Nominees for comics award announced

“Bloom County,” “Peanuts,” “Ninjak,” “The Vision,” “March: Book 2” and “Bloodshot Reborn” are among the leading nominees for the 2016 Harvey Awards, as announced Tuesday by the executive committees of the Harvey Awards and Baltimore Comic-Con.

The esteemed awards, named for the late, great cartoonist-editor Harvey Kurtzman, honor excellence in the comics field, as voted on by industry pros.

Among the multiple nominees, “March: Book 2,” the second installment in Rep. John Lewis’s memoir trilogy about the civil-rights movement, received nods for best original graphic album and best biographical presentation.

“I’m honored, excited, but, above all, grateful to all of the people who put our little book forward as worthy of recognition,” Andrew Aydin, co-author of “March: Book 2,” told The Washington Post.

Also competing for best original graphic album is another book that has Washington ties: “Captive of Friendly Cove” (Fulcrum Publishing), by Mike Short and Rebecca Goldfield.

“This project was especially research-intensive — lots of interviews, visiting sites and poring over resource materials — so it took quite awhile to complete,” Matt Dembicki, who works with Fulcrum, told The Post.

Among other Washington-based authors, former CIA agent Tom King was nominated for most promising new talent, and his “The Vision” for Marvel Comics was nominated for best new series; Rafer Roberts also received two nominations, including best cartoonist, for “X-O Manowar” (Valiant).

The winners will be announced Sept. 3.