27 Oct 2012

The Inkwell Awards, a non-profit advocacy group devoted to promoting and educating about the art form of comic book inking is now celebrating its sixth season. Bob Almond, founder and director of the organization announced this week a year’s worth of activities, events and accomplishments all designed to celebrate the talents of artists of ink and the contribution they make to an industry rich in tradition.

The organization begins their season with the acceptance by creator Brian Pulido to the position of an Inkwell Awards ambassador. Almond commented “Brian is a multi-talented creator with impressive credits as a writer, publisher and filmmaker.  As President of Chaos Comics, he created the iconic characters Lady Death and Evil Ernie. But what is most impressive to me is his ongoing philanthropic efforts in the community with both the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Hero Initiative, of which he is on the Board of Directors.  I’ve met him and found Brian to be a gracious and caring individual that we’d be honored to have among us and added to an already prestigious ambassador line-up.  We sincerely appreciate and thank him for agreeing to support and represent us.”

The 2013 season begins in November with two new convention appearances. On November 3-4, members of the organization will appear at the inaugural Rhode Island Comic Con in Providence. The second sop will be at Albany Comic Con on November 11th. In Albany, Special Ambassador and Hall of Fame namesake Joe Sinnott will join the group to celebrate the release of the 2nd Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge book. The first book, set to be an annual educational collection of notable ink artists, premiered last winter and was met with much success and demand. The 2nd issue of the book which will be offered for a $15 donation will feature a front cover portrait of ‘Joltin’ Joe’ by artist Josef Rubinstein and a back cover by Joe, J. David Spurlock and Jose Villarrubia. Joe’s son, Mark Sinnott writes the introduction and writer Daniel Best an Afterword.  Challenge participants include Rubenstein, Spurlock, Terry Austin, Jose Marzan, Jr., Bob Wiacek, Mark McKenna, Neil Vokes, Scott Koblish and many more!

Almond announced also that, in November the organization will kick off the third “Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge” event. If November wasn’t busy enough, the advocacy group will also start forming the 2013 Nomination Committee for the annual awards, celebrated at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC in June. This committee will choose nominees for the first five ballot categories from American comic book interior work published in 2012. A new feature to the final ballot this season is a separate Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Nomination Committee who will internally choose two recipients of this lifetime-achievement award.

The Inkwell Awards’ proudest philanthropic program, The Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund, with the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art is awarded in the Spring. “After serving as an Inkwell Ambassador for one year, it was such a devastating loss to the community when the legendary Joe Kubert passed away this year after all of his contributions and innovations to the medium, including the school that bears his name. By continuing our fund, it allows us to continue our supportive relationship with his family in honor of him and to artist Dave Simons from whom it was named after.” Almond commented.

The Inkwell Awards is an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and educate about the art form of comic book inking and to annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. Now in their fifth year, the organization is overseen by a number of industry professionals such as founder & director Bob Almond, Jimmy Tournas, Michael W. Kellar, and Sarah L. Covert who make up the IA core committee and Adam Hughes, Mike Marts, Ethan Van Sciver, Mark Brooks, Sal Velluto, Mike McKone, Trevor Von Eeden, J. David Spurlock, Cully Hamner, Phil Jimenez, Eric Basaldua and Jim Shooter who make up their IA ambassadors, and numerous contributors such as Dan Panosian, Louis Small, Jr., Mike Pascale and Randy Green among others. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Art and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.