26 Feb 2022


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New Bedford, MA/USA–February 26, 2022) The Inkwell Awards, a non-profit devoted to promoting the art of comic book inking, has announced the winners of their lifetime achievement awards, The Joe Sinnott Hall Of Fame and The Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA). Again due to the Covid pandemic, results are made online rather than at the show’s host convention. Founder and director Bob Almond said, “Starting this season, we decided to split up the committee-chosen lifetime awards, chosen in December, from the publicly-voted ballot awards, which take much more time to tally.”

Winners of the SASRA, in alphabetical order, are Gene Day, George Pérez, John Severin and Dave Stevens.

Photo: The Gene Day Estate



Gene Day
‘s widow, Gale Erslavas, shared the following statement:

“When I was 13, I had a friend a little older than me who had a boyfriend. One day I was hanging out at her house when she said she was going to see him and some of his friends and asked if I wanted to come too. We arrived at his place and my friend introduced me to him and his friends. One of them was Gene. I took one look at him and said to myself that one day I was going to marry him. And on September 20, 1975, at the age of 21, I, Gale Jack, married Gene Day and found my soulmate. Unfortunately, Gene died three days after our seventh wedding anniversary at the age of 31 from a congenital heart defect that had never been detected.

“Thinking back, when we were still dating, Gene was constantly what I called doodling. He would get quite annoyed with me for calling it doodling and would clarify that he was ‘honing his craft.’ He always had some kind of writing implement in his hand, a pen, a pencil, a piece of chalk, a hunk of coal and even the smallest scrap of paper; he was drawing, inking, sketching. He said that he had always wanted to be a comic-book artist and he was constantly practicing. He was a workaholic and thought eating and sleeping was a waste of time and talked about how much more he could get done if he didn’t have to eat and sleep.

“I can’t remember exactly how he got involved with Marvel but at some point Gene received some penciled pages that they wanted him to ink, probably to test his inking style. When he got the package and opened it, he paused for a few minutes and then said “Oh…wow” in an astonished voice. He had told me years ago that he had a dream in which he was inking a pencil drawing of the Silver Surfer. He held up one of the pages that was sent to him and it was with the Silver Surfer.

“Gene was always practicing his inking style because he said an inker could make or break the comic book process. A good inker could make a mediocre penciller great and a bad one could ruin the pencils. I know I’m biased because I thought Gene was a great inker, but I believed his pencils were even better. Ultimately, he achieved his dream job but, unfortunately, his time at Marvel was not to be a long one. I am very pleased to receive this lifetime achievement award, one that recognizes Gene’s work in the artform of inking. I can only wonder had Gene not died how much more he would have accomplished. I truly believe he would have reached the stars and beyond. Thank you so much!”

Photo: Luigi Novi


In December of 2021, George Pérez publicly announced that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and would be living out his final months connecting with and/or visiting community friends and fans while time allows him to. George could not be reached for a statement but Jess Harrold, author of The Marvel Art of George Pérez made the following statement:

“Very little has been left unsaid about George Pérez. Which is the first problem you face when you are asked to write an art book about him. Thankfully, George’s artwork speaks for itself –and then some. A measly thousand words? Any comic devotee knows a Pérez piece paints far more than that. Then, you talk to the great man himself – and he regales you with such eloquence, such devotion to his craft and warmth for his collaborators, such staggering, mind-boggling, pinpoint powers of recollection, and such genuine humility and gratitude for the career he has enjoyed, that you just let George tell the story, and try to keep up. That’s before you even get to all the writers and artists and editors who have worked with him or been inspired by him, all eager to share their memories, their tributes, their love for him. Turns out, writing about George Pérez is easy. Stopping writing about George Pérez, that’s the hard part.

“These last few months, it seems that everybody is writing about George –and rightly so. The outpouring of praise, well-wishes and heartfelt thank-you’s prompted by his health announcement has been staggering; and long may it continue. He deserves every accolade. This award is far from the first George has received, and it won’t be the last, but I have no doubt it will mean a great deal to him.

“George knows the value of a good inker. He is effusive in his praise of those who, early in his career, made him a better artist, and those who, as time went on, were able to match him for sheer enthusiasm, hard work and painstaking detail. As an inker of other pencillers, George brings all of that to the table, with an innate recognition of comic books as a unique medium of collaboration. He will elevate your artwork to the best it can be – and you know he absolutely will not skip a single line. And when Pérez inks Pérez? Hold onto your hats. Just take a look at his magnum opus, JLA/Avengers–not least the cover to #3 that almost broke him. For that one, single image, George deserves all the comic book awards going – hell, give him an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize to boot.

 

“Such is his heroic contribution to the industry, so prodigious are his powers, that he would be a worthy Avenger or Justice Leaguer. He is Fantastic…Incredible…a Wonder. He has captured the Infinite, twice over…and united the champions of multiple earths. George Pérez is a true Titan.”

