Every week, our team of critics at the Ninth Art lighthouse casts a light over the Diamond shipping list and guides readers to the safety of the best new releases. This week, the team has put its critical expertise to special use, picking the very best comics, creators and industry insiders of the past year.

As well as naming the winners, our crew has also named a 'Roll of Honour' for each category, listing those nominees who didn't make it to the winner's circle, but who deserve respect and recognition for their achievements in 2002.

Welcome to the second annual Ninth Art Lighthouse Awards.

BEST PUBLISHER

Winner: Top Shelf

It would be difficult to say Top Shelf has 'come into its own' this year, because the fact is that the publisher has carried on doing what it's always done - and that work requires such devotion, commitment and risk that this award is fully deserved. In a year that saw most publishers playing safe, Top Shelf has continued to produce books that show an absolute faith in the importance of artistic expression. You may not like all its books, but that's the sign of a diverse publisher - and one thing you can never accuse Top Shelf of is pandering to an audience. Here at Ninth Art, we're glad to see such a unique company thrive, and pleased to award Top Shelf the title of Best Publisher for 2002.

The Roll Of Honour:

CrossGen: In just over two years, CrossGen has started a line of a dozen monthly books, shown a willingness to regularly collect its comics, launched a low-priced anthology reprint line, grabbed over 5% of the direct market's sales, started a creator-owned imprint... and all without having to resort to the fallback genre of superheroes. Now that's impressive.

Marvel: Although Marvel isn't quite as impressive as it was in 2001, it's still far and away the best Big Four company, producing more quality comics mainstream work from top mainstream creators than any other, which certainly warrants it an honourable mention. Mature Reader's comics; speedy TPB production; it's not the perfect publisher, but it's undeniably making progress.

Oni Press: Last year's winner of this award makes the roll of honour this time around, reflecting its consistently high quality throughout 2002 in producing titles such as QUEEN & COUNTRY, BLUE MONDAY and HOPELESS SAVAGES, as well as many cracking mini-series; all the more impressive considering that publisher Joe Nozemack spent much of 2002 in hospital due to illness.

BREAKTHROUGH TALENT

Winner: Ted Naifeh

It's undoubtedly been a breakthrough year for Naifeh. Already known as an artist, on Slave Labor Graphics' GLOOMCOOKIE, this year saw Naifeh dip his toe in the water as a writer for the first time. And it was a real critical hit. COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE NIGHT THINGS proved that Naifeh could create and sustain characters that instantly capture the imagination and really drive the story. Each of the four stories in the COURTNEY CRUMRIN series was a perfectly crafted little gem, funny and occasionally touching, without ever being mawkish. Yes, the series was a bit Goth, but it wasn't so Goth as to put the non-eyeliner-wearers off. The second series of COURTNEY CRUMRIN, an extended story rather than a series of one-offs, is one of Oni Press's most anticipated releases of this year. And it'll be interesting to see what Naifeh chooses to tackle next.

The Roll Of Honour:

Kaare Andrews: Marvel's hottest discovery in years, Andrews is fast emerging as a cover artist to rival Dave Johnson with his tremendous gallery of HULK covers. He's also displayed impressive diversity in his interiors work, imbuing his computer generated art with a humanity and vitality that makes him a standout talent in his field.

Kagan McLeod: How can someone so young be so talented? No-one is quite sure, but this illustrator-turned-comics creator presented a startling debut with the martial arts B-movie homage INFINITE KUNG-FU, displaying an almost arrogant (but justified) confidence in his talent and providing a remarkable comic to boot. We can't wait to see what he does in 2003.

Steve Rolston: For someone previously best known for his brief spell on QUEEN & COUNTRY, 2002 has been a great year for Rolston, with the publication of POUNDED and MEK showcasing his distinctively bold and expressive (and, yes, 'cartoony') artistic style. On this evidence, 2003 should be a productive year for Rolston.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

Winner: The Comics Journal

We can only imagine that the denizens of the Journal are sneering at us for this - why should they care about the approbation of a bunch of penny-ante pseudonymous hacks? Yet as comic readers, we owe a great debt to The Comics Journal; they've been publishing for as long as some of us have been alive, approaching comics with intellectual vigour and a piercing critical eye, and their recent heavyweight special issues have cemented their reputation. Many cultural commentators would say that the medium of comics doesn't deserve an academic perspective. Their predecessors said the same about cinema. The Comics Journal has raised the bar for everyone who presumes to comment on comics - and for that they have our thanks and admiration.

