The Nominations For Diamond Comic Distributors Gem Awards 2011 Are...

[Rich Johnston]

Here are Diamond Comic Distributors' nominations for their annual Gem Awards. Retailers are invited to vote on the following, and in the following categories;

2011 Comic Book Publisher of the Year - Over 4%Dark Horse ComicsDC ComicsIDW PublishingImage ComicsMarvel Comics

2011 Comic Book Publisher of the Year - Under 4%Avatar PressBOOM! StudiosDynamite EntertainmentOni PressZenescope Entertainment

2011 Backlist Publisher of the YearDark Horse ComicsDC ComicsIDW PublishingImage ComicsMarvel ComicsOni PressTop Shelf Productions

2011 Manga Publisher of the YearDark Horse ComicsDigital MangaKodansha ComicsUDON EntertainmentVertical Inc.Viz MediaYen Press

2011 Comic Book of the Year Under - $3.00ARCHIE #627 ? ARCHIE MEETS KISS PT 1 (Archie)BATMAN #1 (DC)HELLBOY: THE FURY #3 (Dark Horse)KIRBY: GENESIS #0 (Dynamite)SPONGEBOB COMICS #1 (Bongo/United Plankton)UNCANNY X-FORCE #5.1 (Marvel)WALKING DEAD #90 (Image)

2011 Comic Book of the Year - Over $3.00ACTION COMICS #1 (DC)FANTASTIC FOUR #600 (Marvel)JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 (DC)STAR WARS: DARTH VADER & THE LOST COMMAND #1 (Dark Horse)TMNT ONGOING #1 (IDW)ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #160 (Marvel)WITCHBLADE #150 (Image)

2011 Licensed Comic of the YearBTVS SEASON 9: FREEFALL #1 (Dark Horse)GAME OF THRONES #1 (Dynamite)JOHN CARTER: A PRINCESS OF MARS #1 (Marvel)MEGA MAN #1 (Archie)PEANUTS #0 (BOOM!)SPONGEBOB COMICS #1 (Bongo/United Plankton)TMNT ONGOING #1 (IDW)

2011 Magazine of the YearCAPTAIN AMERICA 70TH ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE #1 (Marvel)DC SUPERHERO COLLECTION MAGAZINE (Eaglemoss)GREEN LANTERN SUPER SPECTACULAR #1 (DC)SONIC SUPER SPECIAL MAGAZINE #1 (Archie)X-MEN: FIRST CLASS MAGAZINE #1 (Marvel)

2011 Original Graphic Novel of the YearBATMAN: NOEL DELUXE ED. HC (DC)CASTLE PREMIERE HC: RICHARD CASTLE?S DEADLY STORM (Marvel)HABIBI GN (Pantheon)HELLBOY: HOUSE OF THE LIVING DEAD HC (Dark Horse)HOLY TERROR HC (Legendary)NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES HC (DC)

2011 Reprint Trade Paperback or Hardcover of the YearBLACKEST NIGHT TP (DC)BOYS TP VOL. 8: HIGHLAND LADDIE (Dynamite)BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL. 8: LAST GLEAMING (Dark Horse)FABLES TP VOL. 15: ROSE RED (DC/Vertigo)FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC VOL. 1 (Marvel)LOCKE & KEY HC VOL. 4: KEYS TO THE KINGDOM (IDW)MORNING GLORIES TP VOL. 1: FOR A BETTER FUTURE (Image)POGO COMP. SYNDICATED STRIPS HC VOL. 1: WILD WONDER (Fantagraphics)TERRY MOORES ECHO COMP. ED. SC (Abstract)THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON OMNIBUS HC (Marvel)WALKING DEAD TP VOL. 14: NO WAY OUT (Image)

2011 Licensed Trade Paperback or Hardcover of the YearAVATAR: THE LAST AIRBERNDER TP VOL. 1 ? LOST ADVENTURES (Dark Horse)THE DARK TOWER OMNIBUS HC SLIPCASE SET (Marvel)OZ HC: OZMA OF OZ (Marvel)STAR WARS: DARTH VADER & THE LOST COMMAND HC (Dark Horse)TMNT ULTIMATE COLLECTION HC VOL. 1 (IDW)

