The five finalists for the 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics Award were revealed February 7.

The award celebrates diversity in comics and comic creative teams, and honors the memory of Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie was a comics writer and co-creator of Milestone Media, which featured superheroes of varying genders, sexualities, race, and ethnicity. He died in 2011 at the age of 49. The award is given to comics that continue his legacy of featuring diversity as well as telling a compelling story.

This year’s finalists are:

• Papa Cherry — written by Saxton Moore and illustrated by Phillip Johnson (Pixel Pirate Studio)
• The Snagglepuss Chronicles — written by Mark Russell and penciled by Mike Feehan (DC)
• Archival Quality — written by Ivy Noelle Weir and illustrated by Christina Stewart (Oni Press
• Victor Lavalle’s Destroyer — written by Victor LaValle and illustrated by Dietrich Smith (Boom! Studios)
• The Carpet Merchant — by Reimena Yee (Unbound)

The 2019 selection committee consisted of nine comics and animation professionals who personally knew and worked with Mr. McDuffie and/or have demonstrated a serious commitment to his vision of excellence and inclusiveness on the page and behind the scenes, Cheryl Lynn Eaton, Jennier de Guzman, Joan Hilty, Jamal Igle, Mikki Kendall, Heidi MacDonald, Kevin Rubio, Geoffrey Thorne, and Will J. Watkins.

The winner will be announced at the Long Beach Convention Center on February 15, just ahead of the Long Beach Comic Expo weekend.

[Thanks to Mike Kennedy for the story.]