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Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic
Annual award for science fiction or fantasy
Annual award for science fiction or fantasy
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic |
| awarded_for | The best science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form and published in the prior calendar year |
| presenter | World Science Fiction Society |
| year | 2009 |
| holder | Ryan North (writer) and Chris Fenoglio (artist) (Star Trek: Lower Decks – Warp Your Own Way) |
| holder_label | Most recent winner |
| website |
The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic is given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories told in graphic form and published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. It has been awarded annually since 2009. Prior to 2020, the award was known as the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. The Hugo Awards have been described as "a fine showcase for speculative fiction" and "the best known literary award for science fiction writing".
In the 20 nomination years, 112 works from 70 series have been finalists, including Retro Hugos. Works from 14 different series have won the award, including Retro Hugos. Girl Genius, written by Kaja and Phil Foglio, drawn by Phil Foglio, and colored by Cheyenne Wright, won the first three awards. After their third straight win in 2011, the Girl Genius team announced that, in order to show the category was a "viable award", they were refusing nomination for the following year (after which the award was up for re-ratification); Girl Genius was a finalist a fourth time in 2014. For the following five years, the award was taken by a different series or work every year, and included both webcomics and installments of published series. The 2017–2019 awards saw the second series to win three times, Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda's Monstress, and was followed since by different works each year until 2024, when Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples's Saga won for a second time. The three Retro Hugos were won by early comic books such as Bill Finger and Bob Kane's Batman #1, William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter's Wonder Woman #5: "Battle for Womanhood", and Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman: "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyzptlk". Saga has the most final ballot nominations at eight, followed by Monstress at seven and Howard Tayler's Schlock Mercenary at five, while Bill Willingham's Fables, Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Paper Girls, and Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon have been nominated four times. Nine other works have at least two nominations.
Selection
Hugo Award nominees and winners are chosen by supporting or attending members of the annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, and the presentation evening constitutes its central event. The selection process is defined in the World Science Fiction Society Constitution as instant-runoff voting with six finalists, except in the case of a tie as happened in 2009. The graphic stories on the ballot are the six most-nominated by members that year, with no limit on the number of stories that can be nominated. Initial nominations are made by members in January through March, while voting on the ballot of six finalists is performed roughly in April through July, subject to change depending on when that year's Worldcon is held. Prior to 2017, the final ballot was five works; it was changed that year to six, with each initial nominator limited to five nominations. Worldcons are generally held near the start of September, and are held in a different city around the world each year. In addition to the regular Hugo awards, beginning in 1996 Retrospective Hugo Awards, or "Retro Hugos", have been available to be awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may be awarded only for years in which a World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, was hosted but no awards were originally given. To date, Retro Hugo awards have been given for graphic stories only for 1941 and 1944.
Winners and finalists
In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than when the story was first published. Entries with a yellow background have won the award; those with a gray background are the other finalists.
- Winners and joint winners
| Year | Work | Creator(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | Kaja Foglio (writer), Phil Foglio (writer, artist), Cheyenne Wright (colorist) | Airship Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jim Butcher (writer), Ardian Syaf (artist) | Del Rey Books/Dabel Brothers Productions | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (penciller), Steve Leialoha (artist), Andrew Peopy (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Todd Klein (letterist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard Tayler (writer, artist) | The Tayler Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Serenity: Better Days | Joss Whedon (writer), Brett Matthews (writer), Will Conrad (artist), Michelle Madsen (colorist), Jo Chen (cover) | Dark Horse Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Y: The Last Man, Volume 10: Whys and Wherefores | Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Pia Guerra (penciller), Jose Marzan, Jr. (inker) | Vertigo Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| * | Kaja Foglio (writer), Phil Foglio (writer, artist), Cheyenne Wright (colorist) | Airship Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||
| Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? | Neil Gaiman (writer), Andy Kubert (penciller), Scott Williams (inker) | DC Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Captain Britain and MI13. Volume 3: Vampire State | Paul Cornell (writer), Leonard Kirk (penciller), Mike Collins (penciller), Adrian Alphona (penciller), Ardian Syaf (penciller) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (penciller), Steve Leialoha (artist), Peter Gross (artist), Andrew Peopy (artist), Mike Allred (artist), David Hahn (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Laura Allred (colorist), Todd Klein (letterist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard Tayler (writer, artist) | The Tayler Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Kaja Foglio (writer), Phil Foglio (writer, artist), Cheyenne Wright (colorist) | Airship Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (artist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bryan Talbot (writer, artist) | Dark Horse Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Howard Tayler (writer, artist) | Hypernode | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mike Carey (writer), Peter Gross (artist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| *Digger** | Ursula Vernon (writer, artist) | Sofawolf Press | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (artist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys To The Kingdom | Joe Hill (writer), Gabriel Rodriguez (artist) | IDW Publishing | |||||||||||||||||||
| Howard Tayler (writer, artist) | The Tayler Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mike Carey (writer), Peter Gross (artist) | Vertigo Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bryan Talbot (writer, artist) | Dark Horse Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks | Joe Hill (writer), Gabriel Rodriguez (artist) | IDW Publishing | |||||||||||||||||||
