Goethe Awards
{{Short description|Comic book fan awards}}
{{distinguish|Goethe Prize}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Goethe Award / Comic Fan Art Award
| current_awards =
| image =
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| caption =
| awarded_for = Excellence in comic books, as voted on by fans
| presenter = Newfangles / The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom
| country = United States of America
| date =
| year = 1971
| year2 = 1975
| subheader =
| sponsor =
| venue = Comic Art Convention (1972, 1974)
| reward =
| holder =
| network =
| producer =
| director =
| most_awards =
| most_nominations =
| previous =
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}}
The Goethe Award, later known as the Comic Fan Art Award, was an American series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1971 for comics published in 1970. The award originated with the fanzine Newfangles and then shared close ties with The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom.
The Goethe Award was named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; Goethe was the person who encouraged Rodolphe Töpffer, "the father of comic strips," to publish his stories.Thierry Groensteen and Benoît Peeters, Töpffer, l'invention de la bande dessinée, Paris: Hermann, "Savoir : sur l'art" Collection, 1994, p. 83).
The Comic Art Convention (CAC) twice hosted the presentation of the awards, at the 1972 and 1974 CACs. The format and balloting of the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards, presented by the Comics Buyer's Guide from 1982 to circa 2010, were in many ways derived from the Goethe Award/Comic Fan Art Award.
Overview
The Goethe Awards/Comic Fan Art Awards were tallied yearly for comic books produced during the previous year, and were given out in several categories, separated into people and works, and further divided into professional publications and fanzine/underground publications:
- PEOPLE
- Favorite Pro Artist/Penciller (1970–1974)
- Favorite Inker (1974)
- Favorite Pro Writer (1970–1974)
- Favorite Pro Editor (1970–1974)
- Favorite Fan Writer (1970–1973)
- Favorite Fan Artist (1970–1973)
- WORKS
- Favorite Pro Comic Book (1970–1974)
- Favorite Underground Comic/Non-Newsstand Comic (1970–1972)
- Favorite Comic-Book Story (1970–1973)
- Favorite Comic-Book Character (1970–1973)
- Favorite Fanzine (1970–1974)
History
Don & Maggie Thompson created the Goethe Awards in 1971; the Goethe Awards for comics published in 1970 were first published in a 1971 issue of their fanzine Newfangles.
Nominations for the 1972 Goethe Awards (for comics published in 1971) ballot were initially published in The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom (TBG),{{cite news|title=The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom |number=14 |date=Apr 1972}} The Monster Times,{{cite news|title=Comix Freex Rally! Unite! Vote for your favorite comix! |work=The Monster Times |number=7 |date=Apr 26, 1972 |pages=6-8}} and Graphic Story World.{{cite news|title=The 1971 Goethe Awards |work=Graphic Story World |volume=2 |number=2 (whole #6) |date=July 1972 |page= 29}} Nominations were sent in from 335 readers. Ultimately, there were 7 categories with 4-7 nominees in each category. 700 fans voted for the final nominees.{{cite news|last=Miller |first=John Jackson |url= http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |title=GOETHE/COMIC FAN ART AWARD WINNERS, 1971-74 |work=Comics Buyer's Guide |date=July 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920035152/http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 }} The 1972 Goethe Awards were presented July 3, 1972, at the Comic Art Convention, New York City, in a ceremony emceed by Tony Isabella and Carl Gafford. The award results were also published in Comic Art News & Reviews no. 1.
Ballots for the 1973 awards (for works published in 1972) — now renamed the Comic Fan Art Awards{{cite news|work=The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom |number=38 |date=June 15, 1973|title=1972 Comic Art Awards Results!|page=20}} — were printed in TBG, Comic Crusader, The Comic Reader, the Gazette Advertiser, The Menomonee Falls Gazette, and Rocket's Blast Comicollector. 1,011 fans cast their votes. The results were published in The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom #38 (June 15, 1973).
In 1974, the Thompsons grew frustrated with perceived ballot-stuffing{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Maggie |url=http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-fan-awards-1961-1970 |title=Comics Fan Awards 1961-1970 |work=Comics Buyer's Guide |date= August 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914191950/http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-fan-awards-1961-1970 |archive-date=September 14, 2015 }} and passed the awards to Tony Isabella. The awards for comics published in 1973 were presented at the 1974 Comic Art Convention, held at the Commodore Hotel, New York City. They were later published in TBG #63 (Aug. 1, 1974).
The final Comic Fan Art Awards (for comics published in 1974) were co-administered by Ken Gale{{cite web|url=http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=GALE%2c+KEN |title=Ken Gale |work=Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999 |access-date= Feb 4, 2016}} and were not announced until TBG #123 (March 26, 1976).
In 1982, the Comics Buyer's Guide (the successor to The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom), began presenting their Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards, in many ways modeled on the Goethe Award/Comic Fan Art Award.
Winners
: Years represent when the work was published, not when the awards were presented
= People =
Favorite Pro Artist/Penciller
- 1970 Neal Adams[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=ADAMS%2c+NEAL Adams entry], Who's Who in Comic Books: 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 3, 2016.
