Alley Award


The Alley Award was an American annual series of comic book fan awards, first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961. Officially organized under the aegis of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences, the award shared close ties with the fanzine Alter Ego magazine. The Alley is the first known comic book fan award.
The Alley Awards were tallied for comic books produced during the previous year. The Alley statuette — a likeness of the comic strip character Alley Oop — was initially sculpted by Academy member Ron Foss out of redwood, from which "plaster duplications" were made to be handed out to the various winners.

History

The Alley Award traces its origin to "a letter to Jerry dated October 25, 1961" by Roy Thomas, in which he suggested that Jerry Bails' fanzine Alter-Ego, which had debuted in March 1961, create an award for fandom's "favorite comic books in a number of categories".
Initially suggested as the "Alter-Ego Award", the name evolved into the Alley Award after comic strip caveman Alley Oop, since, as Thomas reasoned, "surely a caveman had to be the earliest superhero chronologically". Comics historian Bill Schelly notes that no one "bothered to ask the NEA syndicate for permission to utilize V. T. Hamlin's comic strip character".
By the awards' third year, the number of ballots received had become so overwhelming that Bails called for a fan get-together at which votes could be tabulated by group effort. This gathering of Midwestern fans, held in March 1964 at the Detroit-area home of Bails, was dubbed the "Alley Tally", and its success provided inspiration for the organizing of comic book fan conventions that began soon afterward.
Results of the voting were published in the comics fanzines On the Drawing Board / The Comic Reader The Alley Awards themselves were given out from 1962 to 1970, with comic strip awards added in 1967. The awards were presented at all three Academy Cons from 1965 to 1967. The final three years' awards were presented at Phil Seuling's New York Comic Art Convention.
After the dissolution of the Alleys, from 1971 to 1974 the Comic Art Convention presented the Goethe Awards/Comic Fan Art Awards.

Winners

1961

Source
  • Best Regularly Published Comic Book - Justice League of America
  • Best Adventure Hero Having Own Comic Book - Green Lantern
  • Best Adventure Hero Not Having Own Comic Book - Hawkman
  • Best Supporting Character - Elongated Man
  • Best Cover - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds"
  • Best Single Issue - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds"
  • Best Artist - Carmine Infantino
  • Best Story - The Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds"
  • Best Adventure-Hero Group - Justice League of America
  • Hero or Heroine Most Worthy of Revival - The Spectre
  • Worst Comic Book Currently Published - Wonder Woman

    1962

  • Best Comic Book of the Year - Fantastic Four
  • Best Editor of a Comics Group - Julius Schwartz
  • Best Script Writer - Gardner Fox
  • Best Pencil Artist - Carmine Infantino
  • Best Inker - Murphy Anderson
  • Best Hero - Hawkman
  • Best Group of Heroes - Fantastic Four
  • Best Villain - Sub-Mariner
  • Best Supporting Character - The Thing
  • Best Short Story - "Origin of Spider-Man" by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko, Amazing Fantasy #15
  • Best Book-Length Story - "The Planet that Came to a Standstill", by Gardner Fox & Carmine Infantino, Mystery in Space #75
  • Best Single Comic Book Cover - The Brave and the Bold #42, by Joe Kubert
  • Comic Most in Need of Improvement - Batman
  • Hero/Heroine Most Worthy of Revival - The Spectre
"Ama" Division
  • Comic Fanzines of 1961/62 - Alter-Ego, edited by Jerry Bails & Roy Thomas
  • Special Projects - Index to All Star Comics, by Jerry Bails
  • Articles - "The Light of Green Lantern", by Jerry Bails
  • Features - "Profiles on Collectors", by Biljo White
  • Strip - "Bestest League of America", by Roy Thomas
  • Fiction - "The Reincarnation of The Spectre", by Roy Thomas

