Gilbert Hernandez Wins PEN Center Award, 'Bumperhead' Announced

Gilbert Hernandez is unquestionably one of the greatest cartoonists of the last 30 years. As such, he continues to receive several accolades and awards, with the latest coming today, as it was announced that he is the recipient of the prestigious PEN Center USA's Graphic Literature Award for Outstanding Body of Work. Coinciding with that announcement, publisher Drawn & Quarterly revealed plans to publish Bumperhead, a follow-up to Hernandez's critically praised graphic novel Marble Season, in Fall 2014.

Established in 1982, the PEN Center Awards are given out annually as part of a "regional competition that recognizes literary excellence," honoring creators in several different categories for work produced or published during one calendar year by writers located west of the Mississippi River. The Graphic Literature Award was established in 2010, and has previously been won by Matt Fraction, Dan Clowes and Joe Sacco.

Bumperhead is a follow-up to Marble Season, the first graphic novel produced by Hernandez under his deal with Drawn & Quarterly. The publisher provided a description of the book in a press release:

To be released in Fall 2014, BUMPERHEAD is the story of a young Hispanic boy and his immigrant father who doesn’t speak English. Nicknamed “Bumperhead” by the neighbourhood bullies–due to his odd-shaped head–he frets over his dad’s inability to understand the world around him. On top of that he’s trying to gain the attentions of his dream girl and fit into American culture. BUMPERHEAD explores the intergenerational immigrant identity, and the complexities of the father-son relationship.

Following on the heels of the release of Marble Season, as well as Juliot's Day and his continued work on the seminal Love And Rockets for Fantagraphics, Hernandez is in the middle of a prolific creative run. And the accolades will almost certainly continue.

[Via The Comics Reporter]