Love and Rockets New Stories TPB Vol. 05Media Release -- In order to give honor to people that have outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning, the Ignata Awards were awarded at SPX (Small Press Expo), held on September 15 and 16, 2012 at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Ignatz was awarded in nine categories, were created by a panel of five cartoonists, and were voted on by attendees of this year's SPX.

The winners of the Ignatz Awards 2012 are:

Outstanding Artist: Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories (Fantagraphics Books)

Outstanding Anthology or Collection: Hark! A Vagrant, Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly)

Outstanding Story: "Return to Me," Love and Rockets: New Stories No. 4, Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)

Outstanding Series: Love and Rockets New Stores, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)

Outstanding Comic: Pterodactyl Hunters, Brendan Leach (Top Shelf Productions)

Outstanding Online Comic: SuperMutant Magic Academy, Jillian Tamaki

Outstanding Graphic Novel: Big Questions, Anders Nilson (Drawn & Quarterly)

Promising New Talent: Lale Westvind, Hot Dog Beach (Self-published)

Outstanding Mini-Comic: The Monkey in the Basement and Other Delusions, Corinne Mucha (Retrofit Comics)