Doug Wright Award


The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning are literary awards handed out annually since 2005 during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to Canadian cartoonists honouring excellence in comics and graphic novels published in English. The awards are named in honour of Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright. Winners are selected by a jury of Canadians who have made significant contributions to national culture, based on shortlisted selections provided by a nominating committee of five experts in the comics field. The Wrights are handed out in three main categories, "Best Book", "The Spotlight Award", and, since 2008, the "Pigskin Peters Award" for non-narrative or experimental works. In 2020, the organizers added "The Egghead", an award for best kids’ book for readers under twelve. In addition to the awards, since 2005 the organizers annually induct at least one cartoonist into the Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartoonist Hall Fame.
The Wright Awards are modeled after traditional book prizes, with the intention of drawing attention to the comics medium from a broad range of demographics inside and outside of its traditional fanbase. The Wrights have garnered acclaim as well as earning the support of a diverse range of participating artists and jurors including Scott Thompson, Don McKellar, Bruce McDonald, Jerry Ciccoritti, Bob Rae, Andrew Coyne, Sara Quin, Greg Morrison, Chester Brown, Lorenz Peter, and Nora Young.

Awards

The Best Book and The Spotlight awards are a large wood-and-glass trophies which are engraved with images from Wright's comic strip. The award was designed by the cartoonist Seth, who admitted to some embarrassment at being the inaugural winner of the trophy he designed. The Pigskin Peters Award, named in honour of a character from Jimmy Frise's Birdseye Center, is a custom, tailored derby hat with its own unique plaque that doubles as a hat post. It was also designed by Seth.
Each recipient of a Doug Wright Award also receives a custom-bound copy of their winning work.

Nominees (winners in ***bold type***)

2005

Best Book
Worn Tuff Elbow #1 by Marc Bell
Pamplemoussi by Geneviève Castrée
The Frank Ritza Papers by David Collier
vol. 1 by Darwyn Cooke
*** Clyde Fans, Book One by Seth ' ***
Best Emerging Talent
Rabbithead by Rebecca Dart
#1 by Max Douglas / Salgood Sam
Canvas by Alex Fellows
*** Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley' ***

2006

Best Book
' by Guy Delisle
Scott Pilgrim Versus the World by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Dragonslippers: This Is What an Abusive Relationship Looks Like by Rosalind B. Penfold
*** Paul Moves Out by Michel Rabagliati ***
Wimbledon Green by Seth
Best Emerging Talent
Northwest Passage Vol. 1 by Scott Chantler
The Unexpurgated Tale of Lordie Jones by Marc Ngui
*** Dark Adaptation by Lorenz Peter ***
Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
' by James Turner

2007

Best Book
Shenzen: A Travelogue From China by Guy Delisle
*** This Will All End in Tears by Joe Ollmann ***
Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Gilded Lilies by Jillian Tamaki
Nog-a-dod edited by Marc Bell
Best Emerging Talent
Gray Horses by Hope Larson
*** House of Sugar by Rebecca Kraatz ***
Was She Pretty? by Leanne Shapton
Bacter-area by Keith Jones
Mendacity by Tamara Berger & Sophie Cossette

2008

Best Book
' by Julie Doucet
Spent by Joe Matt
*** The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming ***
Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde
Best Emerging Talent
*** Essex County Vol. 1: Tales from the Farm and Vol. 2: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire ***
Pope Hats by Ethan Rilly
Kieffer #1 by Jason Kieffer
The Experiment by Nick Maandag
2008 saw the introduction of a new category dedicated to works that fall outside the bounds of traditional storytelling. Named after a character in the classic Canadian comic strip Birdseye Center, the Pigskin Peters Award recognizes experimental and avant-garde comics.
Pigskin Peters Award
*** Milk Teeth by Julie Morstad ***'
Little Lessons in Safety by Emily Holton
Excelsior 1968 by John Martz
Fire Away'' by Chris von Szombathy

2009

Best Book
Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle
Drop-in by Dave Lapp
Paul Goes Fishing by Michel Rabagliati
*** Skim by Jillian & Mariko Tamaki ***
Best Emerging Talent
*** History Comics by Kate Beaton ***
Maids in the Mist by Caitlin Black
Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow by Jesse Jacobs
Kieffer #2 by Jason Kieffer
Jack & Mandy by Nick Maandag
Pigskin Peters Award
Hall of Best Knowledge by Ray Fenwick
*** Ojingogo by Matthew Forsythe ***
All We Ever Do is Talk About Wood by Tom Horacek
Small Victories by Jesse Jacobs
Winners of the 2009 Doug Wright Awards were announced on May 9, 2009 at the Art Gallery of Ontario during a ceremony hosted by actor and director Don McKellar.

