2025 Ringo Awards Nominees Announced

The 2025 Ringo Awards: A Celebration of Excellence Begins!

The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, affectionately known as the Ringo Awards, are back in full swing—now in their ninth year—and the nominations are here! Presented during the beloved Baltimore Comic‑Con on October 18, 2025, these awards celebrate outstanding creative achievements across the comics industry, blending fan energy with peer recognition.Graphic PolicyThe Beat

What Makes the Ringos Special?

• Inclusive Voting: Fan votes select the top two nominees in each category, followed by three from a respected jury of industry pros—ensuring both popularity and credibility shape the results.Graphic PolicyThe Beat

• Wide Category Range: Spanning creators (cartoonists, writers, artists) to design, web, humor, kids, and nonfiction work.Graphic PolicyThe Beat

• Pro Voting: Finalists will be selected exclusively by comic-book professionals, with ballots released on August 20, 2025 and due by September 17, 2025.Graphic Policy

Announced Nominees – A Shout-Out to the Best of the Year

The Ringo Awards Committee has unveiled the full roster of nominees across all categories, honoring creators and works that captured imaginations in 2024:

Best Cartoonist (Writer & Artist)

• Arechan

• Megan Grey

• Patrick Horvath

• Mikaël

• Eric Powell

Best Writer

• Jason Douglas

• Tom King

• Oscar Osorio

• Scott Snyder

• Kelly Thompson

• James Tynion IV

• David F. Walker

Best Artist or Penciller/Inker Team

• Bilquis Evely

• Kate Flynn

• Daniel HDR

• Eduardo Risso

• Chris Samnee

Best Letterer

• Aditya Bidikar

• Clayton Cowles

• Amal Desai

• DC Hopkins

• Hassan Otsmane‑Elhaou

• Richard Starkings

Best Colorist

• Michael Adams

• Jordie Bellaire

• Lee Loughridge

• Sabine Rich

• Dave Stewart

Best Cover Artist

• Oliver Barrett

• Evan Cagle

• Francine Delgado

• Bilquis Evely

• Francesca Fantini

• Greg Smallwood

Best Series

• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (IDW Publishing)

• The Blood Brothers Mother (DSTLRY)

• Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse Comics)

• Masters of the Universe: Revolution (Dark Horse Comics)

• The Pedestrian (Magma Comix)

Best Single Issue or Story

• Batman and Robin Year One #1 (DC Comics)

• “A Blue Flame” in Second Hand Love (Drawn & Quarterly)

• The Crying Boy (Keenspot Entertainment)

• Death Ratio’d (AWA Studios)

• FML #1 (Dark Horse Comics)

• Helen of Wyndhorn (Dark Horse Comics)

• Navigating with You (Maverick)

• A Never‑Ending Adventure (Oscar Osorio)

• Trinity Special: World's Finest #1 (DC Comics)

Best Original Graphic Novel

• Big Jim and the White Boy (Ten Speed Graphic)

• The Deep Dark (Scholastic/Graphix)

• ERASED: An Actor of Color's Journey Through the Heyday of Hollywood (NBM Graphic Novels)

• Homestead (Source Point Press)

• Jane American (self-published)

Best Anthology

• DC Power 2024 (DC Comics)

• EC Cruel Universe (Oni Press)

• Hello Darkness (BOOM! Studios)

• The Savage Sword of Conan (Titan Comics)

• Tales from the New World (Oscar Osorio)

• Transphoria (Lifeline Comics)

Best Humor Comic

• Action Philosophers: Omnipotence for Dummies (Rocketship Entertainment)

• Archie: The Decision (Archie Comics)

• Forces of Nature (Drawn & Quarterly)

• Kids Are Still Weird: And More Observations from Parenthood (NBM Graphic Novels)

• Smut #1 (self-published)

• Space Circus (Dark Horse Comics)

Best Webcomic

• The Croaking (WEBTOON Entertainment)

• Daughter of a Thousand Faces (Tapas Entertainment)

• The Mafia Nanny (WEBTOON Entertainment)

• Novae (WEBTOON Entertainment)

• Renaissance of Raven (DC Go!/DC Comics)

• Under the Oak Tree (Manta)

• Vampire Family (WEBTOON Entertainment)

Best Humor Webcomic

• Dealing with Demons (Manta)

• Harley Quinn in Paradise (DC Go!/DC Comics)

• High Class Homos (WEBTOON Entertainment)

• Nothing Butt Nightwing (DC Go!/DC Comics)

• Rosebuds (Comics Kingdom)

• Wanna Be Friends? (WEBTOON Entertainment)

Best Non‑fiction Comic Work

• Adrift on a Painted Sea (Avery Hill)

• Brittle Joints (Street Noise Books)

• Djuna (Street Noise Books)

• Feeding Ghosts (MCD)

• In the Shadows of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones (Oni Press)

Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel

• Double Booking (Papercutz/Mad Cave Studios)

• Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine (Dark Horse Comics)

• Hilda and Twig Hide from the Rain (Flying Eye Books)

• The Legend of Tiger and Tail‑Flower (Levine Querido)

• The New Girl (Scholastic/Graphix)

• Night Stories (Astra Books for Young Readers)

• ZOR (Keenspot Entertainment)

Best Presentation in Design

• Coins of Judas (Orange Cone Productions/Band of Bards)

• David Mazzucchelli's Batman Year One Artist's Edition (IDW Publishing)

• Mary Shelley's Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff and Bram Stoker's Dracula starring Bela Lugosi Casket Edition (Rocketship Entertainment)

• One Bite at a Time: The First 20 Years of Elephant Eater Comics (Elephant Eater Comics)

• Scott Pilgrim 20th Anniversary Hardcover Box Set (Oni Press)

• Warm Fusion (DSTLRY)

Why This Year’s Nominees Shine

These selections reflect the incredible richness of comics storytelling in 2024—from gritty noir and digital epics to heartfelt humor, innovative design, and inclusive narratives for all ages. The mix of established creators (like Tom King, Eduardo Risso, Jordie Bellaire, Kelly Thompson) and rising talents (such as The Croaking, Action Philosophers, Jane American) speaks to the evolving energy of the medium.

What Comes Next

• Fan & Pro Voting Closes: June 19, 2025

• Final Ballots Released to Pros: August 20, 2025

• Final Voting Ends: September 17, 2025

• Awards Night: October 18, 2025 at Baltimore Comic‑ConGraphic PolicyOverstreet Access

If you're a comic pro, your vote will determine the winners. If you're a fan, your earlier nominations helped power this rich slate—and your excitement is the heartbeat of the Ringos.

Final Note: Be There—In Person or in Spirit

Baltimore Comic‑Con is the perfect stage for these awards—full of panels, creators, signings, and that contagious buzz. Whether you're attending or cheering from home, this year’s Ringos are a celebration of creativity, community, and the infinite possibilities of comics.

Let’s cheer on the creators, celebrate the art, and marvel at the stories that moved us. These nominees have already achieved greatness—now we watch them shine even brighter.