So, here’s something kinda crazy: just when I’d decided Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean had pretty much run its course, it’s been nominated for the 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards (AKA: “The Eisners”) in the Best Publication for Kids category. I’m incredibly honored–not to mention totally surprised–to receive such an accolade.

Believe it or not, this is actually my second Eisner nomination; the first was back in 2004, right after my first book, Farewell, Georgia came out. I say “believe it or not” partially because that was a ways back, but also because you’d never find that nomination by Googling me owing to my name’s having been mispelled on the ballot. Those crazy internets!

This nomination feels totally different. Back then, I had just been back reading comics for a few years and, as mentioned, Farewell, Georgia was my very first book. I’m not sure then I even knew what the heck the Eisner Awards were. I still remember the email about it I received from SLG commander-in-chief Dan Vado. It began with something like, “You may not know what these awards are, but…” In so many words, “listen up, noob, this is a big deal.”

Now I know it’s a big deal! And I’m of course incredibly honored to have Amelia recognized by the comics industry’s most prestigious awards. A big thanks goes out to Sarah Stewart Taylor, the book’s writer; Christain Trimmer, our editor at Disney/Hyperion; James Sturm of CCS; Judy Hansen, the literary agent who put this whole series deal together; the Eisner judging committee; and, especially (especially!) Jason Lutes who (as you know if you’ve read any of the process posts on this blog) did a ton of heavy lifting on this book and in a just world would be included in this nomination.

P.S. – If you have some sort of apparatus that can alter the space-time continuum such that Tiny Titans no longer exists, please contact me at the email address in the masthead.