2010

Best Book
Back + Forth by Marta Chudolinska
*** George Sprott: by Seth ***
Hot Potatoe by Marc Bell
Kaspar by Diane Obomsawin
Red: A Haida Manga by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
Best Emerging Talent
I'm Crazy by Adam Bourret
*** Lose #1, Cold Heat Special #7 by Michael DeForge ***
Nicolas by Pascal Girard
It's Snowing Outside, We Should Go for a Walk by John Martz
The Hipless Boy by Sully
Pigskin Peters Award
Bébête by Simon Bossé
Dirty Dishes by Amy Lockhart
*** Hot Potato by Marc Bell ***
Never Learn Anything from History by Kate Beaton
The Collected Doug Wright Volume One by Doug Wright
Winners of the 2010 Doug Wright Awards were announced on May 8, 2010 in the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon in the Toronto Reference Library, during a ceremony hosted by actor Peter Outerbridge.

2011

Best Book
*** Bigfoot by Pascal Girard ***
Chimo by David Collier
Lose #2 by Michael DeForge
Moving Pictures by Kathryn Immonen, Stuart Immonen
Streakers by Nick Maandag
Best Emerging Talent
Aaron Costain, Entropy # 5
*** Alex Fellows, Spain and Morocco ***
Keith Jones, Catland Empire
James Stokoe, Orc Stain Volume One
Tin Can Forest, Baba Yaga and the Wolf
Pigskin Peters Award
Indoor Voice by Jillian Tamaki
Stooge Pile by Seth Scriver
So I've Been Told by Maryanna Hardy
*** Spotting Deer by Michael DeForge ***
Wowee Zonk #3 edited by Patrick Kyle, Ginette Lapalme and Chris Kuzma

2012

Best Book
*** Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton ***
Lose #3 by Michael Deforge
Mid-Life by Joe Ollmann
Paying for It by Chester Brown
Reunion by Pascal Girard
The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists by Seth
Spotlight Award
*** Ethan Rilly for Pope Hats #2 ***
Emily Carroll for "The Seven Windows", "Margot’s Room" and "The Prince & the Sea"
Patrick Kyle for Black Mass # 5 – 6
Betty Liang for Wet T-Shirt #1, "It’s Only a Secret if You Don’t Tell Anyone", "Anna Freud’s Recurring Dream"
Zach Worton for The Klondike
Pigskin Peters Award
*** Hellberta by Michael Comeau ***
Hermoddities by Temple Bates
Pure Pajamas by Marc Bell
‘Untitled’ by Mum Pittsburg, Jupiter Leucetius! Send Us a King. We Are So Bored by Connor Willumsen

2013

Best Book
*** The Song of Roland by Michel Rabagliati ***
Lose #4 by Michael DeForge
By This Shall You Know Him by Jesse Jacobs
Pope Hats #3 by Ethan Rilly
Wax Cross by Tin Can Forest
Spotlight Award
*** Nina Bunjevac for Heartless ***
Brandon Graham for King City
Patrick Kyle for Black Mass, Distance Mover, Wowee Zonk #4
George Walker for The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson
Eric Kostiuk Williams for Hungry Bottom Comics
Pigskin Peters Award
*** Hamilton Illustrated by David Collier ***
Hellberta #2 and "Sir Softly" from š! #12 by Michael Comeau
4PANEL comics in Carousel Magazine #28 & #29, by Michael DeForge, Larry Eisenstein, Jesse Jacobs, Mark Laliberte, Marc Ngui, Ethan Rilly, Tin Can Forest and Magda Trzaski
"So, what should we do with ourselves?…" from Wowee Zonk #4 and "Little Stump" in š! #12, by Ginette Lapalme

