Communication Professor Honored at San Diego Comic-Con

These days the San Diego Comic-Con is a media spectacle packed with star-studded panels and presentations, a place where the public is treated to the inside scoop on upcoming movie blockbusters like “Avengers: Age of Ultron” or the biggest hit TV shows like “Game of Thrones.” But at its core, Comic-Con has always been about celebrating actual comics, and the artists and writers who elevate the medium. As part of that celebration, the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are presented each year at Comic-Con to “recognize the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels.”

This year, the award for Best Scholarly/Academic Work was given to Ronald L. Jackson II and Sheena C. Howard for their book “Black Comics: The Politics of Race and Representation” — a collection of essays analyzing comics and cartoons by and about African Americans.

Jackson, a professor of communication in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, and Howard, an assistant professor of journalism and communication at Rider University, were thrilled with the recognition.

“The Eisner award is considered the Oscar of the comic industry,” said Jackson. “This is truly a great honor.”

“Black Comics” is Howard and Jackson’s

first collaboration

. The book explores the contributions of black artists to the comic medium from the early 20th century through the present day, as well as the evolving depiction of African Americans in comic books, strips, political cartoons and graphic novels. Published by Bloomsbury Academic, “Black Comics” is

available for purchase on Amazon.com

.

For a

full list of 2014 Will Eisner Award winners

, visit the

official Comic-Con website

.