Bethesda, Maryland; September16, 2008 – Small Press Expo (SPX) 2008 will host the twelfth annual presentation of the Ignatz Awards on Saturday night, October 4 at 9PM at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. The Ignatz Awards are a celebration of outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, the nominees being determined by a jury of five comic artists. This year’s jury consisted of Gabrielle Bell, Farel Dalrymple, Eleanor Davis, John Hankiewicz and Andy Hartzell.



The Ignatz Awards are voted on by those who attend this year's SPX on Saturday, October 4 only.



The Ignatz, named after George Herriman's brick-wielding mouse, recognizes exceptional work that challenges popular notions of what comics can achieve, both as an art form and as a means of personal expression. The Ignatz Awards are a festival prize, the first of such in the United States comic book industry.



SPX will be held on Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5 at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, across form the White Flint Metro stop. Admission is $8 per day and $15 for both days.



For more information on SPX and the Ignatz Awards, please visit our web site at www.spxpo.com.



The categories and nominees for this year’s Ignatz Awards are:



Outstanding Artist

Warren Craghead, How to Be Everywhere (self-published)

Lat, Town Boy (First Second Books)

Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Laura Park, Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream (self-published)

Michel Rabagliati, Paul Goes Fishing (Drawn & Quarterly)



Outstanding Anthology or Collection

Inkweed, Chris Wright (Sparkplug Comic Books)

Little Lulu Vol. 18, John Stanley (Dark Horse)

Papercutter #7, edited by Greg Means (Tugboat Press)

Pond Life, John Broadley (PictureBox)

Windy Corner #2, edited by Austin English (Sparkplug Comic Books)



Outstanding Graphic Novel

The Hot Breath of War, Trevor Alixopulos (Sparkplug Comic Books)

Notes for a War Story, Gipi (First Second Books)

Paul Goes Fishing, Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)

Skim, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Spent, Joe Matt (Drawn & Quarterly)



Outstanding Story

"Americus", MK Reed and Jonathan Hill, Papercutter #7 (Tugboat Press)

"The Candy Rod", Onsmith, Hotwire Comics #2 (Fantagraphics Books)

"The Galactic Funnels", Dash Shaw, Mome #11 (Fantagraphics Books)

The Thing About Madeleine, Lilli Carre (self-published)

"The Urn", Chris Wright, Inkweed (Sparkplug Comic Books)



Promising New Talent

Oliver East, Trains Are... Mint (Blank Slate)

Austin English, Windy Corner #2 (Sparkplug Comic Books)

Chuck Forsman, Snake Oil #1 (self-published)

Sarah Glidden, How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less (self-published)

Lars Martinson, Tonoharu (Pliant Press/Top Shelf Productions)



Outstanding Series

Eye of the Magnetic Creature, Leslie Stein (self-published)

Injury, Ted May, Jason Robards, and Jeff Wilson (Buenaventura Press)

Paul series, Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)

Reich, Elijah Brubaker (Sparkplug Comic Books)

Snake Oil, Chuck Forsman (self-published)



Outstanding Comic

Cryptic Wit #2, Gerald Jablonski (self-published)

Department of Art, Dunya Jankovic (self-published)

Lucky Vol. 2 #2, Gabrielle Bell (Drawn & Quarterly)

Palooka-ville #19, Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)

Snake Oil #1, Chuck Forsman (self-published)



Outstanding Mini-Comic

Bluefuzz, Jesse Reklaw

Dorado Park, Lilli Carre

How To Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, Sarah Glidden

Ochre Eclipse #2, Jonas Madden-Connor

Swell, Juliacks



Outstanding Online Comic

Achewood, Chris Onstad (www.achewood.com)

Danny Dutch, David King (www.reliablecomics.com)

Slow Wave, Jesse Reklaw (www.slowwave.com)

Thingpart, Joe Sayers (www.jsayers.com/thingpart/thingpart.html)

Traced, Tracy White (www.traced.com)