The 2001 Harvey Awards, for comics work published in the year 2000, have been announced, and this year's crop provides an interesting mix of old and new, with fresh nominees Mad magazine and Tony Millionaire joining such veteran award-hogs as Chris Ware and Dan Clowes.

Buttressed by the release of his first graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan (from Pantheon Press), Acme Novelty Library creator Chris Ware harvested a near-record nine nominations in virtually every category in which he was eligible. (Only Dan Clowes's ten-nomination sweep in 1999 beat him.) Ware, who won six Harveys last year (also a record) had work in four of the five nominated anthologies as well, including the multiple nominee Drawn and Quarterly Volume 3, for which he designed the covers and endpapers. Following closely, with six nominations, was Tony Millionaire, who benefited from an extensive panoply of choices for his boosters: A weekly syndicated strip (Maakies, one nomination), a collection of the same strip (the Maakies book from Fantagraphics, two nominations), and the continuing Sock Monkey series and its first collection, both from Dark Horse (three more nominations).

Dan Clowes was nipping at his heels, with five nominations for Eightball and his David Boring graphic novel, including Best Writer, Best Cartoonist, as well as nominations for his inking and lettering.

An unusual number of nominations (seven) went to Mad magazine, a relative virgin in the awards. The half-century-old humor magazine showed up in several categories with nominations for veteran Al Jaffee (best cartoonist), writer Desmond Devlin, and artists Herman Mejia and Bill Wray (who was nominated in the humor category) and Roberto Parada (cover artist), as well as two book nominations - best domestic reprint (The Mad Bathroom Reader) and best biographical/historial (the Mad Cover to Cover collection).

ABC Comics netted five nominations (down significantly from last year's strong debut with 11), all but one of them (Al Gordon's inking nomination for Tom Strong) for the Promethea series (artist, inker, series, and a general "writer" nomination for writer Alan Moore). Tomorrow Stories, which won last year's Best Anthology award, failed to get nominated this year.

Drawn and Quarterly Volume 3 snagged four nominations (anthology, presentation, single issue, and a nomination for the booklength Dupuy-Berberian "Mr. Jean" story); D&QV3 contributor Michael Rabagliati also picked up a nomination for best new talent.

P. Craig Russell's new opera series Ring of the Nibelungen received three nominations, for Russell's art, and the series' lettering and coloring. Jaime Hernandez won three nominations as well, for Penny Century (artist, single issue, and the inker category which Hernandez won last year).

Designer and editor Chip Kidd, long a Harvey and Eisner awards favorite for his work on several DC character histories in years past, saw three alternative-flavored books he worked on last year garner nominations: Maakies, Jimmy Corrigan, and David Boring.

Other multiple nominees include Charles Burns, for Black Hole (cover and inker); Joe Sacco, for Safe Area: Gorazde (graphic novel and writer); Dave Cooper, for Weasel, which won Best New Series last year (continuing series and artist); Jeff Smith, who won Best Cartoonist last year, for Bone (cartoonist and continuing series); Linda Medley, for Castle Waiting (new series and graphic album/reprint); Mike Allred's series Atomics (coloring and new series); Scott Mills, for Big Clay Pot (new talent and graphic album/new); Michael Avon Oeming (new series, for Powers, and new talent); the kids' anthology Little Lit (anthology and presentation); and the EC history Tales of Terror (presentation and historal). Evan Dorkin picked up a nomination for "humor" as well as single issue for his DC anthology World's Funnest.

In company terms, Fantagraphics once again dominated the nominations with over 30 picks, followed closely by DC, whose DC/Vertigo/ABC/WildStorm/Mad cluster accounted for almost as many. Dark Horse picked up 10 nominations (including, appropriately, one for a reprint of Harvey Kurtzman's Little Annie Fanny), and Drawn & Quarterly, six.

After being voted upon by cartoonists worldwide in the next few weeks, the awards will be given out on Friday, April 27 at the Pittsburgh Comicon. Nominees in the audience ready to bolt up on stage and tearfully inform the audience that "right now, you really like me" should the votes turn out in their favor will include Burns, Cooper, the Hernandez Brothers, Millionaire, Oeming, and Smith, as well as Brian Michael Bendis (co-nominated for Powers), Frank Cho (nominated for his Liberty Meadows strip), and Evan Dorkin, who will be repeating his role as master of ceremonies. Frank Miller will also be on hand to accept the annual CBLDF Defender of Liberty Award and to deliver the keynote speech.

Harvey Award Nominees for 2001

BEST WRITER

• Dan Clowes for Eightball (Fantagraphics)
• Desmond Devlin for MAD Magazine (EC Comics)
• Warren Ellis for Planetary (Wildstorm/DC Comics)
• Alan Moore for Promethea (ABC)
• Joe Sacco for Safe Area Gorazde (Fantagraphics)

BEST ARTIST

• Dave Cooper for Weasel (Fantagraphics)
• Jaime Hernandez for Penny Century (Fantagraphics)
• Herman Mejia for MAD Magazine (EC Comics)
• P. Craig Russell for The Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Chris Ware for Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)
• J.H. Williams for Promethea (ABC)

BEST CARTOONIST

• Dan Clowes for Eightball (Fantagraphics)
• Al Jaffee for Mad Magazine (EC Comics)
• Tony Millionaire for Sock Monkey (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Jeff Smith for Bone (Cartoon Books)
• Chris Ware for Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR

• Sergio Aragonés (Groo, etc.)
• Evan Dorkin (Dork, World's Funnest, etc.)
• Sam Henderson (Magic Whistle, etc.)
• Tony Millionaire (Maakies, Sock Monkey, etc.)
• Bill Wray (Mad magazine, etc.)

