Tag Archives: queer comics expo

The 2021 Prism Award Winners and Finalists Announced

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 ComicsThe 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

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

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

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.

Prism Awards Finalists Announced!

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