The SKTCHD AWRDS are here.

For those that are new to these parts, The SKTCHD AWRDS are a multi-week, multi-column effort where I celebrate the year that was in comics by handing out a bunch of completely real, definitely not fake awards. It’s always a challenge, but sheesh, this year’s edition was even more difficult than usual. It might have been the most rigorous year yet for this vaunted awards show, with my reads of everything from comics and graphic novels to manga and webtoons to zines and comic strips and webcomics and every other format from the world of comics being both exhausting and exhaustive. The good news is, expanding my horizons led me to to discovering some unreal comics from some very real creators along the way.

Those creators are getting the focus today, as this column reveals the winners from the Creators of 2025 segment of The SKTCHD AWRDS. I’m doing this part a bit differently this year, though. Instead of the typical 25 awards, I’ll be handing out 20, and the winners won’t be paced throughout the week. Instead, all of them are dropping in this one massive column that highlights the writers, artists, colorists, and editors who won SKTCHD AWRDS.

You might be wondering as you read these, “How did he decide what the awards should be?” I get it. They’re kind of all over the place, and they don’t really sound like awards. While that might be true, all 20 awards were tailored to the individual, with each name connecting to a specific trait, aspect, or idea I associated with a person’s work from 2025. Of course, if what you actually meant was, “How did he decide who the winners were?” well, there were rules guiding me in this endeavor, as per usual. Those were the following.

• These are my favorite creators of the year rather than the “best.” As much reading as I did — and I did a lot — I didn’t read everything. I can only represent myself anyways, so “favorite” felt fairer than “best.” Also, my personal affinity is impossible to ignore, so that played a key part in this. Thus, favorite!
• The SKTCHD AWRDS only consider work released in 2025. However, if the material was previously published in print, in English, and in the same form (unless it was extremely hard to find, like a self-published version) or I read it in another format before this year (i.e. single issues), it wasn’t included. Apologies to most trade paperbacks released in 2025 as well as graphic novels that reprinted material (like what you find in most of The New York Trilogy)!
• Cartoonists were omitted from this if their main work of the year makes the cut in the Comics of 2025 list that arrives next week. That is, unless they did other things that ensures they made it for reasons beyond that work. That means some creators who would have made this list were exempted and that this list isn’t necessarily a predictive guide to my favorite comics of the year. Keep that in mind when you think of asking things like, “Where is (creator x) or (creator y)?”
• Lastly, I’m an artist-centric reader, so this list naturally leans towards artists. Sorry not sorry!

That’s it! No more rules! It’s time to celebrate the Creators of 2025 by handing out SKTCHD AWARDS to each of my winners, who are alphabetized by last name below. Also, this piece is open to non-subscribers. If you enjoy this highlight reel of my favorite creators of 2025, maybe consider subscribing to SKTCHD for more like it.

The Perfect Complement Award: Jordie Bellaire

2025 Work: Absolute Wonder Woman, Assorted Crisis Events, Exquisite Corpses, w0rldtr33, The Nice House by the Sea, G.I. Joe, probably others I’m forgetting

Why They Earned This Award: The greatness of Jordie Bellaire needs no introduction or explanation, really.

She’s arguably the best colorist of this era, and the artistry she brings to the page never ceases to amaze. Her colors are pitch perfect storytelling, controlling our emotions and reading experience like an unseen conductor. Explaining why she’s one of the best creators in comics almost feels like an unnecessary exercise, if only because you simply need read a comic from her to understand that she’s the best.

That’s not a very good way to handle an award like this, so instead of leaving it there, I’m going to highlight a specific thing I love about her work. I love that she always finds the right answer for every collaborator she works with, and those answers are never the same from person to person. There’s no boilerplate work from her. It’s always tailored to her partners. For example, what she does on Absolute Wonder Woman with Hayden Sherman and what she does on Assorted Crisis Events with Eric Zawadzki is unique and different from one another. And yet, both solutions feel exactly right, which is tough to do.

