24 Feb 2023

(New Bedford, MA/USA—February 24, 2023) The non-profit Inkwell Awards, devoted to promoting the art of comic book inkingannounced in December its second Joe Sinnott Tribute Challenge Spotlight, renamed the Legacy Challenge, featuring Marvel’s Spider-Man and Mary Jane by artist Alex Saviuk.

The event was launched in 2021 to commemorate the life and long career of the late, award-winning ink artist Joe Sinnott, and the prior annual inking event that had borne his name since 2010. The previous Challenge featured Sinnott’s oft-partner Ron Frenz on Thor. This year, artist Alex Saviuk‘s exclusive pencil art was scanned and sent to a variety of ink artists to embellish. Saviuk and Sinnott were art partners on the Amazing Spider-Man Sunday comic strip with writer/co-creator Stan Lee from the 1990s until the strip’s end in 2019. Saviuk’s Challenge pinup includes The Web of Spider-Man logo to celebrate his six-year stint as penciller on that title.

For over two months, artists volunteered to participate by inking the blueline pencils printed on board with the option of using the clean, slick line for which Sinnott was known, or in their own way to showcase how much the ink artist can contribute stylistically. Both professionals and amateurs were allowed to take part.

As in past years, Sinnott’s son Mark and daughter-in-law also contributed. Artists include relative newcomers and legendary veterans, from mainstream professionals to small press/indie pros. And ink artists new to the Challenges include Dan Panosian, Romeo Tanghal, Bob Smith, Sergio Cariello and Jason Metcalf among others. In alphabetical order, the participants are:

Gerry Acerno
Jeff Austin
Mike Barreiro
Noah Barrett
Steven Berry
Ken Branch
Eliot R. Brown
Sergio Cariello
Kevin Conrad
Marc Deering

Guy Dorian Sr.
Ed Eargle
David Fox

Rusty Gilligan
Jeff Graham
Don Ho
Michael W. Kellar
Scott Koblish
John Livesay
Enrique Lopez
J.E. Lozano
Criss Madd
Pablo Marcos

Jose Marzan Jr.
Mark McKenna
Jason Metcalf 
Chuck Morgan
Victor Moya

Ed Murr
Joe Orsak
Dan Panosian
Steven Pennella
Mark Pennington
Norm Rapmund

Luis Rivera
Vince Rodriquez
Marc Rubino

Matt Santorelli
Tom Schloendorn 
Mark Sinnott
Belinda Sinnott

Bob Smith
Mark Stegbauer
J.L. Straw
Romeo Tanghal
Jim Tournas
LeBeau Underwood
Larry Welch
Keith Williams 

The Legacy tribute event furthers the inking advocacy’s dual mission of promoting the artform and educating the public. Each inked page will be signed by Saviuk and the inker. All pages, plus a certificate of authenticity signed by The Inkwells’ founder/director, Bob Almond, will be auctioned off as an eBay fundraiser in biweekly waves beginning Saturday February 24.

Information about the upcoming fundraising auctions can be found on the Inkwell’s website and Facebook group.
09 Feb 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New Bedford, MA/USA–February 09, 2023) The Inkwell Awards, a 501(c)(3) non-profit devoted to promoting the art of comic book inking, has announced that Frank Frazetta has posthumously won The Joe Sinnott Hall Of Fame Award for his career ink art. Awarded since 2008, The Sinnott Hall Of Fame, named after inking legend […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New Bedford, MA/USA–February 09, 2023) The Inkwell Awards, a 501(c)(3) non-profit devoted to promoting the art of comic book inking, has announced that Frank Frazetta has posthumously won The Joe Sinnott Hall Of Fame Award for his career ink art.

Awarded since 2008, The Sinnott Hall Of Fame, named after inking legend Joe Sinnott, is a lifetime achievement award for a minimum 25-year inking career of outstanding accomplishment in American comic books. Two winners are chosen annually by the Inkwells’ internal committee. The second winner, along with the winners of the Inkwell’s other lifetime achievement award, the Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA), will be announced separately at a later date.

(L to R: Frank Frazetta III and Frank Frazetta, Jr., at the Frazetta Art Museum with Inkwell Awards Sinnott with 2023 Inkwell Awards Sinnott Hall Of Fame trophy and 2021 SASRA trophy.)

Frazetta’s son, Frank Frazetta Jr., shared the following statement:

“My father’s work has touched millions worldwide and his oil paintings sell for millions. It is essential to note that his love of art, and his career, started with comics. His life’s work and how it continues to touch and stimulate new generations is a great testament to the power of the comics art form to inspire. We thank Bob Almond, the Inkwell Committee, Special Ambassador J. David Spurlock and everyone with The Inkwell Awards for recognizing Frank Frazetta’s historic contributions to the art of inking with their most prestigious award, The Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame honor; especially since today (Feb. 9) would have been Frank’s 95th  birthday. We invite everyone to visit us at The Frazetta Art Museum in East Stroudsburg, PA, to study the World’s largest collection of Frazetta art.”

Frazetta previously won the SASRA in 2021 and becomes only the second artist (with Bernie Wrightson) to win both the Inkwells’ Lifetime Achievement Awards.