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The 2021 Prism Award Winners and Finalists Announced

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Prism Awards 2021

The Winners and Finalists of the 2021 Prism Awards were announced Monday night, December 27, 2021, in a virtual presentation on the Prism Comics YouTube channel and Prism Comics Prism Awards page.

The program featured video appearances from both Winners and Finalists in six categories – webcomics; short form comics; small to midsize press; mainstream press; anthology; and a new category this year – young readers (13 and under). The program will remain online for future viewing.

The Prism Awards were founded by Prism Comics, The Queer Comics Expo, and The Cartoon Art Museum to recognize, promote, and celebrate diversity and excellence in queer comics and graphic novels. Winner and Finalist Awards are presented to comic works by queer creators that promote the growing body of diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters and stories in fiction or nonfiction comics.

Award Recipients are voted on by six diverse panels of comics professionals, educators, librarians, journalists and writers. Prism Awards Chair Person, Gladys Ochoa, shared the Awards Committee’s gratitude for everyone involved in this year’s Awards presentation: “Prism Comics, The Queer Comics Expo and The Cartoon Art Museum would like to thank the creators, publishers and judges for all of their contributions to this year’s Prism Awards. The quality of the works submitted and the representations of identities, backgrounds and genres were amazing. We were also pleased to add the Young Readers category this year. There are so many terrific comics and graphic novels for young readers coming out, and it’s vitally important for young queer kids to see themselves in comics.”

Here are the Winners and Finalists for the 2021 Prism Awards:

Webcomics
Winner: Superpose (Artist & Writer: Seosamh; Artist & Writer: Anka)
Finalist: Shaderunners (Artist: Alex Assan; Writer: Lin Darrow)  
Finalist: A Guide To A Healthy Relationship (Creator: Copper)

Short Form Comics
Winner: God Sees Me Crying in the Bathroom Stall (Creator: Vincy Lim)
Finalist: QAT Person number 3 (Creator: Dylan Edwards)
Finalist: The Unfading Flower (Creator: Hari Conner)

Small/Midsize Press
Winner: To Cut (Creator: Noella Whitney)
Finalist: How To Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual (Creator: Rebecca Burgess)
Finalist: Sasha From The Gym (Creator: Otava Heikkilä)

Mainstream Press
Winner: The Low Low Woods (Publisher: DC Comics, Written by: Carmen Maria Machado & Joe Hill Art by: Dan McDaid & Dani Strips)
Finalist: The Deep & Dark Blue (Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Creator: Niki Smith)
Finalist: Juliet Takes a Breath (Publisher: Boom Studios, Writer: Gabby Rivera; Illustrator, Celia Moscote; Colorist, James Fenner; Letterer: DC Hopkins)

Anthology
Winner: A.B.O. Comix: A Queer Prisoners Anthology Vol 4 (Publisher: A.B.O. Comix, Editor: Casper Cendre,)
Finalist: Ambrosia: Trans Masc & Non Binary Erotic Comics (Edited by: Tab Kimpton and Jade Sarson)
Finalist: Confined Before COVID19: A Pandemic Anthology by LGBTQ Prisoners (Publisher: A.B.O. Comix, Editor: Casper Cendre)

Young Readers (13 and under)
Winner: The Deep & Dark Blue (Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Creator: Niki Smith,)
Finalist: The Magic Fish (Publisher: Random House Graphic, Creator: Trung Le Nguyen)
Finalist: Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 3: A Dish Best Served Cold (Publisher: Oni Press, Creator: Natalie Riess)

Prism Awards 2021 Submissions close March 12

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Prism Awards 2021

It’s the home stretch for submissions of LGBTQ+ comics and graphic novels for the 2021 Prism Awards. Submissions close on Friday, March 12 at 11:55 pm PT.

The Prism Awards are presented annually by the Cartoon Art Museum, Prism Comics, and the Queer Comics Expo to comic works by queer authors that promote diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters in fiction or nonfiction comics. There are six categories:

  • Best Short Form Comic
  • Best Webcomic
  • Best Comic from a Small to Midsize Press
  • Best Comic from a Mainstream Publisher
  • Best Comic Anthology
  • Best Comic for Young Readers

Works must be in English and have been published digitally or physically between January 1 and December 31, 2020.

If you would like to submit LGBTQ+ comics and graphic novels you may do so with the 2021 Prism Awards Submission Form

Around the Tubes

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It’s new comic book day! At least, one of the two new comic book days. What are you getting? What are you excited for? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide on that, here’s some comic news from around the web in our morning roundup.

