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Press Releases - Lynd Ward Prize

Press Release - 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

SHORT SUMMARY FOR PENN STATE NEWS / TODAY:

“Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq” by Sarah Glidden has won the 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

HEADLINE:

‘Rolling Blackouts’ wins 2017 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq” by Sarah Glidden, published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“Part memoir, part travel log, ‘Rolling Blackouts’ is the true story of Sarah Glidden, a cartoonist, accompanying two journalists and a former Marine to Turkey, Syria and Iraq to research the effects of the Iraq War on the Middle East. Yet it is also more than Glidden’s story — ‘Rolling Blackouts’ is ultimately the story of the political officials, civilians and refugees there,” the jury said. “Her book brings her readers to the front lines of war in the Middle East and leads them through the thicket of obstacles journalists encounter to get their story with storytelling that is intimate, engaging and frequently humorous. The images welcome the reader into the complex, many-layered world of the Middle East, and Glidden is a terrific guide.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. It honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State’s University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels: “Gods’ Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.”

Glidden will receive $2,500 and a two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America at a ceremony this fall at Pattee Library and Paterno Library on Penn State’s University Park campus.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Cousin Joseph” by Jules Feiffer, published by Liveright Publishing, and “Hot Dog Taste Test,” by Lisa Hanawalt, also published by Drawn & Quarterly. About “Cousin Joseph” the jury said, “Feiffer portrays an important part of American history — anti-union sentiments and the fear of socialists in Hollywood creating films that would shift our culture to the left — one that feels relevant in today’s political climate. It’s a captivating story meshed with gorgeous ink-washed drawings done in Feiffer's characteristic wobbly, lively line.”

Regarding “Hot Dog Taste Test,” the jury said, “Hilarious, quirkily drawn and often musing about taboo topics, Lisa Hanawalt's ‘Hot Dog Taste Test’ is a deliciously amusing read. The author skips from subject to subject in a frenetic, hyper sprint that very much simulates our nanosecond culture,” concluding that it is “a laugh-out-loud celebration of individuality and the goofy everyday thoughts that we tend to keep private.”

https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/awar...

The 2018 winner is My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics Books)

“Part horror, part mystery, part transmuted memoir,” the jury said, “My Favorite Thing is Monsters resolutely rejects to settle into a particular genre. Its play on narrative perspective and media usage make its crime solving plot all the more satisfying and brilliant. This book is a masterwork as determined as its young protagonist to reveal the truth of our sad, misguided, cruel, and yet tender species.

The book’s layout defies most comics norms to create a captivatingly unique visual experience: a dialogic space for readers to affectively engage with social commentary while witnessing Karen Reyes’ inner and outer worlds as they collapse into each other. The pages of Monsters perhaps are to comics paneling what poetry is to prose, and are richly drawn as crosshatched illustrations in ball-point pen, with stylistic nods to film noir, horror magazines, and museum art.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters is a game changer that will have an enormous impact on the future of the medium.”

One of two honor books awarded this year is Eartha by Cathy Malkasian (Fantagrahics Books)

The jury said “Eartha immerses readers into the wondrous, beautifully realized, and rendered fictional world of Echo Fjord, a haven for unfinished dreams that float there from the dystopian-hued ‘City Across the Sea.’ A fun, fable-like parable about our own greedy, information-saturated world, Eartha—both the book and main character—offers readers a temporary reprieve from cynicism by providing a powerful reminder of humankind’s capacity for kindness and love.”

An honor was also awarded to Hostage by Guy Delisle (Drawn & Quarterly)

“In 1997, Christophe André, working for Doctors without Borders in a region of Russia, was captured by Chechen rebels and held hostage. The bulk of Hostage,” the jury said, “details André’s incarceration as told by Guy Delisle, who masterfully captures the banality and frustration of captivity along with all of the fears and small victories.

Hostage is a meditation on darkness and light, inhumanity and compassion, hopelessness and faith.”

https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/awar...

The 2019 winner is Belonging by Nora Krug. Publisher: Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster

Judges Comments
Nora Krug’s Belonging is an examination of culpability. The graphic memoir follows Nora as she uncovers her family’s participation in World War II, and the impact the War continues to have on the generations that follow.

Krug is a thorough and innovative researcher and her honest questions, especially to herself, make the steps she takes fascinating and revealing. Her language is poetic, and her assemblage of fading photographs, letters, and vibrant illustrations evoke a palimpsest of history and memory. Employing collage in tandem with her personal illustration style, she negotiates historical space with her own artistic vision.

“The result,” according to the 2019 Lynd Ward Prize Jury, “is rich storytelling that winnows a human connection out of loss and reckoning. This graphic memoir feels part diary, part archival record, and the outcome is both personal and educational – about German identity, and about the collective cultural aftermath of the Holocaust.”