Photo: The Severin Estate



John Severin
‘s daughters, Michelina Severin Van Gemert and Ruth Severin Larenas, made the following announcement not just for John but also for his sister, 2019 SASRA recipient Marie Severin, because the Inkwells did not have contact info for the Severin Estate at the time:

“On behalf of the family of John Severin and Marie Severin we are very proud and honored to accept this Inkwell Awards SASRA lifetime achievement award for them. They were both pioneers in the comic book industry and we wish to thank everyone involved in bestowing this well-deserved award. John E. And Marguerite Severin had only two children: John P. Severin and Marie A. Severin, both born with amazing artistic talent. Dad and Aunt Marie were unique in their work and in themselves. They were good, honest, loyal, and hysterically funny human beings. We will miss them always.

John Severin: “Our Dad’s career spanned 60-plus years. He was referred to as an ‘artist’s artist’ known for his historical knowledge and accuracy, especially in western and military genres. As writer Mark Evanier recalled, ‘Jack Kirby used to say that when he had to research some historical costume or weapon for a story, it was just as good to use a John Severin drawing as it was to find a photo of the real thing. They don’t make ’em like that anymore.’ And to quote Stan Lee, ‘The minute you looked at his artwork you knew you were looking at a John Severin illustration, it could be no one else.’

“ Our father’s exceptional, diverse talent spanned from monster comics such as Warren Publishing’s Creepy to satirical humor such as MAD and Cracked magazines, to western, military and Native American comic titles, to superheroes, and even baseball cards and military prints for The Military Historian Society, of which he was a member. Severin began his career in the 1930s, drawing cartoons for NYC’s The Hobo News while attending The High School of Music and Art with Harvey Kurtzman, Al Jaffe, Al Feldstein, and Will Elder. From there he began working for EC Comics becoming the sole artist and later co-editor of Two-fisted Tales. His career brought him to Atlas Comics, a precursor to Marvel Comics. Severin then became co-contributor of MAD magazine along with Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Will Elder, and Wallace Wood (the original “usual gang of idiots”).

“Subsequently, he found himself at Marvel Comics where he penciled and inked for many titles such as The Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos, the renowned Semper Fi series, Kull The Conquerer, and was co-creator of the American Eagle series. Severin also co-created Marvel’s Rawhide Kid, and 50 years later found himself drawing the ground-breaking new character Slap Leather, an effeminate version of the the Rawhide Kid. At the same time as working for Marvel he became the lead artist and cover artist for Cracked magazine, a position he held for over 40 years. Severin also penciled and inked many titles for Dark Horse Comics, including the series Witchfinder.

“Our dad was a good, caring and faithful father and husband, successfully juggling his family life and his long hours with his pencil and ink. He was someone we could always count on no matter what. He was a great soul…and friend to man and beast. John Severin died at the age of 90 at his home, surrounded by our family, with a partially-drawn story on his drawing board for Dark Horse’s George Armstrong Custer: The Middle Years.”

Marie Severin: “Our Aunt Marie was a pioneer, being one of the first female creators in the comic-book industry; a mentor and encouragement to future women comic-book artists. Her career spanned 50-plus years. She began her career as a colorist for her brother’s work, John Severin, at EC Comics. Her talent became obvious, and she began to do penciling and inking for Marvel Comics, with a knack for caricature.

“She went on to work as the ground-breaking female head-colorist and was known endearingly to Stan Lee as “Mirthful Marie”, due to her humor and demeanor. The breadth of her work included being the co-creator of Spider Woman for Marvel, for whom she designed the original costume, and drew and/or inked stories of the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, and the covers and interiors of series that included Iron Man, The Cat, Daredevil, Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror (the latter two collaborating for a period with her brother, John).

“Having a flair for children’s comics, she worked with the Marvel Books imprint on children’s coloring books and stickers; and she drew and inked Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies and The Smurfs series for Marvel’s Star Comics. Marie also co-created the character Doctor Bong, antagonist to the Howard the Duck character. She was assigned by Stan Lee to be the feature artist of Doctor Strange in Strange Tales. She also was a colorist, artist and inker for DC Comics, EC, Atlas and Dark Horse.

“Among the many awards she received, Marie Severin’s work was included in the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art exhibition of women comic-book artists. She was listed as one of 12 women cartoonists by the organization ‘Comics Alliance,’ deserving of a lifetime achievement recognition. This led into her receiving Comic Con International’s Icon Award in 2017. Marie was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame and the much-coveted Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame with her brother, John Severin. She was one of the first two women artists to be inducted into this Hall of Fame, alongside Dale Messick, creator of Brenda Starr.

“Aunt Marie was a fun and loving aunt to us. She was one to never forget our birthdays, and always gave us a much-anticipated laugh. She was a joy in our lives. Marie Severin passed away at The Huntington Hospital in Long Island, NY at the age of 89. She and her brother, John Severin, were extraordinarily proliferate artists whose entire profiles of work and awards cannot possibly be listed here.”

“Both John and Marie Severin (Dad and Aunt Marie), despite their enormous successes in the industry, were modest and charmingly unpretentious people, who would have been both grateful and humbled by this award. Our family appreciates the Inkwells for this and we extend our warm thanks.”

From Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum/The Rocketeer Trust

Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum


Dave Stevens’ sister and trustee of The Rocketeer Trust, Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum, made the following statement on behalf of her brother:

“I would like to thank the Inkwell Awards’ nomination committee for this posthumous award to Dave. Thank you for keeping his memory alive and acknowledging the phenomenal talent that he possessed. His talent was apparent even in his teenage years without any professional training. Seeing his art in person, even in his early years, is something to behold. Flawless is an understatement as I still am taken aback when I look at his work. I know that he touched many lives and inspired many to enter into the art field or continue in it when doubts crept in. He left an indelible mark on the world and we are the richer for it. Thank you again!”

