Disney)

Best Action / Adventure Film Release

• 'Furious 7' (Universal Pictures)

Best Actor in a Film

• Harrison Ford, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Actress in a Film

• Charlize Theron, “Mad Max: Fury Road” (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actor in a Film

• Adam Driver “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Supporting Actress in a Film

• Jessica Chastain, “Crimson Peak” (Universal Pictures)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film

• Ty Simpkins “Jurassic World” (Universal Pictures)

Best Film Director

• Ridley Scott, “The Martian” (20th Century Fox)

Best Film Writing

• Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Film Editing

• Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Film Production Design

• Thomas E. Sanders, “Crimson Peak” (Universal Pictures)

Best Film Music

• John Williams, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Costume Design

• Alexandra Byrne, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (Marvel / Walt Disney)

Best Film Make-Up

• Neal Scanlan, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Film Special/Visual Effects

• Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney)

Best Independent Film Release

• 'Room' (A24)

Best International Film Release

• 'Turbo Kid' (Epic Pictures)

Best Animated Film Release

• 'Inside Out' (Walt Disney)

TELEVISION AWARDS

Best Science Fiction Series On Television

• 'Continuum' (Syfy)

Best Fantasy Series On Television

• 'Outlander' (Starz)

Best Horror Series On Television

• 'The Walking Dead' (AMC)

Best Action/Thriller Series On Television

• 'Hannibal' (NBC)

Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series

• 'The Flash' (The CW)

Best Presentation On Television

• 'Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song' (BBC America)

Best New Media Television Series

• 'Daredevil' (Netflix)

Best Actor in a Television Series

• Bruce Campbell, 'Ash vs Evil Dead' (Starz)

Best Actress in a Television Series

• Caitriona Balfe, 'Outlander' (Starz)

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series

• Richard Armitage, 'Hannibal' (NBC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series

• Danai Gurira, 'The Walking Dead' (AMC)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series

• Chandler Riggs, 'The Walking Dead' (AMC)

Best Guest Performance in a Television Series

• William Shatner, 'Haven' (Syfy)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

Best DVD/BD Release

• 'Burying the Ex' (Image Entertainment)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release

• 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (The Rogue Cut) (20th Century Fox)

Best DVD/BD Classic Release

• 'Miracle Mile' (Kino Lorber)

Best DVD/BD Television Release

• 'X-Files: The Collector’s Set' (20th Century Fox)

Best DVD/BD Collection Release

• 'Frank Darabont Collection' (Warner)

LIVE STAGE PRODUCTION AWARD

Best Local Live Stage Production

• 'Tarzan' (3D Theatricals)

SPECIAL AWARDS

The Lifetime Achievement Award

• Nichelle Nichols

The George Pal Memorial Award

• Simon Kinberg

The Breakthrough Performance Award

• Melissa Benoist (Supergirl)

The Dan Curtis Legacy Award

• Eric Kripke

The Special Recognition Award

• Brannon Braga

The Spotlight Award

• 'Better Call Saul' (AMC)

2015 Nebula Awards Winners

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the winners for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

The Nebula Awards Ceremony were held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois, May 14, 2016.

Best Novel

• 'Uprooted', Naomi Novik (Del Rey)

Best Novella

• 'Binti', Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)

Best Novelette

• 'Our Lady of the Open Road', Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s June 2015)

Best Short Story

• 'Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers', Alyssa Wong (Nightmare October 2015)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

• 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

• 'Updraft', Fran Wilde (Tor)

Damon Knight Grand Master Honouree

• CJ Cherryh

The 42nd Annual Saturn Awards Nominations Announced

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films have revealed the nominations for the 42nd Annual Saturn Awards.

The Saturn Awards are dedicated to honouring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, and this year, they've introduced a new category, 'Best New Media Television Series', to recognize programs which are produced and streamed online.

The winners will be announced in June.

Check out the full list of nominations below.

The 2015 SFWA Nebula Awards Finalists Announced

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the finalists for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with contenders for the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

Each year, the organization’s members vote on which stories they consider to be the best novel, novella, novelette, short story and Young Adult story in the genre, as well as the best outstanding dramatic presentation.

The Nebula Awards Ceremony will be held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Illinois, May 14, 2016.

