Dave Roman's Blog, page 11
July 9, 2013
Kids Comics Awards 2013
On Sunday June 23rd the first ever KCR! Comics Awards ceremony was held at the Kids Read Comics Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The nominees were selected by a committee of teachers, librarians, and retailers, then voted on by kids online and via paper ballots.
The awards themselves were presented as customized LEGO trophies provided by the Ann Arbor District Library, and included a mix of serious and silly categories from Best Graphic Novel to Excellence in Drawing Delicious-Looking Food.
Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd were the hosts, and introduced all of the amazing presenters.
House band The O-Matics (fronted by Happyloo cartoonist Mark Mariano) provided live music and sound cues to help keep things moving!
Presenters included comics creators Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl), Rafael Rosado (Giants Beware!), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), John Green (Teen Boat!), Dan Mishkin (Amethyst), Thomas Zahler (Love and Capes) and library superstars Scott Robins and Eli Neiburger.
As each winner was announced, the trophies were stolen by evil kidlit villain Vordak the Incomprehensible (played by the book’s illustrator, John Martin)!
Guest presenters also included Aang and Naruto, performed by Kevin Coppa (Puppetbenders). Sadly, because of their felt arms, these heroes couldn’t stop Vordak from continuing to take the awards from the podium!
The final award for “Best Cartoonist/Author” was presented by three talented young artists, Natalia, Olivia, and Ellie (who had also exhibited at the Kids Read Comics festival). The trio tried their best to stop Vordak but were no match for his nefarious tricks!
Luckily, the day was saved thanks to a surprise visit from Doctor Who (played by Kevin Coppa), who convinced the thieving Vordak to come along in his time traveling TARDIS and deliver the trophies to their rightful owners.
The entire ceremony was filmed in front of a live audience, and will hopefully be posted online soon!
Huge thanks to all the presenters and performers, AADL for hosting, Chris Duffy and Nickelodeon Magazine for inspiring, everyone who voted, and the teachers and librarians who encouraged kids to vote!
Let’s do this again, next year!
CONTINUE FOR FULL LIST OF NOMINEES & WINNERS…
The nominees and winners for the 2013 KCR! Comics Awards were…
Favorite Comic Book Hero:
Zita the Space Girl
G-Man
Lunch Lady
Spider-Man
Iron Man
And the kids chose…
Lunch Lady
Favorite Graphic Novel (Adventure):
Legends of Zita The Spacegirl by Ben Hatke (First Second)
Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado (First Second)
Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson (Nobrow Press)
Amulet: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphix)
Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (Graphix)
And the kids chose…
Amulet: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphix)
Favorite Graphic Novel (Humor):
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Random House)
Bird and Squirrel by James Burks (Graphix)
Mal and Chad: Belly Flop! by Stephen McCranie (Philomel)
Squish: Captain Disaster by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)
Dinosaurs in Space by Pranas Naujokaitis (Balloon Toons)
And the kids chose…
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Random House)
Favorite Graphic Novel (Non-Fiction/Myth):
Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad by Nathan Hale (Abrams)
Little White Duck by Na Liu and Andres Vera Martinez (Graphic Universe)
The Shark King by R. Kikuo Johnson (Toon)
Hades by George O’Connor (First Second)
Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert (Hyperion)
And the kids chose...
Hades by George O’Connor (First Second)
Favorite Comic/Novel Hybrid:
Big Nate Goes for Broke by Lincoln Pierce (Harper Collins)
Dragonbreath: When Fairies Go Bad by Ursula Vernon (Random House)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney (Abrams)
Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic)
Dork Diaries: Tales of a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin)
And the kids chose…
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney (Abrams)
Favorite Comic Book Series (Licensed):
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise (Dark Horse)
Adventure Time (Boom)
Garfield (Boom)
My Little Pony (IDW)
Sonic Universe (Archie)
And the kids chose…
Garfield (Boom)
Favorite Comic Book Series (Original):
Reed Gunther Volume 2 by Shane and Chris Houghton (Image)
Snarked! by Roger Langridge (Boom)
Sergio Aragones Funnies (Bongo)
Road to Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Super Dinosaur by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard (Image)
And the kids chose…
Road to Oz by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)
Favorite Webcomic:
Cucumber Quest by Gigi D.G.
