Alan Moore won three Eisners at the 18th Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards held last Friday at the San Diego Convention Center.  Moore was named 'Best Writer,' his Top Ten: The Forty-Niners earned honors as the best new graphic novel, while Absolute Watchmen was designated 'Best Archival Collection/Project' for comic books. 

Moore's 3 wins helped DC Comics dominate the awards with 12 Eisners (8 single, 4 shared).  Next in the standings was Top Shelf, which earned 3 awards as did Pantheon, a division of Random House, whose tie for second place marks the increased efforts of mainstream publishers in the graphic novel marketplace.

In addition to Alan Moore other multiple winners included Kyle Baker, who won 'Best Reality-Based Work' for his Nat Turner and 'Best Writer/Artist -- Humor' for Plastic Man;' Grant Morrison, who won 'Best New Series' for All Star Superman and 'Best Limited Series' for Seven Soldiers; Chris Ware, who won 'Best Publication Design' for Acme Novelty Library Report to Shareholders and 'Best Coloring' for Acme Novelty Library #16; and John Cassaday, who was named 'Best Penciller/Inker' for Astonishing X-Men, which also won the prestigious 'Best Continuing Series Award.'

Geoff Darrow won 'Best Artist/Writer' for his Shaolin Cowboy series from Burlyman, and Ladronn won 'Best Painter' (Interior Art) for Hip Flask: Mystery City from Active Images. 

Todd Klein took home the 'Best Lettering' award for the 13th time.

The 'Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award' went to Zeus Comics of Dallas, Texas.  Publisher's Weekly editor Calvin Reid took home the 'Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award.'  'Hall of Fame Awards' went to Mickey Mouse newspaper strip artist Floyd Gottfredson and Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston, whose posthumous award was bound up with an intricate series of knots.

The complete list of the 2006 Eisner Awards:

Best Short Story

'Teenage Sidekick,' by Paul Pope, in Solo #3 (DC)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

Solo #5, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

Best Serialized Story

Fables #36-38, 40-41: 'Return to the Homelands,' by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha (Vertigo/DC)

Best Continuing Series

Astonishing X-Men, by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

Seven Soldiers,  by Grant Morrison and various artists (DC)

Best New Series

All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience

Owly: Flying Lessons, by Andy Runton (Top Shelf)

Best Anthology

Solo, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)

Best Digital Comic

PVP,  by Scott Kurtz, www.pvponline.com/

Best Reality-Based Work

Nat Turner, by Kyle Baker (Kyle Baker Publishing)

Best Graphic Album -- New

Top Ten: The Forty-Niners, by Alan Moore and Gene Ha (ABC)

Best Graphic Album -- Reprint

Black Hole, by Charles Burns (Pantheon)

Best Archival Collection/Project -- Comic Strips

The Complete Calvin & Hobbes, by Bill Watterson (Andrews McMeel)

Best Archival Collection/Project -- Comic Books

Absolute Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (DC)

Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material

The Rabbi's Cat, by Joann Sfar (Pantheon)

Best Writer

Alan Moore, Promethea, Top Ten: The Forty-Niners (ABC)

Best Writer/Artist

Geof Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy (Burlyman)

Best Writer/Artist -- Humor

Kyle Baker, Plastic Man (DC); The Bakers (Kyle Baker Publishing)

Best Penciller/Inker

John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); Planetary (WildStorm/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Ladronn, Hip Flask: Mystery City (Active Images)

Best Cover Artist

James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); Runaways (Marvel)

Best Coloring

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #16 (ACME Novelty)

Best Lettering

Todd Klein, Wonder Woman, Justice, Seven Soldiers #0 (DC); Desolation Jones (WildStorm/DC); Promethea, Top Ten: The Forty-Niners, Tomorrow Stories Special (ABC); Fables (Vertigo); 1602: New World (Marvel)

Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition

Aaron Renier (Spiral-Bound)

Best Comics-Related Periodical

Comic Book Artist, edited by Jon B. Cooke (Top Shelf)

Best Comics-Related Book

Eisner/Miller, edited by Charles Brownstein and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse Books)

Best Publication Design (tie)

Acme Novelty Library Annual Report to Shareholders, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press Books)

Hall of Fame

Judges' Choices: Floyd Gottfredson, William Moulton Marston

Vaughn Bode

Ramona Fradon

Russ Manning

Jim Steranko

Other awards presented:

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Calvin Reid

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: R. Kikuo Johnson (Night Fisher)

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Writing Award: Harvey Kurtzman, Alvin Schwartz

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailing Award: Zeus Comics, Dallas, Texas