Games Radar – Graphic novel sales up 42% in North American bookstores this quarter – This is good news and all of the sky is falling concern is likely not for the whole industry.

The Comichron – DC drops UCS six months into distribution deal; some shops unlikely to hit DC’s new minimums – We’ll have our take later in the day but for those that missed the news.

Smash Pages – 2020 Prism Award winners announced – Congrats to all of the winners.

Around the Tubes

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The weekend is almost here! What geeky things will you all be doing? Sound off in the comments below! While you wait for the weekday to end and the weekend to begin, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Prism Comics – The Fourth Annual Prism Awards Will Be Presented Online – Oct 17-18, 2020 – Not too surprising.

The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Hanging in the Apocalypse Garden with LOVE, JOOLZ – Free comics!

Variety – ‘The Boys’ Spinoff in Development at Amazon Following Massive Season 2 Launch – The show is going over well, so not surprising. We’ll see how long they milk the property for.

Review

The Beat – Forget Me Nat

Forget Me Nat

The 2019 Prism Awards Nominees Have Been Announced

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Prism Comics, The Queer Comics Expo and the Cartoon Art Museum have announced the Nominees for the Third Annual Prism Awards. The winners of this year’s Prism Awards and Prism Award Honorees will be announced at the Prism Awards presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21, 2019. The day and time of the presentation will be posted when Comic-Con programming schedule is published in early July.

The Prism Awards are presented to comic works by queer authors and works that promote the growing body of diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters in fiction or nonfiction comics. The goal of the Awards is to recognize, promote and celebrate diversity and excellence in the field of queer comics, and the nominees and awards are voted on by a diverse group comics professionals, educators, librarians, journalists and writers.

Announcing the Nominees for the 2019 Prism Awards.

Short Form Nominees:
You Don’t Have To Be Afraid of Me by Victor Martins 
Fazenda De Sangue Azul by H. Pueyo and Dante Luiz 
see me by e Jackson

Webcomic Nominees:
SuperButch by Barry Deutsch & Becky Hawkins
After the Fog by H-P Lehkonen   
Null Point by Amara Sherm

Small To Midsize Press Nominees:
It Will Be Hard by Hien Pham(self published) 
Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho (Iron Circus) 
The Lie and How We Told It by Tommy Parish (Fantagraphics)

Mainstream Nominees:
Runaways #12 by Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka, Matthew Wilson and Joe Carmagna (Marvel) 
Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #6 by Mark Russell, Brandee Stilwell, Paul Mounts, Jeremy Lawson, Rose Campbell, Ben Caldwell, Mark Morales, Gus Vazquez, Sean Parsons and Mike Feehan (DC) 
Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges, polterink, and Jim Campbell (Boom! Studios)

Anthology Nominees:
ABO Comix Vol 2: A Comic Anthology by LGBTQ Prisoners edited by Casper Cendre  
Group Chat edited by Carolynn Calabrese, Jenny Mott, Ashley Gallagher, Rachel Weiss 
Being True: LGBTQ+ Comics From The Boston Comics Roundtable edited by Renie Jesanis, Kyri Lorenz, and Steph Rose Glass

Below is the group of fifteen judges who read and evaluated this year’s submissions:

Short Form Judges:
Mey Valdivia Rude (writer at them, Autostraddle)
Joamette Gil (Heartwood: Non-binary Tales of Sylvan Fantasy)
Sfé R. Monster (The Beyond Anthologies)

Webcomic Judges:
Matt Lubchansky (The Nib)
Ajuan Mance (Gender Studies)
Zora Gilbert (Dates: An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Stories, Books 1 and 2)

Small to Midsize Press Comic Judges:
Juliette Capra (Crowded)
Noella Whitney (Dates: An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Stories, Book 2 )
Heidi MacDonald (editor-in-chief of Comicsbeat)

Mainstream Publisher Comic Judges:
Brian Andersen (Stripling Warrior)
AJ Real (writer, Advanced Death Saves)
Jack Baur (Librarian, Berkeley Public Library)

Anthology Judges:
e jackson (Flux)
Hazel Newlevant (Sugar Town)
Rob McMonigal (founder and head writer at Panel Patter)

The Prism Awards Organizing Team:
Ted Abenheim (Prism Comics)
Nina Taylor Kester (Queer Comics Expo, Cartoon Art Museum)
Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer: A Memoir)

Submissions for the 2019 Prism Awards is Open Through February 15, 2019

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Prism Awards 2019

The Prism Awards are presented annually by The Cartoon Art Museum, Prism Comics, and The Queer Comics Expo to both fiction and non-fiction comics works by queer authors. The goals of the Awards are to recognize and celebrate diversity and excellence in the field of queer comics and to promote powerful, innovative, positive, challenging stories and representations of LGBTQAI+ characters. 

