Eagle Award (comics)

The Eagle Award was a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's Eagle comic, the awards were set up by Mike Conroy, Nick Landau, Colin Campbell, Phil Clarke, and Richard Burton, and launched in 1977 for comics released in 1976.

History

Named after the "fifties and sixties" UK comic Eagle because the Eagle symbol was perceived (as described by Burton) to stand "for a standard of quality ... seldom reached" in early 1977, the Eagle Awards were so-called "with official blessing from IPC." Described as "the first independent [in the UK], nationally organised comic art awards poll," from the launch, the hope was that they would "become a regular annual fandom event." "[S]et up and financed by a group of dealers and fanzine editors," including Mike Conroy and Richard Burton, with the intention of including "people with... diverse interests... to make the poll as impartial as possible," the initial method of casting votes was designed to be inclusive and straightforward. Ballots were made available to "most dealers, shops and fanzines," with completed forms able to be returned to the same place, rather than a centralised location. An initial ballot formed a list of nominees, from which the voting ballot was created and disseminated in the same manner.

The 1978 and 1979 awards were presented at the British Comic Art Convention. The 1983 awards presentation was at the London Comic Mart.

From 1983 to 1984, the revised Awards included separate UK and US sections, although the work of British authors often dominated both categories. Indeed, in 1986 (for work released during 1985), the awards "proved to be a virtual clean sweepÂ ... by Alan Moore", who not only won "favourite writer in both the US and UK categories," but had his work win for favourite comic book, supporting character and new title in the US, and character, continuing story and "character worthy of own title" in the UK (in which last category his works held all top three spots). The 1986 awards presentation was at the Birmingham Comic Art Show. The 1986 Eagles also saw the introduction of a "free vote... rather than pre-selected nominees," creating a "fairer reflection of fans' opinions, and some anomalous results especially in the Roll of Honor category."

The awards became fully annual in 1987, in conjunction with the United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC); they were held at the UKCAC from 1987â€"1990.

After going dormant in the late 1990s, the Eagle Award was briefly replaced by the National Comics Award. The Eagle returned in 2000 as an event at that year's Comic Festival, which had replaced UKCAC. The 2006â€"2008 awards presentations were held at the Comic Expo, and from 2010 to 2012 were presented at the London MCM Expo. At the 2012 awards it was announced that the award would in future be called the MCM Award.

1977

For comics published in 1976

Favourite Comicbook Artist

Neal Adams (winner)
- John Buscema (nominees)
- Paul Gulacy
- Barry Smith
- Jim Starlin

Favourite Comicbook Writer â€" U.S.

Roy Thomas
- Steve Englehart
- Steve Gerber

Favourite British Comics Writer

Chris Claremont

Favourite Comicbook - Dramatic

X-Men
- Master of Kung Fu
- Warlock

Favourite Comicbook - Humour

Howard the Duck
- Plastic Man
- Plop!

Favourite Dramatic Comics Magazine

Savage Sword of Conan
- Doc Savage
- Marvel Preview

Favourite Black & White Comicbook - Humour

MAD Magazine
- Cracked
- Crazy

Favourite Comicbook Character

Conan
- Howard the Duck
- Warlock

Favourite Comicbook Team

X-Men
- Avengers
- Defenders

Favourite New Comic Title

Howard the Duck
- Nova
- Omega the Unknown

Favourite Single Comicbook Story

Howard the Duck #3: "Four Feathers of Death" (Steve Gerber/John Buscema)
- Fantastic Four #176: "Improbable as It May Seem the Impossible Man is Back in Town" (Roy Thomas/George PÃ©rez)
- Howard the Duck #1: "Howard the Barbarian" (Steve Gerber/Frank Brunner)

Favourite Continued Comic Story

Master of Kung Fu #48-51 (Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy)
- Defenders #31-40 + Annual #1 (Steve Gerber/Sal Buscema)
- X-Men #98-100 (Chris Claremont/Dave Cockrum)

Roll of Honour

Stan Lee
- Jim Steranko
- Jack Kirby

1978

Presented at the British Comic Art Convention, 1978, for comics released during 1977.

Favourite Artist

Neal Adams
- John Byrne
- Marshall Rogers
- Jim Starlin

Favourite Writer

Steve Englehart
- Chris Claremont
- Steve Gerber
- Roy Thomas
- Marv Wolfman

Favourite Comic Book (Dramatic)

Uncanny X-Men
- Avengers
- Conan the Barbarian
- Detective Comics

Favourite Comic Book (humour)

Howard The Duck
- MAD
- Plastic Man
- Cracked
- Crazy

Favourite Character

Batman
- Conan
- Howard the Duck
- Warlock
- Wolverine

Favourite Villain

Thanos
- Scorpio
- The Joker
- Darkseid
- Doctor Doom

Favourite Supporting Character

Pip the Troll
- Beverly Switzler
- Impossible Man
- Vision
- Wolverine

Favourite Single Story

Avengers Annual #7 â€" The Final Threat Jim Starlin
- Detective Comics #472 â€" I am the Batman Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers
- Howard the Duck #16 â€" The Zen and Art of Comic Book Writing (Steve Gerber/Various artists)
- Marvel Premiere #38 â€" The Lord of Tyndall's Quest (Doug Moench/Mike Ploog)
- Marvel Preview #11 â€" Starlord (Chris Claremont/John Byrne)

