Shel dorf Awards now open for nominations!
Includes the Jerry Bails Comic Book Fandom Award

Fans and creators will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite talents as the nomination ballots of the first Shel Dorf Awards are now open. The ballot consists of 16 categories that receive nominations until July 31 and then five finalists in each category will be voted upon. The winners will be announced at Detroit Fanfare, September 24-25, at the Cobo Hall Convention Center in Detroit.

Founded in 2010, along with the inaugural Detroit Fanfare, the Shel Dorf Awards are dedicated to recognizing the comic industry’s brightest talents. Like Shel, the awards are most concerned with the fan perspective, giving the fans their right and say in the nomination and voting process. Shel Dorf helped to launch what is arguably the first true comic convention in the country with Detroit Triple Fan Fair in 1965 before he moved to San Diego in 1970 to help initiate what is now Comic Con.

Although this is the first open nomination with fans voting, the Shel Dorf Awards were presented last year in a special ceremony to honor Shel and the start of the awards. Stan Lee was on hand to accept The Legacy of Comics Award. A special award was given to three individuals that helped to continue the convention that Shel started and the recipients of the Shel Dorf Torch Bearer’s Award were Marvin Giles, Carl Lundgren, and Greg Theakston.

In addition to the creative categories honored, the Shel Dorf Awards are emphasizing the role of fandom as there is an award for Best Blogger. There is a special award named the Jerry Bails Comic Book Fandom Award which is for excellence in the pursuit of the essence of comic fandom. Jerry Bails has been labeled the “father of comic book fandom” and his wife, Jean, accepted an award to begin the presentations this year. The Legacy of Comics Award is determined by the board of directors of Detroit Fanfare and will also be announced at the ceremony.



The Official Shel Dorf Award Ceremony will be held at Adiamo’s restaurant in the Marriott, the official convention Hotel, and will consist of a three course entre dinner, open bar, and presentations of the Awards. The presenters for the awards include some of the guests of the convention and already confirmed to hand out the awards are: Kevin Eastman, Raven Gregory, Ron Marz, Phil Hester, Tommy Lee Edwards, Tyler Kirkham, Ebas, and more to be announced.



More information will be forthcoming about how to get tickets for the event but any nominated finalist will of course, a guest of Detroit Fanfare.



Nomination ballot can be found online at http://www.sheldorfawards.com/submissions

About Shel Dorf
Shel is legendary within comic fandom as one of organizers of the seminal Detroit comic conventions in the early 1960's and later, in 1970, as the founder of the San Diego Comic Con. He was very active in fandom and in writing on the subject of comics.

About Jerry Bails
Dr. Jerry Bails, was a pioneer in comic book fandom. He published Alter Ego #1 in 1961, and was instrumental in connecting fans together as well as aiding aspiring talents and is referred to as the “founding father of comic book fandom.”