One award will be given in each of the following categories: Best Short Form Comic, Best Webcomic, Best Comic From A Small To Midsize Press, Best Comic From A Mainstream Publisher, and Best Comic Anthology. Finalists will also receive recognition. 

Eligible work must have been made or first published between January 1 and December 31, 2018 and never before submitted to these Awards.  All submissions will be reviewed by an impartial panel of judges made up of professionals in the field of comics, including authors, scholars, reviewers and librarians. 

THE SUBMISSION PERIOD FOR THE PRISM AWARDS CLOSES FEBRUARY 15, 2019 AT 11:59 PM PST.  Three Nominees in each category for the Prism Awards will be announced at the Queer Comics Expo in the San Francisco in April 2019 (dates to be announced).  Winners and Honorable Mention will be announced at Comic-Con International San Diego, Thursday, July 18 – Sunday, July 21, 2019 (date to be announced).

Additional information and guidelines for submission can be found here.

SDCC 2018: The Second Annual Prism Awards Winners

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Prism Comics and the Cartoon Art Museum have announced the Winners of the Second Annual Prism Awards. The Awards announcements took place at the Prism Awards panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 on Saturday July 21, 2018.

Prism Awards Chairperson, Maia Kobabe, moderated the panel which included Prism Awards Founders Ted Abenheim and Nina L. Taylor Kester and judges Ajuan Mance; William O. Tyler, Heidi McDonald,  Mey Rude, and Rob McMonigal.

The ceremony began by re-announcing winners from last year’s 2017 Prism Awards and honoring the judges of this year’s awards. As the 2018 nominees and winners were announced, Molly Ostertag and Zora Gilbert accepted winning their 2018 Prism Awards in person with heartfelt speeches on the importance of the awards to themselves and the community at large. Videos were presented to the audience for acceptance speeches by those 2018 winners who were unable to be present in person, including Blue Delliquanti, Noella Whitney, Weshoyot Alvitre and Daniel Heath Justice .

The Prism Awards are presented to comic works by queer authors and works that promote the growing body of diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters in fiction or nonfiction comics.  In keeping with the creative spirit of LGBTQAI+ comics creators, the Awards themselves are hand-crafted with design by Nina L. Taylor Kester including a glass rainbow by Amy Karadbil and etched comic book base by Barry Figgins.

The panel closed with encouragement for submissions for the 2019 Prism Awards which will open next Spring 2019 and will be announced through the Prism Comics website. The Queer Comics Expo in partnership with the Cartoon  Art Museum which held the first Prism Awards ceremony in 2017 was also announced to return in 2019 with newsletter signups for updates.

The Winners and Nominees for the 2018 Prism Awards are:

SHORT FORM COMICS –
WINNER:
To Measure by Noella Whitney, 2017
NOMINEES:
Contact High by James F Wright and Josh Eckert, August 2017 –
Figurinha by Dante Luiz, May 2017 –
There’s More Than One! by Justin Hubbell, June 2017 –
It Was 1973, and Tiffany Banks Was Totally Winning at Gender by Ajuan Mance, 2017 –

WEBCOMICS – 
WINNER:
O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti, (excerpts from 2017)
NOMINEES:
Cans of Beans chapter 9 by Tamara Go, 2017
SuperButch Issue 1 by Becky Hawkins and Barry Deutsch, 2017
Monster Pop! by Maya Kern, (excerpt from 2017)
Superpose by Ciaran and Anka C, (excerpt from August 2017 – November 2017)

SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS
WINNER:
The Boys Who Became Hummingbirds by Daniel Heath Justice and Weshoyot Alvitre, Alternate History Comics Inc., June 2017
NOMINEES:
Steam Clean by Laura Ķeniņš, May 2017
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris, Fantagraphics, February 2017