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION

• Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware, design by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
• Drawn & Quarterly, Vol. 3, #1 by various artists, design by Chris Ware & Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Little Lit by various artists, design by Art Spiegelman & Chip Kidd (Harper/Collins)
• Maakies by Tony Millionaire, design by Chip Kidd (Fantagraphics)
• Tales of Terror: The Complete EC Comics Companion by Fred Von Bernewitz & Grant Geissman, design by Grant Geissman (Gemstone/Fantagraphics)

BEST NEW SERIES

• Atomics by Mike Allred, edited by Jamie Rich (AAA Pop)
• Blue Monday by Chynna Clugston-Major, edited by Jamie Rich (Oni Press)
• Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (Cartoon Books)
• Jack Staff by Paul Grist (Dancing Elephant Press)
• Luba's Comics and Stories by Gilbert Hernandez, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Powers by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Avon Oeming, edited by Brian Oeming (Image)

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES

• Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
• Bone by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
• Promethea by Alan Moore & J.H. Williams, edited by Scott Dunbier (ABC)
• Sock Monkey by Tony Millionaire, edited by Phil Amara (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Weasel by Dave Cooper, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY

• Acme Novelty Library #14 by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics)
• Drawn & Quarterly vol. 3, #1 by various artists, edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Penny Century #7 by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics)
• Shazam!: Power of Hope by Paul Dini & Alex Ross(DC Comics)
• World's Funnest by Evan Dorkin & various artists (DC Comics)

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM OF ORIGINAL WORK

• Big Clay Pot by Scott Mills, edited by Chris Staros (Top Shelf)
• Last Day in Vietnam by Will Eisner, edited by Diana Schutz (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Monkey vs. Robot by James Kochalka, edited by Chris Staros (Top Shelf)
• Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
• Skibber Bee-Bye by Ron Rege, Jr., edited by Tom Devlin (Highwater Books)

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM OF PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK

• Castle Waiting: The Lucky Road by Linda Medley (Cartoon Books)
• The Collected Hutch Owen by Tom Hart (TopShelf)
• David Boring by Dan Clowes, edited by Chip Kidd (Pantheon)
• Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware, edited by Chip Kidd (Pantheon)
• Maakies by Tony Millionaire, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)

BEST ANTHOLOGY

• Drawn & Quarterly vol. 3, #1 edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• EXPO 2000 edited by Tom Devlin, Chris Oarr, Christian Panas, Jeff Alexander, Karon Flage, Greg McElhatton & Charles Brownstein (The Expo to benefit the CBLDF)
• Little Lit edited by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly (Harper/Collins)
• Nickelodeon Magazine Comic Book edited by Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon)
• Zero Zero edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

BEST INKER

• Charles Burns for Black Hole (Fantagraphics)
• Dan Clowes for Eightball (Fantagraphics)
• Mick Gray for Promethea (ABC)
• Al Gordon for Tom Strong (ABC)
• Jaime Hernandez for Penny Century (Fantagraphics)

BEST LETTERER

• Dan Clowes for Eightball (Fantagraphics)
• Todd Klein for Castle Waiting (Cartoon Books)
• Galen Showman for The Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Dave Sim for Cerebus (Aardvark-Vanaheim)
• Chris Ware for Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)

BEST COLORIST

• Laura Allred for Atomics (AAA Pop)
• Laura DePuy for The Authority (Wildstorm/DC Comics)
• Lovern Kindzierski for The Ring of the Nibelung (Dark Horse Maverick)
• Chris Ware for Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)
• Jim Woodring for Frank (Fantagraphics)

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP

• Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau
• Liberty Meadows by Frank Cho
• Maakies by Tony Millionaire
• Mutts by Patrick McDonnell
• Underworld by Kaz

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL PRESENTATION

• Comic Book Artist (TwoMorrows)
• The Comics Journal (Fantagraphics)
• Mad: Cover to Cover by Frank Jacobs & The Usual Gang of Idiots (Watson-Guptill)
• Reinventing Comics by Scott McCloud (DC Comics)
• Tales of Terror: The Complete EC Comics Companion by Fred Von Bernewitz & Grant Geissman (Gemstone/Fantagraphics)

BEST PRESENTATION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL

• Blade of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura, edited by Mike Hansen (Dark Horse)
• Drawn & Quarterly vol. 3, #1 by various artists, edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• The Extended Dream of Mr. D by Max, edited by Chris Oliveros (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Lone Wolf & Cub by Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima, edited by Mike Hansen (Dark Horse)
• The Nimrod by Lewis Trondheim, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT

• The Complete Crumb Comics by R. Crumb, edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
• Little Annie Fanny by Harvey Kurtzman & Will Elder, edited by Scott Allie (Dark Horse)
• The Mad Bathroom Companion by The Usual Gang of Idiots, edited by Charles Kochman (Mad Books)
• Plastic Man Archives by Jack Cole, edited by Dale Crain (DC Comics)
• The Spirit Archives by Will Eisner, edited by Dale Crain (DC Comics)

BEST NEW TALENT

• Chynna Clugston-Major (Blue Monday, etc.)
• Michael Avon Oeming (Powers, etc.)
• Scott Mills (Big Clay Pot, etc.)
• Takeshi Miyazawa (Sidekicks, etc.)
• Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly, Paul in the Country, etc.)

BEST COVER ARTIST

• Charles Burns for Black Hole (Fantagraphics)
• Adam Hughes for Wonder Woman (DC Comics)
• Roberta Parada for Mad Magazine (EC Comics)
• Glenn Fabry for Preacher (Vertigo/DC Comics)
• Chris Ware for Acme Novelty Library (Fantagraphics)

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