2011 Manga Trade Paperback of the YearGATE 7 TP VOL. 1 (Dark Horse)HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD GN VOL. 1 (Yen)KANNAGI GN VOL. 1 (Bandai)MEGA MAN GIGAMIX TP VOL. 1 (UDON)ONWARD TOWARDS OUR NOBLE DEATHS GN (Drawn & Quarterly)SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED. VOL. 1 (Kodansha)

2011 Anthology of the YearDEMO TP VOL. 2 (DC/Vertigo)FLIGHT GN VOL. 8 (Villard)MARVEL FIRSTS 1960s TP (Marvel)ROCKETEER ADVENTURES HC VOL. 1 DM EXC. ED. (IDW)VALVE PRESENTS SACRIFICE & OTHER STEAM-POWERED STORIES HC (Dark Horse)

2011 Indie Graphic Novel of the YearHABIBI GN (Pantheon)ISLE OF 100000 GRAVES GN (Fantagraphics)LEOG III: CENTURY #2 1969 (Top Shelf)PAYING FOR IT HC (Drawn & Quarterly)PETROGRAD GN (Oni)PINOCCHIO HC (Last Gasp)

2011 Trade Book of the YearAGATHA H & AIRSHIP CITY GIRL GENIUS NOVEL SC (Night Shade)ART OF ALICE MADNESS RETURNS HC (Dark Horse)ART OF MARVEL STUDIOS HC SLIPCASE (Marvel)DAVE STEVENS COMPLETE SKETCHBOOK COLL. HC (IDW)MARVEL ART OF JOHN ROMITA JR. HC (Marvel)OVERSTREET COMIC BK PG VOL. 41 (Gemstone)WALKING DEAD NOVEL HC VOL. 01 RISE OF THE GOVERNOR (St. Martin?s Press)

2011 Game Manufacturer of the YearCryptozoic EntertainmentFantasy Flight GamesKonami Digital EntertainmentPaizo PublishingWizards of the CoastWizkids/NECA

2011 Game Product of the YearJUL112183 DC HEROCLIX SUPERMAN BOOSTER BRICK (Wizkids/NECA)AUG112115 MTG TCG INNISTRAD BOOSTER DIS (Wizards of the Coast)APR112103 MARVEL HEROCLIX CAPTAIN AMERICA BOOSTER PACK (Wizkids/NECA)AUG112106 PATHFINDER ROLEPLAYING GAME BEGINNER BOX (Paizo)JUN118204 RISK: LEGACY (Hasbro)JUL112137 THE WALKING DEAD TV BOARD GAME (Cryptozoic)

2011 Toy Manufacturer of the YearDC DirectDiamond Select Toys (DST)HasbroKotobukiyaSquare EnixTodd McFarlane Productions (TMP)

2011 Toy Product of the YearOCT110307-14 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY SER. 1 AFs (DC Direct)JAN111658 FUTURAMA TALKING BENDER FIGURE (Toynami)OCT101521 MARVEL MASTERWORKS GALACTUS 19-IN VAR. ED. AF (Hasbro)JUN101512 MARVEL SELECT JUGGERNAUT AF (DST)MAY110548 WALKING DEAD SER. 1 PX ZOMBIE AF 2-PK CS (TMP)

2011 Toy Line of the YearBATMAN: ARKHAM CITY (DC Direct)BLACKEST NIGHT 1/4 SCALE POWER BATTERY & RING PROPS (DC Direct)DC CLASSIC AFs (Mattel)MARVEL MINIMATES (DST)MARVEL SELECT AFs (DST)WALKING DEAD COMIC AFs (TMP)

2011 Collectible Statue of the YearJUN100299 BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE STATUE BATMAN BY TONY DANIEL (DC Direct)APR100306 COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU BATGIRL STATUE (DC Direct)NOV101562 DC WONDER WOMAN BISHOUJO STATUE (Kotobukiya)AUG110056 MASS EFFECT NORMANDY SR2 CERBERUS SHIP REPLICA (Dark Horse)SEP108144 MODOK PX STATUE (Bowen)OCT101609 WOLVERINE X-FORCE STATUE (Bowen)

[Lou]

How does Diamond come up with these nominations? Payola?

[comicscritic]

It's just another award created so that someone can say they gave awards for <fill in the blank>. It's rather meaningless coming from a distributor.

[karmakaze]

Do I get to vote?