Former SASRA recipients and info on this award can be found here.

This year there are two new recipients of the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award: Brett Breeding and Bob Wiacek. Each generously provided a statement:

Joe Sinnott & Brett Breeding

Brett Breeding:

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me for this year’s Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award. I am humbled and honored to receive it. I’ve always thought this type of an award was a double-edged sword. Although being recognized for your body of work is a nice thing, being entered into a Hall of Fame of any kind usually suggests your career is behind you. Just so there’s no confusion here, I’m not going anywhere just yet! I expect to be producing more work for many years to come, but now I will have this award bearing Joe Sinnott’s name watching over me while I do so. How great is that?

“As a young fan, Joe Sinnott was a favorite artist whose work consistently captivated my attention. His inking style had a huge impact on my wanting to become a comic book artist and was a major influence early in my career. In the very early days of my venture into comics, I was given the opportunity to work for Joe as his background assistant, and though it only lasted a short time, it provided me the chance to meet and visit Joe in his home, one of the biggest thrills of my early days in comics. He was not only an incredibly talented artist, but a genuinely, magnificent human being.

“It has been one of the many honors of my career in comics to know Joe and, even more incredibly, to call him my friend. I greatly miss visiting Joe and all the time spent listening to his stories of his life, in and outside of comics. I think of him frequently and carry a small part of him with me every time I sit at my drawing board and start dipping ink. Having an award that carries his name will be a daily reminder of this giant of a man. I could not be more honored.”

Bob Wiacek & Joe Sinnott @ Albany Con

Bob Wiacek:

“Having known Joe Sinnott since 1968, I never thought I’d be receiving an award in his name, and for that I thank you. Though there are others who deserve this award more than I, like Reed Crandall, Bob Powell, George Roussos, and Bernie Sachs, who perfected the art of inking in their own way. If not for them and many others in this business, I would not have the job I love. I must also take this opportunity to thank Dick Giordano for giving me the chance to work with him and, more importantly, for opening my eyes as to what inking is all about. Thank you, Dick, and I will never forget you.”

Mark Sinnott & Bob Wiacek @ Albany Con

On behalf of the Joe Sinnott Estate, son Mark Sinnott expressed his reaction upon hearing the results:

“We are delighted and honored to welcome the two newest members into the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame class of 2022 and recipients of the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame award. Joining this elite group are Brett Breeding and Bob Wiacek. Both have contributed so much inking talent to the comics industry throughout their illustrious careers. They both have certainly improved upon and enhanced the work of many pencillers.

“Many years ago when they were both up and coming artists, they would visit my dad, Joe, from time to time at his home in Saugerties, NY. Both of these fine gentlemen would continue to visit my dad, even in his later years. Joe was always so grateful for that. He always had a great time spending the day with them. Whenever he got a chance, Joe would always ‘check out’ the work of all the artists that would visit him at his studio. He liked to see what they had accomplished over time.

“As many of you know, Man-Thing is my favorite character. My dad, in knowing that, would always say to me each month when the complimentary books would arrive from Marvel: Mark, let me see Bob’s Man-Thing comic. And Brett as you know, had the pleasure of inking Ron Frenz’s Mighty Thor just before Joe took over again with issue 400. Dad always enjoyed seeing both of their finished products.

“In keeping with the tradition that my dad started many years ago, it is a pleasure to welcome Brett and Bob as the newest members of the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame. They both bring a world of talent and class, and are two of the nicest guys in the comics industry. I am proud to call them my friends. Joltin’ Joe would also be so proud of them, knowing that they have been selected as the newest members of this elite group. As always, keep slinging ink and never let your inkwell run dry. Congratulations on a fantastic career, Brett and Bob, and a job well done.”

Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame runners-up in alphabetical order: Sy Barry, John Beatty, Chic Stone, Reed Crandall

Former recipients can be found here.

The Inkwell Awards is the only official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and educate regarding the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize the best ink artists and their work. Established in 2008, the Inkwells are overseen by a volunteer committee of industry professionals and assisted by various professional ambassadors and contributors. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.

11 May 2021

Logo design: Michael Netzer

(New Bedford, MA/USA—May 11, 2021) The Kubert School had their annual scholarship awards event earlier in May via their second virtual scholarship ceremony through Google Meet, due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Inkwell Awards’ 12th Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Award of $1000 was presented to second-year student Ray Negron. The school posted an announcement of all award recipients on its website. The Inkwells created the scholarship award on behalf of their ink artist friend and committee member, Dave Simons, shortly after his passing in 2009, with the approval of his sister, Bette Simons. Bette shared the following statement:


“This past year has been one of the most challenging that many of us have ever experienced.I am hoping that everyone has found their own way to cope and overcome.Despite the upheaval and uncertainty, Inkwell’s staff has managed, in the midst of it all, to award another scholarship in my brother’s memory!!He would be astonished, yet humbled by it all, to say the least! Dave’s passion and dedication to his artwork, and of those he admired and respected, was what drove him to be the best that he could be.  Congratulations  to this year’s award recipient, Raymund Negron!  I wish you much success in your future.  You are off to a great start!With respect and admiration,  Bette Simons Rock.”

