OBA Graphic Literature Award

For the first time ever the Oregon Book Awards are including a category for comic books. Ok, so the actual category is "Graphic Literature" (neatly avoiding the overused term "graphic novel"), but in my mind they're comics.  But, as Doug Wolk successfully argues in "Reading Comics," they aren't just a genre, like superhero stories, but a medium, like film.  In any case, it seems that the literati of Oregon, which includes the illustrious Strunk & White society, feel that comics have arrived as a literary art.

So, which works are in the running for the 2012 award?

• Graham Annable of Portland with Book of Grickle from Dark Horse Comics.
• Aidan Koch of Portland with The Whale from Gaze Books
• Sarah Oleksyk of Portland with Ivy from Oni Press
• Greg Rucka of Portland with Stumptown from Oni Press
• Joe Sacco of Portland with Footnotes in Gaza: A Graphic Novel from Metropolitan Books

From this short list, I've only read "Stumptown" and "Ivy", and I think I'll have to re-read those.  The others look good, although "The Whale" is the biggest unknown to me.  So, I'm setting a goal to read all five books before the Oregon Book Awards ceremony on Monday, April 23rd.

Incidentally, there's a "Reader's Choice" award, so you can vote for you favorite book.  Cast your vote here before April 23rd.

Some other links of note: if you're already a fan of Greg Rucka's work, you can also become a fan on Facebook.  Oleksyk's Ivy is available online for free here.

Related articles

• Finalists announced for 2012 Oregon Book Awards (robot6.comicbookresources.com)
• Oni Press Declares 100% On-Time Record for 2011 (comicbookresources.com)
• CBR's Top 100 Comics of 2011 (comicsbin.blogspot.com)