An honor was awarded to On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (First Second)

Judges' Comments
On a Sunbeam, a love epic travelling through space and time, comes alive through sublime art that sweeps the reader through a vibrant, lush world of Tillie Walden’s invention. It is a stunning exploration of space, identity and love that is aesthetically sophisticated and connects with feelings of intimacy and escapism.

We follow Mia and Grace’s intertwined relationship through a backdrop of illuminated cosmic landscapes, dotted with Walden’s fluid gestures of life. In selecting this for the 2019 Lynd Ward Honor Book, the jury “found On a Sunbeam to be an engaging exploration both narratively and visually, simultaneously developing character and landscape within a boundless galaxy.From boarding school, to Mia’s rag-tag space crew, to Grace’s home planet, arresting vistas are rendered in dynamic hues, tones, and color.”

Press Release - 2020 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Travis Dandro's 'King of King Court' wins 2020 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize
Jury awards honor status to 'New Kid,' by Jerry Craft

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "King of King Court" by Travis Dandro, published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the 2020 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

"A heartbreaking, masterful debut graphic memoir from Travis Dandro, 'King of King Court' grapples with the complexities of abuse and trauma while still leaving space for childhood innocence, play, and discovery," the 2020 Lynd Ward Prize jury said. "Dandro's life is punctuated by moments of violence and shrouded in omnipresent tension that center around his biological father, 'Dad Dave.' … Dandro's deft intermingling of word and image exemplifies what a graphic novel can do by conveying a deeply personal story that could not be told as effectively in any other form. With his economy of words and his deceptively simple artwork, he leads us through a slow and quiet [tale]…

"Ultimately, Dandro creates a multilayered narrative that is both understanding of Dad Dave's struggles and critical of his abusive actions, resulting in an honest story that invites the reader to sit with discomfort and to contend with ambiguity."

The jury also awarded the honor book: "New Kid" by Jerry Craft, published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The jury said of Craft's 'New Kid,' "Craft presents a nuanced representation of an African-American boy by moving away from a reductive black-white binary that essentializes African American experiences. … As we travel with Jordan through the different spaces in his life — from his home in the city to his new private middle school and to the homes of his new friends — we can perceive a subtle critique on class, race, privilege and access. … Craft knows how to 'show, not tell,' and uses the visual aspect of the graphic novel not only to deliver well-placed gags, but also to illustrate how prejudice can be grounded in the visual and to reveal how toxic our ways of 'reading the other' can be. …"

https://news.psu.edu/story/656454/202...


April 26, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Guantanamo Voices: True Accounts from the World's Most Infamous Prison” edited by Sarah Mirk and published by Abrams ComicArts has won the 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“Dragon Hoops” by Gene Luen Yang, First Second Books, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and “Welcome to the New World” by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan, Henry Holt and Company/Metropolitan Books/Macmillan Publishers have been named 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honor books.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Stone Fruit,” written by Lee Lai and published by Fantagraphics, has won the 2022 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Penn State University Libraries sponsors this juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

Of the book, jurors said, “How is it that something so sweet, wonderful, and delicious is also filled with hardness? This question animates Lee Lai’s empathetic exploration of love, intimacy, kinship, and care in ‘Stone Fruit.’ Lai’s nuanced character and question-driven graphic novel sparingly uses line, text, and color. These choices bring a starkness to the story, but they also open spaces for readers to engage more deeply with the complexities around what family means. Dream-like ink wash landscapes contrast with bodies that carry the marks of living and loving, just as the scenes of joyous monstrosity are foils for the traumas embedded in the lives of Bron, Ray, Amanda, and Nessie.

"Lee Lai’s ‘Stone Fruit’ is one of those rare graphic novels where everything — story, text, images, style — comes together in full complement to create a memorable, moving experience for readers.”

Lai will receive a $2,500 prize and “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” a two-volume boxed set published by Library of America, at a forthcoming event (details to be announced in the fall).

“How to Pick a Fight” by Lara Kaminoff, published by Nobrow; and R. Kikuo Johnson’s “No One Else,” published by Fantagraphics, were named 2022 Lynd Ward Prize honor books.

In ‘How to Pick a Fight,’ said the jurors, “Lara Kaminoff’s spunky and memorable characters take the page by storm. Jimmy Ruckus loves watching wrestling with his grandma and dreams of life in the ring, but it feels to Jimmy that his big, loud family has no space for his dreams. So Jimmy leaves to seek the amazing life he imagines. Kaminoff’s combination of bold lines, brilliant reds, chiaroscuro style, and energetic story explodes off the page and propels Jimmy and his exaggerated pompadour into readers’ hearts. Unlike many coming-of-age stories in which the protagonist returns to the familiar, Kaminoff’s story keeps propelling Jimmy forward, reminding us — no matter how impossible it seems — to see where our dreams take us.”

