The Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con. Also eligible are members of Comic-Con's Board of Directors and convention committee.
In 1987, Steve Ditko was presented an Inkpot Award in absentia, accepted on his behalf by Renegade Press publisher Deni Loubert, who had published Ditko's World the previous year. Ditko refused the award, and returned it to Loubert after having phoned her to say, "Awards bleed the artist and make us compete against each other. They are the most horrible things in the world. How dare you accept this on my behalf". At his behest, Loubert returned the award to the convention organizers.[1]
The recipients, listed below, are known primarily as comics creators (writers, artists, letterers, colorists), editors, or publishers, unless otherwise noted.