With so many bloggers contributing their two (or four, or twenty) cents to the girls-and-superheroes debate, it seems fitting that the Friends of Lulu have just announced their 2007 Lulu Award nominees. There are some truly deserving folks on this list, so I hope that all of you who care about encouraging female participation in the industry–as readers, consumers, and creators of comics–will take a minute to vote for your favorites. I have a tendency to view the industry through manga-colored glasses, so I was delighted to see June Kim and Rivkah, two alumna of Tokyopop’s OEL program, receive much-deserved nods from the nominating committee.

Click here to fill out an online ballot. Anyone may vote between now and June 30th; winners will be announced at San Diego Comic-Con.

Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame
Colleen Doran (Illustrator: The Book of Lost Souls, Marvel; Lucifer, DC/Vertigo)
Lily Renee Phillips (Illustrator: The Lost World; Werewolf Hunters, Fiction House)
Donna Barr (The Desert Peach; Stinz)

Lulu of the Year
Alison Bechdel (Fun Home; Dykes to Watch Out For)
Abby Denson (Tough Love: High School Confidential, Manic D Press)
Donna Barr (The Desert Peach; Stinz)

Kim Yale Award for Best New Female Talent
Rachel Nabors (Crow Princess; Rachel the Great)
June Kim (12 Days, Tokyo Pop)
Rivkah (Steady Beat, Tokyo Pop)
Joelle Jones (12 Reasons Why I Love Her, Oni Press)

Women of Distinction Award
Jennifer de Guzman (Editor, Slave Labor Graphics)
Joan Hilty (Editor, DC Kids Line)
Karen Berger (Sr. VP, DC/Vertigo)