Press Release

Since 1997, Friends of Lulu has been recognizing and honoring both female talent and the people or organizations who best exemplify FOL's goals during the course of a year. This year's finalists, nominated by FOL members, represent once again the strength of past, present and future women in comics.

The Lulu Awards will once again be given out at a party during the San Diego Comic Con International. The event will take place on Thursday, August 1 at the Bristol Hotels's Starlight Ballroom, 1055 First Ave. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., program begins at 9. There will be a dessert buffet, cash bar, and keynote address by comics journalist and FoL co-founder Heidi MacDonald.

This year's nominees are:

Hall of Fame (Female Comic Creator):

Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse)

Barb Rausch (Barbie)

Wendy Pini (Elfquest)

Dorothy Woolfolk (writer & editor, superhero comics)

Rumiko Takahashi (Lum, Ranma 1/2)

Nell Brinkley (cartoonist/illustrator early 20th century)

Lulu of the Year (person, book or organization that best exemplifies FOL's goals):

Sequential Tart (Marcia Allas, editor)

Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother)

Lea Hernandez (Cathedral Child)

Chynna Clugston-Major (Blue Monday)

Carla Speed McNeil (Finder)

Kim Yale Award for best New talent (named for founding FOL member and comic writer Kim Yale recognizes a woman who has worked in the industry for less than two years)

Ashley-Jane Nicolaus (writer, Haven)

Dorothy Gambrell (Cat and Girl, New Adventures of Death)

Lark Pien (Stories from the Ward)

Layla Lawlor (Raven's Children)

Gisele Lagrace (Cool Cat Studio)

This year's Lulu Awards are made possible by our sponsors:

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics, Cartoon Books, Dark Horse Comics, Diamond Comics, Hippy Comix, Richmond Comix, Samurai Comics

SUPPORTER:

Alternative Comics, Comicopia (Boston, MA), Comic Relief (Berkeley, CA), Flying Colors Comics (Concord, CA)

FRIEND:

A Fine Line, Atlantis Fantasy World (Santa Cruz, CA), Best Destiny, Harold Buchholz Print Services

Previous winners are:

Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame: Trina Robbins, Hilda Terry, Marge Henderson Buell, Ramona Fradon, Dale Messick, Marie Severin

Lulu of the Year: Trina Robbins and Anne Timmons (GoGirl!), Trina Robbins (From Girls to Grrlz), Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Action Girl, edited by Sarah Dyer, Trina Robbins (The Great Women Superheroes)

Kim Yale Award for Best New Talent: Anne Timmons (GoGirl!), Rachel Hartman (Amy Unbounded), Devin Grayson (writer, Catwoman), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Jessica Abel (Artbabe)

More information can be found on our website at http://www.friends-lulu.org. Friends of Lulu

is a non profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting women in comics as professionals and readers. We have recently published a Xeric grant winning anthology Storytime.