Introducing The Zelda Awards
Founded by Karla Medrano, the Zelda Awards is a new comic book award to honor women and female creators in comics. From writers and artists to colorists and inkers, we hope to celebrate women who produce incredible content in every stage of the comic making process, and in every genre, something that is made clear through the mission statement.
To move women in comics from outliers to the norm through highlighting and uplifting their outstanding contributions in the comics industry, and to provide access to opportunities and exposure to further their projects.
Why only women? Why create an award for just the women in comics? Because over the course of 31 Eisner ceremonies women make up about 16% of winners and it wasn’t until 1992 that a woman ever won an Eisner Award. That was Karen Berger for “Best Editor” on Sandman, and while I am thrilled that she won, in comics, like in many fields, contributions by women are often overlooked. This is why it is named for Zelda Jackie Ormes, the first African American woman cartoonist.
Zelda Jackie Ormes had a stunning and trailblazing career. Born in Western Pennsylvania just outside of Pittsburgh in 1911, she was raised in a loving, middle-class home that was incredibly supportive of her talent. Bars of ivory soap would disappear and reappear as elaborate carvings. Her drawings, which were abundant, filled the house.
In 1931 she wed Earl Jack Ormes and soon after they had a daughter, Jacqueline. Tragically, they lost their daughter at the age of three years old to cancer. She immortalized her daughter as “Little Jackie” in her long running strip “Patty-Jo and Ginger” and it greatly influenced her comics and storytelling.
“Patty-Jo and Ginger” was her first nationally published cartoon. It was well-loved and full of biting satire. This comic ran in the Pittsburgh Corrier from 1945 to 1956 and led to the creation of the famous Pattie-Jo dolls.
Her cartoons and comic strips provide a remarkable and sometimes shocking glimpse into American culture and history, touching on topics like racial segregation, the atom bomb, educational equality and other pressing issues of the time.
During her life Ormes was a member of the Chicago elite andmingled with Duke Ellington and other popular entertainers of the time. In 2014 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the National Association of Black Journalists and in 2018 she was finally inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Industry Hall of Fame.
The Zelda Awards committee is comprised of some remarkable women and creators who have been working hard to make this new event a reality.
Karla Medrano is a writer and podcast host, Andrea Rose Washington is a novelist, Mary Bellamy is a writer, artist, colorist and illustrator, Keisha Parks is an educator, book reviewer and podcast host, Carolyn Watson Dubisch is an author and illustrator of children’s books and comics, Sarah Cook is a journalist and award winning comic book writer, Melissa J Massey is an artist and comic book creator, and Jocelyn Short is an illustrator and concept Designer
On November 1, 2025, the nomination page for the first annual Zelda Awards goes live. Please consider nominating your favorite women artists and writers for this new award and join us this April to celebrate our winners and nominees!
