Small Press Expo is happening on September 17-18, and the organizers have announced the nominees for this year's Ignatz Awards, which will be presented at the event. Tony Breed, Summer Pierre, Keiler Roberts, C. Spike Trotman and J.T. Yost made up the panel who chose the nominees, and attendees at the expo will vote for the final awards. There's plenty of good reading on this list, from well-known creators to newcomers, so whether or not you can make it to SPX, the comics are worth checking out.

There's an Ignatz tradition that the winner of the previous year's Promising New Talent category draws their own take on Ignatz (the brick-tossing mouse from "Krazy Kat" who is now the awards' mascot) and the artwork above is by Sophia Foster-Dimino, who took home not one but three Ignatz Awards last year.

Outstanding Artist

Daniel Clowes for "Patience"

Ryan Heshka for "Mean Girls Club"

Kevin Huizenga for "Ganges"

Noah Van Sciver for "Disquiet"

Tillie Walden for "The End of Summer"

Outstanding Anthology or Collection

"Beverly" by Nick Drnaso

"Beyond: The Queer Sci Fi and Fantasy Anthology" edited by Sfé R. Monster and Taneka Stotts

"The Complete Wimmen’s Comix" edited by Trina Robbins

"Killing And Dying" by Adrian Tomine

"Step Aside Pops" by Kate Beaton

Outstanding Graphic Novel

"Hot Dog Taste Test" by Lisa Hanawalt

"Nod Away" by Josh Cotter

"Sick" by Gabby Schulz

"Soldier’s Heart" by Carol Tyler

"Trashed" by Derf Backderf

Outstanding Story

"The Hunter: by Joe Sparrow

"Killing and Dying" by Adrian Tomine

"Megg & Mogg In Amsterdam" from "Megg & Mogg in Amsterdam and Other Stories" by Simon Hanselmann

"My Hot Date" by Noah Van Sciver

"Shrine of the Monkey God" by Kim Deitch from "Kramers Ergot 9"

Promising New Talent

Kevin Budnik for "Handbook"

Maia Kobabe for "Tom O'Bedlam"

Sara Lautman for "The Ultimate Laugh, Grape Nuts"

Carolyn Nowak for "Radishes"

Tillie Walden for "I Love This Part"

Outstanding Series

"Cartozia Tales" edited by Isaac Cates

"Demon" by Jason Shiga

"Ganges" by Kevin Huizenga

"Megg & Mogg & Owl" by Simon Hanselmann

"Powdered Milk" by Keiler Roberts

Outstanding Comic

"As the Crow Flies" by Melanie Gillman

"Be Good" by John Martz

"Fantasy Sports No. 1" by Sam Bosma

"Patience" by Daniel Clowes

"Shrine of the Monkey God" by Kim Deitch from "Kramers Ergot 9"

Outstanding Minicomic

"The Experts" by Sophie Franz

"Laffy Meal" by Pranas T. Naujokaitis

"Maps to the Suns" by Sloane Leong

"Radishes" by Carolyn Nowak

"The Unofficial Cuckoo's Nest" by Luke Healy

Outstanding Online Comic

"A Cartoonist’s Diary" by Rina Ayuyang

"Just Doing My Job" by Gynnis Fawkes

"Octopus Pie" by Meredith Gran

"A Small Revolution" by Samantha Leriche-Gionet (AKA “Boum”)

"Vattu" by Evan Dahm