Legendary Comic Book and Manga Creators to be Honored: Osamu Tezuka, Jill Thompson, and the members of Milestone Media, Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis
NEW YORK – September 30, 2020 – The Harvey Awards revealed this year’s inductees into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in advance of the digital event livestreamed during New York Comic Con’s Metaverse. With seven recipients being honored: the legendary Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Buddha), award-winning illustrator Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Beasts of Burden), and the core members of the groundbreaking Milestone Media imprint, Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis.
“This is an incredible induction class for 2020, with a long overdue recognition for Tezuka, whose contributions to popular culture worldwide cannot be overstated,” said John Lind, co-chair of the Harvey Awards Steering Committee. “Congratulations to all the Harvey Awards inductees.”
Macoto Tezka, the Representative Director of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Foundation and Director at Tezuka Productions, said the following: “We the family of Osamu Tezuka are extremely honored that he is being inducted into the Hall of Fame of America’s esteemed Harvey Awards. Osamu Tezuka is called the father of Japanese comics because his works influenced many subsequent artists and established the core of contemporary manga. It’s undeniable, however, that American comics and cartoons had influenced Tezuka himself. Having soaked up the cultures of Hollywood and of Europe, he brought their elements to life in Japanese comics. As a result, our nation’s boys and girls detected a universal sensibility and store of imagery in his works and held a special regard for them. Tezuka, who revered Walt Disney and American pop culture, would have been truly happy to be awarded this recognition. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
On behalf of the core members of Milestone Media, they shared this statement about their award: “Sparked by the vision of young, dynamic comic book illustrator Denys Cowan, Milestone Media was spawned some 30 years ago when he brought together four other aspirants within the comic book and publishing fields – Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Michael Davis and Christopher Priest – to develop a universe of multicultural superheroes and a company that would fully embrace diverse talent. We all grew up with the shared experience of wanting to read comic books with heroes that looked like us – multi-dimensional characters of color. Without sacrificing entertainment value, our comics always sought to reveal characters of dignity and humanity in a relevant, contemporary world. In short, we wanted to create “cool” comic books for everyone. Never in our wildest dreams, however, did we ever imagine that our creative collaborations would one day be worthy of induction into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. As such, we are truly humbled, honored and appreciative of this momentous occasion and extraordinary recognition that serves as validation of that vision and our union three decades ago.”
“I am incredibly honored to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame,” said 2020 inductee Jill Thompson. “I fell in love with comics storytelling as a young girl and my dream of making comics professionally was something I worked hard to make a reality. To be included amongst the ranks of the people who have inspired and influenced me is both humbling and energizing! My goal has been to create art and stories of all kinds that would entertain people of all ages everywhere. This recognition makes me think I’m doing something right! I look forward to living up to this honor by creating new worlds far into the future. A thousand thanks!”
The Harvey Awards Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the 32st annual Harvey Awards ceremony on Friday, October 9th streamed during New York Comic Con & MCM’s Metaverse event.
For more information about the Harvey Awards, please visit harveyawards.com or the Harvey Awards social media pages (Facebook and Twitter). The Harvey Awards Steering Committee is co-chaired by Nellie Kurtzman, John Lind, and Chip Mosher. Chris D’Lando and Camilla Di Persia off ReedPop and Eden Miller are coordinating this year’s awards.
New York Comic Con is the ultimate pop culture destination event in the United States. NYCC brings the best of comics, television, film, exhibitors, celebrities, cosplay, anime, and more to create memorable, uniquely exciting experiences for fans. These experiences transcend beyond the walls of the Javits Center and continue to live beyond the weekend of NYCC through Metaverse, the online world of ReedPop digital content.
About Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards:
Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), creator of MAD, was a cartoonist and pop culture icon. Among the most influential American satirists, he was known for his visionary abilities that encompassed author, artist, designer, and editor, and combined those skills in some capacity in almost every project he was involved in. The Harvey Awards, presented annually since 1988, are named in his honor and aim to recognize the achievements among creators and their books in the publishing industry.
About ReedPop:
ReedPop is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions — the world’s leading events organizer. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC); Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2); PAX West, East, South, and Unplugged; Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC); Star Wars Celebration; MCM Comic Con; Eurogamer Expo (EGX); Comic Con Paris; BookCon; Comic Con Seoul; Comic Con Africa; Minecraft Festival; ComplexCon; POPSUGAR Play/Ground; Salon du Chocolat NY; and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion. (www.ReedPop.com)