Best Novel

• 'Raising Caine', Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
• 'The Fifth Season', N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• 'Ancillary Mercy', Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• 'The Grace of Kings', Ken Liu (Saga)
• 'Uprooted', Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
• 'Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard', Lawrence M. Schoen (Tor)
• 'Updraft', Fran Wilde (Tor)

Best Novella

• 'Wings of Sorrow and Bone', Beth Cato (Harper Voyager Impulse)
• 'The Bone Swans of Amandale', C.S.E. Cooney (Bone Swans)
• 'The New Mother', Eugene Fischer (Asimov’s April-May 2015)
• 'The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn', Usman T. Malik (Tor.com April 22 2015)
• 'Binti', Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
• 'Waters of Versailles', Kelly Robson (Tor.com October 6 2015)

Best Novelette

• 'Rattlesnakes and Men', Michael Bishop (Asimov’s February 2015)
• 'And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead', Brooke Bolander (Lightspeed February 2015)
• 'Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds', Rose Lemberg (Beneath Ceaseless Skies November 6 2015)
• 'The Ladies’ Aquatic Gardening Society', Henry Lien (Asimov’s June 2015)
• 'The Deepwater Bride', Tamsyn Muir (F&SF July-August 2015)
• 'Our Lady of the Open Road', Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s June 2015)

Best Short Story

• 'Madeleine', Amal El-Mohtar (Lightspeed June 2015)
• 'Cat Pictures Please', Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld January 2015)
• 'Damage', David D Levine (Tor.com January 21 2015)
• 'When Your Child Strays From God', Sam J Miller (Clarkesworld July 2015)
• 'Today I Am Paul', Martin L Shoemaker (Clarkesworld July 2015)
• 'Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers', Alyssa Wong (Nightmare October 2015)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

• 'Ex Machina', Written by Alex Garland
• 'Inside Out', Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original Story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
• 'Jessica Jones: AKA Smile', Teleplay by Scott Reynolds & Melissa Rosenberg; Story by Jamie King & Scott Reynolds
• 'Mad Max: Fury Road', Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
• 'The Martian', Screenplay by Drew Goddard
• 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', Written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

• 'Seriously Wicked', Tina Connolly (Tor Teen)
• 'Court of Fives', Kate Elliott (Little, Brown)
• 'Cuckoo Song', Frances Hardinge (Macmillan UK 5/14; Amulet)
• 'Archivist Wasp', Nicole Kornher-Stace (Big Mouth House)
• 'Zeroboxer', Fonda Lee (Flux)
• 'Shadowshaper', Daniel José Older (Levine)
• 'Bone Gap', Laura Ruby (Balzer + Bray)
• 'Nimona', Noelle Stevenson (HarperTeen)
• 'Updraft', Fran Wilde (Tor)

Geeky Nerfherder 4th Anniversary & My 2015 Favourites

I first posted on this blog on this day back in 2011, and now four years later, 'The Geeky Nerfherder' continues to grow. 2015 saw the blog surpass 2 million all time page views, and continues to gain followers through social media like Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and Twitter. So if you’re not already following, and want to keep up with blog posts and other ramblings, here are the links to my profiles on each of these sites:

on Twitter (@GeekyNerfherder)
on Instagram (@geekynerfherder)

on Tumblr (GeekyNerfherder)
on Pinterest
on Flickr (GeekyNerfherder)
on Red Bubble (GeekyNerfherder)
on Society6 (GeekyNerfherder)
on Google Plus

on Ello (@geekynerfherder)
on FaceBook

Huge thanks to everyone that drops by the blog and follows me through the various social networks. Hope that you continue to enjoy my posts of cool art and pop culture geekery.

And so, it's that time of year once again, where everybody lists all their favourites of the past year.

2015 World Fantasy Award Winners Announced

2015 World Fantasy Award winners were announced at the World Fantasy Convention, held in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Novel
The Bone Clocks, David Mitchell (Random House; Sceptre)

Novella
We Are All Completely Fine, Daryl Gregory (Tachyon)

Short Fiction
Do You Like to Look at Monsters?, Scott Nicolay (Fedogan & Bremer)

Anthology
Monstrous Affections, Kelly Link & Gavin J. Grant, ed. (Candlewick)

Collection
Gifts for the One Who Comes After, Helen Marshall (ChiZine)
The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, Angela Slatter (Tartarus)

Artist
Samuel Araya

Special Award – Professional
Sandra Kasturi & Brett Alexander Savory, for ChiZine Publications

Special Award – Nonprofessional
Ray B. Russell & Rosalie Parker, for Tartarus Press

2015 Harvey Awards Winners

Presented in a ceremony at this year's Baltimore Comic Con, the Harvey Awards are named in honour of the late Harvey Kurtzman, the cartoonist and founding editor of MAD magazine, and selected entirely by creators.