Nemu*Nemu by Aurdra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga
My Sister, the Freak by Dani Jones
Nedroid Picture Diary by Anthony Clark
Ellie on the Planet X by James Anderson
And the kids chose…
My Sister, the Freak by Dani Jones
Grossest thing in Comics:
Rat tails (Little White Duck)
Man-Eating Frog Monster (Reed Gunther)
The Big Toe of Drool (FangBone! Third Grade Barbarian)
And the kids chose…
The Big Toe of Drool (FangBone! Third Grade Barbarian)
Special Award for Excellence in Drawing Delicious-Looking Food:
Chinese New Year Cooking (Little White Duck)
Phantom Ice Cream Truck (Nemu*Nemu)
Spaghetti Mountain (Mal and Chad: Food Fight!)
And the kids chose…
Phantom Ice Cream Truck (Nemu*Nemu)
Best Hair in Comics:
Lunch Lady (Lunch Lady series)
Marie (Giants Beware)
Cowardly Lion (OZ series)
Hilda (Hilda and the Midnight Giant)
Maggie (Friends with Boys)
And the kids chose…
Lunch Lady (Lunch Lady series)
Cutest Comic Character:
Super Diaper Baby (Super Diaper Baby)
Strong Strong (Zita the Spacegirl)
Fone Bone (Bone)
Babymouse (Babymouse)
Hamisher (Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye)
And the kids chose…
Babymouse (Babymouse)
Favorite Cartoonist/Author:
Kazu Kibuishi
Jennifer and Matthew Holm
Jeff Smith
Jeff Kinney
Ben Hatke
And the kids chose…
Jeff Kinney
Congratulations to all the winners!
More info:
Kids Comics Revolution! is a podcast featuring interviews with authors, illustrators, retailers, librarians, teachers, and people from all aspects of the comics field. Every episode includes book talks from kids or educators, enthusing about the stories and art they love. Episodes can be downloaded via iTunes or streamed online at www.kidscomicsrevolution.com
Kids’ Comics Revolution! hosts Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd collaborated with editor Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon Magazine, Nursery Rhyme Comics, SpongeBob Comics) and the Ann Arbor District Library on the KCR! Comics Awards to fill the void left by the Nick Magazine Comics Awards, which ran only one year before the popular kids’ magazine ceased publication. Nominees were selected by a council of educators and retailers including Scott Robins. Sharon Iverson, Krystal Tabujara, Jennifer Vincent, Colby Sharp, John Schumacher, Melissa Wiley, Laura Given, Alyson Beecher, and Mary Ann Scheuer.
The KCR! Comics Awards offers kids the opportunity to share their enthusiasm for comics of various styles and formats. Kids cast a vote for their favorite comics and characters across thirteen categories both serious and silly.
*Additional photos by Dani Jones!
June 20, 2013
We’re on tour! Summer 2013
Raina Telgemeier, John Green & I are on the road for the next two weeks and we hope you’ll come out and see us at one of the following stops!
Kids Read Comics
Ann Arbor District Library
June 22nd-23rd
A totally free comic convention featuring Ben Hatke (Zita the Space Girl), Rafael Rosado (Giants Beware!), John Martin (Vordak), Jim Ottaviani (Feynman) and so many more!
I’ll be hosting the Comics Quickfire! on Saturday at 12:30 & Sunday at 12:30.
KCR! Comics Awards
Ann Arbor District Library
4th Floor conference room
June 23rd at 4pm
The first ever comics awards voted on by kids. I’ll be the co-host and there will be puppets, cosplay and tons of surprises. So you won’t want to miss it!
Green Brain Comics
13210 Michigan Ave Dearborn, MI 48126
June 24th from 2-5PM
Come celebrate the re-opening of this awesome comic shop!
Challengers Comics + Conversation
1845 N Western Ave #2R
Chicago, IL 60647
June 27th 6-8pm
An all-ages comics party! Live drawing games! Book signing!
ALA American Library Association Conference
Chicago, IL
June 28th-July 1st
We will be appearing in the graphic novel artist alley and on several panels on the Graphic Novel Stage! Come check out our live comics readings, podcasts, and drawing competitions!
FRIDAY:
Comics Quickfire!
6:00 – 6:45 pm
SATURDAY:
Saturday Supercast: TV to comics & back again!
1:00 – 2:00 pm
To Astronaut Academy and beyond!
3:00 – 4:00 pm
SUNDAY:
Kids Comics Revolution! Live recording
10:00 – 11:00 am
The Angst of Being a Teen, the Thrill of Being A Boat!