The Roll Of Honour:

Mark Alessi: Many a zealous comic fan has dreamed of how they might save the industry if they had the money to try. Marc Alessi does have that kind of money, and he's prepared to put it where his mouth is. Some may regard the CrossGen publisher as the David Koresh of comics, but the truth is, he's a serious businessman with serious passion, and we're glad to have him around.

Jeff Mason: Mason's Alternative Comics line has really come to the fore this year, both in terms of profile and achievements, and it's mostly down to Mason's own seemingly unwavering commitment and hard work. He's also responsible for the 9-11 EMERGENCY RELIEF benefit book; a staggering achievement for an independent publisher.

Chris Staros & Brett Warnock: Top Shelf is our publisher of the year, but the two men behind it deserve a big cheer for themselves. 2002 was the year that Top Shelf nearly went under through no fault of its own, and if it weren't for Staros and Warnock's particular flair for publicity, comics readers wouldn't have known about the risk posed by distributor LPC Group's bankruptcy; not just to Top Shelf, but to many other independent publishers. Staros and Warnock not only kept a great publishing company afloat, but may have given a vital boost to others.

BEST NEW SERIES

Winner: MIDNIGHT, MASS

Unless they'd read his work on XOMBI or X-FILES, there was no reason for comic readers to know just what a find writer John Rozum would be; MIDNIGHT, MASS has changed all that. A husband-and-wife supernatural investigating team seems like such a simple concept that it's amazing how fresh and original Rozum's stories are. Full of invention, with a fun and memorable cast of characters and some really impressive art from Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti, MIDNIGHT, MASS was a real breath of fresh air from Vertigo this year. With a television show option deal and a promised second MIDNIGHT, MASS series on the way, this is the book that everyone should be talking about.

The Roll Of Honour:

THE FILTH: Brilliant covers, brilliant art, brilliant concepts. THE FILTH arrived with a bang, and then got louder, as Grant Morrison and Chris Weston stretched its vague core idea (International Rescue from THUNDERBIRDS, gone mad on acid) to its breaking point. Lots of fun, and jolly rude to boot. Smashing.

FORLORN FUNNIES: Following up from his more experimental title SEQUENTIAL, FORLORN FUNNIES shows Paul Hornschemeier hitting his stride as a long-form storyteller. The last issue of the two published so far marked the start of a gut-wrenching story in which a small boy observes his widowed father's breakdown. Beautifully drawn and melancholy, FORLORN FUNNIES is a title to watch.

THE ULTIMATES: The jewel in Marvel's crown. Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's THE ULTIMATES is taking the next step in the natural progression of the superhero genre, paring the concept right back to its basics - men and women in costumes hitting things until they explode, saying something funny, and hitting them again for good measure. Is it clever? Probably not. Is it fun? Absolutely.

BEST CONTINUING SERIES

Winner: LUCIFER

Amidst the seething mass of limp, unoriginal Sandman spin-offs, to say LUCIFER stands out from the crowd is a massive understatement. Mike Carey has successfully crafted an amazing tale of the biggest, baddest baddie ever. Lucifer's magnificent plans and schemes are awe-inspiring; his plots to create his own cosmos where he can create a humanity as he believes they should have been created is fascinating. Peter Gross and Dean Ormston provide excellent art for the epic tale, giving each character a thoroughly convincing identity. LUCIFER is a return to greatness for the Vertigo imprint, and completely deserves all the acclaim it receives.

The Roll Of Honour:

FINDER: We've been singing the praises of Carla Speed McNeil's 'soft SF' saga for ages now, and it's still one of our favourites. This year saw the publication of the fourth trade paperback, the deeply personal TALISMAN, and the completion of another arc, DREAM SEQUENCE. With its dreamlike imagery and flights of fancy, combined with McNeil's distinctive artwork, FINDER is utterly unlike anything else on the shelves, and looks more than ever to be one of comics' major works.

QUEEN & COUNTRY: Last year's Best New Series continued to impress in 2002. Greg Rucka's espionage thriller continues to delight and entertain us, here at the lighthouse, with both the quality of its stories and the quality of the art. And with QUEEN AND COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED currently offering us a look into the series' past, and a new story arc set in the present beginning next year, it looks like we've another great year to come.

X-FORCE/X-STATIX: One day, it may cease to be surprising that Marvel is actually publishing this brilliant, biting satire on our celebrity-obsessed, lowbrow, media-driven cultural agenda. For the time being, though, this superb Peter Milligan/Mike Allred collaboration remains a refreshing shock to the system; the thinking man's superhero comic.

BEST BOOKSHELF COMIC

Winner: RING OF THE NIBELUNG:

RING OF THE NIBELUNG is one of the greatest comics of all time, let alone of 2002. P Craig Russell's adaptation of Wagner's opera is a work of incredible stature. From stunningly creative page layouts and storytelling techniques to his inspiring sense of drama, the two volume work is quality through and through. Russell's rendering is gorgeous - there's not a line out of place, throughout the entire epic - and the story is epic in every way. RING OF THE NIBELUNG is perhaps one of the most important examples of comics as literature in the history of the medium. (For a full review of Ninth Art's bookshelf comic of 2002, check out the site on Friday.)

The Roll Of Honour:

AMY UNBOUNDED: BEYONDWEG BLOSSOMING: Like all the best allegories, Rachel Hartman's tale of a young tomboy in a faux-medieval world contains a substance and emotional honesty belied by its whimsical exterior. Hartman's characterisation and dialogue lift the book out of its genre into a delightful examination of the problems faced by all small-town children who dream of adventure. Funny, honest and often moving, AMY UNBOUNDED deserves a place on everyone's bookshelf.

LONE WOLF & CUB: This sprawling samurai epic is finally gaining the recognition in the occidental comics industry that it deserves, as Dark Horse's reprints near the final volume. Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima created one of the touchstone Manga series, and influenced generations of budding creators, and now it looks like the reprints will do it all over again.

THREE FINGERS: Take a pinch of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and mix it up with some of those Hollywood exposé stories... and you'll get somewhere close to THREE FINGERS. Dark, grotesque and deliciously nasty, Rich Koslowski's look at the underbelly of Toon culture in '30s Hollywood, complete with sexual deviancy, horrific conspiracy and ritual maiming. Who could have guessed that this could have come from the creator of the very silly THREE GEEKS?

BEST DEBUT

Winner: PULPATOON PILGRIMAGE

A gentle story and a stunning debut, PULPATOON PILGRIMAGE was one of this year's rare treasures. Arguably as unexpected and accomplished as any first publication since GOODBYE CHUNKY RICE, Joey Priddy's perfectly packaged pocket-sized graphic novel pushed many of the same buttons. Concerning itself with a journey, friendship, self discovery and sorrowful histories, PULPATOON PILGRIMAGE unfolds the character and secrets of its trio of very different protagonists (animal, vegetable and mineral) in a compelling narrative meander. Priddy's art uses body language, landscape and lettering to brilliant effect. Although the story, like the pilgrimage, reaches a final destination, it's really all about the journey... and it's hard to think of a finer one.

The Roll Of Honour:

GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT: Jai Sen and Rizky Wasisto Edi's GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT is one of those books that surprises everyone. Funded by a Xeric Grant, Sen's story of Indonesian myths and Dutch colonialism is unforgettably creepy. Add in Edi's attractive art and a slick-looking final product, with its smaller dimensions and use of silver inks, and it's nothing short of irresistible. This graphic novel will do your bookshelf proud.

TEENAGERS FROM MARS: The first four issues of this eight issue series hit stores in 2002, and every page blistered with energy and innovation. Writer Rick Spears and artist Rob G seem to have created a perfect working synthesis, and they're bringing readers a tale of small town teen ennui that's palpable and alive. A truly impressive debut.

XXX LIVENUDEGIRLS: Unlike any comic book that you could think of, although recognisably sequential storytelling, XXX LIVENUDEGIRLS is a blend of stream-of-consciousness script and strong photo-real art. It?s a bit like being in the minds of a variety of feminine disaster areas, but inspiring empathy rather than disgust. Laurenn McCubbin and Nikki Coffman are producing something very different to anything else in comics right now, and it'll be fascinating to watch how their work develops.

TALENT DESERVING OF WIDER RECOGNITION

Winner: Roger Langridge

The FRED THE CLOWN books are another favourite of the fisherfolk. They frequently manage to combine the knockabout fun of Tom and Jerry with the pathos of silent movies, as the hapless, lovelorn and not-very-good-at-clowning Fred stumbles from custard pie to jelly down the trousers. And that's not counting the sharp satire, pointed parody and joyously silly poetry that Langridge scatters throughout his books. FRED is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable reads around, and although some of the work is available at Langridge's website, it's in the comics that it really comes into its own. There are four books available - treat yourself and have a look, then keep them aside for rainy days when you need a good giggle.

The Roll Of Honour:

Jessica Abel: MIRROR, WINDOW. LA PERDIDA. ARTBABE. SOUNDTRACK. These are titles you ought to know. Whether it's fiction or journalism, Jessica Abel's command of her craft is something to be envied; she's adept at communicating real people and real emotion through her work, telling honest, human stories, warts and all. This is the sort of thing we need more of, and it deserves your time and money.

Farel Dalrymple: Do you believe in magic? Not sparkling wands and fairy godmothers, but discarded angel wings, floating fish, and living toys. With beautifully expressive art that makes the most extraordinary seem familiar, and a writing style that matter-of-factly addresses these strange happenings, Dalrymple believes in magic. After reading his book POP GUN WAR, you will too.

Debbie Dreschler: Debbie Dreschler understands what it's like to be a teenager. Reading her recent collection THE SUMMER OF LOVE is like getting sucker-punched in the gut, hurting even as it takes your breath away. Dreschler's stories, with their unique two-colour, look will remind you why absolutely no one would ever want to really relive their childhood. Don't let this talent slip away from you.

Rick Smith & Tania Menesse: Respectively the writing and artistic talents behind SHUCK, Smith and Menesse debuted their quirky story on Modern Tales and then self-published it. SHUCK is about the eponymous nature god, semi-retired somewhere in suburban America. With a simple art style reminiscent of James Kochalka and a script written in a patois more complicated than POGO POSSUM's, SHUCK is a refreshing work unlike any of its contemporaries.

THE TABLE OF WINNERS:

Best Publisher: Top Shelf
Roll of Honour: CrossGen; Marvel; Oni Press

LIGHTHOUSE
AWARDS 2001

To read about last year's winners, click here. Breakthrough Talent: Ted Naifeh
Roll of Honour: Kaare Andrews; Kagan McLeod; Steve Rolston

Outstanding Achievement: The Comics Journal
Roll of Honour: Mark Alessi; Jeff Mason; Chris Staros & Brent Warnock

Best New Series: MIDNIGHT, MASS, by John Rozum, Jesus Saiz, Jimmy Palmiotti et al
Roll of Honour: THE FILTH, by Grant Morrison, Chris Weston et al; FORLORN FUNNIES, by Paul Hornschemeier; THE ULTIMATES, by Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch et al

Best Ongoing Series: LUCIFER, by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Dean Ormston et al
Roll of Honour: FINDER, by Carla Speed McNeill; QUEEN & COUNTRY, by Greg Rucka, Leandro Fernandez, Brian Hurtt et al; X-FORCE/X-STATIX, by Peter Milligan, Mike Allred, Laura Allred et al

Best Bookshelf Comic: RING OF THE NIBELUNG, by P Craig Russell, with Patrick Mason, Lovern Kindzierski and Galen Showman
Roll of Honour: AMY UNBOUNDED: BELONDWEG BLOSSOMING, by Rachel Hartman; LONE WOLF & CUB, by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima; THREE FINGERS, by Rich Koslowski

Best Debut: PULPATOON PILGRIMAGE, by Joel Priddy
Roll of Honour: GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT, by Jai Sen and Rizky Wasisto Edi; TEENAGERS FROM MARS, by Rick Spears and Rob G; XXX LIVENUDEGIRLS, by Laurenn McCubbin and Nikki Coffman.

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition: Roger Langridge
Roll of Honour: Jessica Abel; Farel Dalrymple; Debbie Dreschler; Rick Smith & Tania Menesse

The 9A Lighthouse Crew are Trafalgar, Shannon, Fastnet, Plymouth, Viking, German Bight, Finisterre, Forties, Dogger, Cromarty and Fisher.

This article is Ideological Freeware. The author grants permission for its reproduction and redistribution by private individuals on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice.