The winners of the 2020 Harvey Awards, honoring the life and work of comics creator Harvey Kurtzman, (1924-1993), cartoonist, writer, editor and founder of Mad Magazine, were announced in a video ceremony on October 9 during the New York Comic-Con Metaverse.

The winners, voted by industry professionals, are:

Book of the Year

• Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)

Digital Book of the Year

• The Nib edited by Matt Bors https://www.thenib.com

Best Children or Young Adult Book

• Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (DC Comics)

Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel

• Watchmen by HBO, based on Watchmen (DC Comics)

Best Manga

• Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (Kodansha Comics)

Best International Book

• Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (Drawn and Quarterly)

In addition, the 2020 Harvey Hall of Fame inductees were named:

• Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Buddha)
• Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Beasts of Burden)
• The core members of the groundbreaking Milestone Media imprint, Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis.

Macoto Tezka, the Representative Director of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Foundation and Director at Tezuka Productions, said the following:

We the family of Osamu Tezuka are extremely honored that he is being inducted into the Hall of Fame of America’s esteemed Harvey Awards. Osamu Tezuka is called the father of Japanese comics because his works influenced many subsequent artists and established the core of contemporary manga. It’s undeniable, however, that American comics and cartoons had influenced Tezuka himself. Having soaked up the cultures of Hollywood and of Europe, he brought their elements to life in Japanese comics. As a result, our nation’s boys and girls detected a universal sensibility and store of imagery in his works and held a special regard for them. Tezuka, who revered Walt Disney and American pop culture, would have been truly happy to be awarded this recognition. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

On behalf of the core members of Milestone Media, they shared this statement about their award:

Sparked by the vision of  young, dynamic comic book illustrator Denys Cowan, Milestone Media was spawned some 30 years ago when he brought together four other aspirants within the comic book and publishing fields – Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Michael Davis and Christopher Priest – to develop a universe of multicultural superheroes and a company that would fully embrace diverse talent. We all grew up with the shared experience of wanting to read comic books with heroes that looked like us – multi-dimensional characters of color. Without sacrificing entertainment value, our comics always sought to reveal characters of dignity and humanity in a relevant, contemporary world. In short, we wanted to create “cool” comic books for everyone. Never in our wildest dreams, however, did we ever imagine that our creative collaborations would one day be worthy of induction into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. As such, we are truly humbled, honored and appreciative of this momentous occasion and extraordinary recognition that serves as validation of that vision and our union three decades ago.

Jill Thompson said:

I am incredibly honored to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. I fell in love with comics storytelling as a young girl and my dream of making comics professionally was something I worked hard to make a reality. To be included amongst the ranks of the people who have inspired and influenced me is both humbling and energizing!  My goal has been to create art and stories of all kinds that would entertain people of all ages everywhere. This recognition makes me think I’m doing something right! I look forward to living up to this honor by creating new worlds far into the future. A thousand thanks!