Lewis and her "Fruit Pals"; photo by SFist Jer from Alternative Press Expo '07

Even though he defected to Los Angeles, we were tickled when local fave Keith Knight took home a Harvey Award. Now another Bay Area sequential artist is up for a prestigious comics industry award. Melanie "Minty" Lewis was nominated for an Ignatz Award for her P.S. Comics #3, a book we bought at this years' Alternative Press Expo and totally loved.

The winners will be named at the Small Press Expo (SPX), a Bethesda, MD-based event taking place in October. According to the event's Web site :

"The Ignatz Awards, named for the character in the classic comic strip Krazy Kat by George Herriman, is a festival prize that recognizes outstanding achievement in comics and cartooning. The ballot is created by a panel of five cartoonists and is then voted on by the attendees at the event. This offers a unique reflection of the views the professionals and their fans."

Lewis admitted to us that she's "up against some strong contenders." Well, true, but even if she doesn't win, we're hoping this'll give her mini-comics -- and storytelling skills -- a much deserved publicity boost. Good luck!