That’s what you always get from Bellaire, though. The one constant of her work is how she perfectly complements her partners, something that extends to everything she does. Well, it’s the one constant beyond the fact that we know her colors will be spellbinding and gorgeous and exquisite. She’s a remarkable individual talent, an artist with a rare eye for storytelling. We all know that. But she might be an even better teammate, which is exactly what you need out of a best in class colorist.

The Reimagineer Award: Evan Cagle

2025 Work: The New Gods

Why They Earned This Award: What do you do when faced with The King’s creations? That was the question artist Evan Cagle was up against when he signed on for The New Gods with frequent partner Ram V. It’s a tough question to answer, because you’re quite often damned if you do (reinvent things) and damned if you don’t. That’s especially the case for something like The New Gods, the denizens of Jack Kirby’s The Fourth World that are just about the purest Kirby creations you can ask for. Any tweak to a design or shift in emphasis you bring to a character is going to be matched up against the artist many consider the greatest of all time. That’s a lot of pressure for anyone!

And yet, Cagle navigated it with apparent ease, as he threaded the needle by reimagining some things and leaving others alone, all the while delivering some of the most stunning sci-fi/action visuals in comics from the year. To call it purely superhero work would be unfair. It’s much more than that. It’s the type of work you need to do to build on Kirby without breaking it, giving each beat and character the mythic feel they need to reflect The King without being owned by him.

More importantly, though, it’s just cool as hell. There’s a swagger to Cagle’s work that you don’t see very often in a Big Two comic, one that’s only achieved by an eye that appreciates superhero comics but isn’t defined by them. Whether it was a big moment or small, Cagle always seemed to find the right solution, one that hits exactly the way it needs to hit. When faced with an undeniable challenge of living up to a legend, Cagle rightfully blazed his own trail instead of following the obvious one in front of him, and delivered some of the year’s most remarkable art in the process.

You can learn more about how Cagle brings The New Gods to life in our interview from earlier this year.

The Writer of the Year Award: Deniz Camp

2025 Work: Absolute Martian Manhunter, Assorted Crisis Events, The Ultimates

Why They Earned This Award: Deniz Camp’s year reminds me of that Snoop Dogg quote that turned into a meme, the one where he’s talking with Michael Rapaport (of all people) about Drake (of all people) and says, “This mfer don’t miss.” That’s the first thought that hit me as I looked at Camp’s slate in 2025, one where you could arguably say that his worst book — only relative to the rest of his efforts, of course — may simultaneously be Marvel’s best in The Ultimates. But when you’re living in comparison to Absolute Martian Manhunter, which is the most unique and surprising title from the year’s biggest hit, and Assorted Crisis Events, which might be the consensus pick for the best creator-owned comic going today, that’s what happens.

That’s what made him an easy pick for my Writer of the Year slot. Everything he does is the right choice for the moment. You can just look at each project to see what I mean. Assorted Crisis Events turns the concept of a disaster story on its head by putting its gaze on ordinary people trying to eke out a regular existence amidst the endless chaos, making the read all the more haunting, impactful, and unique in the process. Absolute Martian Manhunter reorients that character’s core concept on a two-hander starring an FBI agent that is either going through an ongoing mental health crisis or battling an alien invasion with a Martian partner that is riding shotgun in his brain. And The Ultimates takes the idea of a superhero team and turns it into a network of resistance, fighting fascism and supervillains through unconventional means in a way that speak to the moment we’re in.

You don’t get those things without losing your fear of failure. You don’t get those things without being willing to swing for the fences. You don’t get those things without hellacious talent. It’s hard to find creators with one of those characteristics. Finding someone with all three is a practically impossible task. And yet, there is Deniz Camp, living that life, and delivering inventiveness and A+ storytelling in equal measures.

Or, to put it another way…Deniz Camp?

He just didn’t miss in 2025.

Learn more about how Camp does what he does in our chat on Off Panel from earlier this year.

The Artist of the Year Award: Nick Dragotta

2025 Work: Absolute Batman, Good Devils: Don’t Play Fair with Evil

Why They Earned This Award: There’s just something about Nick Dragotta. That’s always been true, though. The artist has been in comics for a long time, and he’s been delivering killer work throughout his career working at any number of publishers on any number of projects. He’s as great now as he was then, even if he has improved in ways both obvious and subtle over time. It’s just he’s finally found the project that made the world recognize how talented he is, as his efforts on Absolute Batman turned him into maybe the most popular artist in comics today.