| Howard Tayler (writer, artist) | The Tayler Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saucer Country, Volume 1: Run | Paul Cornell (writer), Ryan Kelly (artist), Jimmy Broxton (artist), Goran Sudžuka (artist) | Vertigo Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| * | Randall Munroe | xkcd | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kaja Foglio (writer), Phil Foglio (writer, artist), Cheyenne Wright (colorist) | Airship Entertainment | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Cornell (writer), Jimmy Broxton (artist) | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Raya Golden (artist), George R. R. Martin (original work) | Jet City Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * | G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (artist), Jake Wyatt (artist) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery | Kurtis J. Weibe (writer), Roc Upchurch (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sex Criminals, Volume 1: One Weird Trick | Matt Fraction (writer), Chip Zdarsky (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Carter Reid | |||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Neil Gaiman (writer), J. H. Williams III (artist) | Vertigo Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Boaz Lavie (writer), Asaf Hanuka (artist), Tomer Hanuka (artist) | First Second Books | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Erin Dies Alone | Grey Carter (writer), Cory Rydell (artist) | dyingalone.net | |||||||||||||||||||
| Full Frontal Nerdity | Aaron Williams | ffn.nodwick.com | |||||||||||||||||||
| Invisible Republic, Volume 1 | Corinna Bechko (writer), Gabriel Hardman (writer, artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| * | Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet | Ta-Nehisi Coates (writer), Brian Stelfreeze (artist) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| G. Willow Wilson (writer), Takeshi Miyazawa (artist) | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), Jared Fletcher (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist), Fonografiks (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom King (writer), Gabriel Hernandez Walta (artist) | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch | Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), Valentine De Landro (artist), Taki Soma (artist), Kelly Fitzpatrick (colorist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time | Saladin Ahmed (writer), Christian Ward (artist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| My Favorite Thing Is Monsters | Emil Ferris (writer, artist) | Fantagraphics Books | |||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), Jared Fletcher (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Abbott | Saladin Ahmed (writer), Sami Kivelä (artist), Jason Wordie (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer) | Boom! Studios | |||||||||||||||||||
| Black Panther: Long Live the King | Nnedi Okorafor (writer), Aaron Covington (writer), André Lima Araújo (artist), Mario Del Pennino (artist), Tana Ford (artist) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| On a Sunbeam | Tillie Walden (writer, artist) | First Second Books | |||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist), Jared Fletcher (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| *LaGuardia** | Nnedi Okorafor (writer), Tana Ford (artist), James Devlin (colorist) | Berger Books / Dark Horse Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mooncakes | Suzanne Walker (writer), Wendy Xu (artist), Joamette Gil (letterer) | Oni Press / Lion Forge Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Cliff Chiang (artist), Matt Wilson (colorist), Jared K. Fletcher (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Jamie McKelvie (artist), Matt Wilson (colorist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| *Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation** | Octavia E. Butler (original author), Damian Duffy (writer), John Jennings (artist) | Abrams Books | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ghost-Spider, Volume 1: Dog Days Are Over | Seanan McGuire (writer), Takeshi Miyazawa (artist), Rosie Kämpe (artist) | Marvel Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Invisible Kingdom, Volume 2: Edge of Everything | G. Willow Wilson (writer), Christian Ward (artist) | Dark Horse Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Dan Mora (artist), Tamra Bonvillain (colorist), Ed Dukeshire (letterer) | Boom! Studios | ||||||||||||||||||||
| *Far Sector** | N. K. Jemisin (writer), Jamal Campbell (artist) | DC Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lore Olympus, Volume 1 | Rachel Smythe (writer, artist) | Del Rey Books | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Dan Mora (artist), Tamra Bonvillain (colorist) | Boom! Studios | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Strange Adventures | Tom King (writer), Mitch Gerads (artist), Evan "Doc" Shaner (artist) | DC Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| *Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams** | Bartosz Sztybor (writer), Filipe Andrade (artist), Alessio Fioriniello (artist), Roman Titov (colorist), Krzysztof Ostrowski (colorist) | Dark Horse Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dune: The Official Movie Graphic Novel | Lilah Sturges (writer), Drew Johnson (artist), Zid (colorist) | Legendary Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kieron Gillen (writer), Dan Mora (artist) | Boom! Studios | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist), Fonografiks (letterer) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | Tom King (writer), Bilquis Evely (artist), Matheus Lopes (colorist) | DC Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| * | Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Fiona Staples (artist) | Image Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bea Wolf | Zach Weinersmith (writer), Boulet (artist) | First Second Books | |||||||||||||||||||
| Shubeik Lubeik | Deena Mohamed | Pantheon Graphic Library | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cai Jin (writer), Ge Wendi (writer), Bo Mu (writer), Caojijiuridong (artist), Liu Cixin (original novel) | Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Cornell (writer), Valeria Burzo (artist) | TKO Studios | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons | Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), Phil Jimenez (artist), Gene Ha (artist), Nicola Scott (artist) | DC Comics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Star Trek: Lower Decks – Warp Your Own Way | Ryan North (writer), Chris Fenoglio (artist) | IDW Publishing | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lee Knox Ostertag | Graphix | ||||||||||||||||||||
| G. Willow Wilson (writer), Chris Wildgoose (artist) | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist) | Image Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Emil Ferris | Fantagraphics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| We Called Them Giants | Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Clayton Cowles (letterer) | Image Comics |
Retro Hugos
Beginning with the 1996 Worldcon, the World Science Fiction Society created the concept of "Retro Hugos", in which the Hugo award could be retroactively awarded for 50, 75, or 100 years prior. Retro Hugos may be awarded only for years after 1939 in which no awards were originally given. The only times the Graphic Story category has both existed and received enough nominations to support a Retro Hugo category was in 2016 for 1941, 2019 for 1944, and 2020 for 1945.
| Year | Year awarded | Work | Creator(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. | 1941 | 2016 | 1944 | 2019 | 1945 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Batman #1** | Bill Finger (writer), Bob Kane (artist) | Detective Comics (DC Comics) | |||||||||
| Captain Marvel: "Introducing Captain Marvel" | Bill Parker, C. C. Beck | Whiz Comics #2 (Fawcett Comics) | |||||||||
| Flash Gordon: "The Ice Kingdom of Mongo" | Alex Raymond, Don Moore | King Features Syndicate | |||||||||
| Will Eisner | Register and Tribune Syndicate | ||||||||||
| The Spectre: "The Spectre"/"The Spectre Strikes!" | Jerry Siegel (writer), Bernard Baily (artist) | More Fun Comics | |||||||||
| Wonder Woman #5: "Battle for Womanhood"* | William Moulton Marston (writer), H. G. Peter (artist) | DC Comics | |||||||||
| Buck Rogers: "Martians Invade Jupiter" | Philip Francis Nowlan (writer), Dick Calkins (artist) | National Newspaper Service | |||||||||
| Flash Gordon: "Fiery Desert of Mongo" | Alex Raymond (writer, artist) | King Features Syndicate | |||||||||
| Garth | Steve Dowling (writer, artist) | Daily Mirror | |||||||||
| Plastic Man #1: "The Game of Death" | Jack Cole (writer, artist) | Vital Publications | |||||||||
| Hergé (writer, artist) | Le Soir | ||||||||||
| Superman: "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyzptlk"* | Jerry Siegel (writer), Ira Yarbrough (artist), Joe Shuster (artist) | Detective Comics (DC Comics) | |||||||||
| Buck Rogers: "Hollow Planetoid" | Dick Calkins (artist) | National Newspaper Service | |||||||||
| Donald Duck: "The Mad Chemist" | Carl Barks (writer, artist) | Dell Comics | |||||||||
| Flash Gordon: "Battle for Tropica" | Alex Raymond (writer, artist) | King Features Syndicate | |||||||||
| Flash Gordon: "Triumph in Tropica" | Alex Raymond (writer, artist) | King Features Syndicate | |||||||||
| Manly Wade Wellman (writer), Lou Fine (artist), Don Komisarow (artist) | Register and Tribune Syndicate |
References
References
- "The Locus index to SF Awards: About the Hugo Awards". [[Locus (magazine).
- Jordison, Sam. (2008-08-07). "An International Contest We Can Win". [[The Guardian]].
- Cleaver, Emily. (2010-04-20). "Hugo Awards Announced". Litro Magazine.
- (2009-08-08). "Hugo Award Rules Changes". World Science Fiction Society.
- "WSFS Business Meeting Minutes Dublin 2019".
- "The Hugo Awards: Introduction". World Science Fiction Society.
- "The Hugo Awards: FAQ". World Science Fiction Society.
- "The Locus index to SF Awards: About the Retro Hugo Awards". Locus.
- "Worldcon 75: 2017 Hugo report #2". Worldcon 75.
- "World Science Fiction Society / Worldcon". World Science Fiction Society.
- (18 August 2009). "2009 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (10 November 2010). "2010 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (25 April 2011). "2011 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (7 April 2012). "2012 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2011-08-31). "Hugo Acceptance Speech #3". Airship Entertainment.
- (22 December 2012). "2013 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (18 April 2014). "2014 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (31 March 2015). "2015 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (29 December 2015). "2016 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (31 December 2016). "2017 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2018-03-15). "2018 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2019-09-18). "2019 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2020-04-07). "2020 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2021-12-18). "2021 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2022-09-04). "2022 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2023-07-06). "2023 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2024-03-29). "2024 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2025-08-17). "2025 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (2015-12-29). "1941 Retro Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (28 July 2019). "1944 Retro Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
- (7 April 2020). "1945 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society.
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