Eisner 2011 nominees unveiled

The shortlist for the 2011 Will Eisner Awards has been announced.

DC Comics, Mike Mignola and Archaia's Return of the Dapper Men received the most nominations, followed closely by Nick Spencer's Morning Glories and Joe Hill's Locke & Key.

There were five nominations for Jim McCann and Janet Lee's Dapper Men - including 'Best Writer' and 'Best Graphic Album' - and four each for Spencer and Hill.

DC Comics and its various imprints were recognised 14 times and three times in shared nominations, IDW and Image both received 12 nominations, Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly 11, Dark Horse nine and two shared, Archaia nine and Viz four. Marvel received only three nominations, sharing a further two.

Ballots will be released in mid-April to comics creators, editors, publishers and retailers. The winners will be announced on Friday July 22 at Comic-Con International.

Hill - who began his career as a novelist - recently revealed that he will be expanding his comics work beyond Locke & Key into other projects including a-yet-to-be-revealed established superhero title.

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