Best Writer
Mark Waid, 'Daredevil', Marvel Comics

Best Artist
Fiona Staples, 'Saga', Image Comics

Best Cartoonist
Terry Moore, 'Rache Rising', Abstract Studios

Best Letterer
Jack Morelli, 'Afterline With Archie', Archie Comic Publications

Best Inker
Danny Miki, 'Batman', DC Comics

Best Colourist
Dave Stewart, 'Hellboy In Hell', Dark Horse Comics

Best Cover Artist
Fiona Staples, 'Saga', Image Comics

Most Promising New Talent
Chad Lambert, "Kill Me" from 'Dark Horse Presents', Dark Horse Comics

Best New Series
'Southern Bastards', Image Comics

Best Continuing or Limited Series
'Saga', Image Comics

Best Syndicated Strip or Panel
'Dick Tracy', Joe Staton and Mike Curtis, Tribune Media Services

Best Anthology
'Dark Horse Presents', Dark Horse Comics

Best Graphic Album - Original
'Jim Henson's The Musical Monsters Of Turkey Hollow', Archaia/BOOM! Studios

Best Graphic Album - Previously Published
'Mouse Guard: Baldwin The Brave And Other Tales', Archaia/BOOM! Studios

Best Single Issue or Story
"Breaking Out", 'Dark Horse Presents #35', Dark Horse Comics

Best Domestic Reprint Project
'Steranko Nick Fury Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist's Edition', IDW

Best American Edition of Foreign Material
'Blacksad: Amarillo', Dark Horse Comics

Best Online Comics Work
'The Private Eye', Brian K Vaughan, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente

Special Award for Humor in Comics
Chip Zdarsky, 'Sex Criminals', Image Comics

Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation
'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History', Andrew Farago, Insight Editions

Best Original Graphic Publication for Young Readers
'Lumberjanes', BOOM! Box (BOOM! Studios)

Special Award for Excellence in Presentation
'Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream', Andrew Carl, Josh O'Neill, and Chris Stevens, Locust Moon Press

2015 Chesley Award Winners Announced

The Chesley Awards were established by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA) to recognize individual artistic works and achievements in the field of science fiction and fantasy.

The 2015 Chesley Award winners were announced at the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, Spokane, Washington, USA on August 19-23.

Check out the list of winners and art below.

Best Cover Illustration / Hardcover


Julie Dillon - 'Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology' edited by Brandon Sanderson; Dragonsteel Entertainment, June 2014

Best Cover Illustration – Paperback


Raoul Vitale - 'Nebula Awards Showcase 2014' edited by Kij Johnson; Prometheus/Pyr

Best Cover Illustration – Magazine

Julie Dillon - 'Analog', April 2014

Best Interior Illustration


Anna Balbusso and Elena Balbusso - 'Ekaterina and the Firebird' by Abra Staffin-Wiebe; Tor.com, January 2014

Best Colour Work – Unpublished


Michael C Hayes - 'Alegretto', oils

Best Monochrome Work – Unpublished


Allen Williams - 'Sphynx', graphite

Best Three-Dimensional Art


Dan Chudzinski - 'The Mudpuppy', resin & mixed media

Best Gaming Related Illustration

Peter Mohrbacher - 'Pharika, God of Affliction' Magic card, Journey into Nyx; WotC, May 2014

Best Product Illustration


Donato Giancola - George RR Martin 'Song of Ice and Fire' 2015, calendar Bantam, 2014

Best Art Director

Irene Gallo - Tor & Tor.com

Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award

John Harris

Leamington Spa Comic Con Returns Bigger And Better For 2015!

My local comic con, Leamington Comic Con, returns on Saturday October 17 promising a bigger venue, more comics and big industry names.

After a very impressive debut last year at the Leamington Pump Rooms, this year’s convention will be held at the larger The Assembly on Spencer Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 3NF between 10.30am-5pm.

Dan Mallier, Creator of Leamington Comic Con, said: “This year’s event is shaping up to be one heck of a comeback. We’ve more than enough for avid comic fans, as well as cosplayers and families looking for a great day out.”

Leamington Comic Con received rave reviews within the industry last year, which has helped it to attract a star studded line up for its 2015 return.

Internationally renowned David Lloyd, will be the biggest draw, having co-created 'V for Vendetta' with Alan Moore, and designed V’s Guy Fawkes inspired mask. Lloyd will be promoting his latest venture, 'Aces Weekly' as he hosts a panel talk, but will also be sketching and signing autographs.

