I think I’m calm enough to write this now.

About five – no six – hours ago now the graphic novel I illustrated, Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times received the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

I watched it all happen via the Internet as the Awards banquet was streamed live from the World Horror Convention in New Orleans. The book’s authors, Rocky Wood and Lisa Morton were there while I was back here in Australia sitting in my untidy little office staring at a computer screen.

The graphic novel category arrived and there was Glenn Chadbourne and Jonathan Maberry as presenters – two of the biggest names in horror comics. Then they read out all the finalists in the category. At this point I was on the edge of my seat.

Then the feed froze.

When it came back 3-5 seconds later there were Rocky and Lisa taking the stage. We’d won!

Naturally I freaked.

It’s fantastic to have played a part in this win, but for me just to have played that part in the book’s creation – to have worked with Rocky and Lisa – is the true reward. Witch Hunts is an important piece of graphic literature; a chronicle of history’s darkest hour. I loved illustrating it, but sometimes what I had to illustrate truly shocked me.

If winning the Bram Stoker Award helps ensure Witch Hunts continues to be read then I’m all for it.

The only other left to say is congratulations to Rocky and Lisa for the win and thank you for letting me playing the part. I would also like to thank the publisher, McFarland & Company.

Thank you too to all my horrific friends for their support of the book! 🙂

The full list of Stoker winners can be found HERE

UPDATE: Here’s the video of the full Awards event: