Frankly, we haven’t been in the loop on British comics gossip, so we have no idea why this year’s Bristol Comic Expo has been radically scaled down, and won’t include previous popular attractions like the Eagle Awards and the Hypotheticals panel, but the show is going on this weekend and we’re sure that the beer level in town will sink to dangerous lows by the time the comics crowd has departed.
In the mean time, here’s a press release from Eagle Awards organizer Cassandra Conroy talking about what is going on with them:
There has been a lot of Internet buzz about the 2009 Eagle Awards, following new Eagle Awards organiser Cassandra Conroy announcing that there wouldn’t be an award ceremony at the 2009 Bristol Comic Expo in May 2009. Many were of the opinion that the Eagles were either on hiatus or even gone forever, and Internet rumours were strife.
But today, it is announced that there will indeed be an Eagle Awards for 2009 – just not in the style that people are used to.
‘When I took over the Eagles last year from my father, Mike Conroy – people said that I had an uphill battle to keep the Eagles at the top of the UK awards scene.’ Cassandra explained. ‘And when circumstances meant that the main hall of the Bristol Comic Con, our traditional place of ceremony over the years would not be able to be used in the evening, we realised that there was no way that the Eagles could be run as they usually are, for 2009 at least. But I didn’t want my first year as organiser to be a no-show, and so after a lot of discussions and opinions, we’re still going to be running the awards.’
Since inheriting the Eagle Awards Cassandra has taken advice from some of the biggest names in comics, and she feels that the Eagles really do have a place in UK comics’ history.
‘Over the years we have had some of the fiercest competitions out there.’ She continued. ‘When you have an award ceremony that has categories nominated by creators and fans and then voted for by creators and fans, the pressure for a creator to gain such a prestigious award is immense. We’ve had some of the biggest names in comics step up onto that stage to accept their awards, and although this year we cannot achieve that vision, in future years we will be back, bigger and better than ever.’
Cassandra explained that as far as the nominations process and voting goes, the Eagle Awards will be following their well known format.
‘The nominations process will begin Friday 8th May 2009 on our website, eagleawards.co.uk,’ she explained. ‘Just nominate your 2008 choice in each category and click return. Nominations close on Friday 22nd May 2009, and then we’ll take the top five nominations in each section and place them up for voting to begin Monday 1st June 2009.’
‘The winners of the Eagle Awards might not have a stage to stand on or an opportunity to give a speech this year, but they will receive an Eagle Award, whether in person or by other means. And the full list of Award Winners will be released to the world on Monday 15th June 2009.
‘We might not have a meal this year, but we will have awards. We will have winners. And the best of the UK and US comic scene will still fight for the right to be showcased on one of the longest and most prestigious awards out there.’
Nominations for Eagle Award nominations for material published during 2008 begin on Friday, 8th May 2009. Check out eagleawards.co.uk for more details.