Dave Simons (1954-2009) was an American artist known for his work on the characters Conan, Ghost Rider, Red Sonja, Howard the Duck and Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and “Forgotten Realms” for DC Comics. He was also a storyboard artist for the award-winning animated TV show, “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” while simultaneously handling the art for DC’s comic book spin-off. To date, Inkwells has raised $12,000 in his name to students in need.

2021 award recipient: Raymond Negron

14 Apr 2021

From 2011 until 2018, the 501(c)(3) non-profit Inkwell Awards hosted the Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge, where Inkwell special ambassador Joe rendered two drawings a year to be inked. The purpose was to show fans and the public the importance of the inker’s role, and the art was auctioned as a major fundraiser event.

Through scans of the finished pieces and an animated GIF showing the variety of inking approaches compared to the pencils, viewers could see for themselves the vital role an ink artist plays in the art form.

Both professionals and amateur artists participated. (Six of the eight Challenges were collected into book form.) In January of 2020, Mr. Sinnott retired from the event after retiring almost a year earlier from his work on the Spider-Man comic strip (with Stan Lee & Alex Saviuk), well-earned after a nearly 70-year career. Sadly, Joe died of natural causes on June 25, 2020.

Because this occurred during the global pandemic, there was a simple and limited funeral and no memorial. Fans, friends and loved ones of Joe that had been involved in the Inkwell Challenge program had hoped for one more round but then Joe was gone. So when former Inkwell member Joe Goulart presented founder/director Bob Almond with an art gift, they discussed a way to bring some closure for those participants who didn’t get to say goodbye.

Joe G. asked Ron Frenz if he would draw a tribute to Joe as a celebratory and “farewell” piece for the Inkwells. Since Joe Sinnott had inked Ron on many covers and had a good run on Marvel’s Thor, Ron and Joe G. generously donated the heartfelt Thor piece attached.

Joe’s son, Mark Sinnott (recently “taking up the torch” as an Inkwell special ambassador himself), enthusiastically approved of the project. Mark and Bob decided to invite both professional ink artists who were friends, colleagues, disciples and admirers and also “bring the band” back together with most of the former contributors to the previous Inking Challenges to have a last chance to honor the legendary master artist and exceptional human being. This was born the Joe Sinnott TRIBUTE Inking Challenge!

The plan is to have the boards completed and ready to be auctioned to the public by the one-year anniversary of Joe’s passing this June; it plans to be a loving tribute to our “patron saint of inkers,” Joe Sinnott.

If you are an interested, established pro comic book artist and want to participate you can contact Bob Almond to inquire at dmralmond@gmail.com but we are not officially accepting requests because almost 80 invitations went out a few days ago. But we’d be happy to put you on a standby list in case several invitees don’t reply back or decline to participate.

10 Aug 2020

 

(New Bedford, MA/USA—August 10, 2020) The 2020 delayed AWARD RECIPIENT RESULTS were post on First Comics News August 6 and on our website we posted the 2020 Results in the Awards section on August 8 which additionally supplied the nominees percentages and all the winners’ statements, including on video. This article here is an additional run down but akin to the ones we printed by me for the annual Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge Books, with info bits for the record added in.

 

Favorite InkerFavorite ink artist over the pencil work of another artist.

(Cannot also be nominated for the “Props” award.)

A) Mark Morales: Amazing Spider-man, Avengers (Marvel)

B) Joe Prado: Superman (DC)

C) Norm Rapmund: Batgirl, Batman, Batman Beyond, Flash Forward, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman, Wonder Woman (DC)

D) Walden Wong: genLOCK, Justice League (DC), Crazy, Incredible Hulk: Last Call, Marvel’s Hero Project Season 1: Mighty Rebekah, X-23 (Marvel)

And the winner, with 43% of the votes, is WALDEN WONG! An eight-time Inkwell winner now, this is Walden’s second win for Favorite Inker!

 

Most-adaptable:  

Artist showing exceptional ink style versatility over other pencil artists.

A) Marc DeeringJoker: Year of the Villain (DC); Black Panther, Immortal Hulk, Red Goblin/Red Death, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Venom Unleashed (Marvel)

B) Jonathan Glapion: Aquaman, Batman: Last Knight on Earth, Joker: Year of the Villain, Terrifics (DC); Spawn (Image)

C) Scott Hanna: Justice League Odyssey, Suicide Squad (DC); Avengers, Dr. Strange (Marvel)

D) Jay Leisten: Absolute Carnage, Daredevil, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man, Return of Wolverine, Symbiote Spider-man (Marvel)

E) Norm Rapmund: Batgirl, Batman, Batman Beyond, Flash Forward, Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman, Wonder Woman (DC)

F) J.L. Straw: Aliens: Rescue, Halo: Lone Wolf (Dark Horse)

G) Walden Wong: genLOCK, Justice League (DC); Crazy, Incredible Hulk: Last Call, Marvel’s Hero Project Season 1: Mighty Rebekah, Star Wars: Age Of Republic Heroes–Obi-Wan Kenobi; X-23 (Marvel)

With 41% of the votes, our nine-time winner is again, WALDEN WONG! This is his record-setting sixth Most-Adaptable Award trophy since 2014.

 

Props awardInk artist deserving of more attention for their work over other pencil artists. (Those nominated for, or past winners of, “Favorite Inker” are ineligible.) 

A) Eber Ferreira: Freedom Fighters, Detective Comics, Supergirl (DC)
B) Stefano Guadiano: Walking Dead (Image); DCeased (DC)

C) Jonathan Glapion: Aquaman, Batman: Last Knight on Earth, Joker: Year of the Villain, Terrifics (DC); Spawn (Image)

D) Le Beau Underwood: Absolute Carnage: Captain Marvel, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur (Marvel); Noble (Lion Forge)

The winner, with 32% of the votes, is EBER FERREIRA!  This is Eber’s 4th Inkwell Award nomination overall in this category and his second win in this category.

 

The S.P.A.M.IFavorite Small Press And Mainstream/Independent ink work over another pencil artist (non-Marvel//DC work).

David Cabeza: Superb (Lion Forge)

B) Adelso Corona: Bloodshot (Valiant)

C) Anthony Fowler: Firefly (Boom Studios)

D) Stefano Guadiano: Walking Dead (Image)

E) Le Beau Underwood: Noble (Lion Forge)

With 22% of the votes, our winner is STEFANO GAUDIANO in what turned out to be the closest race! He had previously taken this category in 2016 and last year but has been a nominee and often the runner-up every single year since 2013.

 

All-in-one awardFavorite artist known for inking his/her own pencil work.

A) Brad Krause: Grave World (Radiance Media)

B) Sean Gordon Murphy: Batman: Curse of the White Night (DC)

C) Stan Sakai: Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)

D) Liam Sharp: Green Lantern (DC)

The winner, with 34% of the votes, is: LIAM SHARP! This is Liam’s second Inkwell nomination AND win in this category, the first time being in 2018! He’s also the first winner to win twice for this category in 10 years.


THE STACEY ARAGON SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD (SASRA): Allen Bellman, Sal Buscema and Norman Lee

Other nominees: Jack Abel, Gene Day, Bill Everett, Frank Frazetta, Graham Ingles, Dennis Janke, Michael Kaluta, Pablo Marcos, June Tarpe Mills, Bob Oksner, George Papp, Wendy Pini, Stan Sakai, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Simons, Jim Starlin, Art Thibert, Charles Vess, Al Vey and Bob Wiacek

THE JOE SINNOTT HALL OF FAME: Bob Layton, John Romita Sr, and Bernie Wrightson

Other nominees: Brett Breeding, Johnny Craig, Mike Esposito, George Klein, Steve Leialoha, Pablo Marcos, Terry Moore, Mike Royer, Chic Stone and Bob Wiacek

 

The first Hall of Fame recipient had been nominated for this award four times, the last three years in a row, but this year, the fifth nomination was the one for “Babyface” Bob Layton!

Comics writer/artist/editor Bob Layton on Friday, October 10, 2014 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, Day 2 of the 2014 New York Comic Con. Photo by Luigi Novi.

 

The next Hall of Fame award goes to Jazzy Johnny, John Romita Sr.! At 90, John is now retired.

John Romita, Sr., American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ The Amazing Spider-Man. Taken at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con International. Photo by Pinguino.

 

The third and only posthumous recipient is the “Master of the Macabre” himself, Bernie Wrightson, who was our first recipient after the debut of the Special Recognition Award in 2015 at Heroes Con while receiving treatment and surgery from his brain cancer that would tragically take him two years later. Bernie was previously nominated four times for the Sinnott Hall of Fame but the fifth times the charm. He is the first winner of the SASRA to also win the Sinnott Award.

Joe Sinnott, the award’s namesake and first 2008 winner, made the following statement about this year’s inductees late last year:

“It is with great pleasure that we have elected 3 very worthy and deserving artists to the growing list of members inducted into the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame:

Bernie Wrightson, Bob Layton and John Romita.

I have never had the pleasure to work with Bernie Wrightson, but have admired his tremendous work for years. His work on Swamp Thing was a pleasure to see, but I feel that his Frankenstein art is some of the best work ever published. Bernie lived for many years in my hometown of Saugerties, and it was always a pleasure to see him. We always had great talks when we would get together. We all miss him very much. 

When Bob Layton was an up an coming artist, he would come to visit me at my home from time to time. We certainly had some great visits then, and still enjoy getting together at conventions. Bob’s work on Iron Man has certainly made a major impact on comics in recent years, and on the big screen as well. I did ink a cover with Bob many years ago. (Power Man #63). I am so proud of Bob and what he’s accomplished. 

What can I say of John Romita that hasn’t already been said. John is a legend in his own right. I have worked with him on countless projects throughout the years such as the Fantastic Four, Captain America and even a Star Wars Droids story. You can add in numerous covers as well. We don’t see each other as much as we once did, but it is always a great pleasure to spend time with John at the few shows that we do attend.

It is an honor to have these three outstanding gentlemen enshrined in our Hall of Fame. They have all brought a tremendous talent and plenty of hard work, dedication and class to the comic industry. Their pencil work alone is an asset to the industry, but their inked work makes it all the better. Great job!

