Academy of Comic Book Arts 4032802 224768283 2008-07-10T09:48:22Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other __NOTOC__ The '''Academy of Comic Book Arts''' is an [[United States|American]] professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the [[comic book]] industry analog of such groups as the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]. Founded in 1969 or 1970 (accounts differ), and hosting its first awards ceremony in 1971 for work published in 1970, the ACBA existed through at least 1977. Its award, the [[Academy of Comic Book Arts#Shazam Awards|Shazam]], was a statuette in the shape of a lightning bolt. In addition to the creative awards, the ACBA also established the Academy of Comic Book Arts Hall of Fame award, inducting [[Superman]] creators [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]] as its initial honorees. ==History== Despite its roots as an honorary society, the ACBA, under its early president, artist [[Neal Adams]], became an advocacy organization for creators' rights. The comic-book industry at that time did not return artists' physical artwork after shooting the requisite film for printing, and in some cases destroyed the artwork to prevent unauthorized reprints. The industry also did not then offer [[royalties]] or [[residual (entertainment industry)|residuals]], common in such creative fields as [[book publishing]], [[film]] and [[television]], and the [[recording industry]]. Once the ACBA — riding a wave begun by the mid-'70s independent startup [[Atlas/Seaboard Comics]], which instituted royalties and the return of artwork in order to attract creators — helped see those immediate goals achieved, it then gradually disbanded. The ACBA was one of a string of largely unsuccessful comic-book industry organizations, which include the Comic Book Creators Guild (1978-1979), the Comic Book Professionals Association (CBPA, 1992-1994), and Comic Artists, Retailers and Publishers (CARP, 1998-1998). The ongoing exception is a publishers' group, the Comic Magazine Association of America (CMAA), founded in 1954 as a response to public pressure and a Senate subcommitte on juvenile delinquency, and which created the self-censorship board the [[Comics Code Authority]]. ==ACBA Sketchbook== Aside from its Shazam Awards, the ACBA also published an annual fundraiser sketchbook from at least 1973 through 1977. Approximately $3,000 in sketchbook sales plus general contributions to the ACBA and accumulated interest was donated in early 2005 from the ACBA's [[Bill Everett]] Fund — created in 1975 to help comics professionals in financial need — to the present-day ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots), a federally chartered, not-for-profit corporation likewise dedicated. Irene Vartanoff was the final ACBA [[treasurer]]. Contributing to the 36-page ''ACBA Sketchbook 1973'' were Adams, [[Sergio Aragones]], [[Frank Brunner]], [[Howard Chaykin]], [[Dave Cockrum]], [[Reed Crandall]], [[Frank Frazetta]], [[Michael Kaluta]], [[Gil Kane]], [[Gray Morrow]], [[John Romita Sr.]], [[Mike Royer]], [[Syd Shores]], [[Jim Starlin]], [[Jim Steranko]], [[Herb Trimpe]], and [[Wally Wood]]. The 48-page ''ACBA Sketchbook 1975'' included Adams, Aragones, Chaykin, Kaluta, Kane, Romita Sr., Steranko, Wood, and [[John Byrne]], [[Russ Heath]], [[Jeff Jones (artist)|Jeff Jones]], [[Harvey Kurtzman]], [[Walt Simonson]], [[Michael Whelan]], and [[Berni Wrightson]]. Wood also contributed to the 1976 and 1977 sketchbooks. ==Shazam Awards==<!-- This section is linked from [[Dan DeCarlo]] --> The '''Shazam Awards''' were given between 1970 and 1975. There were multiple categories such as ''Outstanding New Talent'' and ''Superior Achievement by an Individual''. The awards were given the year following the publication of the material, based on nominations that were then voted upon by industry professionals. The name of the award is derived from the magic word for the original [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]], a popular superhero of the 1940s and early 1950s. ===1970=== Presented 1971 *Best Continuing Feature: ''[[Green Lantern]]/[[Green Arrow]]'' (DC) *Best Individual Story: "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight", by [[Dennis O'Neil]] & [[Neal Adams]], ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' #76 (DC) *Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Dennis O'Neil * Best Pencil Artist (Dramatic Division): Neal Adams * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): [[Dick Giordano]] * Best Writer (Humor Division): [[Carl Barks]] * Best Pencil Artist (Humor Division): [[Bob Oksner]] * Best Inker (Humor Division): [[Henry Scarpelli]] * Best Colorist: [[Jack Adler]] * Hall of Fame: [[Jerry Siegel]] & [[Joe Shuster]] ===1971=== Presented 1972 * Best Continuing Feature: ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' (Marvel) * Best Individual Story: "[[Snowbirds Don't Fly]]", by Dennis O'Neil & Neal Adams, ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' #85 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): [[Roy Thomas]] * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Neal Adams * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): [[Dick Giordano]] * Best Writer (Humor Division): [[John Albano]] * Best Penciller (Humor Division): [[Dan DeCarlo]] * Best Inker (Humor Division): Henry Scarpelli * Best Letterer: [[Gaspar Saladino]] * Best Colorist: [[Tatjana Wood]] * Best Foreign Artist: [[Frank