Simon Furman, comic book writer notable for Transformers comics and Andrew Wildman, British artist best known for his work on Marvel titles such as Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters and Transformers, are also confirmed.

“The event’s page on Facebook is already showing over 1,200 people are planning to
attend, so we’re expecting swarms of excited comic fans and colourful cosplayers, but
they’re will also be plenty to do for families with young children too,” added Dan.

Early-bird tickets can be bought direct from Seismic Records located at The Assembly, MG Memorabilia on Lansdowne Street or online via the Leam Comic Con Facebook page.

Priority entrance will be given to ticket holders, but people can also pay on the day.

Confirmed Guests

• David Lloyd, co-creator of V for Vendetta, Aces Weekly
• T Publications, Writer & Publisher
• David Leach, Writer & Artist
• Mike Garley, Josh Sherwell & Mike Stock, The Kill Screen
• Simon Furman, Writer
• Andrew Wildman, Artist
• Vince Hunt, Writer & Artist
• Comic Connections, Banbury
• Haylestorm Comics, Writers & artists
• John-Paul Kamath, Award winning London Horror Comic Anthology
• Geeky Comics, Award winning Writer
• Giuseppe Barresi, Writer & Artist, Solihull
• Time Bomb Comics, Writer & Publisher, Birmingham
• Snikt and Bamf, Pop culture jewellery & accessories, Birmingham
• Fly Comics, Writer & Publisher, Birmingham
• Lance Manley, Writer, Leamington Spa
• Josh Callaghan, Artist, Leamington Spa
• MG Memorabilia, TV & Film memorabilia, Leamington Spa
• Saakio, Anime figurines, Kenilworth
• Dean Beattie, Writer & Artist
• Rees Finlay, Writer & Artist, Coventry
• Stu Perrins, Writer, Birmingham
• Matthew Craig, Writer & Artist
• AshesX Comics, Trader
• Dead All Over Design, Artist, Cheltenham
• Lee Bradley, Artist
• Neil McClements, Artist

Cosplay guests:

• iCosplay – an anti-bullying campaign
• Gotham Cosplayers UK
• East Midlands Garrison

Nominees For The 2015 British Fantasy Awards Announced

The nominees for the 2015 British Fantasy Awards have been announced by the British Fantasy Society. The winners will be revealed at Fantasy Con 2015 in Nottingham on Sunday October 25.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)

• Breed, KT Davies (Fox Spirit Books)
• City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher Books)
• Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• A Man Lies Dreaming, Lavie Tidhar (Hodder & Stoughton)
• The Moon King, Neil Williamson (NewCon Press)
• The Relic Guild, Edward Cox (Gollancz)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)

• The End, Gary McMahon (NewCon Press)
• The Girl With All the Gifts, M.R. Carey (Orbit)
• The Last Plague, Rich Hawkins (Crowded Quarantine Publications)
• No One Gets Out Alive, Adam Nevill (Macmillan)
• Station Eleven, Emily St John Mandel (Knopf)
• The Unquiet House, Alison Littlewood (Jo Fletcher Books)

Best Novella

• Cold Turkey, Carole Johnstone (TTA Press)
• Drive, Mark West (Pendragon Press)
• Newspaper Heart, Stephen Volk (The Spectral Book of Horror Stories)
• Water For Drowning, Ray Cluley (This Is Horror)

Best Short Story

• “A Change of Heart”, Gaie Sebold (Wicked Women)
• “The Girl on the Suicide Bridge”, J.A. Mains (Beside the Seaside)
• “Ptichka”, Laura Mauro (Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease)
• “A Woman’s Place”, Emma Newman (Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets)

Best Collection

• Black Gods Kiss, Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)
• The Bright Day Is Done, Carole Johnstone (Gray Friar Press)
• Gifts for the One Who Comes After, Helen Marshall (ChiZine Publications)
• Nick Nightmare Investigates, Adrian Cole (The Alchemy Press and Airgedlámh Publications)
• Scruffians! Stories of Better Sodomites, Hal Duncan (Lethe Press)

Best Anthology

• The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic 2, ed. Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber (The Alchemy Press)
• Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease, ed. by Joel Lane and Tom Johnstone (Gray Friar Press)
• Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction Special Issue, ed. Christie Yant (Lightspeed Magazine)
• The Spectral Book of Horror Stories, ed. Mark Morris (Spectral Press)
• Terror Tales of Wales, ed. Paul Finch (Gray Friar Press)