MAIN STREAM COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS – 
WINNER:
The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag, Scholastic Graphix, 2017
NOMINEES:
Iceman by Sina Grace (writer), Alessandro Vitti (artist), Kevin Wada (artist), Marvel Comics, 2017
Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin (Writer), Nina Vakueva (Pencils), Irene Flores (Inker), Rebecca Nalty (Colorist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), Boom Studios, 2017

ANTHOLOGIES – 
WINNER:
Dates: An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Volume 2 edited by Zora Gilbert and Cat Parra, August 2017 –
NOMINEES:
Power & Magic: IMMORTAL SOULS edited by Joamette Gil, 2017
Oh Joy Sex Toy, Volume 4 edited by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, 2017

SDCC 2018: 2018 Prism Awards Nominees Announced

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Prism Comics and the Cartoon Art Museum have announced the nominees for the Second Annual Prism Awards. The winners of this year’s Prism Awards and Prism Award Honorees will be announced at the Prism Awards panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday July 21, 2018 from 8–9pm in Room 29AB. Admission to Comic-Con International San Diego is required to attend the Prism Awards panel.

The Prism Awards are presented to comic works by queer authors and works that promote the growing body of diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters in fiction or nonfiction comics.  The goal of the Awards is to recognize, promote and celebrate diversity and excellence in the field of queer comics, and the nominees and awards are voted on by a diverse group comics professionals, educators, librarians, journalists and writers.

The nominees for the 2018 Prism Awards are:

Short Form Comics:
To Measure by Noella Whitney, 2017
Contact High by James F Wright and Josh Eckert, August 2017 –
Figurinha by Dante Luiz, May 2017 –
There’s More Than One! by Justin Hubbell, June 2017
It Was 1973, and Tiffany Banks Was Totally Winning at Gender by Ajuan Mance, 2017

Webcomics:
Cans of Beans, chapter 9 by Tamara Go, 2017
SuperButch Issue 1 by Becky Hawkins and Barry Deutsch, 2017
Monster Pop! by Maya Kern, (excerpt from 2017)
O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti, (excerpts from 2017)
Superpose by Ciaran and Anka C, (excerpt from August 2017-November 2017)

Small To Midsize Press Comics and Graphic Novels:
Steam Clean by Laura Ķeniņš, May 2017
The Boys Who Became Hummingbirds by Daniel Heath Justice and Weshoyot Alvitre, Alternate History Comics Inc., June 2017
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris, Fantagraphics, February 2017

Main Stream Comics and Graphic Novels:
Iceman by Sina Grace (writer), Alessandro Vitti (artist), Kevin Wada (artist), Marvel Comics, 2017
Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin (Writer), Nina Vakueva (Pencils), Irene Flores (Inker), Rebecca Nalty (Colorist), Jim Campbell (Lettere)r, Boom Studios, 2017
The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag, Scholastic Graphix, 2017

Anthologies:
Dates: An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Volume 2 edited by Zora Gilbert and Cat Parra, August 2017
Power & Magic: IMMORTAL SOULS edited by Joamette Gil, 2017
Oh Joy Sex Toy, Volume 4 edited by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, 2017

Around the Tubes

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Kick-Ass #1 Featured Image ComicsSo… who saw Black Panther? Sound off with what you thought of it below! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Sofrep – Propaganda and Comic Books: An objective analysis of the US Army Cyber Command’s new ‘Threatcasting’ publications – This is a fascinating read.

Prism Comics – Second Annual Prism Awards Submission Open – Go submit your comics!

 

Reviews

Talking Comics – Dark Knights Rising: Wild Hunt #1

Talking Comics – Death of Love #1

Talking Comics – Kick-Ass #1

Prism Awards Finalists Announced!

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Prism Comics and the Queer Comics Expo have announced the finalists for the first annual Prism Awards! The Prism Awards are being established this year (2017) to recognize, promote and celebrate diversity and excellence in the field of queer comics. The panel of 12 expert judges have selected several works in each category which expand the growing body of diverse, powerful, innovative, positive or challenging representations of LGBTQAI+ characters in fiction and nonfiction comics. The winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony at the Queer Comics Expo on Saturday July 8th, starting at 4pm at the SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St, San Francisco.

Check out the list below for the nominees and congrats to everyone involved and nominated!

