Eisner Nominations 2015

The Center for Cartoon Studies has two people associated with the school up for Eisner Nominations, Noah Van Sciver and Tillie Walden this year!

CCS folks’ Eisner nominated books!

Noah Van Sciver (fellow for 15-16) is up for Best Writer/Artist for Fante Bukowski and Saint Cole. (Fair warning, poor Noah was just coming out the other end of a terrible cold that had been sweeping through the school.)

Noah Van Sciver as visiting artist.

Angela: How does it feel being an Eisner nominee? Is this your first one?

Noah: Yeah, this is my first one. It’s just unreal, that’s all. It doesn’t seem like a real thing. I mean, I’ve been through all this stuff before. It doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. It sounds jaded, but I don’t get my hopes up for this stuff anymore. It’s nice to be nominated, and I’ll enjoy all the attention I get before the actual award ceremony, but during the awards I’ll probably try and just forget about it.

A: So you were sick when you found out?

N: Uh, yeah.

A: Did you feel better for even a second?

N: Uh, yeah, there was a little thrill. Yeah.

A: A little giddiness? You got to giggle and look at your ceiling?

N: Yeah, sure. Yeah.

A: And it’s for Fante Bukowski, which you drew on a whim by drawing one page a day?

N: Yeah, for three months.

A: So how does that in particular feel, that all of your like hard work ones. . . .

N: Yeah, that’s weird. It’s for Fante Bukowski and Saint Cole since they both came out around the same time. I feel weird, too, because I’m nominated against, like, Bill Griffith, who should win. I would vote for Bill Griffith. Yeah, and like Ed Piskor. I would vote for Ed Piskor. I mean, I feel like I’m the one who shouldn’t win. Someone like Bill Griffith who does this like amazing personal story that he had to work on on the weekends, and it’s incredible. So yeah, I don’t really mind if I lose.

A: Are you going to SDCC?

N: Nope, never been.

A: Are you gonna do anything that night?

N: No. I don’t even know when it is.

Tillie Walden (’16) is up for Best Single Issue/One-Shot  for I Love This Part. I got to talk with both of them soon after they found out.

Tillie Walden

Angela: How do you feel being an Eisner nominee? And not even having graduated, though we all know you’re graduating.

Tillie: It feels insane. It feels like I skipped a step somewhere. Like, it really feels like that. I feel like I should have done some like smaller awards before this happened. I haven’t even applied for the Ignatz yet and then this happens. So that’s insane. But what I feel like is best, not only does it feel cool to be nominated and have this book nominated because it’s a pretty diverse book, but it’s really cool for my publishers. You know, Avery Hill are just, like, these three people, like the main two guys, Ricky and Dave, are these South London guys running a little publisher and met me by a chance. And now we’ve been working together, but they haven’t gotten a lot of recognition. They’ve been getting more and more popular as they’ve been going and publishing these books. They’ve never had US creators before, and they’ve never gotten in the Eisner’s, and I hope it will help them out. I know it’s gonna help me out. It’s really great, because I feel like it was really a victory for both of us.

I would not have drawn I Love This Part without them. Because after doing The End of Summer, I felt like I had these people backing me up to where they would support me with whatever idea I had. And when I had the idea for I Love This Part, I wouldn’t have done it unless I knew there were people out there who were gonna take the care to make it a book. Otherwise I would have just dismissed it, like “Aw I’ll do it some other day when people care.” But they were there for me, and they loved the idea the instant I told it to them and made it a book, just like that. And so I have them to thank for part of this.

A: You excited to go to SDCC?

T: I’m terrified! I’ve never been to a con that big.

A: I don’t think anyone who hasn’t been there has been to a con that big. It’s huge!

T: Yeah, it sounds insane. I’m really excited. It’s gonna be kind of like a vacation because I don’t really have any responsibilities.

A: Yeah, are you tabling or are you just going?

T: Nope! I’m just gonna go and visit the award ceremony. I was born in San Diego, so I feel like I should go back to my birthplace.

A: Are you gonna make like a plan of attack? Because I know Emerald City, like 5 years ago, if you walked every single aisle was said to be 8 miles. And SDCC is like crazy bigger.

T: I wasn’t even thinking of making a plan, but now that you’ve said that, I’m gonna make a plan.

A: And it might, “I’m going to go to artist alley, and I’m never going to leave because everything else is . . . ”

T: Super heroes.

A: Yeah, and like main stream movies

T: Yeah, I mean I think it might also just be fun to like be in that space and see cosplayers and all these people. And it’ll be exciting to go to the Eisner awards! My parents are coming with me! They’re very excited.

A: Are they gonna take you to a fancy shrimp dinner or something?

T: If I win they’ll probably take me out to a nice dinner.

A: What are you going to do if you lose?

T: Put Eisner Nominated on that book!

A: Haha, that’s the only difference. Good!

T: That it’s associated now with the Eisner awards, that’s huge for me and I’m not gonna stop making comics. And I have a feeling this won’t be my last Eisner. And it’s a good excuse to go to San Diego ComiCon, ‘cause I wouldn’t have gone otherwise.