This isn’t a popularity pick, though. Dragotta deserves it. That’s true for what he’s brought to the page and what it has meant. Let’s start with the latter. I would argue his work on Absolute Batman is the skeleton key to the book’s success. As exceptional as Scott Snyder’s writing has been and as strong as the contributions of others are as well, Dragotta’s the differentiator. He’s the mission statement, the declaration of intent, the person whose work says, “I hope you’re ready for something special.” And what he brings is a sensibility that speaks to existing readers and unlocks the title for others in a way very few artists have in their bags. Absolute Batman would have been a hit without him; it’s a sensation with him.

And that’s both because his storytelling is so impeccable and because how he brings such a sense of cool to the page. This one goes to 11, and that’s because his art lives there, always maximizing the moment in every way it needs to be. That’s not to say it’s always big and explosive. If the moment needs to be small, he’s got that too, as you can see throughout Good Devils: Don’t Play Fair with Evil, his collaboration with writer David Brothers. That’s particularly true in Go Back, its final story that tells the tale of a young man on the run in New York City. Dragotta makes those small moments soar and finds the right stylistic choices to maximize the cool. And that, in my estimation, absolutely rules.

Even in a year filled with a bevy of other remarkable artistic efforts, Dragotta was the clear choice for Artist of the Year. Sure, it’s more of what his fans have long known was possible from him. But when met with the moment, Dragotta lived up to it — and then some.

Learn more about Dragotta’s approach to art and comics in our conversation (with his Good Devils collaborator David Brothers) from Off Panel, which hit earlier this year.

The Reinventor Award: Kieron Gillen

2025 Work: The Power Fantasy, Die: Loaded

Why They Earned This Award: There are many things that impress me about Kieron Gillen’s writing. The voice he brings to his characters, each of whom feels alive and unique and special. The fully-realized nature of the worlds, which he creates and fills in partnership with collaborators like Caspar Wijngaard (The Power Fantasy) and Stephanie Hans (Die: Loaded), to the point that they feel less like fiction and more like a window into another reality. The way he can make the absurd feel grounded, with superpowers and Dungeons & Dragons-like character archetypes seeming as natural as anything in our world. He’s a great writer, and one with a lot of skills.

But if 2025 highlighted anything about Gillen, it’s how gifted he is at reinvention. Die: Loaded is a comic that is difficult to contemplate in theory, because it’s a sequel to a very specific story starring a very specific cast. What could it be, if not what it already was? Thankfully, I didn’t have to answer that and Gillen did, because his solution was potent, effective, and enough to differentiate it from the series that preceded it. And The Power Fantasy might be even more impressive, as basically every issue of its third arc has reinvented the series and its characters relationships all over again. Each entry has been an atom bomb of change, shifting what we know about its cast and how they impact each other and the composition of this carefully crafted cold war between humans-as-weapons of mass destruction. The Doomsday Clock has never been so fun, and unexpected.

Not everyone has that kind of thing in them. Gillen does, and he’s had it on full display throughout 2025. And those stories feel like they’re just getting started, really, so I cannot wait to see what’s next.

You can hear more from Gillen about how he does what he does in our chat on Off Panel from this year.

The Top Down Award: Marie Javins

2025 Work: Uh…everything DC published, kind of?

Why They Earned This Award: For those that don’t know, Marie Javins is the editor-in-chief of DC, the publisher that is undeniably at the top of the direct market right now. You probably know them. DC is the straw that stirs comic shop’s drinks, it’s the ace that’s keeping this house of cards upright, and it’s the company that’s making all the right moves. It’s probably unfair to simply say, “This one person is the reason for all the good things happening right now,” just like it’s probably incorrect to lay all the blame at any single individual’s feet for the bad situation they find themselves in. It’s hard to do, and probably wrong to do.

And yet, I’m going to do just that, at least to some degree.

