Tag Archives: ryusei sawada

The Inkwell Awards Announces Artists For the Ivan Reis Spotlight Challenge

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The non-profit Inkwell Awards, devoted to promoting the art of comic book inking, has released the list of 24 artists participating in its fifth annual Sinnott Inking Challenge Spotlight. This year’s Challenge features artist Ivan Reis‘ take on DC’s iconic super-team The Justice League from the cover art to DC‘s Man of Steel (2018) as originally inked by Ivan‘s partner Joe Prado. The artwork will be auctioned afterward for fundraising.

The artists (in alphabetical order) are:

  • Gerry Acerno
  • Greg Adams
  • Brian Atkins
  • Keith Champagne
  • Kevin Conrad
  • John Dell
  • Michelle Delecki
  • Anthony Fowler Jr.
  • Scott Hanna
  • Christopher Ivy
  • Jay Leisten
  • Criss Madd
  • Jose Marzen Jr.
  • Mark McKenna
  • Jason Moore
  • Andrew Pepoy
  • Jack Purcell
  • Rodney Ramos
  • Ryusei Sawada (Kubert School 2020 Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship recipient)
  • Mike Sellers
  • Mark Stegbauer
  • LeBeau Underwood
  • Keith Williams
  • Walden Won

According to founder/director Bob Almond, the Spotlight Challenge, which grew out of its more inclusive, original Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge, showcases other contemporary, fan-favorite talents on a more limited scale with veteran published inkers who may or may not have participated in other challenges. The previous four pencilers were Jim Lee, Neal Adams, Erik Larsen, and David Finch.

The Challenge Spotlight furthers the inking advocacy’s dual mission of promoting the artform and educating the public. Blue-lined art files featuring a tightly penciled Ivan Reis Justice League pinup are sent to the artists to finish in ink. Each inked page will be signed by Reis and the inker, and include a certificate of authenticity signed and numbered by Almond. All pages will then be auctioned off at a later date as a fundraiser. Fans will be able to see the difference in the penciled and inked versions to better understand how much inkers contribute to the artform.

The Inkwell Awards announces the Dave Simons Scholarship Award Winner

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Dave Simons Scholarship

The Kubert School had its annual scholarship awards event earlier in May via a virtual scholarship ceremony through Google Meet, due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The Inkwell Awards’ 11th Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Award of $1000 was presented to second-year student Ryusei Sawada.

Sawada is an aspiring artist originally from Tokyo, Japan, whose ultimate goal is to work for publishers like Marvel, DC, and Image as an inker/artist. He entered the Kubert School right out of high school.

Normally, according to The Inkwell Awards’ founder/director Bob Almond, the non-profit would send a representative to the Dover, NJ institution to attend the live ceremony and personally congratulate the winning student. But due to shelter-in-place orders, they were unable to, and school director Carol Thomas informed him that the school had already set up remote learning, which will remain in place until the end of the year. 

The Inkwells created the scholarship award on behalf of their ink artist friend and committee member, Dave Simons, shortly after his passing in 2009, with the approval of his sister, Bette Simons.