Of "No One Else", jurors said: “A brother, sister, and her son must figure out how to be a family again after the death of an elderly father. Johnson’s specificity in this slim, enigmatic graphic novel brings a poignancy to that loss and its impact: the work ID accidentally thrown in the garbage, the grandfather’s ashes under the sink, a runaway cat, and everyday Maui’s traffic lights and backyard parties. Johnson’s finely observed naturalism contrasts with expansive spreads filled with fierce, expressionistic oranges and thick blacks. These impactful images and economical text encourage readers to contemplate the question of what we might find within loss.”

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Our Little Secret,” written by Emily Carrington and published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the 2023 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Penn State University Libraries sponsors this juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“In this graphic memoir, Emily Carrington takes readers through her traumatic story of childhood abuse. While the novel begins with a warning, it only partially prepares the reader for the powerful narrative and emotional rollercoaster that they are about to be taken on," the judges said. "Throughout the journey, Carrington expertly uses the graphic novel format to set the tone and pace the narrative. The story is clear and engaging and invites readers to witness the author’s futile quest for redress through the courts. This cultivates empathy and performs a kind of grassroots justice without sacrificing literary and artistic excellence. Carrington’s visuals are confident and original. She uses metaphor beautifully, and seamlessly weaves surrealist threads throughout the narrative. ‘Our Little Secret’ is fluid, utterly engaging, and evokes empathy and compels action.”

Carrington will receive a $2,500 prize and “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” a two-volume boxed set published by Library of America, at a forthcoming event. Details of the event will be announced in the fall.

“Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands,” written by Kate Beaton and published by Drawn & Quarterly, was named a Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honor book. Beaton will also receive “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts.”

“On the surface, the topic of this book may seem uncompelling, however, Beaton has created a work that is anything but. ‘Ducks’ is the story of its author's experiences in the Oil Sands, far from home, and in an environment where men vastly outnumber women," said the judges. "Beaton opens and closes doors, compartments, and boxes; she knows how to show ingenuity and resilience with a convincing display. The art ranges from beautiful landscapes to expressive faces to detailed looks at heavy machinery. While providing a look into a small slice of life, this book engages with a range of heavy topics such as environmentalism, sexism, and the high cost of education. In other places it is a quiet story of growing up, of leaving home, of growing confidence. Throughout, Beaton pulls the reader through with rich images and a personal but relatable touch.”

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Tender,” written by Beth Hetland and published by Fantagraphics, has won the 2025 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Penn State University Libraries sponsors this juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

In “Tender,” the judges said, “Hetland explores societal expectations of women via visceral body horror, transforming the seemingly mundane story of desire for family and acceptance into a provocative social commentary on social norms, perfectionism, and self-harm. The simple art style and occasional grotesque details engage the reader and make them squirm ... The elements of body horror echo the themes of how the images of a perfect life in one's dreams or social media feeds are often a facade, hiding deeper horrors within us.”

Hetland will receive a $2,500 prize and “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” a two-volume boxed set published by Library of America, at a forthcoming event. Details of the event will be announced closer to the start of the fall semester.

“The Jellyfish” by Boum, published by Pow Pow Press; and Dave Lapp’s “The Field,” published by Conundrum Press, were named 2025 Lynd Ward Prize honor books. The winning honor book authors will also receive “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts.”

“Dave Lapp's 'The Field' is deceptively simple,” noted the judges. “Drawn with minimalistic black and white cartoon images, it's about neighborhood kids doing their best to entertain themselves throughout a long summer, yet darkness and cruelty are constantly at the edges of their lives. The pacing is slow and methodical but never dull, allowing for subtlety and nuance in the story. The simplicity of the art evokes the worldview of a child while being well-crafted and precise. By interspersing high-stakes moments with the utterly mundane, Lapp doesn't merely present a sentimental story of a distant past; instead, he recreates childhood in a way that the reader becomes fully immersed and experiences what it's like to be a kid again.”

The judges shared, “Boum's 'The Jellyfish' takes a powerful approach to depicting progressive vision loss. It is not solely a story about disability; the primary narrative is intertwined with issues of familial dynamics and romantic relationships. This graphic novel truly capitalizes on the affordances of the graphic genre, with the main character's progressive blindness taking the materialized form of a jellyfish floating inside her eye. As the narrative progresses, the jellyfish multiply and obscure more of the book itself, encroaching on vision both for the protagonist and the reader. The result is a deeply immersive experience. Creative choices and art style make a specific and possibly unfamiliar experience feel personal to the reader. Boum creates an impressive visual work infused within a quiet, easy read and a focus that makes the story relatable.”