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Barry Windsor-Smith
- Neal Adams
- Bernie Wrightson
- Jack Kirby
- 1973 Bernie Wrightson
- 1974 Jim Starlin
Favorite Inker
- 1974 Tom Palmer
Favorite Pro Writer
- 1970 tie
- Denny O'Neil[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=O'NEIL%2c+DENNY O'Neil entry], Who's Who in Comic Books: 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 3, 2016.
- Roy Thomas[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=THOMAS%2c+ROY Thomas entry], Who's Who in Comic Books: 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 3, 2016.
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Roy Thomas
- Len Wein
- Jack Kirby
- Dennis O'Neil
- Steve Englehart
- 1973 Len Wein
- 1974 Roy Thomas
Favorite Pro Editor
- 1970 Dick Giordano
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Roy Thomas
- Julius Schwartz
- 1973 Roy Thomas
- 1974 Roy Thomas
Favorite Fan Writer
- 1970 Jan Strnad
- 1971 Tony IsabellaThe Comic Reader #90 (October 1972).
- 1972 Don & Maggie Thompson
- Tom Fagan
- Tony Isabella
- Jan Strnad
- Paul Levitz
- 1973 Don & Maggie Thompson[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=THOMPSON%2c+DON Don Thompson entry], Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 4, 2016.
Favorite Fan Artist
- 1970 Robert Kline
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Richard Corben
- Don Newton
- John Fantucchio
- Martin Greim
- 1973 Don Newton[https://web.archive.org/web/20160205052949/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=NEWTON%2C+DON Newton entry], Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 4, 2016.
- Howard Bender (3rd runner-up)[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=BENDER%2c+HOWARD Bender entry], Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 4, 2016.
= Works =
Favorite Pro Comic Book
- 1970 Green Lantern/Green Arrow (DC)
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Conan (Marvel)
- Swamp Thing
- Tarzan
- The Avengers
- 1973 Swamp Thing (DC)
- 1974 E-Man (Charlton)
Favorite Underground Comic/Non-Newsstand Comic
- 1970 Captain George Presents, by George Henderson of Toronto, Canada{{cite news|last=Stern |first=Martin |title=Fans Create a Comicbook Culture |work=The Michigan Daily |date=Sep 1972}}
- 1971 TK
- 1972 The Menomonee Falls Gazette
- Bedtime Stories
- Further Adventures of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
- Fantagor
- Skull Comics
- Phase
Favorite Comic-Book Story
- 1970 "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight" by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 (DC)
- 1971 TK
- 1972 "The Black Hound of Vengeance!" in Conan #20
- "And Through Him Save a World" in Green Lantern #89
- "The Pact" in New Gods #20
- "Dark Genesis" in Swamp Thing #1
- 1973 "Night of the Bat," by Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, and Joe Orlando in Swamp Thing #7 (DC)
Favorite Comic-Book Character
- 1970 Deadman (DC)
- 1971 TK
- 1972 Conan (Marvel)
- Batman
- Spider-Man
- Tarzan
- Green Arrow)
- 1973 Conan (Marvel)
Favorite Fanzine
- 1970 Newfangles
- 1971 The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom
- 1972 The Comic Reader (edited by Paul Levitz[http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=LEVITZ%2c+PAUL Paul Levitz entry], Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Feb. 4, 2016.
- The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom
- Comixscene
- Comic Crusader
- Graphic Story World
- Rocket's Blast Comicollector
- 1973 The Comic Reader (edited by Paul Levitz)
- 1974 The Comic Reader
References
{{reflist|2}}
Sources
- 1970 awards (presented in 1971): {{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Maggie |url=http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-fan-awards-1961-1970 |title=Comics Fan Awards 1961-1970 |work=Comics Buyer's Guide |date= August 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914191950/http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-fan-awards-1961-1970 |archive-date=September 14, 2015 }}
- 1971–1974 awards: {{cite news|last=Miller |first=John Jackson |url= http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |title=GOETHE/COMIC FAN ART AWARD WINNERS, 1971-74 |work=Comics Buyer's Guide |date=July 19, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920035152/http://www.cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/goethecomic-fan-art-award-winners-1971-74 |archive-date=September 20, 2010 }}
- 1971 awards (presented in 1972): {{cite news|last=Seiler |first=Rick |title=Telegraphics |work=Comic Art News & Reviews |volume=1 |number=1 |date=Sep 1972 |pages= 3-4}}
- 1972 awards (presented in 1973): {{cite news|work=The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom |number=38 |date=June 15, 1973|title=1972 Comic Art Awards Results!|page=20}}
- 1973 awards (presented in 1974): {{cite news|work=The Buyer's Guide to Comics Fandom |number=63 |date=Aug 1, 1974|title=}}
- 1974 awards (presented in 1975): {{cite news|work=The Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom |number=123 |date=March 26, 1976|title=}}
{{American Comic Book Industry Awards}}