Inkpot Award

The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at Comic-Con International's annual convention, San Diego Comic-Con. Also eligible are members of Comic-Con's board of directors and convention committee.

The recipients, listed below, are known primarily as comics creators, including writers; artists; letterers; colorists; editors; or publishers; unless otherwise noted.

Awards by year
Source: 1974–2007, 1974–2011, 1974–2013

1974

 * Forrest J. Ackerman (magazine editor)
 * Ray Bradbury (prose writer)
 * Kirk Alyn (actor)
 * Milton Caniff
 * Frank Capra (filmmaker)
 * Bob Clampett (animator)
 * June Foray (voice actress)
 * Eric Hoffman (film historian)
 * Chuck Jones (animator)
 * Jack Kirby
 * Stan Lee
 * Bill Lund / William R. Lund (actor/writer/founding member of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Russ Manning
 * Russell Myers (creator of 'Broom Hilda' comic strip)
 * Charles Schulz
 * Phil Seuling (Comic Art Convention founder)
 * Roy Thomas
 * Bjo Trimble (science-fiction fandom figure)

1975

 * Barry Alfonso (writer/founding member of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Brad Anderson
 * Robert Bloch (prose writer)
 * Vaughn Bodé (cartoonist)
 * Edgar Rice Burroughs (prose writer)
 * Daws Butler (voice actor)
 * Richard Butner (Comic-Con Chair-person; no relation to prose writer)
 * Shel Dorf ('Founding Father' of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Will Eisner
 * Mark Evanier
 * Gil Kane
 * Alan Light
 * Dick Moores
 * George Pal (filmmaker)
 * Rod Serling (screenwriter)
 * Joe Shuster
 * Jerry Siegel
 * Barry Windsor-Smith
 * Jim Starlin
 * Jim Steranko
 * Theodore Sturgeon (prose writer)
 * Larry "Seymour" Vincent (TV horror-movie host)

1976

 * Neal Adams
 * Sergio Aragonés
 * Mel Blanc (voice actor)
 * Frank Brunner
 * Rick Griffin
 * Johnny Hart
 * George Clayton Johnson (screenwriter)
 * Vicky Kelso (long-time Secretary of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Mel Lazarus
 * Sheldon Mayer
 * Dale Messick
 * Alex Niño
 * Don Rico
 * Don Thompson
 * Maggie Thompson

1977

 * Alfredo Alcala
 * Carl Barks
 * C. C. Beck
 * Howard Chaykin
 * Lester Dent (prose writer)
 * Jackie Estrada
 * Hal Foster
 * Walter "The Shadow" Gibson (prose writer)
 * Jim Harmon (writer/old radio & movie serial historian)
 * Robert A. Heinlein (prose writer)
 * Gene Henderson (San Diego Comic-Con's Historian & Director-at-Large)
 * Michael Kaluta
 * Joe Kubert
 * Harvey Kurtzman
 * George Lucas (filmmaker)
 * Stan Lynde
 * Byron Preiss
 * Trina Robbins
 * Stanley Ralph Ross
 * Bill Scott
 * David Scroggy
 * Jay Ward (TV producer)
 * Len Wein

1978

 * John Buscema
 * Al Capp
 * Gene Colan
 * Gill Fox
 * Tom French
 * Steve Gerber
 * Chester Gould
 * Burne Hogarth
 * Bob Kane
 * Ken Krueger (founding member of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Bernie Lansky
 * Gray Morrow
 * Clarence Nash
 * Grim Natwick
 * Bill Rotsler
 * Mike Royer
 * Gilbert Shelton
 * Dave Sheridan
 * Bill Stout
 * Frank Thorne
 * Boris Vallejo
 * Mort Weisinger
 * Elmer Woggon

1979

 * Craig Anderson
 * Steve Englehart
 * Dale Enzenbacher
 * Kelly Freas
 * Virginia French
 * H. R. Giger (painter)
 * Gene Hazelton
 * Carl Macek
 * Victor Moscoso
 * Larry Niven (prose writer)
 * Dan O'Neill
 * Virgil Partch
 * Jerry Pournelle
 * Nestor Redondo
 * Marshall Rogers
 * John Romita, Sr.
 * Bill Spicer
 * Mort Walker
 * Marv Wolfman

1980

 * Terry Austin
 * Murray Bishoff
 * Pat Boyette
 * John Byrne
 * National Film Board of Canada
 * Ernie Chan
 * Chris Claremont
 * Shary Flenniken
 * Mike Friedrich
 * Rick Geary
 * Don Glut
 * S. Gross
 * Al Hartley
 * B. Kliban
 * Jerry Muller
 * Joe Orlando
 * Fred Patten
 * Don Phelps
 * Richard Pini
 * Wendy Pini
 * David Raskin
 * Scott Shaw
 * Jim Shooter
 * John Stanley
 * B. K. Taylor
 * Osamu Tezuka
 * Adam West
 * Wally Wood