While Javins isn’t the entire reason that DC is in the position it’s in right now, she deserves recognition for the complete shift that has taken place at the publisher since she became its lead back in November 2020. Whether you’re talking about the diversification of artistic styles and the big swings that have been taken or the smart casting jobs and inventive format choices, it’s been hit after hit in the past few years at DC. And it’s been such a shift that one would be forgiven for thinking this might be some sort of mass body snatching situation, one where everyone wasn’t just empowered but replaced by something new and different. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. 1

I talk to a lot of creators. I talk to a lot of other people in comics. No one has ever had a bad thing to say about Javins. It’s quite the opposite, in fact. What I hear most consistently from DC’s world is that everyone — creators, editors, etc. — feels empowered by Javins to do their best work in a way that hasn’t been true in some time. There are no bad vibes; there’s just a focus on getting the work done and working together to get there. Something like that only happens with permission or even insistence from the top. And what has come from that is maybe the single finest and most successful year from one of the Big Two I’ve seen since I started writing about comics back in 2009.

While that all cannot be pinned on Javins, it also could not happen without her. And as I said, that deserves recognition, especially in a banner year for one of the most storied houses in the world of comics.

The Close Call Award: Jesse Lonergan

2025 Work: Drome, Godzilla vs. Boston, Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man, Faster

Why They Earned This Award: If you’ve internalized the rules of The SKTCHD AWRDS, you know what this means: Drome did not make the cut for my Comics of 2025 list. That isn’t because of any lack of merit or anything of that sort. It was just an incredible year for comics, and it simply did not make the list in the end because the extreme levels of competition.

But Lonergan deserves to be highlighted, both for Drome and the work he did elsewhere throughout the year. There are very few cartoonists who are more productive than him, and that list shrinks even further when you overlap it with those who deliver consistently high quality work. Everything Lonergan does isn’t just great, either. It’s completely unique. When you read a Jesse Lonergan comic, you know it’s going to feel like him and him alone. And readers had a big year in that regard, whether that’s in the form of the latest reprint of his Bulgilhan Press release Faster or his new collaboration with Mike Mignola in Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man.

The main event was Drome, though. It found Lonergan pushing his love of the grid to levels that went beyond even previous projects like Hedra, with the whole story merging the cartoonist’s unique formalistic approach with a simple yet potent tale of creation, creations, and creators that packed a real punch. It’s a gorgeous exploration of a newfound world and the layers of folks who vie for control of it. The art does the bulk of the talking, and yet it never struggles to get its point across thanks to the clarity Lonergan brings to the page. Drome was a hell of a book, and a hell of a showcase for a creator that is always building and always improving in ways we can never expect. It didn’t make my Comics of 2025 list, but it was one of its closest calls, and it and its creator deservedly get their flowers here.

Want to know more about Drome and how Lonergan brought it to life? You can by listening to my interview with him on Off Panel from earlier this year.

The Maximizer Award: David López

2025 Work: FML

Why They Earned This Award: While it hardly encompasses everything he’s capable of, the above cover to FML #4 quickly explains how singular a talent David López is. It isn’t because it’s well-drawn, although it is. It isn’t because it’s perfectly composed, despite the fact that that’s true as well. It isn’t even because the characters are so vividly brought to life, which is something López excels at, but it’s just not what I’m going for.

Instead, it’s because of how this cover showcases the way López maximizes every visual he tackles. If you look at this cover quickly, it’s a striking one of two young people and a polar bear walking down a city block. That pops and works and is cool, especially with the way the titling is placed over it. But the glory is in the details here. Once you start looking deeper, you start seeing things like the comparatively quiet Lydia being the polar bear’s reflection in the puddle on the street, you notice the chalk outline to the left of the puddle, you ogle the art above the windows, and you dig into all the lovely little elements that bring this scene fully to life. If you know a little bit about Portland, you might even pick up on the fact that they’re walking in front of the city’s comic shop/institution Books with Pictures. This is an effective cover at a glance, but a far richer one if you dive into it.

That’s the case for everything López does, though. Reading FML rewards the person who luxuriates in the details, who notices just how far López goes to make sure this comic lives its best life. And yeah, that takes time, which might be why there were only four issues of FML this year. But if it means a lifetime of the best work we may ever get from López in its final, collected form, then take all the time you need, David.