Your friend,

Joe

(Joe Sinnott, December 29, 2019)

This would be Joe’s final Hall of Fame winners statement since he recently passed away June 25 at the age of 93.

Hall of Fame tributes will be added to the website by August or September.

02 Jul 2020

Bob Almond: “The last time I was with Joe August 29, 2019 in his hometown of Saugerties, NY to celebrate Joe Sinnott Day (officially August 31) and his commemorative exhibit gallery showcasing his life and 69 year career.”

On June 25 at 10:50am, grandson and author Dorian Jack Sinnott posted the following statement at the Facebook Joe Sinnott Art Page that he admins:

“It with great sorrow that we must announce the passing of Joltin’ Joe Sinnott on June 25th at 8:40am at the age of 93. He went peacefully with the knowledge that his family, friends, and fans adored him. He enjoyed life and was drawing up until the end. He always loved hearing from all of you and having your comments read to him. Each and every one of you were special to him.
The Sinnott family requests their privacy and understanding during this difficult time. Please send condolences to:
The Sinnott Family
27 Spaulding Lane
Saugerties, NY 12477
Thank you again for being such loyal and dedicated fans and friends to Joe. He considered all fans friends, and seeing you at cons and reading your messages was what kept him young at heart.
RIP Joe Sinnott
October 16th, 1926 – June 25th, 2020″

Inkwell Awards founder & director made the following statement on his Facebook account that same day:

“Joe Sinnott: 1926-2020

It’s true. Many of you may have already read about it. We at the Inkwell Awards lost the heart and soul of the Inkwell Awards family. I was informed by the family that Joe was in hospice Wednesday. I knew this devastating news was coming but I am still not ready for it. I’m trying to get my thoughts together but I’m overwhelmed by it all. For that please forgive me. I also have a computer issue atm and can’t retrieve a photo to accompany this post. (Update: pal Mike White sent me this pic from the 2018 Terrific since I don’t have access to my other photos atm. Thanks, Mike!)

August 17-19, 2019 at the Terrificon at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville,CT (L-R back row) Mike White, Bill ODonnell, Tom Raney, Jim Tournas (front) Bob Almond and Joe Sinnott

A posthumous tribute from artist Francesco Francavilla, June 25, 2020

I am privileged that Joe was my friend. I believe the last time I spent with Joe was last year’s gallery of his life and career in Saugerties, NY. There was a tentative plan to visit him after the holidays but plans changed. I had been making calls to Joe monthly and as the pandemic hit us it tragically meant a quarantine for Joe from the outside world. I tried calling him weekly. We last spoke in mid-May and it was possibly the longest call we’d ever had together. He told me he was looking forward to my next call and I know the isolation was rough on him. I tried calling two more times but I couldn’t seem to connect with him. Mark Sinnott told me he was also having a hard time reaching him. I was soon informed that Joe was transferred to the hospital because he was weak and had lost a lot of weight. Anyone who knew Joe knows he was relatively thin so that info seriously concerned me. Calls were not possible and it was hoped that he’d be stronger and bounce back after a month’s stay. But he declined further and this week I was informed he was in hospice. And now he’s gone. I wish I’d had another visit or another call with him. Wish I’d made more time to try to catch him on the phone.

When the Inkwell Awards were formed over 12 years ago there was little to no hesitation that Joe would be our Hall of Game Award namesake. His reputation was sterling, his body of work legendary, his talent universally recognized. And he was a fine gentleman of a human being. Joe was ecstatic when we asked for his approval in 2008 and when he was announced as our first special ambassador. Joe gave our fledgling non-profit the credibility and respect that we needed in order to survive long term and he was thrilled when we attended shows together and got to meet the team volunteers and spokesmodels. It amazed me that the quality of his ink lines and drawing prowess at his age were still unmistakable and flawless as anything he’d done over the decades. He only began to slow down a year or so ago, reducing workload and public appearances. He cherished meeting his peers, friends and fans at every location. But the travel, the sketching, even signing items became too draining for him. Mark was staunch and resolute about looking after his dad and thank God for that. It was comforting to know Mark would always be his top advocate, deciding on what was best for his health. In the past couple of years I began hugging him more when we got together. I’m not sure how a Navy Seabee who had stormed Okinawa in WWII felt about that but he never showed disapproval. Everyone loved Joe and he always reciprocated, the nicest guy and most sincere man around anywhere. Even with his relatively small stature he was a giant among artists, setting the bar high and showing others how it was done. He inspired everyone and I was always fond of him and truly honored to be his friend. I loved this exceptional man. And I will always miss him.

A world without Joltin’ Joe is a sad, poorer place. But his art career achievements, his work, his humanity, his legacy will always bring love and joy to the world.

Sincere condolences on behalf of the Inkwell Awards to his beloved family and loved ones for their incredible loss.”

On June 30 Dorian posted this update:

“Joe was buried today privately with military honors and a beautiful Catholic mass at St. Joseph’s Church. He was surrounded by his family. Thank you to Father Chris and Deacon Smith for the beautiful service. Joe would have been honored.
A celebration of life for Joe will be held at a future date. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers ?”