Favourite Continued Story

Avengers Annual #7/Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2 (Jim Starlin)
- Star Wars #1-6 (George Lucas, Roy Thomas/Howard Chaykin)
- X-Men #105, 107 & 108 (Chris Claremont/Dave Cockrum, John Byrne)
- Detective Comics #471-472 (Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers)
- Defenders #46-50 (David Anthony Kraft/Keith Giffen)

Favourite New Title

John Carter, Warlord of Mars
- Rampaging Hulk
- Shade, the Changing Man
- Star Hunters
- Star Wars

Favourite Team

X-Men
- Defenders
- Fantastic Four
- Avengers
- Justice Society of America

Favourite Inker

Terry Austin
- Ernie Chan
- Klaus Janson
- Tom Palmer
- Joe Sinnott

Roll of Honour

Steve Englehart
- Jim Steranko
- Jack Kirby
- Will Eisner
- Howard the Duck

Favourite Black & White Magazine

Savage Sword of Conan
- Rampaging Hulk
- Creepy
- Eerie
- Marvel Preview

1979

Presented at "Comicon '79," the British Comic Art Convention 11, Birmingham, 1979.

Favourite Comicbook Artist (US)

John Byrne
- Gene Colan
- Michael Golden
- Marshall Rogers
- George PÃ©rez

Favourite Inker

Terry Austin
- Tom Palmer
- Joe Sinnott
- Bob Layton
- Klaus Janson

Best Comic Book Writer (UK)

T. B. Grover (pseudonym of John Wagner)

Best Comic Book Writer (US)

Chris Claremont
- Steve Englehart
- Steve Gerber
- Doug Moench
- Roy Thomas

Favourite Comic (US)

X-Men
- The Avengers
- The Tomb of Dracula
- Detective Comics
- Jonah Hex

Favourite Character (US)

Batman
- Wolverine
- Conan
- Doctor Strange
- Howard the Duck
- Spider-Man

Favourite Group or Team

X-Men
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Fantastic Four
- Defenders
- The Avengers

Favourite Villain

Magneto
- Michael Korvac
- Death-Stalker
- Doctor Bong
- Doctor Doom
- Joker

Favourite Supporting Character

Wolverine
- Beast
- Beverly Switzler
- Hawkeye
- Nightcrawler
- Vision

Character Most Worthy of His Own Title

The Silver Surfer

Favourite Single Story

X-Men #111 â€" Mindgames (Chris Claremont/John Byrne)
- Avengers #177 â€" The Hope and the Slaughter (Jim Shooter/David Wenzel)
- X-Men #109 â€" Home are the Heroes (Chris Claremont/John Byrne)
- The Avengers #178 â€" The Martyr Perplex (Steve Gerber/Carmine Infantino)
- Superman vs Muhammed Ali (Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams)

Best Continued Story

The Avengers #167, 168, 170-177 (Jim Shooter/George PÃ©rez, Sal Buscema, David Wenzel)
- X-Men #114-116 (Chris Claremont/John Byrne)
- Captain Marvel #58-62 (Doug Moench/Pat Broderick)
- Detective Comics #475-476 (Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers)
- Thor #272-278 (Roy Thomas/John Buscema)
- X-Men #111-113 (Chris Claremont/John Byrne)

Favourite New Comic Title

Micronauts
- Spider-Woman
- Machine Man
- 1984
- DC Comics Presents

Favourite Cover

Master of Kung Fu #67 (Paul Gulacy)
- X-Men #114 (John Byrne)
- Detective Comics #476 (Marshall Rogers)
- X-Men #111 (John Byrne)
- X-Men #113 (John Byrne)

Favourite Specialist Comics Publication

Comic Media News

Roll of Honour

Jack Kirby
- Will Eisner
- Steve Gerber
- Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
- Superman

Favourite Character (UK)

Judge Dredd

Favourite Comicbook Artist (UK)

John Bolton

Favourite Comic (UK)

2000 AD

1980

Favourite Comicbook Artist (US)

John Byrne
- John Buscema
- Gene Colan
- George PÃ©rez

Favourite Comicbook Artist (UK)

Brian Bolland

Favourite Comicbook Writer

Chris Claremont
- David Michelinie
- Doug Moench

Favourite Inker

Terry Austin
- Bob Layton
- Tom Palmer

Favourite Comicbook

X-Men
- Avengers
- Master of Kung Fu

Favourite Comicbook Cover

The Avengers #185 (George PÃ©rez)
- Iron Man #128 (John Romita Jr)
- Micronauts #7 (Michael Golden)