Harvey Award | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Achievement in comic books |
Location |
Chicago Comicon (1988) Dallas Fantasy Fair (1989–1995) WonderCon (1997–1999) Pittsburgh Comicon (2000–2002) MoCCA Festival (2004–2005) Baltimore Comic-Con (2006–present) |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Harvey Awards Executive Committee |
First awarded | 1988 |
Official website | www |
The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that were discontinued in 1987.
The Harvey Awards are nominated by an open vote among comic-book professionals. The winners are selected from the top five nominees in each category by a final round of voting. The Harveys are no longer affiliated with Fantagraphics. The Harvey Awards Executive Committee is made up of unpaid volunteers, and the Awards themselves are financed through sponsorships.
Since their inception, the awards have been presented at various comic book conventions such as the Chicago Comicon, the Dallas Fantasy Fair, Wondercon, the Pittsburgh Comicon, the MoCCA Festival, and the Baltimore Comic-Con.
The Harvey Awards were created as an industry award voted on entirely by comics professionals (as opposed to awards like the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards and the Eagle Awards, which were also voted on by fans). The new awards also established several new categories from their predecessor the Kirby Awards, including awards for inking, lettering, coloring, and production design.
The Harvey Awards were initially sponsored by Fantagraphics, the Texas-based retailer Lone Star Comics, and the Eastern Region Comic Book Retailers Association (ERCBRA). Fantagraphics established the relationship with Harvey Kurtzman, designed the ballots, and compiled a mailing list of over 1,000 comics professionals. Employees at Lone Star Comics were in charge of tabulating the ballots.