Presenting the 2007 Ignatz Graduating Class

Last night's Ignatz awards show at SPX was a pleasure to attend, with Heidi MacDonald again handling the emcee gig with customary wit and charm. Living up to the promise to keep the awards show moving along briskly, so that everyone could move on to the after-party (featuring a chocolate fondue fountain!) which followed, the presentation clocked in at under an hour.

As fine a job as Heidi and all of the award presenters did, however, the star of the show was unquestionably the unidentified individual who accepted Chris (Achewood) Onstad's award for Outstanding Online Comic dressed in a full gorilla costume. As presenter of the award, Nick Gurewith served as translator for the gorilla's (pantomimed) acceptance speech, and this is where the awards show was elevated to the level of Art, with the comedy stylings of Gurewitz and the gorilla keeping the audience in stitches throughout. Sample line: "Thank you from the top of my ... buttocks." As priceless as it was unforgettable, this ought to be an awards show to go down in comics history.

Congratulations to all of the Ignatz winners! (The complete list of 2007 Ignatz nominees can be seen here.)

* Outstanding Artist (award presented by Jeff Smith)
Jaime Hernandez, Love & Rockets (Fantagraphics Books)
* Outstanding Anthology or Collection (award presented by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock)
Curses by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Outstanding Graphic Novel (award presented by Nick Abadzis)
Don't Go Where I Can't Follow by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Outstanding Story (award presented by Rutu Modan)
"Felix" by Gabrielle Bell, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Vol. 4 (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Promising New Talent (award presented by Larry Marder)
Tom Neely, The Blot (I Will Destroy You)
* Outstanding Series (award presented by Douglas Wolk)
Mourning Star by Kazimir Strzepek (Bodega Distribution)
* Outstanding Comic (award presented by Matt Kindt)
Optic Nerve #11 by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Outstanding Mini-Comic (award presented by Pam Bliss)
P.S. Comics #3 by Minty Lewis
* Outstanding Online Comic (award presented by Nick Gurewith)
Achewood by Chris Onstad
* Outstanding Debut Award (award presented by Liz Prince and Alec Longstreth)
Papercutter #6 edited by Alec Longstreth (Tugboat Press)