The Top Prospect Award: Anna Meyer

2025 Work: Saint Catherine

Why They Earned This Award: Saint Catherine was another long-list contender for my Comics of 2025 list, as cartoonist Anna Meyer’s debut graphic novel that explores a young woman’s relationship with adulthood, religion, the people in her life, and a rather surprising entity is a great, thoughtful read. It didn’t make the cut, obviously, but I wanted to recognize Meyer for her work here for one main reason beyond it simply being good: This is a hell of a debut.

Meyer’s talented in a lot of ways. She brings real insight and originality to the YA genre. Her characters feel lived-in and their relationships feel real. You can see the cartoonist’s own journey in the book’s lead Catherine’s painful relationship with Catholicism. She’s a strong writer, one who stands out amongst the pack. But she’s an even better artist, as her storytelling is always clear, her character acting is exceptional, and she always seems to find the right way to bring moments both big and small to life. More than that, figuring out the careful, alchemic blend of writing and art is often a challenge for first-time creators, especially when it’s a full-length graphic novel like Saint Catherine is. Meyer’s art-first confidence is rare, as she lets the visuals do the talking when necessary, clearly realizing that more (dialogue) is not always more (quality).

If this was a third or fifth or tenth graphic novel, I would have been impressed. The fact that it’s Meyer’s debut makes it even more of an achievement, and underlines this cartoonist as a prospect with the potential for true greatness in future projects.

The In My Heart Award: Gina Nguyen

2025 Work: A Box Full of Darkness

Why They Earned This Award: Cartoonist Gina Nguyen’s ShortBox Comics Fair release A Box Full of Darkness is a gorgeously drawn, stunningly moving story about a witch coping with the passing of her familiar, and the relationship we have with the animals who enter our lives and sadly exit them far sooner than we want them to. While I mentioned Drome and Saint Catherine as close calls before, A Box Full of Darkness was, in fact, my final cut. That’s for good reason.

This was a cartoonist laying bare the raw emotions we all go through with our pets (or familiars, in the case of Wen, the lead of this story), and the powerlessness we all feel in response to their loss, even if some of us are blessed with supernatural powers. What is on its surface a cute comic about cats and witches and all these other things is actually a meditation on grief and acceptance and the importance of cherishing the time we have with each other. Is it also a cute comic about cats and witches? Sure. Nguyen’s a remarkable cartoonist, with a lively line and a real sense of how to bring characters and environments to life, which means A Box Full of Darkness is adorable as all get out.

But its power lies in its heart, and the emotions its cartoonist is able to tap into amidst all that. Maybe of all the comics I read this year, A Box Full of Darkness resides squarely in my own soul, with Nguyen managing to tell a tale with emotions far bigger than its page count might imply. While this comic is no longer available because of its nature as a ShortBox Comics Fair release, Nguyen is one to watch, as she has rare potential. Her first full-length graphic novel, Dust, is coming in 2026, and you better believe I’ll be reading it.

The In His Bag Award: Ryan Ottley

2025 Work: Invincible Universe: Battle Beast

Why They Earned This Award: Quarterback Drew Lock was great in college, but there was just something that didn’t translate to the pros. While he was drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos, it didn’t seem to add up when he was with that squad. By the time he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in a deal for his replacement in Russell Wilson, he was more of an afterthought, someone thrown in to say, “Hey, Seattle got a QB too.”

That’s how it was for his first year there. But in his second year, something magical happened. He had struck up a friendship with starting QB Geno Smith, and Smith had told Locke the next time he throws a touchdown, he should bring back his “in my bag” celebration from college, one inspired by the song Secure the Bag by Lil Uzi Vert and Gucci Mane. Late in that season, Smith was hurt and missed a game against the Eagles. In his place, Lock led the Seahawks on a game-winning drive, one that culminated in a TD to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba late in the 4^th quarter. Having lived up to the moment, Lock remembered what Smith said and brought his celly back, and it resulted in one of my favorite random moments in recent sports history.

There was Lock, remembering his celebration in real time, regaining his swag as Smith mimics the move while cheering him on from the sideline. It was lovely, and a reminder that even when we haven’t seen the very best of someone for a bit, they’ve still got it in there.