1981

 * Jerry Bails
 * L. B. Cole
 * Jim Fitzpatrick
 * Dick Giordano
 * Dave Graue
 * Paul Gulacy
 * Mary Henderson
 * Karl Hubenthal
 * Bil Keane
 * Frank Miller
 * Doug Moench
 * Monkey Punch
 * Dennis O'Neil
 * Gary Owens
 * Richard Rockwell
 * Allen Saunders
 * Julius Schwartz
 * Mike Sekowsky
 * Bill Sienkiewicz
 * Dave Sim
 * Alex Toth
 * Morrie Turner
 * Bill Woggon

1982

 * Bob Bindig
 * Brian Bolland
 * Russ Cochran
 * David Cockrum
 * Max Allan Collins
 * Chase Craig
 * Archie Goodwin
 * Mike Grell
 * Bruce Hamilton
 * Jack Katz
 * Howard Kazanjian
 * Hank Ketcham
 * Walter Koenig (actor)
 * Richard Kyle
 * Lee Marrs
 * Frank Marshall
 * John Pound, artist/founding member of San Diego Comic-Con
 * Tony Raiola
 * Steven Spielberg (filmmaker)
 * Leonard Starr
 * Robert Williams

1983

 * Douglas Adams (prose writer)
 * Maeheah Alzmann
 * Jim Aparo
 * Don Bluth
 * Floyd Gottfredson
 * Norman Maurer
 * George Pérez
 * Arn Saba
 * Dan Spiegle
 * Joe Staton
 * James Van Hise
 * Cat Yronwode

1984

 * Murphy Anderson
 * Román Arámbula
 * Greg Bear (prose writer/founding member of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * Fae (Gates) Desmond, Comic-Con Executive Director
 * Stan Drake
 * John Field
 * Rick Hoberg
 * Greg Jein
 * Ollie Johnston
 * Brant Parker
 * Robert Shayne (actor)
 * Curt Swan
 * Frank Thomas
 * Jim Valentino
 * Al Williamson

1985

 * Brent Anderson
 * Ben Bova (book/magazine editor)
 * David Brin
 * Jack Cummings
 * Jack Davis
 * Alan Moore
 * Dan O'Bannon (filmmaker)
 * Tom Orzechowski
 * John Rogers
 * Alex Schomburg
 * Walt Simonson

1986

 * Poul Anderson (prose writer)
 * Marion Zimmer Bradley (prose writer)
 * Dave Gibbons
 * Jean "Moebius" Giraud
 * Gilbert Hernandez
 * Jaime Hernandez
 * Denis Kitchen
 * Steve Leialoha
 * Marty Nodell
 * Harvey Pekar
 * Mark Stadler
 * Dave Stevens

1987

 * Steve Ditko
 * Harlan Ellison (prose writer)
 * Larry Geeck
 * Ward Kimball
 * Deni Loubert
 * Bill Messner-Loebs
 * Mike Peters
 * Bill Schanes
 * Steve Schanes
 * Robert Silverberg (prose writer)
 * Art Spiegelman
 * Bernie Wrightson
 * Ray Zone (3-D historian)

1988

 * Frank Alison, Comic-Con Director-at-Large
 * Robert Asprin (prose writer)
 * Mike Baron
 * Lynda Barry
 * John Bolton
 * Jules Feiffer
 * Raymond Feist (prose writer)
 * Matt Groening
 * Gary Groth
 * George R. R. Martin (prose writer)
 * Mike Pasqua (Comic Con Executive Vice President)
 * Steve Rude
 * Marie Severin
 * Matt Wagner

1989

 * Richard Alf (founding member of San Diego Comic-Con)
 * R. Crumb
 * Howard Cruse
 * Kevin Eastman
 * Lee Falk
 * Ron Goulart (prose writer)
 * Walt Kelly
 * Peter Laird
 * Syd Mead (industrial designer)
 * Andre Norton (prose writer)
 * Jerry Robinson
 * Diana Schutz
 * Janet Tait
 * Ron Turner
 * Gahan Wilson

1990

 * Karen Berger
 * Bob Burden
 * Tom DeFalco
 * William Gaines
 * Jim Henson (puppeteer)
 * Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier
 * Grant Morrison
 * Bob Overstreet
 * Mary Reynante
 * Bob Schreck
 * Ken Steacy
 * Rick Sternbach (film / television illustrator)
 * Charles Vess