Best Small Press

• The Alchemy Press (Peter Coleborn)
• Fox Spirit Books (Adele Wearing)
• NewCon Press (Ian Whates)
• Spectral Press (Simon Marshall-Jones)

Best Non-Fiction

• D.F. Lewis Dreamcatcher Real-Time Reviews, D.F. Lewis (D.F. Lewis)
• Ginger Nuts of Horror, ed. Jim McLeod (Jim McLeod)
• Letters to Arkham: The Letters of Ramsey Campbell and August Derleth, 1961–1971, ed. S.T. Joshi (PS Publishing)
• Rhapsody: Notes on Strange Fictions, Hal Duncan (Lethe Press)
• Sibilant Fricative: Essays & Reviews, Adam Roberts (Steel Quill Books )
• Touchstones: Essays on the Fantastic, John Howard (The Alchemy Press)
• You Are the Hero: A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, Jonathan Green (Snowbooks)

Best Magazine/Periodical

• Black Static, ed. Andy Cox (TTA Press)
• Holdfast Magazine, ed. Laurel Sills and Lucy Smee (Laurel Sills and Lucy Smee)
• Interzone, ed. by Andy Cox (TTA Press)
• Lightspeed, ed. John Joseph Adams (Lightspeed Magazine)
• Sein und Werden, ed. Rachel Kendall (ISMs Press)

Best Comic/Graphic Novel

• Cemetery Girl, Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden and Don Kramer (Jo Fletcher Books)
• Grandville Noël, Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)
• Saga, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
• Seconds, Bryan Lee O’Malley (SelfMadeHero)
• Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
• The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (Image Comics)

Best Artist

• Ben Baldwin
• Vincent Chong
• Les Edwards
• Sarah Anne Langton
• Karla Ortiz
• Daniele Serra

Best Film/Television Episode

• Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Alejandro González Iñárritu (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• Black Mirror: White Christmas, Charlie Brooker (Channel 4)
• Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (Marvel Studios)
• Interstellar, Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (Paramount Pictures)
• Under the Skin, Walter Campbell and Jonathan Glazer (Film4 et al)

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J Bounds Award)

• Edward Cox, for The Relic Guild (Gollancz)
• Sarah Lotz, for The Three (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Laura Mauro, for “Ptichka” (Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease)
• Den Patrick, for The Boy with the Porcelain Blade (Gollancz)
• Jen Williams, for The Copper Promise (Headline)

Cool Art: 2015 'Into The Pixel' Collection Revealed

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced the 18 winning pieces of the world-renowned 2015 Into the Pixel (ITP) collection.

Created in 2004, the annual ITP art exhibit honours video game artists who continue to push the interactive entertainment art form forward. Co-produced by the ESA and AIAS, the 2015 ITP collection will be shown for the first time at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games and related products, from June 16-18, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Check out the 18 winning pieces below, and click to embiggen for a hi-res close up look in all their glory!

Hop over to the Into The Pixel website for a look at the previous winners since 2004 too.

'Ori and the Blind Forest'
'Ori and Naru' by Johannes Figlhuber & Max Degen

2015 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 2015 Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, given for creative achievement in American comic books, often referred to as the Comics Industry's equivalent of the Oscar Awards, have been announced.

The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from superheroes, to nursery rhymes and high school angst and pulp fiction.

The awards will be presented in a special ceremony Friday July 10 during this year's San Diego Comic-Con. 

The Nominees:

Best Short Story

• 
“Beginning’s End,” by Rina Ayuyang, muthamagazine.com
• 
“Corpse on the Imjin!” by Peter Kuper, in Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World (Simon & Schuster)
• 
“Rule Number One,” by Lee Bermejo, in Batman Black and White #3 (DC)
• 
“The Sound of One Hand Clapping,” by Max Landis & Jock, in Adventures of Superman #14 (DC)
• 
“When the Darkness Presses,” by Emily Carroll, http://emcarroll.com/comics/darkness/

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

• 
Astro City #16: “Wish I May” by Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson (Vertigo/DC)
• 
Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, by Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
• 
Madman in Your Face 3D Special, by Mike Allred (Image)
• 
Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration #1 (Marvel)
• 
The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1, by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely (DC)

Best Continuing Series

• 
Astro City, by Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson (Vertigo/DC)
• 
Bandette, by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)
• 
Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction & David Aja (Marvel)
• 
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image)
• 
Southern Bastards, by Jason Aaron & Jason Latour (Image)
• 
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, & Stefano Gaudiano (Image/Skybound)

