The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with the fanzine Alter Ego magazine. The Alley is the first known comic book fan award.Kleefeld, Sean. "A Brief History", Comic Book Fanthropology (Lulu.com, 2009), p. 31.
The Alley Awards were tallied for comic books produced during the previous year. The Alley statuette — a likeness of the comic strip character Alley Oop — was initially sculpted by Academy member Ron Foss out of redwood, from which "plaster duplications" were made to be handed out to the various winners.
History The Alley Award traces its origin to "a letter to Jerry dated October 25, 1961" by Roy Thomas, in which he suggested that Jerry Bails' fanzine Alter-Ego, which had debuted in March 1961, create an award for fandom's "favorite comic books in a number of categories".
Initially suggested as the "Alter-Ego Award", the name evolved into the Alley Award after comic strip caveman Alley Oop, since, as Thomas reasoned, "surely a caveman had to be the earliest superhero chronologically". Comics historian Bill Schelly notes that no one "bothered to ask the NEA [newspaper] syndicate for permission to utilize V. T. Hamlin's comic strip character".
By the awards' third year, the number of ballots received had become so overwhelming that Bails called for a fan get-together at which votes could be tabulated by group effort. This gathering of Midwestern fans, held in March 1964 at the Detroit-area home of Bails, was dubbed the "Alley Tally", and its success provided inspiration for the organizing of comic book fan conventions that began soon afterward.Schelly, Bill. The Golden Age of Comic Fandom (Hamster Press, 1995).
Results of the voting were published in the comics fanzines On the Drawing Board / The Comic Reader Siegel, Howard P. "Made in America", BEM #17 (Feb. 1978). The Alley Awards themselves were given out from 1962 to 1970 (for comics published 1961–1969, respectively), with comic strip awards added in 1967 (for calendar year 1966). The awards were presented at all three Academy Cons from 1965 to 1967. The final three years' awards were presented at Phil Seuling's New York Comic Art Convention.Gabilliet, Jean-Paul (trans. by Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen). Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books (University of Mississippi Press, 2010), pp. 250–251.
After the dissolution of the Alleys, from 1971 to 1974 the Comic Art Convention presented the Goethe Awards"The 1971 Goethe Awards" (ballot), Graphic Story World vol. 2, #2 (whole #6) (July 1972), p. 29./Comic Fan Art Awards.
Winners
1961 Source Reprinted in Best Regularly Published Comic Book - Justice League of America (DC Comics) Best Adventure Hero(ine) Having Own Comic Book - Green Lantern (DC Comics) Best Adventure Hero(ine) Not Having Own Comic Book - Hawkman (DC Comics) Best Supporting Character - Elongated Man (DC Comics) Best Cover - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds" (DC Comics) Best Single Issue - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds" [by Gardner Fox & Carmine Infantino] (DC Comics) Best Artist (Pencil or Ink) - Carmine Infantino Best Story - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds" (DC Comics) Best Adventure-Hero Group - Justice League of America (DC Comics) Hero or Heroine Most Worthy of Revival - The Spectre (DC Comics) Worst Comic Book Currently Published - Wonder Woman (DC Comics)
1962 Best Comic Book of the Year - Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Best Editor of a Comics Group - Julius Schwartz (DC Comics) Best Script Writer - Gardner Fox Best Pencil Artist - Carmine Infantino Best Inker - Murphy Anderson Best Hero - Hawkman (DC Comics) Best Group of Heroes - Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Best Villain - Sub-Mariner (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Best Supporting Character - The Thing (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Best Short Story - "Origin of Spider-Man" by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko, Amazing Fantasy #15 (Marvel Comics) Best Book-Length Story - "The Planet that Came to a Standstill", by Gardner Fox & Carmine Infantino, Mystery in Space #75 (DC Comics) Best Single Comic Book Cover - The Brave and the Bold #42, by Joe Kubert (DC Comics) Comic Most in Need of Improvement - Batman (DC Comics) Hero/Heroine Most Worthy of Revival - The Spectre (DC Comics)
"Ama" (Fan) Division Comic Fanzines of 1961/62 - Alter-Ego, edited by Jerry Bails & Roy Thomas Special Projects - Index to All Star Comics, by Jerry Bails Articles - "The Light of Green Lantern", by Jerry Bails Features - "Profiles on Collectors", by Biljo White Strip - "Bestest League of America", by Roy Thomas Fiction - "The Reincarnation of The Spectre", by Roy Thomas