1991

 * Alicia Austin
 * Clive Barker (prose writer)
 * Dan Barry
 * Dan DeCarlo
 * Creig Flessel
 * Neil Gaiman
 * Ted "Dr. Seuss" Geisel
 * Keith Giffen
 * George Gladir
 * Joe Haldeman (prose novelist)
 * Lynn Johnston
 * Carol Kalish
 * Don Maitz
 * Sheldon Moldoff
 * Steve Oliff
 * Julie Roloff
 * Stan Sakai

1992

 * Carina Burns-Chenelle, Comic-Con treasurer
 * Bob Chapman
 * Francis Ford Coppola (filmmaker)
 * Robin Doig
 * Alan Grant
 * Bill Griffith
 * Ray Harryhausen (filmmaker)
 * Marc Hempel
 * Jim Lee
 * Milo Manara
 * Scott McCloud
 * Todd McFarlane
 * Rowena Morrill (book/magazine illustrator)
 * Diane Noomin
 * Louise Simonson
 * Dick Sprang
 * Vernor Vinge (prose writer)
 * Mark Wheatley

1993

 * Jim Aparo
 * Gary Carter (comics historian)
 * Phil Foglio
 * Robert Goodwin
 * Ferd Johnson
 * Don Martin
 * Dave McKean
 * Clydene Nee
 * Paul Norris
 * Paul Power
 * P. Craig Russell
 * Mark Schultz
 * Vincent Sullivan
 * Michael Whelan (artist)
 * Roger Zelazny (prose writer)

1994

 * Mike Carlin
 * Paul Chadwick
 * Al Feldstein
 * Stan Goldberg
 * Roberta Gregory
 * Chad Grothkopf
 * Jerry Ordway
 * Bud Plant
 * Mike Richardson
 * John Romita, Jr.
 * Richard Rowell
 * Lucius Shepard (prose writer)
 * Mickey Spillane (prose writer)
 * J. Michael Straczynski
 * Rumiko Takahashi

1995

 * Roger Corman (filmmaker)
 * Greg Hildebrandt (Brothers Hildebrandt)
 * Tim Hildebrandt (Brothers Hildebrandt)
 * Ryoichi Ikegami
 * Irv Novick
 * Joe Sinnott

1996

 * Donna Barr
 * Mort Drucker
 * Joe Giella
 * Jim Mooney
 * Kurt Schaffenberger
 * François Schuiten
 * David Siegel

1997

 * Dick Ayers
 * Steve Bissette
 * Terry Brooks (prose writer)
 * Bob Haney
 * Russ Heath
 * Carol Lay
 * Michael Moorcock (prose writer)
 * Janice Tobias
 * George Tuska

1998

 * John Broome
 * Eddie Campbell
 * Nick Cardy
 * David Glanzer, Comic-Con Director of Marketing and Publicity
 * Fred Guardineer
 * Lorenzo Mattotti
 * Paul S. Newman
 * John Severin
 * Joe Simon
 * Naoko Takeuchi
 * Mark Yturralde (filmmaker)

1999

 * Tom Batiuk
 * Chuck Cuidera
 * Samuel R. Delany (prose writer)
 * Arnold Drake
 * Sam Glanzman
 * Larry Gonick
 * Irwin Hasen
 * Sue Lord, Comic-Con HR/Guest Relations

2000

 * Will Elder
 * Ric Estrada, sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as Rick Estrada
 * Phoebe Gloeckner
 * Beth Holley, Comic-Con VP, Exhibits
 * Carmine Infantino
 * Jack Kamen
 * Ben Katchor
 * Harry Lampert
 * Bryan Talbot
 * Angelo Torres
 * Lewis Trondheim

2001

 * Henry Boltinoff
 * Irwin Donenfeld
 * Brian and Wendy Froud
 * Martin Jaquish, Comic-Con Director-at-Large
 * Joe R. Lansdale
 * Spider and Jeanne Robinson (prose writers)
 * Alvin Schwartz
 * Jeff Smith
 * Kim Thompson

2002

 * Eddie Ibrahim, Comic-Con Director of Programming
 * Frank Jacobs
 * Jason
 * Paul Levitz
 * Bob Lubbers
 * Bob Oksner
 * Lew Sayre Schwartz
 * Hal Sherman
 * Herb Trimpe
 * William Woolfolk