 

July 2- Bob Almond: “I am sorry to have taken so long to post this at the Inkwell website. It has been a devastating, somber week of mourning.  I am heart-broken. Joe was a fundamental, crucial part of our organization FROM DAY ONE soon after we formed in January 2008. He was 81 then. Twelve and a half years he served. If our late, beloved Stacey Aragon was our heart, then Joe was our soul, and he always will be. Picking Joe for his role as special ambassador and Hall of Fame namesake was a no-brainer. He is debatably the best damn ink artist ever in the industry of comic book sequential art. And his reputation as a gentleman and kindhearted and altruistic person trumped even the artistic achievements. Just having his name associated with us gave us credibility and respect. I thank my lucky stars that when Jim Tournas and I first approached him and his son Mark at the 2008 NY Comic Con that they accepted. Mark was Joe’s handler & protector. He was the essential liaison between his dad and us and if it wasn’t for him the many accomplishments we made would never have happened, thousands of fundraising dollars would not have been raised. He was/is under-appreciated and awarding him an Above & Beyond Award hopefully showed him how important he truly was to us. I attended numerous shows beside Mark & Joe, had dinners with them, my senior spokesmodel Hailey and other close friends of the Sinnotts, and I had the joy of visiting the family at their home and Joe at his apartment. I became part of their family and Joe became my cherished friend. I didn’t see that coming in a million years. (And it’s so ironic that between the mid-1980 to early 1990 Wrightson Halloween parties in Woodstock and the Ramapo High School Cons that followed, both in the upper state New York region that I would not run into Joe in his Saugerties backyard for years. I guess I’ll always be tied to that community of fine folks and legendary artists.)

It’ll be hard going forward without his good-spirited laughter and smile. He is loved. He is missed. He left this world a much better place and we tragically shall never see his like again. But I count my lucky stars for every moment and conversation I ever had with him as it enriched my life. Forward and upward the Inkwell Family soars into the next decade as a successful advocacy organization. Thank you, Joe!”

Joe and Bob at the 2012 Albany Con

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

07 May 2020

Logo design: Michael Netzer

Ryusei Sawadi

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(New Bedford, MA/USA—May 6, 2020) The Kubert School had their annual scholarship awards event earlier in May via a virtual scholarship ceremony through Google Meet, due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Inkwell Awards’ 11th Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Award of $1000 was presented to second-year student Ryusei Sawada. The school posted an announcement of all award recipients on its website.

Sawada is an aspiring artist originally from Tokyo, Japan, whose ultimate goal is to work for publishers like Marvel, DC, and Image as an inker/artist. He entered the Kubert School right out of high school.

Kubert School

Normally, according to The Inkwell Awards’ founder/director Bob Almond, the non-profit would send a representative to the Dover, NJ institution to attend the live ceremony and personally congratulate the winning student. But due to shelter-in-place orders, they were unable to, and school director Carol Thomas informed him that the school had already set up remote learning, which will remain in place until the end of the year.

“There were some timing issues but the virtual ceremony was a great idea,” said Almond. “This way the lucky winner was able to get even more public recognition. Kudos to school director Mike Chen and the Kubert School staff for getting it done despite many challenges. We hope to be there next year to shake the hand of the winner.”

The Inkwells created the scholarship award on behalf of their ink artist friend and committee member, Dave Simons, shortly after his passing in 2009, with the approval of his sister, Bette Simons. Bette shared the following statement:

“We are all navigating uncharted waters in this current environment. With unity, strength and faith we will manage to get through this and be stronger. Even considering all that is happening in the world right now, we must still manage to maintain some sense of normalcy which is why, for the 11th year, I am honored to recognize the recipient of The Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship for 2020.

For those of you that do not know Dave or perhaps even his accomplishments, I can tell you that he devoted his entire life to being the best artist he could be and only wanted to get better. He was always critical of his work, looking for the most seemingly insignificant detail that would have made it even just a little bit better.

He was a mentor to many and was mentored by many of the best in the business. He thrived on interacting with others, sharing ideas and inspiration. He had great successes and crushing failures but with the failures, he never lost sight of the fact that he was doing what he loved most.

It will be 11 years next month since Dave passed and I miss him every day. I have no words to express my gratitude to all of the people that continually support this scholarship program. It takes relentless effort and dedication to be able to make this presentation in Dave’s memory every year. For that, I am eternally thankful.

Congratulations to this year’s recipient Ryusei Sawadi. I wish you much success and happiness.”

Dave Simons (1954-2009) was an American artist known for his work on the characters Conan, Ghost Rider, Red Sonja, Howard the Duck and Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and “Forgotten Realms” for DC Comics. He was also a storyboard artist for the award-winning animated TV show, “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” while simultaneously handling the art for DC’s comic book spin-off. To date, Inkwells has raised $11,000 in his name to students in need.

14 Mar 2020

Our host show the Great Philadelphia Comic Con! was forced to shut down for April 3-5 by the Governor of PA as a precaution for the Covid-19/Coronavirus pandemic. The show and our awards ceremony has been rescheduled to September 4-6, 2020. Here is the statement from the promoter of the show: “We regret the disappointment and inconvenience this turn of events has caused. Like every business we are all at the mercy of the status of the virus and the preventative actions of the federal state of emergencies. We will be monitoring and reporting any relevant convention changes for us. Thanks for your understanding.”

