Seattle, WA – Prism Comics—the nonprofit organization supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender comics, creators and readers—will be making its eighth appearance at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, and will be joined at its booth by Jeff Krell (creator of Jayson), Donna Barr (creator of The Desert Peach and Stinz), and by creators from Lambda-Award winning publisher Northwest Press, including David Kelly (Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics), Mark Brill and Charles “Zan” Christensen (The Power Within, The Mark of Aeacus).

All weekend at the convention, Prism will offer a wide selection of comics and related items that are of interest to LGBT readers at their exhibitor booth. Prism also provides free space for comics artists and writers who do not have their own exhibition space, so that they can sell their books and meet with their fans.

Other LGBT creators appearing at the show include Adriana Ferguson (Minor Acts of Heroism), Cat Staggs (Smallville Season 11), Erika Moen (DAR!), Terry Blas (Briar Hollow), and Roberta Gregory (Bitchy Bitch).

Prism has compiled an Emerald City Comicon edition of “The Gay Agenda”, the guide to events of interest to LGBT attendees of Comicon. This guide is available online and at the Prism Comics booth. Some of the events highlighted include:

THE BAD AND THE BOLD: LGBT CHARACTERS
Friday, March 30 @ 4-5 pm
Creators face a double-edged sword of either “positive” portrayals of LGBT characters and potentially creating lackluster work, or pushing the envelope and potentially sparking a firestorm and alienating readers. Mild gay innuendo labeled “Adults Only” in Rawhide Kid; “gerbiling” and gay blackmail in The Boys (which later won a GLAAD award); a bisexual alien in Voodoo spending a lot of time in strip clubs; a new, unabashedly flamboyant gay teen in Teen Titans: Some say these succeed as good comics and some disagree. What makes or breaks an “edgy” depiction of a queer character? Is there such a thing as “too far”? Join Donna Barr (The Desert Peach, Stinz), Stephen Sadowski (JSA, Warlord of Mars), Colleen Coover (Small Favors, Banana Sunday) and moderator Charles “Zan” Christensen for a lively discussion of LGBT representation in comics that’s sure to push some buttons. ROOM 3AB

QUEER COMICS MEETUP AT CC ATTLE’S
Friday, March 30 @ 8pm-Midnight
Prism has organized a Friday night meetup for LGBT comics fans and creators starting at 8pm at CC Attle’s on Capitol Hill. Comics and t-shirts will be given away courtesy of Northwest Press, and the bar will offer specials on beer and spirits when you show your Comicon badge or proof of purchase. (This event is for those 21 years of age and older only.) CC Attle’s, 1701 East Olive Way

QUEERS IN GAMING
Saturday, March 31 @ 11am-Noon
The presence of queer characters and culture in gaming has been a hot-button topic the last few years. Recent breakthroughs in representing and serving queer tastes in big titles such as Dragon Age, Persona 4, Mass Effect and others have elicited strong responses and highlighted a conflict in our wider culture. This panel will touch on many topics including gender, homophobia, diversity, and why having queers in gaming is a good thing. We’ll discuss where queers in gaming have been, where they stand now, and what we see for the future. With Ashley Cook (writer), Jeremy Crawford (Wizards of the Coast), Crystal Frasier (Paizo Publishing), Erik Scott de Bie (fantasy author) and moderator Charles “Zan” Christensen (Prism Comics). ROOM TCC 102

Where:  Prism Comics at Emerald City Comicon
Hall D, Booth #200
Washington State Convention Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA

When:  Friday, March 30th: 2pm-8pm
Saturday, March 31st: 10am – 7pm
Sunday, April 1st: Noon – 5pm