Francis Rothbart!: The Tale of a Fastidious Feral

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As a openly gay man in my late sixties, I have been called “f—-t” more times than I would choose to remember, and seen too many die too young during the AIDs epidemic. In my work as an artist and educator in my over 40 year career, I have attempted to help break and blur some cultural barriers that are still deeply enmeshed within our present day society. Artists must be brave, particularly telling the stories that they need to tell. Francis challenges the torches and pitchforks, he is stronger than the misunderstandings, the bullying, and the hate. I am too!

Diana Sousa, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins; The Mighty Nein Origins: Yasha Nydoorin; The Mighty Nein Origins: Fjord Stone; The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast (Dark Horse)

Best Writer/Artist

Geneviève Castrée: Complete Works, by Geneviève Castrée, translation by Phil Elverum and Aleshia Jensen (Drawn & Quarterly)

Comic-Con International, which is responsible for the organization of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, has not released any statement on the controversy or on the attempts to push for the withdrawal of the four nominations. CCI and the Eisner Awards organizers have not responded to a request for comment from Popverse on this story.The LGBTQ+ Comics Studies Reader: Critical Openings, Future Directions , edited by Alison Halsall and Jonathan Warren (University Press of Mississippi) Down to the Bone: A Leukemia Story, by Catherine Pioli, translation by J. T. Mahany (Graphic Mundi/Penn State University Press) Former students of Thomas Woodruff step forward to talk of abusive behavior Image credit: Fantagraphics

Geneviève Castrée: Complete Works , by Geneviève Castrée, translation by Phil Elverum and Aleshia Jensen (Drawn & Quarterly) Image and DC received the most nominations: Image with 20 (plus six shared) and DC with 11 (plus five shared). Image’s nominees span a spectrum of titles, with multiple nominations for Clementine, The Department of Truth, It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, Killadelphia, Love Everlasting, Monstress, and Rain. Topping DC’s nominees are Human Target and Nightwing, with three each.

As stories of Woodruff's behavior continued to emerge on social media, a petition was launched asking for all four of Woodruff’s Eisner nominations be rescinded. The petition itself explains, “The Eisner Awards are some of the most high-profile honors that a comic can receive. Awarding Thomas Woodruff’s current work with these accolades would send the message that historical abuses of power and open distaste of the very medium itself should be celebrated. In the world of comics, support and care for those who are learning and growing needs to be recognized and rewarded — not duplicitous work enabled by an exploitation of power. We, as a community, can — and will — do better than that.” Tom King, Batman: Killing Time, Batman: One Bad Day, Gotham City: Year One, The Human Target, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow(DC); Love Everlasting (Image) The full list of nominees can be found below, and the winners will be announced during the evening of Friday, July 21, at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel. You can apply to vote here until June 2, with the deadline to vote lasting until June 9.