Response to Eisner Nomination
Written By Alex Eklund
The following is an open letter expressing my initial reflections on the publication I co-produce being nominated for an Eisner Awards.
To Whom It May Concern,
I am honestly overwhelmed that the magazine I get to make with Colin Blanchette has been nominated for the 2026 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. It doesn’t feel real. I know Colin feels the same way, and before anything else, I just want to say a few things.
I first met Colin sometime in late 2022 or early 2023 at our local shop, Arcane Comics & More. We ended up having these long, winding conversations about strange, obscure, sometimes controversial comics. Not long after that, during one of the first times we hung out outside the shop, he told me about this idea he had — a publication inspired by TCJ, Bubbles, and Comics Blogger. We were going to have multiple thoughtful writers and write about what interested us. He knew I had a tiny bit of experience laying out pages from teaching, but at that point the most complicated thing I’d ever assembled was a final exam for my AP Calculus class.
Over the next few months, Colin pulled together this incredible group of passionate comics fans. They trusted us — trusted me — to take their long and short essays and shape them into something coherent. I tried my absolute best to make something that looked good. Looking back at that first issue now, I can see how many ideas I threw at the wall, and how the single best design choice in the whole thing was Colin’s cover layout.
I remember being so proud of that first issue. That same year, I went to San Diego Comic-Con for the first and only time. I knew what we made was small compared to the work of the creators around me, but holding that issue made me feel like I had even the tiniest bit of skin in the game. It made me feel connected to the larger comics community — even though I knew I was still just a fan.
And I am still just a fan. But Canon has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, not only because of the work but because it’s made me better friends with Colin. Starting a magazine probably isn’t the recommended way to start a friendship, but for us it’s been perfect. We’re two low‑key comics fans who love celebrating and complaining about this industry in equal measure.
We’re still just a couple of fans. And we’re so deeply grateful to every creator who has given us their time and trust. From Tom Manning — who let two nobodies use his art for our very first cover and agreed to an interview — to Seth, who sent Colin these incredible handwritten letters about his TCJ Top 100 cover. To everyone who gave us even a sliver of your time: thank you. We would not be nominated for anything without you.
Canon is a chimera. Colin and I set the structure and the look, but it’s the contributors who make it what it is. We’ve never had the money to pay anyone, which is why this is truly a fan zine — made by fans who simply want to put their thoughts into the world and hear from the creators who inspire us.
Long after the zine ends — whenever that is — I will still be friends with Colin and grateful for all the incredible people we’ve met along the way. We hope Canon has a long run. It has already given us so much, and we’re excited for whatever comes next.
Thank you to the Eisner judges for this nomination. It means more to us than we can say.
Sincerely,
Alex
