Comics are finally beginning to get the mainstream and academic recognition they deserve.  But this leaves many early comics artists, writers and innovators out of the loop, unrecognized for their contributions to the form.  Yes, Kirby and Ditko have gotten nice juicy retrospective books about them.  But there will still be too many forgotten heroes.

All right, what I'm suggesting is a Comic Book Heroes Hall of Fame.  Right now there is a Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York and a Cartoon Art Museum (which includes animation) in San Francisco.  I suggest one of those places have a PERMANENT exhibition space called the "Hall of Fame," until that exhibition space starts to crowd out the rest of the Museum, when the "Hall of Fame" can then move to Canton or Cleveland or some other unique space of it's own.

Several Comics Awards have tried to begin a "Hall of Fame" or "Roll of Honor."  Here are a few, compiled from the Wicker Shoes of All Knowing (the Wikipedia).

The Academy of Comic Book Arts ( a short lived self-congratulatory body in the early 70s) had the "Shazam" with a hall of fame award.

1970 Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
1971 Will Eisner
1973 Carl Barks
1974 Jack Kirby

There was a "Kirby Award" in the 80s.  They named a Hall of Fame in 1987 that included  Carl Barks, Will Eisner and  Jack Kirby.

The Harvey Awards and the Eisner Awards stepped in to fill the void left by the end of the Kirby Awards.

The Harvey Awards had a "Jack Kirby Hall of Fame Award" during the 90s.  What happened to that?  Here are the artists in the Harvey Hall of Fame.

    * 1989 Wally Wood
    * 1990 Steve Ditko
    * 1990 Alex Toth
    * 1991 Jack Cole
    * 1991 Basil Wolverton
    * 1992 Walt Kelly
    * 1992 Bernard Krigstein
    * 1993 Jerry Siegel
    * 1993 Joe Shuster
    * 1994 Bill Finger
    * 1994 Bob Kane
    * 1995 Bill Everett
    * 1995 Stan Lee
    * 1996 Carl Burgos
    * 1996 Sheldon Mayer
    * 1996 Julius Schwartz
    * 1997 C. C. Beck (Retroactive)
    * 1997 William Gaines (Retroactive)
    * 1997 Gil Kane (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1997 Joe Kubert (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1997 Jean Giraud, also known as "Moebius" (International)
    * 1998 Reed Crandall (Retroactive)
    * 1998 Gardner F. Fox (Retroactive)
    * 1998 Carmine Infantino (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1998 Murphy Anderson (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1998 Milo Manara (International)
    * 1999 Otto Binder (Retroactive)
    * 1999 Morton Meskin (Retroactive)
    * 1999 Neal Adams (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1999 Frank Frazetta (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1999 John Romita, Sr. (Lifetime Achievement)
    * 1999 Georges Remi, also known as "Hergé" (International)

Recently the Harvey Awards added The Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award.

    * 2006 George Pérez
    * 2006 John Romita, Sr.
    * 2007 Joe Kubert

The Eisner Awards has a more comprehensive and ongoing "Hall of Fame"