    1963

Source
Pro Categories
  • Best Editor - Stan Lee
  • Best Writer - Stan Lee
  • Best Artist - Carmine Infantino
Best Comics Categories
  • Adventure Hero - The Amazing Spider-Man
  • General Fantasy - Strange Adventures
  • Mundane Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
  • Humorous - Uncle Scrooge
  • Favorite Short Story - "The Human Torch Meets Captain America", by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Strange Tales #114
  • Favorite Annual - Fantastic Four Annual #1
  • Favorite Novel - "Crisis on Earths 1 and 2", by Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky, Justice League of America #21-22
  • Top Hero - Spider-Man
  • Top Group - The Fantastic Four
  • Top Supporting Character - The Thing
  • Top Supporting Character - The Sub-Mariner
  • Strip Favored for Revival - Doctor Fate
Amateur Division
  • Article - "Minute Movies", by Hal Lynch & Vern Coriell - 4.31 points
  • Illustrated Strip - "The Eclipse", by Drury Moroz & Ron Foss - 4.22 points
  • Fanzine Fiction - "The Black Panther", by John Wright - 4.06 points
  • Single Illustration - Cover, Star-Studded Comics #2, by Buddy Saunders - 4.28 points
  • Fan Project - Authoritative Index to DC Comics, by Howard Keltner & Jerry Bails - 4.50 points
  • Fan Artist - Ron Foss - 4.19 points
  • Fan Writer - Jerry Bails - 4.40 points
  • Comics Fanzine - The Comic Reader #15-20, by Jerry Bails - 4.53 points
Write-In Categories
  • Strip that Should be Improved - Justice League of America
  • Crossover of DC Heroes for The Brave and the Bold - Hawkman & the Flash
  • Artist Preferred on Sea Devils - Joe Kubert
  • Artist Preferred on Justice League of America - Murphy Anderson
  • Comic Displaying Best Interior Color Work - Mystery in Space

    1964

Pro Categories
  • Best Adventure Hero Comic Book - The Amazing Spider-Man
  • Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic - Forbidden Worlds
  • Best Humorous Comic Book - Herbie
  • Best Miscellaneous Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
  • Best Editor - Stan Lee
  • Best Writer - Stan Lee
  • Best Pencil Artist - Carmine Infantino
  • Best Inking Artist - Murphy Anderson
  • Best Comic Book Cover - Detective Comics #329
  • Best Short Story - "Doorway to the Unknown", by John Broome & Carmine Infantino, The Flash #148
  • Best Novel - "Captain America Joins the Avengers", by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, from The Avengers #4
  • Best Giant Comic - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
  • Comic Regularly Displaying Best Color Work - Magnus, Robot Fighter
  • Worst Regularly Published Comic - Wonder Woman
  • Best Hero - Spider-Man
  • Best Supporting Character - The Thing
  • Best Villain - Doctor Doom
  • Best Group of Characters - The Fantastic Four
  • Best New Strip or Book - Captain America, by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in Tales of Suspense
  • Strip Most Desired for Revival - The Spectre
Fan Categories
  • Best Article in a Fanzine - "Lee", by Rick Weingroff ; "One Man's Family", by Roy Thomas
  • Best Regular Fanzine Feature - "Information Center", by Bob Jennings
  • Best Fan Comic Strip - Adam Link, by Eando Binder, Bill Spicer and D. Bruce Berry
  • Best Ditto/Mimeo Cover - Batmania #1, by Biljo White
  • Best Cover - Alter-Ego #7, by Biljo White
  • Best Fan Fiction - "Nemesis of Evil", by Victor Baron
  • Best Fan Project - Who's Who and Supplement, by Jerry Bails & Larry Lattanzi
  • Best Fanzine - Alter-Ego #7, by Roy Thomas

