The Glyph Comics Awards is an annual award ceremony for comic creators who are people of color. The ceremony was initiated with the goal of inspiring young writers from diverse backgrounds to participate in the comics industry.
The awards are named after Glyphs: The Language of the Black Comics Community, at Pop Culture Shock, a blog founded in 2005 by comic journalist Rich Watson as "a means to provide news and commentary on comics with black themes, as well as tangential topics in the fields of black science-fiction/fantasy and animation."
The Glyph Comics Awards have been presented at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, in Philadelphia, since 2006.
Judges
2006 Source: Spurgeon, Tom. "Your 2007 Glyphs: Submissions, Judges," The Comics Reporter (Oct. 31, 2006). Omar Bilal, creator of the Museum of Black Superheroes website Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, senior comics editor at Pop Culture Shock Stephanie Brandford, moderator of the Dwayne McDuffie forum at VHive Eliot Johnson, co-founder of the fan club STEEL (Stop Trying to Eliminate Ethnic Legends) and former columnist with Broken Frontier Rich Watson, Glyph Comics Awards founder
2007 Johanna Draper Carlson, founder of the review website ComicsWorthReading.com Pam Noles, professional writer and former Eisner Awards judge Calvin Reid, senior editor for Publishers Weekly and former Eisner Awards judge Hannibal Tabu, online comics reviewer and professional fiction writer Rich Watson, Glyph awards founder
2008 Cheryl Lynn Eaton, comics journalist and founder of the Ormes Society Prof. William Foster, comics historian and lecturer Tony Isabella, comics writer and columnist Katherine Keller, editor-in-chief, Sequential Tart Rich Watson, Glyph awards founder
2009 Source: Valerie D'Orazio, president of the Friends of Lulu Nathan Erhardt, writer, Comics Nexus Ed Mathews, columnist, Pop Image Tim O'Shea, writer/interviewer, TalkingWithTim.com Elayne Riggs, comics reviewer and commentator
2010 David Brothers, comics blogger (4th Letter!) Carol Burrell, editorial director, Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group Brian Cronin, writer, Comic Book Resources Katie & Dan Merritt, co-owners, Green Brain Comics
2011 Jennifer Contino, comics journalist Martha Cornog, graphic novel columnist for Library Journal Joseph Phillip Illidge, writer, Expo Weekly J. Calendar Mozzocco, writer for Newsarama Chad Nevett, writer for Comics Should Be Good
2012 Omar Bilal, webmaster, BlackSuperhero.com Robin Brenner, editor-in-chief, NoFlyingNoTights.com David Brothers, comics blogger, 4thLetter.com Tim Callahan, comics blogger, Comic Book Resources
2013 Source: MacDonald, Heidi. "2013 Glyph Comics Awards Nominees," The Beat (Apr. 1, 2013). Maurice Waters, owner and operator of Blackscifi.com Hannibal Tabu, review columnist at Comic Book Resources Omar Bilal, Owner and Operator of Museum of Black Superheroes Eric Deggans, TV and media critic, Tampa Bay Times
2014 Source: Freeman, John. "2014 Glyph Comics Awards announced, open to all," DownTheTubes.net (Oct. 2, 2013). Pamela Thomas, Glyph Comics Awards Chairperson and curator of the Museum of UnCut Funk, a virtual museum that celebrates 1970s Black culture Omar Bilal, founder of the Museum of Black Superheroes Johanna Draper Carlson, founder of ComicsWorthReading.com Hannibal Tabu, author, comics reviewer, and editor-in-chief of Komplicated at The Good Men Project Maurice Waters, owner of Black-Scifi.com Joseph Wheeler III, president of the New Art Order, founder of the OnyxCon convention, and creator of the UAC ANKh Project
2016 Source: "2016 Glyph Comics Award Nominees and Judges," TheBlerdGurl (May 20, 2016). Pamela Thomas, Glyph Comics Awards chair Michael A. Gonzales, author, writer, blogger Regina L. Sawyer, owner of Lockett Down Publications Grace D. Gipson, doctoral student, University of California, Berkeley Jiba Molei Anderson, CEO of Griot Enterprises Mark A. Randolph, writer, educator, and collector
2020 Shenkarr Davis, Glyph Comics Award chair Crystal Sparrow, freelance writer Carla Wiley, co-founder of Progeny's Legacy Jamaa William Mason Jones, founder of Afrofuturism Network Deirdre Hollman, founder of the Black Comics Collective Tatiana Bacchus, videographer/filmmaker
List of Glyph Comics Awards winners
Pioneer Award 2004: Samuel Joyner, cartoonist 2005: Bertram Fitzgerald, editor and publisher, Golden Legacy Comics 2006: Turtel Onli, creative artist and educator 2007: Larry Fuller, underground comics artist and publisherWatson, Rich. Accessed Apr. 13, 2009.
