The Ghastly Awards, which have recognized outstanding horror comics and creators since 2011, are putting away the trophies for good.

Organizer Dan Royer announced in an email that he's shutting down the awards "due to personal commitments and time constraints":

I have asked a lot from the Judges over the past 6 years, and have been rewarded with an amazing commitment to showcasing the genre and the talent in the comic community. A lot of time and effort has gone into the Awards, and it has shown in what we were able to accomplish.

As anyone who has participated in comics awards, large or small, can verify, running them is a big job. The Ghastlies seem to have been a pretty small operation that was online-only, with no presentation ceremony. Still, rounding up the books and getting the judging done is no easy task. And with sponsorships in the $25-50 range, no one was getting rich.

Royer does leave open the possibility that the awards could continue if someone else wants to take over. "Should the right person/party come along to continue the awards, I will have open ears," he wrote.

Winners of the 2016 Ghastly Awards included "Harrow County" (Best Ongoing Series), "Dylan Dog: Mater Morbi" (Best Original Graphic Novel), and "Gore Shriek Resurrectus Volume 1: Cover B," voted by fans as the Best Horror Comic Ever. Johnny Craig and Gary Reed were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and Craig Yoe received the Normanton Award for his "commitment to carrying on the legacy of Horror Comics for generations to come."

The awards were named for Golden Age artist "Ghastly" Graham Ingels, a frequent contributor to such EC titles as "Tales from the Crypt."