    1965

Source
Pro Categories
  • Best Adventure Hero Comic Book - The Amazing Spider-Man
  • Best Regularly Published Fantasy Comic - Strange Adventures
  • Best Humor Comic Book - Herbie
  • Best Miscellaneous Fiction - Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
  • Best Editor - Stan Lee
  • Best Writer - Stan Lee
  • Best Pencil Artist - Wally Wood
  • Best Inking Artist - Murphy Anderson
  • Best Comic Book Cover - The Brave and the Bold #61
  • Best Short Story - The Origin of the Red Skull, by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Tales of Suspense #66
  • Best Giant Comic - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1, by Len Brown, Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, George Tuska, Mike Sekowsky
  • Best Novel - "Solomon Grundy Goes on a Rampage" Showcase #55, by Gardner Fox & Murphy Anderson
  • Comic Regularly Displaying Best Color Work - Magnus, Robot Fighter
  • Comic Most Needing Improvement - Blue Beetle
  • Best Hero - Spider-Man
  • Best Supporting Character - The Thing
  • Best Villain - Doctor Doom
  • Best Group - The Fantastic Four
  • Best New Strip or Book - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, by Len Brown & Wally Wood
  • Best Revived Hero - Doctor Fate
  • Strip or Book Most Desired for Revival - Justice Society of America
Fan Categories
  • Best Article - "With Comics Down Under", by John Ryan
  • Best Regular Feature - "On the Drawing Board", by Glen Johnson & Derrill Rothermich
  • Best Fan Comic Strip - "The End of Bukawai", Fantasy Illustrated #3
  • Best Ditto/Mimeo Cover - Batmania #5, by Biljo White
  • Best Cover - Alter-Ego #8, by Biljo White
  • Best Fan Fiction - "Powerman vs. the Blue Barrier", by George R. R. Martin
  • Best Fan Project - New York Comicon, by Dave Kaler
  • Best Fanzine - Alter-Ego #8, by Roy Thomas

    1966

Best Comic Magazine Section
  • Adventure Book with the Main Character in the Title - The Amazing Spider-Man
  • Multi-Feature Title - Tales of Suspense
  • Super Hero Group Title - Fantastic Four
  • Normal Group Adventure Title - M.A.R.S. Patrol
  • Fantasy/SF/Supernatural Title - Strange Adventures
  • Western Title - Kid Colt, Outlaw
  • War Title - Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos
  • Humor Title: Teenage - Archie
  • Humor Title: Costumed - Inferior Five
  • Humor Title: Juvenile - Uncle Scrooge
  • All-Reprint Title - The Spirit
  • Combination New & Reprint Material Title - Fantastic Four Annual
Best Professional Work
  • Editor - Stan Lee
  • Writer - Stan Lee
  • Pencil Work - Al Williamson
  • Inking Work - Wally Wood
  • Cover - Flash Gordon #1, by Al Williamson
  • Coloring - Flash Gordon
  • Best Full-Length Story - "How Green was My Goblin", by Stan Lee & John Romita Sr., The Amazing Spider-Man #39
  • Feature Story - "Return to Mongo", by Al Williamson, Flash Gordon #1
  • Regular Short Feature - "Tales of Asgard" by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, in The Mighty Thor
  • Hall of Fame - n.a.
  • Popularity Poll - n.a.
Newspaper Strip Section
  • Best Adventure Strip - The Phantom, by Lee Falk
  • Best Human Interest Strip - On Stage, by Leonard Starr
  • Best Humor Strip - Peanuts, by Charles Schulz
  • Best Humor Panel - Dennis the Menace, by Hank Ketcham
  • Best Miscellaneous Strip - Feiffer, by Jules Feiffer
  • Hall of Fame Award - Flash Gordon, by Alex Raymond
  • Best All-Time Great Comic Strip - Flash Gordon, by Alex Raymond
Fan Activity Section
  • Best All-Article Fanzine - Batmania and TNT/Slam-Bang
  • Best All-Comics Fanzine - Odd
  • Best All-Fiction Fanzine - Batwing
  • Best Article/Comic Fanzine - Fantasy Illustrated
  • Best Fiction/Comic Fanzine - Comic Art, by Don & Maggie Thompson
  • Best Article/Fiction Fanzine - n.a.
  • Best Fannish One-Shot - The Spirit, by Ed Aprill
  • Best Article on Comic Book Material - "Quality Comics Group"
  • Best Article on Newspaper Strips - "Pride of the Navy"
  • Best Regular Fan Column - "What's News", by Dave Kaler
  • Best Fan Fiction - "White Dragon Strikes"
  • Best Fan Comic Strip - "Xal-Kor", by Richard "Grass" Green
  • Best Fan Artist - Richard "Grass" Green
  • Best Comic Strip Writer - Richard "Grass" Green
  • Best Fan Project - Ed Aprill's reprints
  • Best Newsletter - ''Dateline: Comicdom''