Bellamy]] * Outstanding New Talent: (tie) [[Michael Kaluta]], [[Richard Corben]] * Special Recognition: [[Gil Kane]], "for ''[[Blackmark]]'', his paperback comics novel" * Special Achievement by an Individual: [[Jack Kirby]], "for his [[Fourth World]] series in ''[[Forever People]]'', ''[[New Gods]]'', ''[[Mister Miracle]]'', ''[[Jimmy Olsen]]''" * Hall of Fame: [[Will Eisner]] ===1972=== Presented 1973 * Best Continuing Feature: n.a. * Best Individual Story: "Dark Genesis", by [[Len Wein]] & [[Berni Wrightson]], ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' #1 (DC) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Demon Within", by John Albano & [[Jim Aparo]], ''[[House of Mystery]] #201 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Len Wein * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): n.a. * Best Humor Story: "The Poster Plague", by [[Steve Skeates]] & [[Sergio Aragones]], ''[[House of Mystery]]'' #202 (DC) * Best Writer (Humor Division): n.a. * Best Penciller (Humor Division): n.a. * Best Inker (Humor Division): Sergio Aragones * Best Letterer: n.a. * Best Colorist: n.a. * Best Foreign Artist: n.a. * Outstanding New Talent: n.a. * Special Award: DC [[letterer]]/[[proofreader]] [[Gerda Gattel]] "for bringing her special warmth to our history" * Superior Achievement by an Individual: [[Julius Schwartz]] "for bringing the [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Shazam Family]] back into print" * Hall of Fame: n.a. ===1973=== Presented 1974 * Best Continuing Feature: ''Swamp Thing'' (DC) * Best Individual Story: "Song of Red Sonja", by Roy Thomas & [[Barry Smith]], ''Conan the Barbarian'' #24 (Marvel) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "The Himalayan Incident" ([[Manhunter (comics)|Manhunter]]) by [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] & [[Walt Simonson]], ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #437 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Archie Goodwin * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): Berni Wrightson * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): Dick Giordano * Best Humor Story: "The Gourmet", ''Plop!'' #1 (DC) * Best Writer (Humor Division): (tie) [[Stu Schwartzberg]], Steve Skeates * Best Penciller (Humor Division): [[Marie Severin]] * Best Inker (Humor Division): [[Ralph Reese]] * Best Letterer: Gaspar Saladino * Best Colorist: [[Glynis Wein]] * Best Foreign Comic Series: ''[[Blueberry (comics)|Lieutenant Blueberry]] * Outstanding New Talent: (tie) Walt Simonson, [[Jim Starlin]] * Superior Achievement by an Individual: Richard Corben * Hall of Fame: Carl Barks ===1974=== Presented 1975 * Best Continuing Feature: ''Conan the Barbarian'' (Marvel) * Best Individual Story: "Götterdämmerung", ''Detective Comics'' #443 (DC) * Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic): "Cathedral Perilous" (Manhunter) by Archie Goodwin & Walt Simonson, ''Detective Comics'' #441 (DC) * Best Writer (Dramatic Division): Archie Goodwin * Best Penciller (Dramatic Division): [[John Buscema]] * Best Inker (Dramatic Division): Dick Giordano * Best Humor Story: "Kaspar the Dead Baby" ''Crazy'' #8 (Marvel) * Best Writer (Humor Division): Steve Skeates * Best Penciller (Humor Division): Marie Severin * Best Inker (Humor Division): Ralph Reese * Best Letterer: John Costanza * Best Colorist: Tatjana Wood * Outstanding New Talent: [[P. Craig Russell|Craig Russell]] * Superior Achievement by an Individual: Roy Thomas * Hall of Fame: Jack Kirby ==Quotes== '''[[Jon B. Cooke]]''': "While the Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was established to be a kind of funnybook Motion Picture Academy — a self-congratulatory organization focused on banquets and awards — it quickly served as a soapbox for the Angry Young Men in the industry, primarily Neal Adams, [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]], and their ilk of educated, informed and gutsy artists and writers, self-confident and filled with a strong sense of self-worth, attitudes sadly absent from the field for decades. ... ([[Jeff Rovin]] recalled, 'I can't tell you how many times [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin [Goodman]]] would listen to some of the things Neal Adams was saying and mutter, "Who the hell does he think he is?"'").<ref>[http://www.atlasarchives.com/history.html ''Comic Book Artist'' #16 (Dec. 2001): "Vengeance, Incorporated: A History of the Short-Lived Comics Publisher Atlas/Seaboard", by Jon B. Cooke]</ref> ==See also== *[[Alley Award]] *[[Eagle Awards|Eagle Award]] *[[Eisner Award]] *[[Harvey Award]] *[[Inkpot Awards|Inkpot Award]] *[[Kirby Award]] == Footnotes == {{reflist}} ==References== * [http://users.rcn.com/aardy/comics/awards/shazam.shtml Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards] * [http://www.tcj.com/262/n_assoc.html ''The Comics Journal'' #262: "Collective Inaction: The Comics Community Tries and Tries Again to Get It Together", by Michael Dean] (excerpt posted online Aug. 13, 2004) * [http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5144 ''Comic Book Resources'': "Academy of Comic Book Arts Gifts Actor Comic Fund Over $3000"] ([[April 22]] [[2005]], press release) * ''Amazing World Of Dc Comics: Special Edition'' #1 (Feb. 1976): "Siegel, Shuster & Superman", by E. Nelson Bridwell (offline) * [http://splashpages.com/wood/woodlist/woodlist7.html Wally Wood Online checklist] [[Category:Comic book awards|Shazam Award]] [[Category:Comics-related organizations]]