Story of the Year 2006: Nat Turner, Kyle Baker, writer and artist 2007: Stagger Lee, Derek McCulloch, writer, Shepherd Hendrix, artist 2008: Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm, Percy Carey, writer, Ronald Wimberly, artist 2009: Bayou, Jeremy Love, writer and artist 2010: Unknown Soldier #13-14, Joshua Dysart, writer, Pat Masioni, artist 2011: Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun, Geoffrey Canada, writer, Jamar Nicholas, artist 2012: Princeless, Jeremy Whitley, writer, M. Goodwin, artist 2013: Monsters 101, Muhammad Rasheed, writer/artistMacDonald, Heidi. "2013 Glyph Comics Awards Winners announced," The Beat (May 22, 2013). 2014: Watson and Holmes #6, Brandon Easton (writer) and N. Steven Harris (artist) 2015: Shaft, David F. Walker (writer) and Bilquis Evely (artist)"2015 Glyph Comics Awards Winners," ECBACC official website (May 17, 2015). 2016: Revelation: Brotherman-Dictator of Discipline, Dawud Anyabwile (artist), Guy A. Sims (writer), and Brian McGee (colorist) 2017: March Book Three, John Lewis and Andrew Aydin (writers) and Nate Powell (artist)Glyph Comics Awards, Grand Comics Database. Retrieved Feb. 1, 2021. 2018: Matty's Rocket: Book One, Tim Fielder (writer/artist)"2018 GLYPH AWARDS Winners," First Comic News (May 23, 2018). 2019: Is'Nana the Were-Spider, Vol 2: The Hornet’s Web, Greg Anderson Elysee (writer) and Daryl Toh (artist)Chiu-Tabet, Christopher. "2019 Glyph Comics Award Winners Announced," Multiversity Comics (May 18th, 2019). 2020: Malika — Fallen Queen Part One, Roye Okupe (writer); Sunkanmi Akinboye and Etubi Onucheyo (artists)
Best Writer 2006: Lance Tooks, Lucifer's Garden of Verses: Darlin' Niki 2007: Derek McCulloch, Stagger Lee 2008: James Sturm, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow 2009: Jeremy Love, Bayou 2010: Alex Simmons, Archie & Friends 2011: Joshua Dysart, Unknown Soldier 2012: Jeremy Whitley, Princeless 2013: Brandon M. Easton, Shadowlaw 2014: Brandon M. Easton, Watson and Holmes #6 2015: Keef Cross, Day Black 2016: Juliana "Jewels" Smith, (H)Afrocentric 2017: John Lewis & Andrew Aydin, March Book Three"2017 Glyph Award Winners Announced," Previews World (May 22, 2017). 2018: Jamar Nicholas, Leon: Protector of the Playground 2019: Greg Anderson Elysee, Is 'Nana the Were-Spider, Vol 2: The Hornet’s Web 2020: Newton Lilavois, Crescent City Monsters
Best Artist 2006: Kyle Baker, Nat Turner 2007: Kyle Baker, The Bakers 2008: Kyle Baker, Nat Turner: Revolution 2009: Jeremy Love, Bayou 2010: Jay Potts, World of Hurt 2011: Richard Koslowski, BB Wolf and the 3 LPs 2012: Sara Pichelli, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man 2013: Chris Samnee, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #6 2014: N. Steven Harris, Watson and Holmes #6 2015: Nelson Blake 2, Artifacts 2016: Dawud Anyabwile, Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline: Revelation Book One 2017: Brian Stelfreeze, Black Panther 2018: Shauna J. Grant, Princess Love Pon 2019: Khary Randolph, Roger Robinson, and Manuel Garcia, Noble, Vol 2: Never Events 2020: Gian Carlo Bernal, Crescent City Monsters
Best Male Character 2006: Huey Freeman, The Boondocks; Aaron McGruder, writer/artist 2007: Stagger Lee, Stagger Lee; Derek McCulloch, writer, Shepherd Hendrix, artist; inspired by the life of Lee Shelton 2008: Emmet Wilson, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow; co-created by James Sturm, writer, and Rich Tommaso, artist 2009: Black Lightning, Final Crisis: Submit; Grant Morrison, writer, Matthew Clark, Norm Rapmund, Rob Hunter, and Don Ho, artists 2010: Isaiah Pastor, World of Hurt; created by Jay Potts, writer and artist 2011: Geoff, Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun; created by Geoffrey