Josh Dysart and the road to the Eisner Awards - Part 1

      "Unknown Soldier" copyright DC Comics/Vertigo

Joshua "Josh" Dysart has a great night ahead of him. His series, the DC Comics/ Vertigo comic "Unknown Soldier," has garnered an Eisner Awards nomination for "Best New Series."

Josh's nomination has been a long time coming. After making his mark on the industry on "Violent Messiahs" with artist Tone Rodriguez, Josh moved onto "Swamp Thing," "Conan," "Captain Gravity and the Power of Vril," and most recently, "BRPD: 1947." Josh's writing is filled with complex and compelling characters and thought-provoking plots. It's no wonder he's being recognized for his work.

The original Unknown Soldier was created in the late 60s as a World War II soldier whose disfigured face was wrapped in badges. He also happened to be a master-of-disguise. Josh and series artist Alberto Ponticelli have updated the concept and added a completely new dimension to the character in the current series. Set in 2002, "Unknown Soldier" follows an immigrant pacifist doctor who returns to Uganda upon receiving his doctorate to relieve the social strain caused by the raging war in his native country. As Josh explains, "It begins with him receiving an award for humanitarianism and end with him killing a boy which begins the doctor's path of solving his problems with violence."  

While Josh is extremely humble about his nomination, he ventures that it may have been due to how he's handling a topical subject matter. "I think we handle the issue with a great deal of education. It's pretty well known I went to northern Uganda for a month and a half to do research for the book. And I think that's been met with some respect by the comics industry." He also feels that the series' premise has a very appealing hook in its ability to watch the country of Africa "transform into its global relevance and deal with its social issues. It also allows the medium to tackle these issues with a certain degree of grace and intelligence and with a certain degree of pulp excitement."

Josh is among a distinguished and profound group of creators. Also nominated are Terry Moore for "Echo"; "Air" by G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker; "Invincible Iron Man" by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca; and "Madame Xanadu" by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley and Richard Friend. What may compound Josh's mixture of excitement and anxiety about his series, are his feelings about his fellow nominees. He cites Terry Moore's recently completed "Strangers in Paradise" as one of his favorite comics series and is extremely close to the "Air" creative team of G. Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker. Josh also feels a great deal of respect and admiration for the "Madame Xanadu" team of Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley.

"The truth of the matter is a small group of people decide who the nominees are," Josh explains. "They go through a very arduous process. Conversely, the winner is chosen by the entire industry at large. While I am a fan of democracy, I think when it comes time to give out awards, a group of judges who can carefully consider the material are more valuable than a mass vote. I really feel the nomination in itself is incredibly valuable. I'm jazzed. It's exciting."

Comics writer and retailer Mike Wellman, Josh's publisher for "Tex!: George Bush and the Fine Art of Character Assassination," has nothing but faith that "Unknown Soldier" will take home the trophy for "Best Series." According to Wellman, "'Unknown Soldier' really deserves to win. Josh went to Africa to research this book. That's dedication."

Look for more updates on Examiner.com and follow Josh Dysart on his road to the Eisner Awards.