BEST SHORT FORM COMIC FINALISTS

Nothing Wrong With Me by Dylan Edwards http://www.studiondr.com/  – https://thenib.com/nothing-wrong-with-me
Flux by E Jackson http://eshiel.com/  – http://flux.eshiel.com/
Liar by Hari Conner  http://www.hari-illustration.com/ – https://gumroad.com/l/BtKou#
The Kiss of the Demoness by Gillian Pascasio http://7clubs.tumblr.com/ –

 

BEST WEBCOMIC FINALISTS

With Great Abandon by EH MacMillian https://withgreatabandon.tumblr.com/
Failing Sky: Ghost Story by Scout Tran-Caffee http://failingsky.com/ghoststory
Villainette by Scout Tran-Caffee http://strip.villainette.com

 

BEST COMIC FROM A SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS FINALISTS

Destiny, NY Volume One: Who I Used to Be by Pat Shand (Writer), Manuel Preitano (Artist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), and Shannon Lee (Editor) https://www.storenvy.com/stores/980896-continuity-entertainment
Short Gay Stories by H-P Lehkonen http://hplehkonen.com/
Active Voice The Comic Collection by P. Kristen Enos (writer), Heidi Ho (contributing writer), Casandra Grullon (artist), Derek Chua (artist), Leesamarie Croal (artist), Beth Varni (artist), and Dan Parent (cover art) http://www.pkristenenos.com/avgraphicnovel/

 

BEST SINGLE ISSUE FROM A MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER FINALISTS

Supergirl: Being Super #1 by Mariko Tamaki (writer), Joëlle Jones (pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Kelly Fitzpatrick (colorist), Saida Temofonte (letters), Jones and Fitzpatrick (cover art) https://www.comixology.com/Supergirl-Being-Super-2016-1/digital-comic/431009
The Backstagers #1 by James Tynion IV (writer), and Rian Sygh (artist) https://www.comixology.com/The-Backstagers-1-of-8/digital-comic/410464
Lumberjanes #17 by Noelle Stevenson (writer), Shannon Watters (writer), and Brooke Allen (artist) https://www.comixology.com/Lumberjanes-17/digital-comic/260036

 

BEST ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS

Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology edited by Sfé R. Monster & Taneka Stotts
https://www.beyond-press.com/
POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology edited by Joamette Gil
https://gumroad.com/powerandmagicpress
Food Porn edited by Gina Biggs http://comicorgy.com/print/food-porn-print-edition/
Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers edited by Hazel Newlevant http://chainmail-bikini.com/

THE 2017 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

Rob McMonigal is a nonbinary writer who lives in Portland Oregon with too many cats and is the head writer of the Eisner Nominated comics review site, www.panelpatter.com.

Ajuan Mance is a genderqueer nerd, a Professor at Mills College, the author of Inventing Black Women and Proud Legacy, the editor of the anthology Before There Was Harlem, and the creator of the portrait series 1001 Black Men. http://8-rock.com/

Kirwan McHarry authored “Border Dwellers in Boys’ Love Manga” in On the Edge of the Panel (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015), and co-edited a special section on BL manga for the Journal of Graphic Novels ! and Comics (4:1: 1-8). http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21504857.2013.793207

Jon Erik Christianson is a comics journalist who aspires to Lois Lane greatness (in a universe where she’s given her due credit). https://twitter.com/HonestlyJon

Jack Baur is a Teen Services Librarian at the Berkeley Public Library, and the co-host of the (erratically updated) In the Library With a Comic Book podcast, available at http://inthelibrarywithacomicbook.org.

AJ Real is an educator, QPOC, blue lantern, Hufflepuff, games enthusiast, and Pokémon master. He can be found online wherever evil and heteronormativity must be vanquished. https://twitter.com/darkshifter

Mel Reiff Hill is the illustrator and co-author of the GENDER book, an illustrated gender 101 for everyone! Find more of their work online at rowdyferret.com

Nia King is the the author of Queer & Trans Artists of Color, Volumes 1 & 2 and the host and producer of We Want the Airwaves podcast. Artactivistnia.weebly.com

Brian Andersen is a life-long comic book lovin’ gay geek, a contributor to The Advocate and writer of “Stripling Warrior,” featuring gay Mormon superheroes.  http://www.sosuperduper.com/

Heidi MacDonald is the editor in chief of Comics Beat, an awarding winning site about graphic novels. comicsbeat.com

Mey Rude is a bi, trans Chicana and is a writer/editor at Autostraddle and consults on and edits comic books.  https://twitter.com/meyrude

William O. Tyler is the creator of WoT’s Cinephilia, a webcomic that studies the love of movies and how they shape us. williamotyler.com