That’s a long lead up to say this: Ryan Ottley was in his bag this year. After about six years away seeing other people post-Invincible, a span where it never really felt like Marvel knew what to do with the artist — although he was still doing great work — Ottley reteamed with writer Robert Kirkman for Invincible Universe: Battle Beast. It quickly became one of the sensations of 2025. Now, part of that was the blind bag infused heat and its association with a very popular show in Invincible. But Ottley, like Lock, regained his swag on the book. It was clear in every blood-stained, outrageously violent page and every lively, fully living character he depicted in this series: Ottley was back, and he was coming for his throne.

It was good to see him back in his bag this year, because when he’s on — and on the right book — there are few artists who can do it like Ottley.

The So Alive Award: Renaud Roche

2025 Work: Lucas Wars

Why They Earned This Award: I am on the record about my love of French cartoonist Renaud Roche’s work on the 23rd Street Books graphic novel, Lucas Wars. My lengthy art feature interview with him might have implied that just a little bit. It’s for good reason, though. Roche’s art was the biggest revelation to me from comics in 2025.

There just aren’t many that are better at this whole art thing than him. While some might open the pages of Lucas Wars and fret about its simplicity, you’ll find some of the richest and most soulful art in comics within that simplicity. And what some might call simple I’d call economical, as the animation veteran had hundreds of pages to draw and wanted to do so in a way that was both speedy and represented the story of George Lucas’ journey to bringing Star Wars to life well. He accomplished that here.

The thing I loved the most about it, though, is how alive it feels. While cast doesn’t actually move, the implied actions and mannerisms and characteristics of famous figures like Lucas, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and beyond is staggering, and the kind of thing that can only happen if someone with Roche’s animation chops figured out how to perfectly translate that to comic art. The end result is magnificent, and some of the most enjoyable comic visuals I’ve ever come across.

The big question for English readers is, will we get the sequels to this book in English after they’re all done? The second book is already out in France, and Roche is at work on the third. I sure hope we do. But even if we don’t, Roche is so gifted, I’ll be able to read each in French simply because of how clear and effective his storytelling is.

The Maestro Award: Javier Rodriguez

2025 Work: Absolute Martian Manhunter

Why They Earned This Award: What else can be said about Javier Rodriguez that hasn’t been laid upon this artistic genius? The guy is a one-of-one, an artist that’s beyond compare simply because his goal seems to be reinventing the game at his leisure.

The Spanish artist has always been ahead of the curve, but in Absolute Martian Manhunter, the maestro has found the orchestra he needed to make the world realize just how gifted he truly is. And in many ways, Rodriguez has felt like the the year’s standout because of it. There’s nothing on the stands that looks like his work on the book, including his own previous efforts, which all feel like prelude to the intoxicating improvisations and obvious freedom he brings to this book. Rodriguez is an artist who knows who he is on a book that lets him be his best self, and the results are just staggering.

It exists as proof that Rodriguez is who we always thought he was: the best artist in comics today, plain and simple.

I talked with Rodriguez about his work on this book and his approach to art earlier this year. You can read that here.

The Master Choreographer Award: Chris Samnee

2025 Work: Batman & Robin: Year One

Why They Earned This Award: I cannot imagine you’re surprised to see Chris Samnee here. I mean, I just dedicated an entire feature to celebrating the 12 best panels from Batman & Robin: Year One. I heavily implied he’d make the cut, at the very least. Beyond that, saying Samnee is a good artist isn’t unexpected; it’s like breathing, something that should be a constant in our lives. But even with all that in mind, what an unreal run the artist had on that series. Faced with a comic we’ve all — including Samnee — been waiting for throughout his career, Samnee took on the challenge and blew our expectations out of the water. This wasn’t art as much as it was a fulfillment of destiny.

And in it, Samnee found his true muse: Dick Grayson. Samnee’s always excelled at bringing characters and worlds to life, but with Grayson, the cartoonist embraced his fully realized master choreographer side. Every face and pose and gesture and merest inkling of life with the character was maximized in Samnee’s hands. Grayson was a highlight reel of everything the artist is capable of. And sure, he did a great job with everyone, from Bruce Wayne and Alfred to Clayface and Two-Face (and really all the faces). But Grayson was his guy. If you only considered the times Samnee depicted that character, he’d make this list. But he did so much more, and our comic year was all the better for it.

