Disney 'The Power of Joy' creator makes Eisner history with 'Weirdo' nomination in kids' category

LOS ANGELES -- Disney "The Power of Joy" content creator and Kirkus Best Book of the Year author, Tony Weaver, has been nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for his debut novel "Weirdo." The Eisners, often called the "Oscars of the comic book world," are presented each year at San Diego Comic-Con. If he wins, the Atlanta native will be the first Black creator to take home the Best Publication for Kids award.

For Weaver, his comic book stardom began with struggles in early childhood, when he was bullied for the differences that make him a success today.

"People told me I was out of place, that I was unorthodox," he said. "And those are the types of words and feelings that I started to associate with myself."

That external bullying became internal pain. It tarnished Weaver's self-image throughout his adolescence. Hopeless and alone, he attempted to end his life as a teenager.

"I didn't feel like my life had value," Weaver said. "In that dark moment, the things that saved me were stories -- comic books, manga, anime, video games. Seeing all these different characters fight their trials and tribulations made me feel like I could, too, in moments when I wasn't comfortable talking to my parents and didn't have any friends."

The stories that saved Weaver's life inspired him to become a storyteller in his own right. Under his banner, "Weird Enough Productions," Weaver makes videos for his following of more than 1 million across Instagram and TikTok, leads mental health and self-love workshops for children in schools and, of course, has authored the very book that's served as a beacon for young people like the Tony of old.

For Weaver, this work reconciles where he's been with his mental health journey and how he wants to help other young people with theirs. One way he leads this effort is by creating role models and sharing resources with vulnerable young people through his writing - especially for Black children and other children of color.

"We live in a world where there are more books about animals and anthropomorphic objects than there are about children of color," Weaver said. "So, when you are a child of color and you want to figure out where you belong, where are you supposed to look?"

It's a lack of representation and belonging that Weaver has seen firsthand working with children in schools. According to him, children as young as fourth and fifth grade were already developing negative ideas about themselves; ideas that led him to want to give up as a teenager.

"That made me stop and go, 'Wait, who told you that? Who put those limits on you? Who told you there was something you couldn't be?'" Weaver said. "Suicide and depression rates among young people are the highest they've been since we started measuring. And for young people of color, we're in a very difficult place."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates among males ages 15 to 24 rose more than 18% between 2014 and 2023, peaking in 2021 at nearly 24 suicides (23.8) per 100,000 young men in the US. For Black teens, rates nearly doubled between 2014 and 2023. While it's a problem bigger than one person, Weaver wanted to be one person making small changes in a big way.

"The powerful thing about stories is that they can be anywhere," Weaver said. "The reason I decided to make 'Weirdo' a book is because it can be in all the places that I can't be. It can be in every locker, every classroom, every backpack, every home."

For his writing in particular, Weaver's goal is to craft an ecosystem of support that reaches through the page and welcomes its ideas as a tool for survival.

"My book, 'Weirdo,' is what I call the nerdy kid's instruction manual for self-love and self-confidence," Weaver said. "But when I talk about it to people, what I tell them is that it's more than a book. It's a sword forged in a lifetime of experience."

Weaver also traces his storytelling inspirations back to the Walt Disney Co., where heroes like Hercules helped him foster his own "zero to hero" moments amid the dark experiences of his youth.

"The Walt Disney Co. has the largest ecosystem of stories in human history," Weaver said. "When we sit back and reflect on the fact that this one organization-whenever they have something to say, whenever there's a film they want to put in the world-people show up. When they present characters, people resonate with them. And for me, I wanted people to resonate with my writing like that."

It's a spirit he carries into his work as Disney "The Power of Joy" creator.

"To me, a Disney 'The Power of Joy' creator is a person using their platform and the work they put into the world to inspire the same joy Disney hopes to bring viewers with their stories," Weaver said. "I've had the privilege to join this community of creators who are focused and invested in bringing joy to the world."

To his fans and those who look to stories for hope, Weaver hopes to channel the power of joy into a guiding light for those who need it most.

"Whenever it gets dark, there is always light on the other side," he said. "All we have to do is keep moving forward, and we'll find that thing that'll guide us home. And once we get there, it's our job to be that light for other people."

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three-digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.

Andres Rovira, Dean Singleton, and Daisy Macias contributed to this report.