Overview
The organization consists of an administrative (or executive) committee, a series of nominating committees and juries.
The only provision for active membership in any of the nominating committees or the administrative committee is that the member not be actively creating or publishing comic books, webcomics or graphic novels that could be eligible for consideration for any of the existing categories during the judging period. Eligible publishers and creators may participate in the special judging committee for the Harry Kremer comic book retailer award.
The Association is a not-for-profit organization. Funds for the Joe Shuster Awards are raised from donations, sponsorship and eBay auctions of prints and other specialty items.
In late 2007, the CCBCAA membership ratified an organizational charter, the position of Executive Director and Associate Director were created (supplanting Chairperson and Assistant). Directors of the CCBCAA are voted into their positions for two award seasons, unless they vacate the position prior to the end of term.
In 2008 a new fundraising initiative was launched entitled "Visions of an Icon". The Visions project involves the donation of original art interpretations of a single comic book character by Canadian artists and cartoonists. The pieces are displayed on a few occasions and then auctioned off on eBay to raise funds for the next year's awards. In 2008 the subject was Superman and in 2009 the subject was Wolverine. The Visions program was suspended in 2010.
Wolverine is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, mostly in association with the X-Men. He is a mutant who possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, powerful regenerative ability known as a healing factor, and three retractable claws in each hand. Wolverine has been depicted variously as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the Avengers.
Jerome Siegel, who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter and Jerry Ess, was an American comic book writer. His most famous creation was DC Comics character Superman, which he created in collaboration with his friend Joe Shuster.
Tyrone Templeton is a Canadian comic book artist and writer who has drawn a number of mainstream titles, TV-associated titles, and his own series.
Bryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist, best known for the Scott Pilgrim series. He is also a musician using the alias Kupek.
The Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards are given out annually for outstanding achievements in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, webcomics, and comics retailers and publishers by Canadians. The awards, first handed out in April 2005, are named in honour of Joe Shuster (1914–1992), the Canadian-born co-creator of Superman.
The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is the first federally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consortium of comic book and trade publishers, including Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Wizard Entertainment, CrossGen Comics and Dynamic Forces Inc., the 501(c)(3) charity aims to assist comic creators with health, medical, and quality-of-life assistance.
Strange Adventures is a comic book retail chain with three stores, all located in the Maritimes. All three are owned by Calum Johnston and named after a comics series published by DC from 1950 through 1973. The stores are generally considered to be the overall best comic book stores in the Maritimes, and among the best in Canada.
Sean O’Reilly is the owner and operator of Arcana Studio, Canada's largest comic book company and also an animation studio.
Ed Furness (1911–2005) was a Canadian comic book artist associated with the "Canadian Whites", Canadian comic books published during World War II.
Karl Kerschl is a Canadian comic book artist, best known for his work on DC Comics books, including Adventures of Superman, Majestic, All-Flash, Teen Titans: Year One and Gotham Academy.
Happy Harbor Comics is a comic book store located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Over the past few years, owner Jay Bardyla and his store have participated in the 24-hour comic day to promote comics in general and to raise money for the Alberta Literacy Foundation. In 2005, they raised more than $1600.
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is an all-ages picture book written by Marc Tyler Nobleman and illustrated by Ross MacDonald. It's the first picture book biography of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and is the first ever stand-alone biography of the pair.
Michael Cho is a Canadian illustrator and cartoonist. He has been nominated for a number of awards and had his work positively reviewed.
The Beguiling is a comic shop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It specializes in underground and alternative comics, classic comic strip reprints, and foreign comics. It has built an international reputation for focusing on and promoting non-superhero comics in the superhero-dominated North American comic book market.
Canadian comics refers to comics and cartooning by citizens of Canada or permanent residents of Canada regardless of residence. Canada has two official languages, and distinct comics cultures have developed in English and French Canada. The English tends to follow American trends, and the French Franco-Belgian ones, with little crossover between the two cultures. Canadian comics run the gamut of comics forms, including editorial cartooning, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics, and are published in newspapers, magazines, books, and online. They have received attention in international comics communities and have received support from the federal and provincial governments, including grants from the Canada Council for the Arts. There are comics publishers throughout the country, as well as large small press, self-publishing, and minicomics communities.
Heroes Comics is a comic book store operating in London, Ontario, Canada. The store won a Harry Kremer comics retailer award at the 2013 Joe Shuster Awards ceremony.
Nights of Horror is an American series of fetish comic books, created in 1954 by publisher Malcla, drawn by comic artist Joe Shuster, who is also one of the original creators of Superman. The comic stories were written by an author under the pseudonym Clancy, who also used other pseudonyms for different issues of the books. The stories are based on situations of BDSM, bondage, torture, and sexual slavery, featuring both men and women as the tormentors and victims. The series was important in the conviction of Jack Koslow in 1954, during the trial of the Brooklyn Thrill Killers. The books themselves were seized and banned first by New York City, then by the State of New York for violating obscenity laws, and the case went to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court determined that the ban was not in violation of First Amendment Rights, and upheld New York's request for destroying copies of Nights of Horror. Shuster was never named as the illustrator until Gerard Jones published the information in 2004.