Best Limited Series

• 
Daredevil: Road Warrior, by Mark Waid & Peter Krause (Marvel Infinite Comics)
• 
Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Garbriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• 
The Multiversity, by Grant Morrison et al. (DC)
• 
The Private Eye, by Brian K. Vaughan & Marcos Martin (Panel Syndicate)
• 
The Sandman: Overture, by Neil Gaiman & J. H. Williams III (Vertigo/DC)

Best New Series

• 
The Fade Out, by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips (Image)
• 
Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
• 
Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona (Marvel)
• 
Rocket Raccoon, by Skottie Young (Marvel)
• 
The Wicked + The Divine, by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)

• 
BirdCatDog, by Lee Nordling & Meritxell Bosch (Lerner/Graphic Universe)
• 
A Cat Named Tim And Other Stories, by John Martz (Koyama Press)
• 
Hello Kitty, Hello 40: A Celebration in 40 Stories, edited by Traci N. Todd & Elizabeth Kawasaki (VIZ)
• 
Mermin, Book 3: Deep Dives, by Joey Weiser (Oni)
• 
The Zoo Box, by Ariel Cohn & Aron Nels Steinke (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)

• 
Batman Li’l Gotham, vol. 2, by Derek Fridolfs & Dustin Nguyen (DC)
• 
El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)
• 
I Was the Cat, by Paul Tobin & Benjamin Dewey (Oni)
• 
Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, by Eric Shanower & Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• 
Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse, by Art Baltazar & Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• 
Doomboy, by Tony Sandoval (Magnetic Press)
• 
The Dumbest Idea Ever, by Jimmy Gownley (Graphix/Scholastic)
• 
Lumberjanes, by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, & Brooke A. Allen (BOOM! Box)
• 
Meteor Men, by Jeff Parker & Sandy Jarrell (Oni)
• 
The Shadow Hero, by Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew (First Second)
• 
The Wrenchies, by Farel Dalrymple (First Second)

Best Humour Publication

• 
The Complete Cul de Sac, by Richard Thompson (Andrews McMeel)
• 
Dog Butts and Love. And Stuff Like That. And Cats. by Jim Benton (NBM)
• 
Groo vs Conan, by Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, & Tom Yeates (Dark Horse)
• 
Rocket Raccoon, by Skottie Young (Marvel)
• 
Superior Foes of Spider-Man, by Nick Spencer & Steve Lieber (Marvel)

Best Digital/Web Comic

• 
Bandette, by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover, Monkeybrain/comiXology.com
• 
Failing Sky by Dax Tran-Caffee, http://failingsky.com
• 
The Last Mechanical Monster, by Brian Fies, http://lastmechanicalmonster.blogspot.com
• 
Nimona, by Noelle Stephenson, http://gingerhaze.com/nimona/comic
• 
The Private Eye by Brian Vaughan & Marcos Martin http://panelsyndicate.com/ 

Best Anthology

• 
In the Dark: A Horror Anthology, edited by Rachel Deering (Tiny Behemoth Press/IDW)
• 
Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, edited by Josh O’Neill, Andrew Carl, & Chris Stevens (Locust Moon)
• 
Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It, edited by Ann Ishii, Chip Kidd, & Graham Kolbeins (Fantagraphics)
• 
Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World, edited by Monte Beauchamp (Simon & Schuster)
• 
To End All Wars: The Graphic Anthology of The First World War, edited by Jonathan Clode & John Stuart Clark (Soaring Penguin)

Best Reality-Based Work

• 
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (Bloomsbury)
• 
Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories, by MariNaomi (2d Cloud/Uncivilized Books)
• 
El Deafo, by Cece Bell (Amulet/Abrams)
• 
Hip Hop Family Tree, vol. 2, by Ed Piskor (Fantagraphics)
• 
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, by Nathan Hale (Abrams)
• 
To End All Wars: The Graphic Anthology of The First World War, edited by Jonathan Clode & John Stuart Clark (Soaring Penguin)

Best Graphic Album—New

• 
The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, by Stephen Collins (Picador)
• 
Here, by Richard McGuire (Pantheon)
• 
Kill My Mother, by Jules Feiffer (Liveright)
• 
The Motherless Oven, by Rob Davis (SelfMadeHero)
• 
Seconds, by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Ballantine Books)
• 
This One Summer, by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• 
Dave Dorman’s Wasted Lands Omnibus (Magnetic Press)
• 
How to Be Happy, by Eleanor Davis (Fantagraphics)
• 
Jim, by Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics)
• 
Sock Monkey Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
• 
Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll (McElderry Books)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