Canada, writer, and Jamar Nicholas, artist 2012: Miles Morales; Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man; Brian Michael Bendis, writer, Sara Pichelli, artist; inspired by the character created by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko 2013: Mort; Monsters 101; Muhammad Rasheed, writer/artist 2014: Jack Maguire; Nowhere Man: You Don't Know Jack; Jerome Walford, writer/artist 2015: Bass Reeves; Bass Reeves: Tales of the Talented Tenth; Joel Christian Gill, writer/artist 2016: Arron Day (Blackjack); BlackJack: There Came a Dark Hunter; Alex Simmons, writer; Tim Fielder, artist 2017: Matt Trakker; M.A.S.K. — Mobile Armored Strike Kommand; Brandon Easton, writer; Tony Vargas & Tommy Lee Edwards, artists 2018: Is 'nana the Were-Spider; Is 'nana the Were-Spider: The Hornet's Web #1, Greg Anderson-Elysee, writer/artist 2019: Noble; Noble, Vol 2: Never Events, Brandon Thomas (writer), Khary Randolph, Roger Robinson, and Manuel Garcia (artists) 2020: Is'nana the Were-Spider; Is 'nana the Were-Spider: The Ballads of Rawhead and John Henry, Greg Anderson Elysee (writer) and David Brame & Walter Ostlie (artists) 2026: Dwayne "Dady" Glover; Beware of Toddler, George Gant (writer and artist)
Best Female Character 2006: Darlin' Niki, Lucifer's Garden of Verses: Darlin' Niki 2007: Thomasina Lindo, Welcome to Tranquility; co-created by Gail Simone, writer, Neil Googe, artist 2008: Amanda Waller, Checkmate; Greg Rucka, writer, Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson, artists 2009: Lee Wagstaff, Bayou,, Jeremy Love, writer and artist 2010: Aya, Aya: The Secrets Come Out, created by Marguerite Abouet, writer, Clement Oubrerie, artist 2011: Selena, 28 Days Later, created by Michael Alan Nelson, writer, Declan Shalvey and Marek Oleksicki, artists 2012: Adrienne; Princeless; created by Jeremy Whitley, writer, and M. Goodwin, artist 2013: Dyana; Night Stalker; Orlando Harding, writer; David Miller, artist 2014: Ajala Storm; Ajala: A Series of Adventures; Robert Garrett (writer) and N. Steven Harris (artist) 2015: Ajala Storm; Ajala: A Series of Adventures; Robert Garrett (writer) and N. Steven Harris & Walt Msonza Barna, (artists) 2016: Moon Girl; Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur; Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder (writers) and Natacha Bustos and Amy Reeder (artists) 2017: Lily Brown; Malice in Ovenland vol. #1; Micheline Hess, writer/artist 2018: Matty Watty; Matty's Rocket: Book One Tim Fielder (writer/artist) 2019: Blackstarr; Blackstarr: Birth of a Supernova Part 1, by Charlene R. Jones (writer) and Corey Thomas (artist) 2020: Iyanu; Iyanu, Child of Wonder Chapter One, by Roye Okupe (writer) and Godwin Akpan (artist)
Rising Star Award 2006: Robert Roach, The Roach 2007: Spike Trotman, Templar, Arizona 2008: Marguerite Abouet, Aya 2009: Damian Duffy and John Jennings, The Hole: Consumer Culture 2010: Jay Potts, World of Hurt 2011: Jamar Nicholas, Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun 2012: Whit Taylor, Watermelon 2013: Raymond Ayala, writer, H.O.P.E. 2014: Alverne Ball (writer), Jason Reeves and Luis Guerrero (artists), One Nation #1 2015: Alverne Ball & Jason Reeves (writers), Lee Moyer and Ari Syahrazad (artists), One Nation: Old Druids 2016: Chuck Collins (writer and artist), Bounce! 2017: Marcus Williams and Greg Burnham, Tuskegee Heirs: Flames of Destiny 2018: Greg Anderson-Elysee, (writer and artist), Is'Nana the Were-Spider: The Hornet's Web #1 2019: Austine Osas (writer) and Yusuf Shittuh (artist), Under the Sun 2020: Allison Chaney Whitmore (writer) and Carola Borelli (artist), Love University 2021: George Gant (writer and artist), Beware of Toddler
Best Reprint Publication 2006: Birth of a Nation: a Comic Novel softcover, Crown