Andrews McMeel Universal Companies Universal Uclick and Andrews McMeel Publishing Well Represented in the 2013 Harvey Award Nominations
Kansas City, Mo. (July 17, 2013) – The nominees for the 2013 Harvey Awards, recognizing outstanding work in comics and sequential art, have been announced, with Andrews McMeel Universal creators receiving several acknowledgements. Unique to this award, the recipients are nominated and selected by their peers — current creators and industry professionals. Three out of five nominees for “Best Syndicated Strip or Panel” are Universal Uclick syndicated creators: Richard Thompson of Cul de Sac, Darby Conley of Get Fuzzy and Stephen Pastis of Pearls Before Swine.
Additionally, editor and concept creator Chris Sparks of Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, is up for four awards. The award categories include “Best Anthology,” “Excellence in Presentation,” “Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation” and “Humor in Comics.” With proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Team Cul de Sac is a compilation of artwork by more than 100 artists who were inspired to raise money and awareness of Parkinson’s disease following Cul de Sac creator Richard Thompson’s diagnosis.
“I am honored that Team Cul de Sac has been nominated for the Harvey Awards,” Sparks said. “Harvey suffered from Parkinson's, and I truly believe this has been inspirational to not only the cartooning community but to the Parkinson's community. I think he would have been proud of the book. Thank you for the support and love. See you in Baltimore!”
Thompson's comic strip Cul de Sac — nominated for “Best Syndicated Strip or Panel” — revolves around the suburban life experiences of a light-hearted 4-year-old girl, Alice Otterloop; her friends, Beni and Dill; her older brother, Petey; and her classmates at Blisshaven Academy preschool.
Darby Conley’s Get Fuzzy, another nominee for “Best Syndicated Strip or Panel,” is a wry portrait of single life featuring a mild-mannered ad executive, Rob Wilco, and his two pets: Bucky, the temperamental cat, and Satchel, a gentle pooch. With Bucky’s mischief and Satchel’s attempts to stay neutral, this trio endures all the trials and tribulations of a typical family, plus some.
Also up for “Best Syndicated Strip or Panel,” the comic strip tale of two friends, an arrogant, know-it-all Rat and a slow-witted Pig, Pearls Before Swine, created by Stephan Pastis, offers caustic commentary on humanity’s quest for the unattainable.
Thompson, Conley and Pastis have been recognized by the Harvey Awards and their peers in past years. All three have been nominated for the Harvey Award for “Best Syndicated Strip or Panel” previously, with Thompson receiving the award in 2012. Since the award category's inception in 1990, a Universal Press Syndicate or United Features Syndicate creator has been nominated each year.
Three creators who contribute to Universal Uclick's GoComics website also received nominations. John Backderf of The City is a nominee for "Best Graphic Album Original" for his book "My Friend Dahmer." Joe Staton and
Mike Curtis, creators of Dick Tracy, have been nominated for "Best Syndicated Strip or Panel."
The 2013 Harvey Awards will be presented in Baltimore on Sept. 7, in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con. For more information about the Harvey Awards, visit www.harveyawards.org.
About Universal Uclick
Universal Uclick is the largest independent syndicate in the world and a leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, political cartoons and other content for print, Web and mobile devices. Universal Uclick provides editorial development, licensing and other distribution services for iconic brands like Doonesbury, Dear Abby, Miss Manners and some of the most significant comics in history, including Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, Peanuts, Dilbert, For Better or For Worse, Cathy and Ziggy. Recent standout successes include Lio, Cul de Sac, Pearls Before Swine, Get Fuzzy, Big Nate and The Argyle Sweater. A full comic catalog can be found at GoComics.com or via its mobile/tablet app on multiple platforms. For more information on Universal Uclick, visit UniversalUclick.com.
About Andrews McMeel Publishing
Andrews McMeel Publishing has a passion for publishing original talent, delighting consumers with innovative books and gifts that are worth sharing.
In addition to The Superman Files, fall highlights include Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants by No. 1 New York Times bestselling Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal), and Rats Wars and I Sense a Coldness to Your Mentoring by New York Times bestselling authors Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine) and Scott Adams (Dilbert). Highlights from AMP! Comics for Kids include Big Nate: I Can’t Take It! by New York Times bestselling author Lincoln Peirce and the debut of the illustrated novel, Desmond Pucket Makes Monster Magic by Mark Tatulli.
AMP is also the nation’s top calendar publisher, annually producing calendars based on many top-selling properties and selling more than 15 million calendars each year. For more information please visit andrewsmcmeel.com
Media Contacts:
Julie Halper, Universal Uclick
816-581-7658
jhalper@amuniversal.com
816-581-7497
khilliard@amuniversal.com
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