In a recent post on social media, Matthew Clarke announced his nomination for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. Clarke secured the nomination thanks to his graphic novel Hardears. Presented by San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, also known as the Manning Award, is given out at the convention every year.
As stated on SDCC’s website:
“It is presented to a comics artist who, early in his or her career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics. ”
San Diego Comic-Con is the world’s largest comic and pop-culture convention. It is one of the most anticipated pop-culture events of the year, globally, due in large part to the trailers, sneak peeks, and other promotional material that studios release at the convention.
Heardears is set on the fictional Jouvert Island, a magical stand-in for Barbados. After the island is destroyed by a superstorm, Mr. Harding steps forward and presents himself and his Merchant Guild as the solution to the island’s economic problems. Mr. Harding, however, is using the island’s people for a more nefarious reason. Local hero Bolo, his love Zahrah, and their allies band together to stop Harding and save their home.
Earlier this year, Hardears was nominated for the Book of the Year award at the Gine On?! People’s Choice Awards. It is currently featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibit “Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room” and is on sale in the museum’s bookstore.
Matthew Clarke and Nigel Lynch – the co-creator of Hardears – founded Beyond Publishing Caribbean, a Barbadian indie comics publisher, in 2009. Heardears’ first issue was published under Beyond Publishing in 2013. In 2019 it was picked up by Abrams ComicArts and published under their Megascope line.