2014

Best Book
Palookaville #21 by Seth
*** Paul Joins the Scouts by Michel Rabagliati ***
Science Fiction by Joe Ollmann
Susceptible by Geneviève Castrée
Very Casual by Michael DeForge
Spotlight Award
Connor Willumsen for "Calgary: Death Milks a Cow", "Treasure Island", "Mooncalf", and "Passionfruit"
Dakota McFadzean for Other Stories and the Horse You Rode in On
Patrick Kyle for Distance Mover #7–12, New Comics #1–2
*** Steven Gilbert for The Journal of the Main Street Secret Lodge ***
Georgia Webber for Dumb #1–3
Pigskin Peters Award
"Calgary: Death Milks a Cow" by Connor Willumsen
Flexible Tube with Stink Lines by Seth Scriver
Journal by Julie Delporte
*** "Out of Skin" by Emily Carroll ***
Very Casual by Michael DeForge

2015

Best Book
Ant Colony by Michael DeForge
*** Fatherland by Nina Bunjevac ***
Safari Honeymoon by Jesse Jacobs
The People Inside by Ray Fawkes
This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
Spotlight Award '
Aaron Costain for Entropy #10
Elisabeth Belliveau for One Year in America
Julie Delporte for Everywhere Antennas
*** Meags Fitzgerald for Photobooth: A Biography ***
Simon Roy for Tiger Lung
Sophie Yanow for War of Streets and Houses
Pigskin Peters Award
Comics Collection 2010–2013 and Less than Dust by Julien Ceccaldi
Great Success! 1983–2013 by Henriette Valium
New Comics #3–5 by Patrick Kyle
Undocumented: The Architecture of Migrant Detention by Tings Chak
*** "Swinespritzen" by Connor Willumsen ****'

2016

Best Book
*** Dressing by Michael DeForge ***
Melody by Sylvie Rancourt
Palookaville #22 by Seth
Step Aside, Pops by Kate Beaton
Stroppy by Marc Bell
SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
Spotlight Award
Ted Gudlat for Funny Ha-Has
*** Dakota McFadzean for Don’t Get Eaten By Anything ***
Rebecca Roher for Mom Body
Sabrina Scott for Witchbody
Kat Verhoeven for Towerkind
Pigskin Peters Award
Leather Vest by Michael Comeau
*** New Comics # 6 & 7 by Patrick Kyle ***
Intelligent Sentient? by Luke Ramsey
We Are Going To Bremen To Be Musicians by Tin Can Forest and Geoff Berner
Agalma by Stanley Wany

2017

Best Book
Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus by Chester Brown
Big Kids by Michael DeForge
Burt’s Way Home by John Martz
The Envelope Manufacturer by Chris Oliveros
*** Bird in a Cage by Rebecca Roher ***
Spotlight Award
Jessica Campbell, Hot or Not: 20th-Century Male Artists
GG, "These Days," "Lapse", and an untitled story from Altcomics Magazine 3
Nathan Jurevicius, Birthmark
Laura Ķeniņš, Alien Beings
Brie Moreno, Dearest, Gift Shop 3D, Missy, untitled story from š! No. 6, various web comics
*** Steve Wolfhard, Cat Rackham ***
Pigskin Peters Award
Carpet Sweeper Tales by Julie Doucet
Draw Blood by Ron Hotz
Garbage by Matthew Reichertz
After Land by Chris Taylor
*** The Palace of Champions by Henriette Valium ***

2018

Best Book
Hostage by Guy Delisle
I’m Not Here by GG
*** Crawl Space by Jesse Jacobs ***
The Abominable Mr. Seabrook by Joe Ollmann
Anti-Gone by Connor Willumsen
Spotlight Award
Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes, The Case of the Missing Men
Gillian Blekkenhorst, All-Inclusive Fully Automated Vacation and House of Strays
Eric Kostiuk Williams, Condo Heartbreak Disco
Jason Loo, The Pitiful Human-Lizard Nos. 12, 13 and 14
*** Jenn Woodall, Magical Beatdown Vol. 2 and Marie and Worrywart ***
Pigskin Peters Award
*** The Dead Father by Sami Alwani ***
The Death of the Master by Patrick Kyle
Crohl’s House Nos. 1 & 2 by Alexander Laird, Jamiel Rahi and Robert Laird
Creation: The First Three Chapters by Sylvia Nickerson
Potluck by Wavering Line Collective