Eisner Awards Withdraws AI-Generated Comic From Ballot, Plans Policy
Comic-Con pulled a nominated anthology from this year's Eisner Award ballot after discovering it contained AI-generated content. The Stardust the Super Wizard Anthology, edited by Van Jensen, had been nominated for Best Anthology before the comics industry flagged the inclusion of a one-page story created entirely through artificial intelligence.
Jensen withdrew the submission on May 18, four days after nominations were announced. Comic-Con said in a statement that judges indicated they would not have voted for the anthology had they known about the AI content beforehand.
How AI Made It Into the Nomination
Michael Todasco, a writer and PayPal senior director of innovation, contributed the AI-generated page under an "AI persona" he called Alex Irons. Todasco trained AI software on original Stardust stories by Fletcher Hanks-which are in the public domain-then used it to generate both script and artwork for the single page.
The anthology raised over $39,000 from 614 backers through crowdfunding in 2023. Todasco did not disclose his use of AI in the campaign materials. Backers discovered it only after the book shipped in 2025, and other contributors saw it for the first time in a pre-publication PDF.
Jensen now calls the lack of disclosure "my biggest screwup in the whole process." He says he mentioned the AI content in a note to the Eisner committee after submitting the book, though two Eisner officials told the publication they could not recall seeing such a note.
The Industry Responds
Eisner judges broadly agreed the nomination should not have happened. Some disagreed about whether rescinding it was the right move, citing the lack of an official AI policy and concern for the other contributors' reputations.
Several anthology contributors expressed mixed feelings. Contributor Jeff Parker said he was glad the incident highlighted how unwelcome generative AI is in comics, even though being associated with "The AI Book" was uncomfortable.
Jensen's own view on AI shifted during the project. "I think the greatest danger is that AI tools will make it so easy to generate mediocre art that we'll be flooded with that," he said. Had he started the anthology a year later, he said, he would have rejected Todasco's pitch.
What Comes Next
Comic-Con announced it will develop an official AI policy to better protect artists and creators. Eisner judge Regine Sawyer said a concrete policy should be drafted soon, calling the current statement "sufficient for the moment."
Todasco has since published 19 AI-generated prose books under the Alex Irons name. He said he does not view the use of public-domain material as intellectual property theft, though he expressed ambivalence about whether AI constitutes real art. He receives no payment for his Stardust contribution; any royalties from the book will go to charity.
For writers considering how AI tools might affect their work and careers, the Eisner situation illustrates the industry's current stance: AI for Writers remains contentious when it comes to publication and recognition. The comics field is moving toward formal restrictions before the technology becomes more prevalent.
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