• 
Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
• 
Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan: The Sunday Comics, 1933–1935, by Hal Foster, edited by Brendan Wright (Dark Horse)
• 
Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition, by Tove Jansson, edited by Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
• 
Pogo, vol. 3: Evidence to the Contrary, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly & Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
• 
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, vols. 5-6, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein & Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

• 
The Complete ZAP Comix Box Set, edited by Gary Groth, with Mike Catron (Fantagraphics)
• 
Steranko Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• 
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Trail of the Unicorn, by Carl Barks, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• 
Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Son of the Son, by Don Rosa, edited by David Gerstein (Fantagraphics)
• 
Walt Kelly’s Pogo: The Complete Dell Comics, vols. 1–2, edited by Daniel Herman (Hermes)
• 
Witzend, by Wallace Wood et al., edited by Gary Groth, with Mike Catron (Fantagraphics)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• 
Beautiful Darkness, by Fabien Vehlmann & Kerascoët (Drawn & Quarterly)
• 
Blacksad: Amarillo, by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)
• 
Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn, by Hugo Pratt (IDW/Euro Comics)
• 
Jaybird, by Lauri & Jaakko Ahonen (Dark Horse/SAF)
• 
The Leaning Girl, by Benoît Peeters & François Schuiten (Alaxis Press)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

• 
All You Need Is Kill, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Ryosuke Takeuchi, Takeshi Obata & yoshitoshi ABe (VIZ)
• 
In Clothes Called Fat, by Moyoco Anno (Vertical)
• 
Master Keaton, vol 1, by Naoki Urasawa, Hokusei Katsushika, & Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ)
• 
One-Punch Man, by One & Yusuke Murata (VIZ)
• 
Showa 1939–1955 and Showa 1944–1953: A History of Japan, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
• 
Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki, by Mamoru Hosoda & Yu (Yen Press)

Best Writer

• 
Jason Aaron, Original Sin, Thor, Men of Wrath (Marvel); Southern Bastards (Image)
• 
Kelly Sue DeConnick, Captain Marvel (Marvel); Pretty Deadly (Image)
• 
Grant Morrison, The Multiversity (DC); Annihilator (Legendary Comics)
• 
Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image); Private Eye (Panel Syndicate)
• 
G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• 
Gene Luen Yang, Avatar: The Last Airbender (Dark Horse); The Shadow Hero (First Second)

Best Writer/Artist

• 
Sergio Aragonés, Sergio Aragonés Funnies (Bongo); Groo vs. Conan (Dark Horse)
• 
Charles Burns, Sugar Skull (Pantheon)
• 
Stephen Collins, The Giant Beard That Was Evil (Picador)
• 
Richard McGuire, Here (Pantheon)
• 
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)
• 
Raina Telgemeier, Sisters (Graphix/Scholastic)

Best Penciller/Inker

• 
Adrian Alphona, Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• 
Mike Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Madman in Your Face 3D Special (Image)
• 
Frank Quitely, Multiversity (DC)
• 
François Schuiten, The Leaning Girl (Alaxis Press)
• 
Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)
• 
Babs Tarr, Batgirl (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• 
Lauri & Jaakko Ahonen, Jaybird (Dark Horse)
• 
Colleen Coover, Bandette (Monkeybrain)
• 
Mike Del Mundo, Elektra (Marvel)
• 
Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad: Amarillo (Dark Horse)
• 
J. H. Williams III, The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo/DC)

Best Cover Artist

• 
Darwyn Cooke, DC Comics Darwyn Cooke Month Variant Covers (DC)
• 
Mike Del Mundo, Elektra, X-Men: Legacy, A+X, Dexter, Dexter Down Under (Marvel)
• 
Francesco Francavilla, Afterlife with Archie (Archie); Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight (Dark Horse); The Twilight Zone, Django/Zorro (Dynamite); X-Files (IDW)
• 
Jamie McKelvie/Matthew Wilson, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
• 
Phil Noto, Black Widow (Marvel)
• 
Alex Ross, Astro City (Vertigo/DC); Batman 66: The Lost Episode, Batman 66 Meets Green Hornet (DC/Dynamite)