1:00 – 2:00 pm
May 24, 2013
The reviews are in!
Here’s what people are saying about Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry…
“A sequel just as goofy and sweet as the original book..brings the action-packed story to a satisfying conclusion.”
-Shelf Awareness
“A delightful and often clever voyage that will remind you of middle school even when it’s completely packed with robots and panda bears.”
-iO9
“Smart, inventive, and funny.”
-Comics Waiting Room
“I laughed out loud several times”
-Guys Lit Wire
“It was pretty much love at first sight.”
-The Armchair Librarian
School visit drawing jam
My favorite part of author visits is encouraging kids to draw. Here’s some photos from my recent trip to Toronto.
May 20, 2013
NY Book Parties!
Come celebrate the release of Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry at two awesome events!
May 21st at 4pm at The Voracious Reader! Signing + drawing!
The Voracious Reader
1997 Palmer Avenue,
Larchmont, NY 10538
Phone: (914) 630-4581
May 22nd at 7pm at WORD. Free drinks and snacks! Drawing Jam!
WORD
126 Franklin St.
Brooklyn, New York
Facebook RSVP encouraged, but not required.
May 17, 2013
May Events Part 1
SATURDAY
I’ll be appearing at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 18th, 2013
Location: Jim Henson Pavilion
Time: 12:15pm
On the Jim Henson stage! How cool is that? Followed by a book signing sponsored by Politics and Prose.
SUNDAY
Excited about returning to the the Maine Comics Arts Festival on May 19th, 2013
I’ll be sharing a table with Raina Telgemeier and John Green.
May 14, 2013
New Book Day!
It’s a book! Introducing our new baby to the world!
Two years in the making… Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry, my latest full-length graphic novel, is on store shelves now!
Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry was a labor of love, and I couldn’t have made it without the support of all my friends and family! I know how lucky I am, and hope that I can continue to keep making offbeat comics for kids for years to come!
Help spread the word (and win cool stuff in the process):
Use the hashtag #AstronautAcademyDay on social media sites like twitter, google+, tumblr, & instagram. Tell people on Goodreads, Amazon, & Facebook why you think they might like the Astronaut Academy series.
You will be entered to win awesome prizes like original art, books, skype visits for schools, and more!
Contest details: http://comicsaregreat.com/aaday
May 13, 2013
Announcing the new Kids Comics Awards!
KIDS’ COMICS REVOLUTION! INVITES KIDS TO PICK THEIR FAVORITE
GRAPHIC NOVELS, COMICBOOKS, WEBCOMICS, AND MORE WITH THE
KCR! COMICS AWARDS!
Kids vote online or by ballot from now through June 23rd, 2013
May 8th, 2013 – Kids’ Comics Revolution!, a podcast dedicated to spotlighting the expanding worlds of kids comics and kid lit, announces the first annual KCR! Comics Awards, honoring the best comic books and graphic novels for kids published across the U.S and Canada. From now through June 23rd, 2013, kids vote online at http://www.kidscomicsrevolution.com or by filling out the paper ballot at the Toronto Comics Art Festival or the Kids Read Comics celebration. Voting will be filmed and posted online. Results will be announced June 23rd at a special ceremony during the Kids Read Comics celebration at the Ann Arbor District Library.
Kids’ Comics Revolution! hosts Dave Roman and Jerzy Drozd collaborated with editor Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon Magazine, Nursery Rhyme Comics, SpongeBob Comics) and the Ann Arbor District Library on the KCR! Comics Awards to fill the void left by the Nick Magazine Comics Awards, which ran only one year before the popular kids’ magazine ceased publication. Nominees were selected by a council of educators and retailers.
Read the full press release HERE!
The KCR! Comics Awards offers kids the opportunity to share their enthusiasm for comics of various styles and format. Kids cast a vote for their favorite comics and characters across eight categories both serious and silly.
Check out the complete list of nominees and online ballot form HERE!
A PRINTABLE PDF ballot for distributing at your school or library! Just be sure to send them in before June 10, 2013!
(click the image to download the PDF)
May 7, 2013
Book Trailer
The official book trailer for Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry is here!
If you like, please head over to Youtube and give this video a thumbs up + comment about the trailer and/or the book. It helps people discover the the world of Astronaut Academy!
May 6, 2013
Read it quick! Pass it on!
All 180 pages of my new graphic novel Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry are available to read FREE online till the book’s release on 5/14!