1963 Source"1963 Alley Awards", Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved Dec. 8, 2020.
Pro Categories Best Editor - Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) Best Writer - Stan Lee Best Artist - Carmine Infantino
Best Comics Categories Adventure Hero - The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) General Fantasy - Strange Adventures (DC Comics) Mundane Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (Marvel Comics) Humorous - Uncle Scrooge (Western Publishing) Favorite Short Story - "The Human Torch Meets Captain America", by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Strange Tales #114 (Marvel Comics) Favorite Annual - Fantastic Four Annual #1 (Marvel Comics) Favorite Novel - "Crisis on Earths 1 and 2", by Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky, Justice League of America #21-22 (DC Comics) Top Hero - Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) Top Group - The Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Top Supporting Character - The Thing (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Top Supporting Character - The Sub-Mariner (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Strip Favored for Revival - Doctor Fate (DC Comics)
Amateur Division (on a scale of 1-5 points) Article - "Minute Movies", by Hal Lynch & Vern Coriell (Comic Art #4) - 4.31 points Illustrated Strip - "The Eclipse", by Drury Moroz & Ron Foss (Alter-Ego #5) - 4.22 points Fanzine Fiction - "The Black Panther", by John Wright (Komix #2) - 4.06 points Single Illustration - Cover, Star-Studded Comics #2, by Buddy Saunders - 4.28 points Fan Project - Authoritative Index to DC Comics, by Howard Keltner & Jerry Bails - 4.50 points Fan Artist - Ron Foss - 4.19 points Fan Writer - Jerry Bails - 4.40 points Comics Fanzine - The Comic Reader #15-20, by Jerry Bails - 4.53 points
Write-In Categories Strip that Should be Improved - Justice League of America (DC Comics) Crossover of DC Heroes for The Brave and the Bold - Hawkman & the Flash (DC Comics) Artist Preferred on Sea Devils - Joe Kubert (DC Comics) Artist Preferred on Justice League of America - Murphy Anderson (DC Comics) Comic Displaying Best Interior Color Work - Mystery in Space (DC Comics)
1964 Pro Categories Best Adventure Hero Comic Book - The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic - Forbidden Worlds (American Comics Group) Best Humorous Comic Book - Herbie Best Miscellaneous Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (Marvel Comics) Best Editor - Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) Best Writer - Stan Lee Best Pencil Artist - Carmine Infantino Best Inking Artist - Murphy Anderson Best Comic Book Cover - Detective Comics #329 (DC Comics) Best Short Story - "Doorway to the Unknown", by John Broome & Carmine Infantino, The Flash #148 (DC Comics) Best Novel - "Captain America Joins the Avengers", by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, from The Avengers #4 (Marvel Comics) Best Giant Comic - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Marvel Comics) Comic Regularly Displaying Best Color Work - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key Comics) Worst Regularly Published Comic - Wonder Woman Best Hero - Spider-Man Best Supporting Character - The Thing (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Best Villain - Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Best Group of Characters - The Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Best New Strip or Book - Captain America, by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in Tales of Suspense (Marvel Comics) Strip Most Desired for Revival - The Spectre (DC Comics)
Fan Categories (on a scale of 1-5 points) Best Article in a Fanzine - (tie) "Lee", by Rick Weingroff (4.21 points); "One Man's Family", by Roy Thomas (4.21 points) Best Regular Fanzine Feature - "Information Center", by Bob Jennings (4.17 points) Best Fan Comic Strip - Adam Link, by Eando Binder, Bill Spicer and D. Bruce Berry (4.61 points) Best Ditto/Mimeo Cover - Batmania #1, by Biljo White (4.46 points) Best Cover (Other Reproduction) - Alter-Ego #7, by Biljo White (4.61 points) Best Fan Fiction - "Nemesis of Evil", by Victor Baron (4.23 points) Best Fan Project - Who's Who and Supplement, by Jerry Bails & Larry Lattanzi (4.32 points) Best Fanzine - Alter-Ego #7, by Roy Thomas (4.67 points)
1965 Source
Pro Categories Best Adventure Hero Comic Book - The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic - Strange Adventures (DC Comics) Best Humor Comic Book - Herbie Best Miscellaneous Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (Marvel Comics) Best Editor - Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) Best Writer - Stan Lee Best Pencil Artist - Wally Wood Best Inking Artist - Murphy Anderson Best Comic Book Cover - The Brave and the Bold #61 (DC Comics) Best Short Story - The Origin of the Red Skull, by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Tales of Suspense #66 (Marvel Comics) Best Giant Comic - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1, by Len Brown, Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, George Tuska, Mike Sekowsky (Tower Comics) Best Novel - "Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" Showcase #55, by Gardner Fox & Murphy Anderson (DC Comics) Comic Regularly Displaying Best Color Work - Magnus, Robot Fighter (Gold Key Comics) Comic Most Needing Improvement - Blue Beetle (Charlton Comics) Best Hero - Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) Best Supporting Character - The Thing (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Best Villain - Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four) (Marvel Comics) Best Group - The Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Best New Strip or Book - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, by Len Brown & Wally Wood (Tower Comics) Best Revived Hero - Doctor Fate (DC Comics) Strip or Book Most Desired for Revival - Justice Society of America (DC Comics)
Fan Categories (on a scale of 1-5 points) Best Article - "With Comics Down Under", by John Ryan (4.51 points) Best Regular Feature - "On the Drawing Board", by Glen Johnson & Derrill Rothermich (4.68 points) Best Fan Comic Strip - "The End of Bukawai", Fantasy Illustrated #3 (4.48 points) Best Ditto/Mimeo Cover - Batmania #5, by Biljo White (4.38 points) Best Cover (Other Reproduction) - Alter-Ego #8, by Biljo White (4.57 points) Best Fan Fiction - "Powerman vs. the Blue Barrier", by George R. R. Martin (4.29 points) Best Fan Project - New York Comicon, by Dave Kaler (4.63 points) Best Fanzine - Alter-Ego #8, by Roy Thomas (4.71 points)
1966 Best Comic Magazine Section Adventure Book with the Main Character in the Title - The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) Multi-Feature Title - Tales of Suspense (Marvel Comics) Super Hero Group Title - Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Normal Group Adventure Title - M.A.R.S. Patrol (Gold Key Comics) Fantasy/SF/Supernatural Title - Strange Adventures (DC Comics) Western Title - Kid Colt, Outlaw (Marvel Comics) War Title - Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos (Marvel Comics) Humor Title: Teenage - Archie (Archie Comics) Humor Title: Costumed - Inferior Five (DC Comics) Humor Title: Juvenile - Uncle Scrooge (Western Publishing) All-Reprint Title - The Spirit (Harvey Comics) Combination New & Reprint Material Title - Fantastic Four Annual (Marvel Comics)
Best Professional Work Editor - Stan Lee (Marvel Comics) Writer - Stan Lee Pencil Work - Al Williamson Inking Work - Wally Wood Cover - Flash Gordon #1, by Al Williamson (King Comics) Coloring - Flash Gordon (King Comics)