Best Colouring

• 
Laura Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel); Madman in Your Face 3D Special (Image)
• 
Nelson Daniel, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, Judge Dredd, Wild Blue Yonder (IDW)
• 
Lovern Kindzierski, The Graveyard Book, vols. 1-2 (Harper)
• 
Matthew Petz, The Leg (Top Shelf)
• 
Dave Stewart, Hellboy in Hell, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Baltimore, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, Shaolin Cowboy, Aliens: Fire and Stone, DHP (Dark Horse)
• 
Matthew Wilson, Adventures of Superman (DC); The Wicked + The Divine (Image), Daredevil, Thor (Marvel)

Best Lettering

• 
Joe Caramagna, Ms. Marvel, Daredevil (Marvel)
• 
Todd Klein, Fables, The Sandman: Overture, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC); Nemo: The Roses of Berlin (Top Shelf)
• 
Max, Vapor (Fantagraphics)
• 
Jack Morelli, Afterlife with Archie, Archie, Betty and Veronica, etc. (Archie)
• 
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo: Senso, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: The Artist (Dark Horse)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• 
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• 
Comic Book Creator, edited by Jon B. Cooke (TwoMorrows)
• 
Comic Book Resources, edited by Jonah Weiland, www.comicbookresources.com
• 
Comics Alliance, edited by Andy Khouri, Caleb Goellner, Andrew Wheeler, & Joe Hughes, www.comicsalliance.com
• 
tcj.com, edited by Dan Nadel & Timothy Hodler (Fantagraphics)

Best Comics-Related Book

• 
Comics Through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas (4 vols.), edited by M. Keith Booker (ABC-CLIO)
• 
Creeping Death from Neptune: The Life and Comics of Basil Wolverton, by Greg Sadowski (Fantagraphics)
• 
Genius Animated: The Cartoon Art of Alex Toth, vol. 3, by Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell (IDW/LOAC)
• 
What Fools These Mortals Be: The Story of Puck, by Michael Alexander Kahn & Richard Samuel West (IDW/LOAC)
• 
75 Years of Marvel Comics: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen, by Roy Thomas & Josh Baker (TASCHEN)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work

• 
American Comics, Literary Theory, and Religion: The Superhero Afterlife, by A. David Lewis (Palgrave Macmillan)
• 
Considering Watchmen: Poetics, Property, Politics, by Andrew Hoberek (Rutgers University Press)
• 
Funnybooks: The Improbable Glories of the Best American Comic Books, by Michael Barrier (University of California Press)
• 
Graphic Details: Jewish Women’s Confessional Comics in Essays and Interviews, edited by Sarah Lightman (McFarland)
• 
The Origins of Comics: From William Hogarth to Winsor McCay, by Thierry Smolderen, tr. by Bart Beaty & Nick Nguyen (University Press of Mississippi)
• 
Wide Awake in Slumberland: Fantasy, Mass Culture, and Modernism in the Art of Winsor McCay, by Katherine Roeder (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design

• 
Batman: Kelley Jones Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios (Graphitti/DC)
• 
The Complete ZAP Comix Box Set, designed by Tony Ong (Fantagraphics)
• 
Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, designed by Jim Rugg (Locust Moon)
• 
Street View, designed by Pascal Rabate (NBM/Comics Lit)
• 
Winsor McCay’s Complete Little Nemo, designed by Anna Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)

Cover Art for Spectrum 22 Revealed

Cover art for Spectrum 22 revealed.

'The Magician of the Mountain of Death' by Bastien Lecouffe Deharme

Cool Art: 2015 BAFTA Best Picture Posters by Malika Favre

BAFTA Best Picture Posters by Malika Favre, created for the brochure handed out at the 2015 BAFTA Awards last night.

They are available as A3 sized Gilcée prints on Archival paper and embossed with the BAFTA mask, in a signed and named limited edition of 40 and cost £60.

Go here to buy.

Go here for the list of winners.

Cool Art: 'Game Of Thrones' 2015 HBO Calendar by Paul Shipper

'Game Of Thrones' character illustrations by Paul Shipper, created for a Calendar which was sent out as a gift from HBO for Christmas 2014.

Cool Art: 2015 George RR Martin 'A Song Of Ice And Fire' Calendar Cover Art by Donato Giancola

This is the cover art for the 2015 calendar of George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by multiple Hugo and Chesley Award winning artist, Donato Giancola. The twelve paintings of the calendar were inspired by the books, with Donato's interpretations of the characters and places.

This cover painting will be on display at the forthcoming Spectrum Fantastic Live 3 convention in Kansas City, May 9-11. A few of the preliminary and rough drawings created for the other months of the calendar will be on display as well as a teaser.

It goes on sale July 22 but you can pre-order the calendar here.