OK -- so, you've just been awarded a Reuben... Well, so what? Wouldn't you rather have a Harvey? Or a Pulitzer? Or, dare I say it, a Snobbie? What's the difference? Who awards these things, anyway? Will your award make you the envy of your peers, or label you a hack for all to see?

Some of the comics industry's awards have been around over three quarters of a century; others are less than a decade old. Some are best known for their recognition of comic books, others for their recognition of comic strips. Still others specialize in editorial cartoons. Each has its own history and a unique reputation in the industry. This field guide is designed to help the eager web-surfer navigate the comics industry's accolades, to untangle the laurels that crown the domes of comics' "best."

The oldest and, perhaps, most historically distinguished award listed in this archive is the Pulitzer Prize. The Pulitzer was established by Hungarian-born American journalist, Joseph Pulitzer, as an incentive to journalistic excellence his last act in his longtime attempt to fortify the field of professional journalism. Pulitzer provided in his 1904 will a $2 million endowment to Columbia University to establish four awards in journalism, four in letters and drama, one for education, and four traveling scholarships. The first Pulitzers were awarded in 1917, with additional awards being established over the years under the Pulitzer umbrella, including the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1922.

Currently, there exist 21 categories of Pulitzer Prizes including 14 journalism awards, of which the prize for editorial cartooning is one. Awarded each April, winners are chosen from over 2,000 entries by 90 judges on 20 separate juries, each asked to make three nominations (in no order of preference) for each of the Pulitzer categories. Entries for journalism awards are chosen by 65 editors, publishers, writers and educators (broken into juries of 5 persons) from material appearing in any US newspaper published daily, Sunday, or at least weekly during the calendar year, with nominations for the cartooning category being limited to a portfolio of 20 cartoons. In 1998, the stipulations for judgment of potential winners read, "For a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect." The nominations of the jurors are passed to the Pulitzer Prize Board, who debate the merit of the entries and award prizes usually by majority vote, though the board is also empowered to vote "no award," or, by three-quarters vote, award a prize to a creator unnominated or nominated for another category.

Although the Pulitzer Prizes are among the most prestigious awards in the literary and artistic fields, their definition of "editorial cartooning" seems egregiously vague, making no distinction between comic strips like Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury and Berke Breathed's Bloom County, and the more strictly political editorial cartoons of Paul Szep and Pat Oliphant. Further, while offering multiple categories in literature, poetry, music and drama, the Pulitzer Prize Board has yet to fully recognize the achievements of non-editorial comic art (aside from Maus, awarded a 1990 Pulitzer in the category, Special Awards and Citations - Letters).

The winner of the 1948 Pulitzer for editorial cartooning, Reuben "Rube" Goldberg, however, is the inspiration for an equally prestigious award, this one within the comics industry itself: the Reuben Award. Sponsored by the National Cartoonists Society, the world's largest organization of professional cartoonists, the Reuben is a small statuette designed by and named for the NCS's first president. Since 1946, the Reuben has been awarded to the NCS's choice for Cartoonist of the Year (not necessarily a member of the society), with additional awards for excellence being given to outstanding artists within disctinct disciplines of cartooning.

Winners of the Reuben are chosen to be awarded by a combination of the general membership (via secret ballot) and juries overseen by the NCS's 12 regional chapters. Where the awarding of the Pulitzer takes place at a small, intimate luncheon, the Reuben is awarded at the black-tie gala Reuben Award Dinner.

Where the Pulitzer Prize Board is arguably naive with regard to the depth and breadth of the comics medium, the NCS might be said to stretch the bounds of cartooning beyond reason with their categories for excellence in "Greeting Cards" and "Advertising and Illustration." Further, the NCS has been criticised for its choices of award recipients, choosing what is popular over what is excellent within the cartoon art form. The NCS is particularly notorious in its awards for comic book artists.

The first industry awards of note to take a particular interest in comic books were the Kirby Awards, established in 1984 and sponsored by Fantagraphics Books' Amazing Heroes. Named for and sanctioned by Jack "King" Kirby (and not, you'll note, Rollin Kirby, the winner of the 1922, 1925 and 1929 Pulitzers). Voted on by comics creators, publishers and editors, as well as by comics retailers and distributor personnel, the Kirbys, in their first year, garnished 238 ballots: 98 by creators; 140 by retailers and distributors. Coordinated by Fantagraphics employee Dave Olbrich, the awards carried on for 3 years.

In late 1985, Olbrich left his position as Fantagraphics' circulation manager, but continued to coordinate the awards under the sponsorship of Amazing Heroes magazine. Problems arose when Olbrich attempted to wrest complete control and ownership of the Kirbys away from Fantagraphics, claiming that he had created the awards "from top to bottom" during his tenure at Fantagraphics. This claim was disputed by co-publishers Gary Groth and Kim Thompson, who argued that Groth himself had initialized the concept and turned the management over to Olbrich, with the three of them working the details out together. Although, at the time, Thompson was open to the suggestion of relinquishing control of the Kirbys, he informed Olbrich that any change in status needed to be agreed upon by Groth, as well as by Jack and Roz Kirby.

Without consulting Fantagraphics, Olbrich contacted the Eastern Regional Comic Book Retailers Association (ERCBRA) about taking over the sponsorship of the Kirbys, and applied for status as a non-profit organization for the Kirby Awards under his own name. Further, he contacted Roz Kirby about making changes in the awards without making it clear that Fantagraphics might be removed from the equation altogether. Consulting with Groth, Mrs. Kirby suggested that cancelling the awards might be the best possible situation. And so it was. The following year, however, would see 2 new industry awards, one through Fantagraphics and one through Olbrich.

Named in honor of Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were created under the co-sponsorship of Fantagraphics Books, Lone Star Comics (a Texas-based retail chain) and the ERCBRA, and were devoted to the recognition by professionals of the achievements of their peers. Where the Kirbys were voted on by retailers as well as creators, the Harveys are voted on solely by creators in the industry, with over 1000 ballots sent out in the first year. And, where Kirby nominations were made by editors and warehouse managers, Harvey nominations are made by "every professional who can get his hands on a ballot by deadline time," according to Groth. Although essentially based on the same format as the Kirbys, the Harvey Awards also feature several categories previously lacking, including awards for inking, lettering, coloring, design, and reprinted material. The Harveys further laid claim to the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, inducting members under retroactive, lifetime achievement, and international categories.

The Harvey winners are announced annually at the Oakland Wondercon, and are currently sponsored by the Words & Pictures Museum and the San Fransisco Cartoon Art Museum.

After the Kirby Awards were relinquished to the afterlife, Olbrich (then editor of Eternity comics) created the Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, named for the creator of The Spirit as well as such critically acclaimed graphic novelsas Contract With God and Family Matter. Olbrich stated his criteria for the Eisners as the recognition of "the outstanding work of the creative people from within our industry" and to "attract public attention to the art form by publicizing to non-comics readers the best work the industry has to offer."