As we previously mentioned in Scoop, the 1st annual Shuster Awards were presented at the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon Saturday, April 30. Hosted by Rick (the Frantics; Prisoners of Gravity; the Red Green show) Green and Rob (Toronto Star & Drive-In Classics TV) Salem, the event was attended by many of Canada's best and brightest talents. This new award was well received by all attending and involved and created some exciting moments for those nominated.

Guests included Jean Shuster Peavy, the 84-year-old sister of Superman co-creator, Joe Shuster, and many Shuster family members including Rosie Shuster of Saturday Night Live fame; Jerry Robinson, artist and creator of the Joker and Robin from the Batman series and major force in aiding Siegel and Shuster with receiving compensation for Superman from publisher DC comics, and surprise appearances by Ed the Sock who presented the Hall of Fame award for underground cartoonist Rand Holmes and J. Michael Straczynski, creator and writer of the Babylon 5 TV series and current writer of the Amazing Spider-Man comic series who attended to celebrate one of the winners in the writer category, his former associate on the Jeremiah TV series, Sarah "Samm" Barnes.

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Publisher
Awarded to Arcana Studio publisher of Ant, Kade, Ezra, and 100 Girls.

Outstanding Canadian Achievement Related to Comic Books
Awarded to Dave Sim and Gerhard for completing the landmark 300-issue run of Cerebus, the longest running creator owned & published comic book series.

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer Recognition Award
Awarded to Harry Kremer, the late owner of Kitchner's Now and Then Books. This award, in the future, will be a voted award and renamed the Harry Kremer Memorial Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer Award.

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Writer
A tie was declared and awards were given to Ty Templeton for his work on Batman Adventures, and Sarah "Samm" Barnes for her work on Doctor Spectrum.

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artist
Awarded to Kaare Andrews for his work on Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One.

Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist
Awarded to Darwyn Cooke for his work on DC: The New Frontier.

In addition to the six category winners the inaugural six Hall of Fame inductees were also presented, posthumously, to surviving family members ---

Hall of Fame awards were presented to:

Joe Shuster the Canadian-born artist and co-creator of Superman, and the comic book pioneer the awards were named in honor of.

Leo Bachle a.k.a. Les Barker, creator of Johnny Canuck.

Adrian Dingle, creator of Nelvana.

Hal Foster, creator of Prince Valiant.

Ed Furness, artist and co-creator of Freelance.

Rand Holmes, underground cartoonist and creator of Harold Hedd.