Stan Lee Excelsior Award 2012 Winners announced

The full results of the Stan Lee Excelsior Award 2012 can now be revealed!

This award for graphic novels is fully endorsed by The Stan Lee Foundation and the School Library Association. Seventy seven UK schools took part this year and, of the eight shortlisted graphic novels, hundreds of students (in the 11-16 age bracket) chose the following titles as their winners:

1st Place - Star Wars: Blood Ties by Tom Taylor and Chris Scalf (Dark Horse)

A multigenerational tale of honor and redemption, starring two of the heaviest hitters in the Star Wars galaxy -- the father-and-clone team of Jango and Boba Fett.
 
Shortly before the start of the Clone Wars, Count Dooku sends Jango Fett on a mission that will affect the course of Boba Fett's life some 20 years later. But for now, neither of them knows what the future holds in store, and besides, they have their schedule filled dodging monsters and fighting bad guys! It's Jango Fett and Boba Fett together in a series featuring fully painted art by Purge artist Chris Scalf.

2nd Place - Chimichanga by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)

When Wrinkle's Travelling Circus' most adorable little bearded girl trades a lock of her magic beard hair for a witch's strange egg, she stumbles upon what could be the saving grace for her ailing freakshow - the savory-named beast: Chimichanga!

3rd Place - Green Lantern: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis (DC Comics)

Witness the beginning of the career of the bravest Green Lantern who's ever lived as the secret origin of Hal Jordan is revealed. This title helps you to discover how and why Hal received the power ring. It also helps you to uncover the mystery of Abin Sur's death - and why Jordan's teacher and mentor, Sinestro, became obsessed with the prophecy of the apocalyptic end of the universe 'the Blackest Night'. 


There were also two further awards up for grabs:

Winner of the JABBICA (Judge A Book By Its Cover Award, voted for by school librarians) - Sita: Daughter of the Earth by Saraswati Nagpal and Manikandan (Campfire)

The winner of the TRUE BELIEVERS AWARD (for the school that returned the most Rating Forms) was Chilwell School, Nottingham.

• See the website at www.excelsioraward.co.uk shortlist2012.html for more details

Guest Post: Challenging Attitudes towards Comics

Paul Register

Paul Register is a school librarian at Ecclesfield School, Sheffield and organiser of the Stan Lee Excelsior Award for graphic novels and manga aimed at 11-16 year olds created in partnership with the Stan Lee Foundation, dediciated to improving literacy worldwide...

I've just been reading a document recommended to me by a teacher. It is the National Union of Teachers guidelines for increasing 'Reading for Pleasure' across a whole school.

Obviously, this is a laudable goal and something all schools should be thinking about. It's connected to a conference they've recently held called "Reading4Pleasure". (Why they've chosen to use 'text speak' when naming this initiative I have no idea. Do today's next generation of teachers really need simple English dumbing down for them?)

Anyway... Have a look at the piece below. It's copied from this document and attempts to highlight how best teachers can create a "classroom library" with a wide variety of reading material for students:

In order to fulfil all these functions, there needs to be a wide range of categories of reading materials within a classroom library, for example: stories and narrative accounts, eg, fairy tales, folk tales, and biographies; picture books with thought-provoking images and examples of artistic talent; information books; computers with bookmarked Web pages, including major reference sources; miscellaneous reading materials, such as popular magazines, newspapers, catalogues, recipe books, encyclopaedias, maps, reports, captioned photographs, posters, diaries and letters; joke books, comic books, word-puzzle books; and student-authored books and stories. 

No mention whatsoever of graphic novels or manga titles and "comic books" are lumped in with joke books and puzzle books! Brilliant,eh?!

Clearly the 'teacher' that wrote this has no concept of comics beyond Beano and Dandy! Even the description of "picture books" is a bit strange, as though the actual story/writing is of no consequence.

Sometimes I truly despair...

• Reading4Pleasure Online Resource

• Note: NUT's advice for encouraging Reluctant Readers does suggest teachers "provide graphic novels, comics, manga, and picture books for older readers."

Artists challenged to create a Super Hero for the Stan Lee Foundation

Talenthouse has once again joined forces with the Stan Lee Foundation and Prismacolor to offer talented fans, designers and illustrators the unique opportunity to meet the legendary Stan Lee and create a comic book character for the foundation.

To participate, graphic designers, illustrators and fans -- and this does seem to be a worldwide comptition -- are asked to submit their original character designs to http://tlnt.at/bN1qeU , by 9th January 2011.

Not only will the the selected artist see their character turned into a limited edition action figure, but they will also be presented an award by Stan Lee at the the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego. The Artist will also receive full flight and accommodations to San Diego along with tickets to Comic-Con.

The winner will be chosen from the 20 highest voted submissions ,but  The Stan Lee Foundation say they may look beyond these finalists to select the submission that they feel best fits their requirements.




Based in Palo Alto California, Talenthouse is a platform providing opportunities to the world’s creative community – a place to participate in unique projects with artists and brands, collaborate, gain recognition and compensation. The Stan Lee Foundation, established by Spider-Man creator Stan Lee, is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide access to literacy, education and the arts throughout the United States.

• For more information on the challenge go to: www.talenthouse.com/stan-lee-foundation-create-a-superhero.

• Latest Talent House news at http://blog.talenthouse.com or follow them on Twitter -  http://twitter.com/talenthouse

• Stan Lee Foundation: www.stanleefoundation.org