IDW Publishing Honored With Nine 2020 RINGO AWARD Nominations

Nominees Include Talented Creators and Captivating Titles from IDW, Artist’s Editions, Top Shelf, and Yoe Books SAN DIEGO, CA (August 28, 2020) – The 2020 Ringo Award judges recognized IDW Publishing and its imprints, Artist’s Editions, Top Shelf, and Yoe Books, with a combined nine nods this year. The prestigious award ceremony is an annual celebration of creativity, skill, and fun in comics, with nominations reflecting publications from the previous year as determined by fans and pros alike.   “The spirit of the Ringo Award is one that puts as much emphasis on reading enjoyment as it does on talent and craft,” says Jerry Bennington, President of IDW Publishing. “Our nominees this year, much like the work of Mike Wieringo himself, take readers on flights of fancy that linger long after the final page is turned. Many thanks to the Ringo jury for honoring us with these nominations!”   IDW’s 2020 Ringo Award Nominees include:    Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist): Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo   Best Letterer: Deron Bennett, Canto   Best Colorist: Laura Martin, Ragnarök: The Breaking of Helheim   Best Single Issue or Story: Usagi Yojimbo #6, by Stan Sakai   Best Original Graphic Novel: Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)   Best Humor Comic: Rick + Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, by Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub, and Troy Little   Best Non-Fiction Comic Work: They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)   Best Presentation in Design: Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups, edited by Craig Yoe (Yoe Books)   Best Presentation in Design: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (Artist’s Editions)     “It’s gratifying to see such a wide range of comics and graphic novels recognized,” says John Barber, Editor-in-Chief at IDW. “The Ringo Awards are a fantastic honor, and the slate of projects on display here — from the samurai action of Usagi Yojimbo, to the out-of-control comedy of Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, to the hard-hitting reality of They Called Us Enemy — all paint a unique picture of the creativity that comics can deliver, honoring the memory of Mike Weiringo in the most meaningful way we can.”   “Stan Sakai is not only one of our finest cartoonists, he is also a kindhearted gentleman and an absolute pleasure to work with — which added even more pressure to make this the best book I possibly could,” says Artist’s Edition editor Scott Dunbier. “Adding Shawn Lee to the mix brought it to the next level. This is a volume that I am incredibly proud of and I thank Stan for the trust he put in us.”   “For this award focused on the love of comics, it’s so fitting to see Penny Nichols nominated for its celebration of oddballs coming together to build a community around their favorite art form,” says Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros. “On the other hand, the sheer importance of They Called Us Enemy, both historical and contemporary, is also suffused with love: the love of George Takei’s family that sustained them through years of injustice, and their love for America’s ideals that we must struggle to live up to. Congratulations to all the creators who beautifully captured that love on paper.”   "As ‘Teenage Craig’ in the 1960s, I was a proud member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society and dreamed of someday designing Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups!" says Yoe Books editor, Craig Yoe. “Now, as Old Man Craig, I am both proud and humbled by this prestigious Ringo nomination that I share with the talent-filled Clizia Gussoni. We love the Fab Four: Jack, Steve, Stan, and Ringo!” The final voting for Ringo Awards is open to the creative comics community from now through Saturday, October 24, via the website www.ringoawards.com.   To acquire copies of IDW Publishing’s nominated comic book and graphic novel releases, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you. Graphic novels are also available for order via bookstores, online booksellers, and digital platforms.     For Further Reading   Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: Grasscutter Artist Select •   BW          •   $150.00 US / $195.00 CAN        •   ISBN 978-1-68405-660-6 •   Available Direct Exclusively from IDW Publishing Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 1: Bunraku and Other Stories •   FC          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-68405-657-6   They Called Us Enemy •   BW          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-60309-450-4 Nos llamaron Enemigo (They Called Us Enemy Spanish Ed.) •   BW          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-60309-483-2 They Called Us Enemy Expanded Ed. •   BW          •   $29.99 US / $39.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-60309-470-2   Canto Vol. 1: If I Only Had a Heart •   FC          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-68405-621-7   Marvel Masterwork Pin-Ups •   FC          •   $34.99 US / $45.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-68405-520-3   Penny Nichols •   BW          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-60309-448-1   Ragnarök Vol. 3: The Breaking of Helheim •   FC          •   $24.99 US / $33.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-68405-713-9   Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons •   FC          •   $19.99 US / $25.99 CAN           •   ISBN 978-1-68405-416-9

About IDW Publishing IDW Publishing (IDWP), a subsidiary of IDW Media Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK: IDWM), is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, trade paperbacks, and tabletop games. IDWP is one of the top four publishers of comic books and graphic novels in the U.S. with a library of world-renowned licensed content and original series. IDWP’s critically-acclaimed imprints include Top Shelf Productions, Artist’s Editions, EuroComics, The Library of American Comics, Sunday Press, and Yoe! Books.