12 Mar 2020

In response to the Coronavirus/Covid-19 virus pandemic the state of Massachusetts called a state of emergency and after much deliberation the Ace Comic Con: Northeast- Boston decided to cancel the show March 20-22 in the hopes of rescheduling it again, but with no guaranties. We are in communications with our Inkwell host-show the Great Philadelphia Comic Con! and while the show is presently expecting to be held along with our awards ceremony, we’ll keep you posted here should these plans change.

16 Jan 2020

Some of you might have noticed that for the past week this site had a different look. We’ve been working over the past year+ with new senior contributor Steven Freivogel to upgrade the venue and while it’s now uploaded it’s still a work in progress as we try to fine-tune it. This is the third site for our non-profit, the first being set up by committee member Jim Tournas in 2008 and the second version set up by committee member Sarah Covert (now Gerhardt) and Bob Almond in 2011. But now in 2020 as we are entering our second decade of existence the team wanted us to progress with the times. Much kind thanks to all the time & effort on the parts of not only Steven but Mike Pascale, Rhys Evans and Tim Aslat w/ Daniel Best (both who’ve been our webmasters since 2008 and were instrumental with the changeover). We continue to work at making our site the one-stop resource for all things inking!

04 Nov 2019

Hello–

IT’S TIME TO GET RECOGNIZED! Submit your work for free for the 2019 Inkwell Awards!

YOU, the ink artist (or your agent/publisher), can submit your work for nomination in any of our five categories. (Unlike some other awards, we do not charge a fee.) While our volunteer nomination committee (“NomCom”) can still submit their choices, they just can’t see all the wonderful work during the year from all publishers large and small. So it’s up to YOU! We know no one likes to read long emails, but this is important and worth it (previous winners/submitters can skip the “Who We Are” section).

WHO WE ARE:

In case you still haven’t heard, The Inkwell Awards (inkwellawards.com) is an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public and promote the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. Founded in 2008, the organization is overseen by a volunteer committee of industry professionals and assisted by various pro ambassadors, numerous contributors and supporters. We sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.

WHAT TO SEND:

1. Examples of TWO (minimum) to THREE (maximum) interior pages of published & printed comic-book ink work you’ve done from any USA-published comic book (per each category below) COVER-DATED 2019 (sorry, no webcomics unless also printed.). Send either links to your specific samples (not general site links), or low-res image files. (Do not send large files–we’re not a printer!) DO NOT SEND PHYSICAL COPIES–they will not be eligible.

(Make sure you read and understand the BIG RULES below before sending.)

2. Your NAME, preferred EMAIL ADDRESS, the TITLE/ISSUE #(s) and PUBLISHER.

3.The CATEGORY(-IES) to which it belongs. You may submit the same or different work to different categories, EXCEPT “Favorite Inker” and “Props”–pick one or the other. Categories are:

  1. Favorite Inker: favorite ink artist over the pencils of another artist. (Can’t be nominated for “Props.”)
  1. Most-adaptable: showing exceptional ink style versatility over other pencil artists. (Minimum TWO pages per penciller, up to three.)
  1. Props award: ink artist deserving of more attention for their work over other pencillers.
  1. The S.P.A.M.I: for favorite Small Press And Mainstream-Independent comic book ink work over another pencil artist (Non-Marvel or DC).
  1. All-in-one award: for favorite artist inking his/her own pencils.

WHERE TO SEND: Email samples to inkwellawards@yahoo.com, with the Subject “2018 Inkwell Awards.” (Questions? Same email or ask us on Facebook or Twitter @inkwellawards.)

WHEN TO SEND: The deadline is DECEMBER 31st, 2019 (we’ll post reminders, but earlier is better).

PLEASE help us help you by following the directions and rules specifically. If not, your work cannot be considered. We are merely a few working professionals who volunteer when time allows so we don’t have the time/manpower to micro-manage.

THE BIG RULES (Please read):

-Inks can be with traditional or digital tools (e.g., brush, pen, marker, stylus, Apple Pen, Wacom, etc., but NOT just pencils darkened/manipulated via Photoshop/software–must be drawn by HAND).

-Work must have been printed in the USA with a 2019 cover date. No Web-only comics.
-Our volunteer NomCom may also submit their choices. All entries will be considered equally and tallied.
-The core committee is not permitted to nominate, nor vote, for anyone (so save your bribes).
-All links sent must be to the specific pages being considered. Any general site links (“JohnDoe.com,” DeviantArt portfolios, etc.) will be ignored. No physical copies.
-If work does not meet the criteria above or is not submitted in accordance with these rules, it will not be considered. Fraudulent entries will be voided and will result in your not being considered for any future awards (and any awards won will be forfeited and given to the runner-up).
The Inkwell Awards is not responsible for any power outages, server issues, software or hardware malfunctions, human error, acts of God, zombie apocalypses and any other stuff beyond our control.Again, if you have questions or need more info, send an email to either inkwellawards@yahoo.com, or to me directly at the address below.

Thank you and good luck!

Sincerely,

Bob Almond (and The Inkwell Awards Committee)

The Inkwell Awards

Site: inkwellawards.com
Facebook.com/groups/TheInkwellAwards
Twitter: @inkwellawards