Well, the votes are in and the tally has been taken and Webcomicgeek’s best webcomic of the year goes to…Dresden Codak! Congratulations and continued success to Aaron Diaz! I was honored with the award for best artist of 2007 and I am absolutely tickled purple (tinged with shades of green, of course)! Here it is from the horse’s mouth:

Best Artist goes to Joe Infurnari for The Process. His art is truly spectacular and seems to go from strength to strength as the project develops. I don’t think I can add anymore to what I’ve said previously in my rather gushing review. However, it was the spectacular image on page 14 of chapter 2 that clinched it. The idea behind this comic nearly clinched a second award and along with Rebecca Sugar’s Pug Davis, made judging the originality and invention award really difficult.

This goes a long way to numbing the pain and bring sensations to the numbness! Thanks, Webcomicgeek! See you next year!

Greg Burgas’ CBR column, Comics Should be Good!, recently posted a review of Wasteland #14 and it’s good! Here’s the quote:

One reviewer wrote that he didn’t like this comic because he can’t tell the characters apart. As long-time readers might remember, that’s a criticism I often have, although as Johnston gets deeper into his epic, it’s becoming easier to tell who’s who. But that shouldn’t be a problem with this issue, which, if you haven’t been reading Wasteland (and too bad for you!), is a good place to start. It’s an “in-between” issue, which means that Johnston tells a standalone story with guest art. Infurnari’s art is rough and gritty, which suits the desert setting of the issue nicely, and he completely eschews panels for most of the book, instead bleeding one scene into the next, which is all part of a story told as a flashback to a merchant in the town of “Providens” and which adds nicely to the mood.

The narrator is none other than Michael, the enigmatic ruin runner of the main story, and he had brought a laceless boot and a Bible to the merchant. When the man asks him where he got a Bible, Michael tells him the story of a priest and his guide crossing the desert on their way to Providens, and how he (Michael) fell in with them. It’s a nifty little tale of men overcoming or succumbing to prejudices, and ends with an ironic little twist. The problem I have with the story is that it relies on a stereotype to make its point. The priest acts pretty much how we would expect him to, and it’s a bit disappointing. The nice thing about the story is that we get to know more about Michael and his somewhat brutal past, which will doubtlessly come into play in the “present” of the book.

I encourage you give this issue a try, because it’s a good example of the world that Johnston has created, and although it’s not a perfect story, it still shows what kind of lives the people in the world live. These one-and-done stories that separate the main arcs are nice, because they allow you to get a good idea of what kind of book it is. And if you don’t like it, you’re not out a ton of money. But why on earth wouldn’t you like it? That’s just crazy!

Thanks a ton, Greg! Now what are you waiting for!? You heard the man, git out there and pick up a copy already!

Adam McGovern of Comic Critique has this to say in his “Extended Flashback: 2007 in Review”:

Best Webcomic: the Process by Joe Infurnari
From the magic-mirror landing page to the meaningful creative-process background notes to writer/artist Infurnari’s fluid, free-associative storytelling, this is everything that inventive online art and mind-opening comics are meant to be.

Wow! What a nice surprise and a real honor. It’s very nice to have my work validated yet again. Thanks Adam and thank you Comic Critique! I have to go and put a salve on my swollen head!

As February 1st rolled over, the Process reached an important landmark. Page loads to the site reached 100,000! For other sites, this may not seem like much but for the little webcomic that could, it’s a pretty big deal and I am very happy with it. When I started this project, I never dreamt that it would take off like it has. It’s still not a juggernaut but all things have to start somewhere and so far this has been a wonderful beginning. So my thanks go out to all of you out there who have visited this site regularly or just once. It’s your support and readership that helps power this engine onward.

Recently I have been posting a lot of stuff on the blog. It’s been a busy week with the Threadless submission and Webcomicgeek’s nomination. So I am condensing another news item into this post. John Parkin over at Blog@Newsarama.com has been a big supporter of this site and today he posted this little number to help generate more support for Roboto Mori on Threadless. He writes,

Joe Infurnari, the creative genius behind the webcomic The Process and the special guest artist of Wasteland #14, also designs T-shirts … his latest design, pictured above, is currently up for voting on Threadless.com, which prints shirts based on user interest (Web 2.0 at work!) If you think it’s a cool design, head over there and vote.

So there you have it. It’s been a great week, folks. I’m going to get some more work done so go have yourselves a wonderful weekend.

After having been nominated for Webcomic of the Year by WebComicGeek, the site is now doing reviews of all nominees. First up is the Process! Vileboy has some amazing things to say and I have only recently been able to stop blushing! It truly is a great testament to my readers and to this project to be the subject of such insightful writing. And I quote:

Joe Infurnari’s The Process made the shortlist as a result of the gorgeous artwork and the brilliant concept.

Infurnari’s artwork is truly spectacular, he not only conjures up a weird fantasy world but also visualises the creative process at work.

This comic truly is a masterpiece of layout design. Each page is a work of art and some pages take on the complexity of a modernist mandala. Sprays of colour and complex interweaving of images that I have only ever seen successfully realised in Blade of the Immortal, until now. While Hiroaki uses his technique for the occasional center piece, Infurnari treats us to visual spectaculars far more regularly.

If that wasn’t good enough Infurnari, gives a glimpse into his creative process with detailed comments and rough sketches. It is great to see the artistic process at work and dissected so thoughtfully and reflectively.

If you consider yourself a fan of comics then The Process is a title that demands your attention with a visual insistence and a degree of intellectual playfulness rare in the form.

Is he good or what!? Thanks, Vileboy! I hope to see you next year…