2016 McDuffie Award Nominees Include "Moon Girl and Devil DInosaur," "Fresh Romance"

CBR

By Stephen Gerding

Published Feb 10, 2016

Marvel Comics has two titles on the Award's short list, with the rest of the nominees coming from independent publishers.

Comics starring a mutant dinosaur, a teenage Muslim superhero and a legendary pro wrestler were among the nominees for the second annual Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics.

Revealed today via The Hollywood Reporter, the list of comics nominated in 2016 for the award is:

"Andre The Giant: Closer to Heaven" by Brandon Easton and Denis Medri (IDW Publishing)
"Fresh Romance," edited by Janelle Asselin (Rosy Press)
"Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" by Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder and Natacha Bustos (Marvel Entertainment)
"Ms. Marvel" by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (Marvel Entertainment)
"Zana" by Jean Barker and Joey Granger (Emet Comics)

The Dwayne McDuffie Award was created to honor of the influential comics and animation writer, who passed away in 2011. The winner of this year's award will be announced Feb. 20 at the Long Beach Comic Expo.

"The Dwayne McDuffie Award is a significant step forward in not merely acknowledging the need to expand diversity of the characters represented in comics and those who create them, but also taking action to make that need into a reality," Neo Edmund, director of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics, said. "Stories arise from a diverse array of voices from all over the world, thus playing a pivotal role in broadening our understanding of cultural values beyond our own."

Joining Edmund in judging for the award is Nickelodeon Comics editor Joan Hilty, writer and editor Joseph Illidge, writer and editor Heidi MacDonald, writer and former comic store owner William J. Watkins, and Matt Wayne, the former managing editor of Milestone Media.