Iconic Comic Creators and Cartoonists to be Honored during New York Comic Con: Neil Gaiman, Roy Thomas, Gilbert Shelton, and Marge Buell
The Harvey Awards today revealed this year’s inductees into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in advance of the annual awards ceremony to be held during New York Comic Con. The 2022 Harvey Awards find four recipients being honored: award-winning fantasy and science fiction writer Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, American Gods), comic book writer and former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas (X-Men, The Avengers), cartoonist and member of the underground comix movement Gilbert Shelton (The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers), and cartoonist Marge Buell (Little Lulu).
Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful and highly regarded authors in the fantasy and comic book fields. His award-winning works include comic book series The Sandman and novels Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust, Good Omens, and American Gods. Enjoyed by generations of fans, several of his works have been adapted into TV series, films, and stage plays.
Gaiman said of the Harveys, “The first time I was given a Harvey Award, it was 1991, 31 years ago, I had a whole career or two ahead of me and Harvey Kurtzman was still alive. It was the award that bore his name and was thus the most important award I had ever received. Now, with over three decades of comics career behind me, it’s just as thrilling to hear that I get to join a Hall of Fame named for Harvey. He was one of the greats, and so many of the people who have been inducted already have been people I looked up to over the years. So this is an unalloyed delight for me.”
Roy Thomas is a prolific comic book writer and editor and became Stan Lee’s first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. At Marvel, Thomas co-created numerous characters including Wolverine, Vision, Carol Danvers, Luke Cage, Ultron, Valkyrie, and Ghost Rider.
Thomas said, “I want to extend my thanks to the folks at the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame for announcing that I will be inducted into said Hall for the year 2022 . . . my 57th year in the field. It comes as an honor to receive an award named for my colleague and acquaintance Harvey Kurtzman, since I have stood in awe of him ever since I learned who it was that was primarily responsible for all that MAD-ness in the first 23 issues (and then some) of one of the best comicbooks ever to come down the pike.”
Gilbert Shelton is a pioneer of the underground comix movement, and creator of the iconic characters The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy’s Cat, and Wonder Wart-Hog. He is an original member of ZAP Comix. Shelton’s Freak Brothers comics inspired an animated series that debuted last year on Tubi, featuring the voices of Pete Davidson, John Goodman, and Woody Harrelson.
Shelton said of the honor, “I am very pleased to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. Kurtzman was a great influence on my life, being a role model as writer, artist, and publisher. MAD comics were a revolutionary development in American humor. I am proud to be associated with him.”
The late Marjorie Henderson Buell, who went by the pen name Marge, was a cartoonist best known as the creator of the popular character Little Lulu. Originating as a single-panel comic strip, Little Lulu went on to become an internationally famous character and licensing powerhouse who appeared in comic books, merchandise, advertising, and animation.
Marge’s son Frederic Buell said, “We—Marge’s surviving clan—are absolutely delighted at her induction into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. It is a great honor. She created Little Lulu—out of a love of playfully subversive, subtly wry comedy and satire. Thanks to her characteristic modesty, and to the fact that she worked at a time when graphic art had not yet become as important to American and global culture as it now is, Marge would have been deeply surprised at being remembered like this.”
The Harvey Awards Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the 34th annual awards ceremony on Friday, October 7, during New York Comic Con 2022.
The Harvey Awards Steering Committee is co-chaired by Nellie Kurtzman, John Lind, and Chip Mosher. Chris D’Lando and Camilla Di Persia of ReedPop and Eden Miller are coordinating this year’s awards. For more information about Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards, please visit harveyawards.com or the Harvey Awards social media pages (Facebook and Twitter).
New York Comic Con takes place on October 6–9, 2022, at the Javits Center in NYC with a must-see slate of special guests, panelists, exhibitors, artists, and more. Stay up to date on the latest NYCC news at NewYorkComicCon.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Harvey Kurtzman and the Harvey Awards:
Harvey Kurtzman (1924–1993), creator of MAD, was a cartoonist and pop culture icon. Among the most influential American satirists, he was known for his visionary abilities that encompassed author, artist, designer, and editor, and combined those skills in some capacity in almost every project he was involved in. The Harvey Awards, presented annually since 1988, are named in his honor and aim to recognize the achievements among creators and their books in the publishing industry.