The 2009 Eisner Awards nominees were announced on Wednesday. Ballots with this year's nominees will be going out in mid-April to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers. A downloadable PDF of the ballot will also be available online, and a special website has been set up for online voting. The results in all categories will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 24 at Comic-Con International.

Best Short Story
-- "Actual Size" by Chris Ware, in KRAMERS ERGOT 7 (Buenaventura Press)
-- "Chechen War, Chechen Women," by Joe Sacco, in I Live Here (Pantheon)
-- "Freaks," by Laura Park, in SUPERIOR SHOWCASE #3 (AdHouse)
-- "Glenn Ganges in 'Pulverize,'" by Kevin Huizenga, in GANGES #2 (Fantagraphics)
-- "Murder He Wrote," by Ian Boothby, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy, in THE SIMPSONS' TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #14 (Bongo)

Best Continuing Series
-- ALL STAR SUPERMAN. by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
-- FABLES, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy, and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
-- NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
-- THOR, by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and various (Marvel)
-- USAGI YOJIMBO, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series
-- GROO: HELL ON EARTH, by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier (Dark Horse)
-- HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
-- LOCKE & KEY, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
-- OMEGA THE UNKNOWN, by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel)
-- THE TWELVE, by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston (Marvel)

Best New Series
-- AIR, by. G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)
-- ECHO, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
-- INVINCIBLE IRON MAN, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
-- MADAME XANADU, by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend (Vertigo/DC)
-- UNKNOWN SOLDIER, by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids
-- AMULET, BOOK 1: THE STONEKEEPER, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)
-- COWA! by Akira Toriyama (Viz)
-- PRINCESS AT MIDNIGHT, by Andi Watson (Image)
-- STINKY, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)
-- TINY TITANS, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens
-- CORALINE, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children's Books)
-- CROGAN'S VENGEANCE, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)
-- THE GOOD NEIGHBORS, BOOK 1: KIN, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)
-- RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
-- SKIM, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Best Humor Publication
-- ARSENIC LULLABY PULP EDITION NO. ZERO, by Douglas Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby)
-- CHUMBLE SPUZZ, by Ethan Nicolle (SLG)
-- HERBIE ARCHIVES, by "Sean O'Shea" (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)
-- PETEY AND PUSSY, by John Kerschbaum (Fantagraphics)
-- WONDERMARK: BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS, by David Malki (Dark Horse)

Best Anthology
-- AN ANTHOLOGY OF GRAPHIC FICTION, CARTOONS, AND TRUE STORIES, Vol. 2, edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
-- BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2008, edited by Lynda Barry (Houghton Mifflin)
-- COMIC BOOK TATTOO: NARRATIVE ART INSPIRED BY THE LYRICS AND MUSIC OF TORI AMOS, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
-- KRAMERS ERGOT 7, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)
-- MYSPACE DARK HORSE PRESENTS, edited by Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic
-- BODYWORLD, by Dash Shaw, www.dashshaw.com
-- FINDER, by Carla Speed McNeil, www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics/#/finder/
-- THE LADY'S MURDER, by Eliza Frye, theladysmurder.elizafrye.com
-- SPEAK NO EVIL, by Elan Trinidad, www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/SNE/ | Mirror Site
-- VS. by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari, www.smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/2008/12/08/story-18/

Best Reality-Based Work