2003

 * Charles Berberian
 * Frank Bolle
 * Sal Buscema
 * John Davenport, Comic-Con Events staff
 * Philippe Dupuy
 * Steve Jackson (games manufacturer)
 * Sid Jacobson
 * Larry Lieber
 * Terry Moore
 * Howard Post

2004

 * Jack Adler
 * Tom Gill
 * Harry Harrison (prose writer)
 * Bruce Jones
 * Batton Lash
 * Mike Mignola
 * Bill Plympton (animator)
 * Frank Springer
 * John Totleben
 * Mark Hamill

2005

 * Lee Ames
 * Sy Barry
 * Taerie Bryant, Comic-Con Fandom Services
 * Bob Bolling
 * Bob Fujitani
 * Dexter Taylor

2006

 * Peter S. Beagle (Outstanding Achievement in Science Fiction and Fantasy)
 * Art Clokey (animator)
 * Luis Dominguez
 * Basil Gogos
 * Everett Raymond Kinstler (former comics artist; presidential portrait painter)
 * Kazuo Koike
 * Bill Pittman, Comic-Con VP Operations
 * Yoshihiro Tatsumi

2007

 * Allen Bellman
 * Renée French
 * Gary Friedrich
 * Adam Hughes
 * Miriam Katin
 * Mel Keefer
 * Joseph Michael Linsner
 * David Morrell (prose writer)
 * Lily Renée Phillips
 * Mike Ploog
 * Mary Sturhann, Comic-Con Secretary
 * Dan Vado
 * Mark Verheiden
 * F. Paul Wilson (prose writer)

2008
Official list
 * Kyle Baker
 * Ralph Bakshi (animator)
 * Mike W. Barr
 * Ed Brubaker
 * Kim Deitch
 * Victor Gorelick
 * Al Jaffee
 * Todd Klein (letterer)
 * Tite Kubo
 * Noel Neill (actress)
 * Floyd Norman
 * Al Plastino
 * Jeff Watts
 * Bill Willingham
 * Connie Willis
 * Jim Woodring

2009
Official list
 * Mike Allred
 * LaFrance Bragg
 * Nick Cuti
 * Dwayne McDuffie
 * Stan Freberg
 * Terry Gilliam
 * John Kricfalusi
 * John Lasseter
 * Hayao Miyazaki
 * Patrick Oliphant
 * Chris Oliveros
 * Seth
 * Barry Short
 * Mike Towry
 * Ramón Valdiosera
 * Bob Wayne
 * Phil Yeh

2010

 * Peter Bagge
 * Brian Michael Bendis
 * Berkeley Breathed
 * Kurt Busiek
 * Dave Dorman
 * Moto Hagio
 * Charlaine Harris
 * Stuart Immonen
 * Phil Jimenez
 * Jenette Kahn
 * Keith Knight
 * Milo Manara
 * Andy Manzi
 * Larry Marder
 * Tom Palmer
 * Drew Struzan
 * James Sturm
 * Carol Tyler
 * Anna-Marie Villegas
 * Al Wiesner
 * Nixon Pickles

2011

 * Anina Bennett
 * Jordi Bernet
 * Joyce Brabner
 * Chester Brown
 * Seymour Chwast
 * Alan Davis
 * Dick DeBartolo
 * Dawn Devine
 * Tony DeZuniga
 * Eric Drooker
 * Joyce Farmer
 * Tsuneo Gōda
 * Paul Guinan
 * John Higgins
 * Jamal Igle
 * Peter Kuper
 * Richard A. Lupoff
 * Pat Lupoff
 * Steve Sansweet
 * Bill Schelly
 * Steven Spielberg (filmmaker)
 * Frank Stack
 * Jeff Walker ("genre consultant")

2012

 * Charlie Adlard
 * Bill Amend
 * Alison Bechdel
 * Tim Bradstreet
 * Mike Carey (writer)
 * Peter Coogan
 * Geof Darrow
 * Randy Duncan of Comics Arts Conference
 * Ben Edlund
 * Gary Gianni
 * Larry Hama
 * Peter F. Hamilton (prose writer)
 * Mario Hernandez
 * Klaus Janson
 * Joe Jusko
 * Robert Kirkman
 * Erik Larsen
 * Rob Liefeld
 * Andy Mangels
 * Rudy Nebres
 * Whilce Portacio
 * James Robinson
 * Lou Scheimer
 * Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor)
 * Jim Silke
 * Marc Silvestri
 * Michael E. Uslan
 * Trevor Von Eeden
 * Mark Waid
 * Thomas Yeates

2013

 * Jon Bogdanove
 * Alan Campbell
 * Gerry Conway
 * Denys Cowan
 * Michael Davis
 * Gene Deitch
 * José Delbo
 * Derek T. Dingle
 * Paul Dini
 * Ellen Forney
 * Gary Frank
 * Tony Isabella
 * Dan Jurgens
 * Sam Kieth
 * Jack Larson
 * Elliot S. Maggin
 * Leonard Maltin (film critic)
 * Jeff Mariotte
 * Val Mayerik
 * Dean Mullaney
 * Martin Pasko
 * Fred Perry
 * Ruth Sanderson
 * Romeo Tanghal
 * Bruce Timm

2014

 * Ray Billingsley
 * June Brigman
 * Mark Brooks
 * Amanda Conner
 * Brian Crane
 * Chuck Dixon
 * Jane Espenson
 * Bill Finger
 * Drew Friedman
 * Michael T. Gilbert
 * Brian Haberlin
 * Willie Ito
 * Kelley Jones
 * Katherine Morrison
 * Julie Newmar (actress)
 * Graham Nolan
 * Michelle Nolan
 * Jimmy Palmiotti
 * Benoît Peeters
 * John Picacio
 * Mimi Pond
 * Joe Quesada
 * Sam Raimi (film director)
 * Don Rosa
 * Brian Stelfreeze
 * Burt Ward (actor)

2015

 * Jerry Beck
 * Greg Capullo
 * Mike Catron
 * Carlos Ezquerra
 * Andrew Farago
 * Dave Garcia
 * Tom Grummett
 * Jackson Guice
 * Chip Kidd
 * Steve Lieber
 * Laura Martin
 * Dave McCaig
 * Bill Mumy (actor)
 * Kevin Nowlan
 * Joe Phillips
 * Hilary B. Price
 * Humberto Ramos
 * Jimmie Robinson
 * Luis Royo
 * Jen Sorensen
 * Richard Starkings
 * Kazuki Takahashi
 * Jill Thompson
 * Jhonen Vasquez
 * Craig Yoe

2016

 * Jason Aaron
 * Derf Backderf
 * Michael Barrier (animation historian)
 * Luc Besson (film director)
 * Peggy Burns
 * Peter David
 * Jim Davis
 * Tom Devlin
 * Ben Dunn
 * Matt Fraction
 * William Gibson (novelist)
 * Kieron Gillen
 * Mike Judge (animator)
 * Hidenori Kusaka
 * Ed McGuinness
 * Jamie McKelvie
 * Tsutomu Nihei
 * Christopher Priest
 * Phil Roman (animator)
 * Alex Sinclair
 * John Trimble
 * Satoshi Yamamoto

2017

 * Andrew Aydin
 * Alan Burnett
 * Joyce Chin
 * Kevin Feige
 * Robin Hobb
 * John Lewis
 * Jeph Loeb
 * Jonathan Maberry
 * Glenn McCoy
 * Keith Pollard
 * Nate Powell
 * Brian Selznick
 * R. Sikoryak
 * Alex Simmons
 * Gail Simone
 * R. L. Stine
 * Ron Wilson

2018

 * Yoshitaka Amano
 * Marc Bernardin
 * Cory Doctorow
 * Brian Fies
 * Richard Friend
 * Alex Grecian
 * Deborah Harkness
 * Elizabeth Hand
 * Larry Houston
 * David W. Mack
 * Nichelle Nichols
 * Liniers
 * Brian Pulido
 * Randy Reynaldo
 * Eric Reynolds
 * Kevin Smith
 * Peter Tomasi
 * Shannon Wheeler
 * Rafael Albuquerque

2019

 * Craig Fellows (Vice President Operations, Board Member, Artist)
 * Wendy All
 * Leigh Bardugo
 * Jon B. Cooke
 * Mary Fleener
 * Gene Ha
 * Jonathan Hickman
 * Arvell Jones
 * Charlie Kochman
 * Craig Miller
 * Paco Roca
 * Scott Snyder
 * Billy Tucci
 * Chris Ware
 * Maryelizabeth Yturralde

2022

 * Cecil Castellucci
 * Ruth Clampett
 * Danny Fingeroth
 * Shaenon K. Garrity
 * Marie Javins
 * Jock
 * Barbara Kesel
 * Phil LaMarr
 * Miriam Libicki
 * Trino Monero
 * Bill Morrison
 * John J. Murakami
 * Steve Niles
 * Steve Saffel
 * Dan Slott
 * Lilah Sturges
 * Hidetaka Tenjin

2023

 * Becky Cloonan
 * Felicia Day
 * Junji Ito
 * Ben Saunders
 * Raina Telgemeier
 * Beau Smith
 * David F. Walker
 * Ricardo Cate (Without Reservations)