The Line of Best Fit Award: Hayden Sherman

2025 Work: Absolute Wonder Woman, Batman: Dark Patterns, DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool, Superman

Why They Earned This Award: If Nick Dragotta is the superstar from the Absolute line and Javier Rodriguez is its most unique flavor, then Hayden Sherman is its breakout star, the artist who somehow merges clarity of storytelling with perpetual innovation in their approach. Each issue of this series from Sherman and writer Kelly Thompson reveals the stunning complexity and rare focus they can achieve, with no page being poorly composed and no line finding the wrong fit. That alone is an accomplishment worth making this list. And yet, those compliments might not even be the most impressive things they do on a regular basis.

How about this: Sherman has four comics listed in their 2025 work, with almost all of it happening this year! The artist had two effectively ongoing comics running at the same time, but also moonlighted in a short story in Batman/Deadpool and a DC K.O. issue of Superman, presumably because they got bored with all their free time. Sherman was clearly not satisfied by being ultra productive, either. Each and every one of those issues was perfect as well, with the only thing that may have outdistanced their inventive layouts and thoughtful design being their character work. I love how alive their characters feel. Diana is a particular achievement, as Sherman brings a soulfulness to her that underlines how regal she is in body and spirit even if she doesn’t understand how true that is.

Sherman may not have earned my Artist of the Year Award, but their work may have been my favorite from 2025. And the scary thing is, they’re only getting better with each passing page.

I talked with Sherman at New York Comic Con this year about why they love comics, and it was a lovely chat on Off Panel. You can listen to it here.

The Hype Man of the Year Award: Scott Snyder

2025 Work: Absolute Batman, DC K.O., Undiscovered Country

Why They Earned This Award: You’d think Scott Snyder, the writer of the biggest single-issue comic in all the land, would make this list for his writing work. And he did, at least to some degree. Absolute Batman is incredible, and his efforts on it deserves all the acclaim it has earned, if only because he returned to a character he was known for and gave us a flavor we never could have expected — and then continued to build on those surprises. He did other things, of course, including tackling DC’s big event in DC K.O.. But let’s be honest: the publisher’s true event is each and every issue of Absolute Batman.

That’s not the reason he earned this award, though. While Snyder’s writing has been strong, his work as a hype man for the wider world of DC and the Absolute line in particular has been unparalleled. The direct market is filled with great talent, but the number of carnival barkers in the vein of peak of his powers Stan Lee doesn’t even encompass one hand. Instead, it’s covered by a single finger: Snyder. His efforts in promoting and hyping and selling anything and everything the publisher has done has been essential to the publisher’s success, and the success of the titles he’s on in particular, which are — fittingly — the two most popular titles they have.

Snyder is a great writer. That is hardly in doubt. But he’s an elite hype man, and that’s a gift that far fewer creators have in them these days.

The Master Chef Award: James Stokoe

2025 Work: Orphan and the Five Beasts: Bath of Blood

Why They Earned This Award: There have only been two issues of Orphan and the Five Beasts: Bath of Blood this year, but let me tell you this: Any number above zero would have earned Stokoe a spot on this list. The cartoonist’s work is so choice that every release from him is an exquisite gift, with the latest volume of Orphan being no different. Filled with blood, guts, and a level of detail that will spin the heads of even the heartiest of comic readers, Stokoe’s work on the book is a kaleidoscopic ballet of violence and bizarre humor that finds him cooking as much as he ever has.

There’s no one in comics that makes comics like Stokoe. While everyone operates from the same ingredients, Stokoe’s a master chef who can turn those consistent elements into something unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. And sure, its roots are in kung-fu classic films with high levels of comedy thrown in there as well, so we truly have seen it before, just in another medium. But none of it came with Stokoe’s filter over it, and that results in a gorgeous, bizarre, hilarious, and potent comic that acts as a constant reminder that there’s no one else in the game like him.

The Constant Award: Kelly Thompson

2025 Work: Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, It’s Jeff!

Why They Earned This Award: What is there to say about Kelly Thompson that I haven’t said already?

Seriously. I mean it. What else is there to say about Kelly Thompson I haven’t said already? This is the third straight year Thompson has received one of my SKTCHD AWRDS for my Creators of the Year, and each time it’s well-deserved.

Whether the work is creator-owned or for-hire, in-continuity or out of it, silly or serious, Thompson is a constant, delivering best in class work with a verve and voice that few can match. Absolute Wonder Woman is the best book on the biggest line in comics, Birds of Prey was one of the best hang out comics in recent memory, and It’s Jeff! is so weird and fun and unique that it doesn’t have any other comps in the entire medium. Those books are all wildly different, but they share one thing beyond who writes them: Whatever the maximum potential each has conceptually, it’s reached in reality thanks in part to Thompson’s skillful writing.

So, what else is there to say about Kelly Thompson? She’s one of the best writers in comics, and we’re lucky every time we get a new comic from her.

The Big Reveal Award: Eric Zawadzki

2025 Work: Assorted Crisis Events

Why They Earned This Award: Eric Zawadzki is not a newcomer to comics.

I don’t want to act like he is.

He’s done plenty of work in comics, from my previous favorite in Eternal at Black Mask and Heart Attack at Skybound to Time Before Time at Image and House of El at DC. To know Zawadzki’s art is to love his art. But it has always felt like the world hadn’t caught up to what he had to offer. He needed the right project to properly unveil himself to the world, like a comic artist by way of a debutante ball. He found it this year in Assorted Crisis Events. This collaboration with writer Deniz Camp, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou told the world, once and for all, that Eric Zawadzki’s that guy.

Assorted Crisis Events is a challenging book. It’s filled with timey-wimey shenanigans that would fall apart if handled incorrectly, just like the lives of basically everyone cursed enough to live in its timeline. Zawadzki is exactly what the book needed. His art focuses the whole thing, making the complex clear and the inscrutable emotional. It’s a powerful idea, and the strongest book from an incredibly strong year from Camp. But like the rest of the writer’s books, it needed the right artist to reach the heights it was capable of. Zawadzki is that, and that’s helped this title become the showcase the artist needed for the world of comics to realize he’s been one of the best in the business this whole time.

Learn more about how Zawadzki does what he does in my art feature interview with Zawadzki from earlier this year.

The Mad Man Award: Chip Zdarsky

2025 Work: Zdarsky Comic News, Captain America, Batman

Why They Earned This Award: It was a big year for Chip Zdarsky. He ended his run on Batman and started his era on Captain America, which meant he was one of the only creators — maybe the only creator — to ever tackle those titles from the Big Two in a single year. More importantly, both runs were good, especially his Cap effort, which has proven that even though Canadian blood flows through his veins, Zdarsky speaks America with the best of them.

Those books aren’t why he’s making the list, though.

Instead, he makes it for Zdarsky Comic News, his print magazine that is free at your local comic shop each month, except next month, because its final issue arrives today. It was, and is, an absolute delight. I didn’t read it as much as I treasured it. It’s irreverent, ridiculous, well-designed, insightful, useful, bizarre, and spectacular, and in all the ways Zdarsky’s work can be. But it was also something he clearly loved doing, as this magazine that highlights the work of his peers in comics (and sometimes himself) dug into the cartoonist’s varied skillset — thanks to his background as a newspaper man — and revealed Zdarsky to the world as a madman who is also a mad man.

Many people in comics have written Captain America and Batman. But I suspect no other individual from comics could have done something as singular and special as Zdarsky Comic News. That rare blend of gifts resulted in a publication that made each release week it dropped quite unlike the rest. And it’s now at its end, which I’m tremendously bummed about. We shouldn’t cry because it’s over, though. We should smile because it happened, and because Chip saw fit to draw that absurd and incredible cover you can see above where Lying Cat from Saga interrogates Brian K. Vaughan with a lie detector test.

It’s really the best.

I talked to Chip about Zdarsky Comic News and everything else he does on Off Panel earlier this year.