    * 1987 Carl Barks
    * 1987 Will Eisner
    * 1987 Jack Kirby
    * 1988 Milton Caniff
    * 1989 Harvey Kurtzman
    * 1991 Robert Crumb
    * 1991 Alex Toth
    * 1992 Joe Shuster
    * 1992 Jerry Siegel
    * 1992 Wally Wood
    * 1993 C. C. Beck
    * 1993 William Gaines
    * 1994 Steve Ditko
    * 1994 Stan Lee
    * 1995 Frank Frazetta
    * 1995 Walt Kelly
    * 1996 Hal Foster
    * 1996 Bob Kane
    * 1996 Winsor McCay
    * 1996 Alex Raymond
    * 1997 Gil Kane
    * 1997 Charles M. Schulz
    * 1997 Julius Schwartz
    * 1997 Curt Swan
    * 1998 Neal Adams
    * 1998 Jean Giraud (aka Moebius)
    * 1998 Archie Goodwin
    * 1998 Joe Kubert
    * 1999 Jack Cole (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 L. B. Cole (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 Bill Finger (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 Gardner Fox (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 Mac Raboy (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 Alex Schomburg (Judges' choice)
    * 1999 Murphy Anderson
    * 1999 Joe Simon
    * 1999 Art Spiegelman
    * 1999 Dick Sprang
    * 2000 Bill Everett (Judges' choice)
    * 2000 Sheldon Mayer (Judges' choice)
    * 2000 George Herriman
    * 2000 Carmine Infantino
    * 2000 Al Williamson
    * 2000 Basil Wolverton
    * 2001 Dale Messick (Judges' choice)
    * 2001 Roy Crane (Judges' choice)
    * 2001 Chester Gould
    * 2001 Frank King
    * 2001 E.C. Segar
    * 2001 Marie Severin
    * 2002 Charles Biro (Judges' choice)
    * 2002 Osamu Tezuka (Judges' choice)
    * 2002 Sergio Aragones
    * 2002 John Buscema
    * 2002 Dan De Carlo
    * 2002 John Romita, Sr.
    * 2003 Hergé (Judges' choice)
    * 2003 Bernard Krigstein (Judges' choice)
    * 2003 Jack Davis
    * 2003 Will Elder
    * 2003 Al Feldstein
    * 2003 John Severin
    * 2004 Otto Binder(Judges' choice)
    * 2004 John Stanley (Judges' choice)
    * 2004 Kazuo Koike (Judges' choice)
    * 2004 Goseki Kojima (Judges' choice)
    * 2004 Al Capp
    * 2004 Jules Feiffer
    * 2004 Don Martin
    * 2004 Jerry Robinson
    * 2005 Lou Fine (Judges' choice)
    * 2005 René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (Judges' choice)
    * 2005 Johnny Craig
    * 2005 Hugo Pratt
    * 2005 Nick Cardy
    * 2005 Gene Colan
    * 2006 Floyd Gottfredson (Judges' choice)
    * 2006 William Moulton Marston (Judges' choice)
    * 2006 Vaughn Bodé
    * 2006 Ramona Fradon
    * 2006 Russ Manning
    * 2006 Jim Steranko
    * 2007 Robert Kanigher (Judges' choice)
    * 2007 Ogden Whitney (Judges' choice)
    * 2007 Ross Andru & Mike Esposito
    * 2007 Dick Ayers
    * 2007 Wayne Boring
    * 2007 Joe Orlando
    * 2008 R. F. Outcault (Judges' choice)
    * 2008 Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (Judges' choice)
    * 2008 John Broome
    * 2008 Arnold Drake
    * 2008 Len Wein
    * 2008 Barry Windsor-Smith

The Eagles (British fan press) have the "Roll of Honour."


The BOLDFACED names appear on more than one of the above lists, so they should be installed into the physical "Hall of Fame" without further debate.

The hall of fame should display a photo, drawing or some other representation of the artist, a short bio, and at least ONE example of their work.  The example of their work could rotate.  But some photo, bio and example should be on permanent display.

The Hall of Fame (as it currently stands) overlooks the contributions of many writers and editors.  I think that the Hall should enduct two artists, one writer or editor and one fictional character into the Hall of Fame every year.  I think inducting a character would generate fan interest and acknowledge that part of the magic of comics is that the creations can have a "life and contribution of their own" long after their creators have left the business.

Women have also been overlooked.  This is partly due to a historically shameful lack of diversity in the comics industry as a whole.

There should be rules as to when an artist, writer, editor or character qualify for entry.  I suggest no one be considered until at least 25 years after their first professional publication.

Obviously there needs to be some body with the respect an authority to NAME people to the Hall of Fame.  As long as we have both Harvey and Eisner Awards, a system where any artist inducted into the Hall of Fame of both awards should gain immediate entrance to the "Physical Hall."  I think there might be a way to get fans involved with voting that could raise money for The Hero Initiative and for a Physical Hall of Fame.

The "Physical Comics Hall of Fame" will innitially need to raise funds.  But, hopefully, a place like this will become a draw to tourists and create it's own revenue.

Easier to build and less expensive to maintain would be a "Virtual Comics Hall of Fame" on the Internet.