Presenting the Finalists and Judges for the First Annual Prism Awards
Winners to be announced July 8, 2017, 4-5pm
during Queer Comics Expo
SOMArts Cultural Center
934 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA: Prism Comics and the Queer Comics Expo are proud to announce the finalists for the first annual Prism Awards! Our 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. One title in each category will be announced as the PRISM AWARD WINNER at a ceremony on SATURDAY, JULY 8, starting at 4pm during QUEER COMICS EXPO at the SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St, San Francisco.

The Awards were a dream of both Prism Comics and The Queer Comics Expo. Prism Comics wishes to express their deepest thanks to Nina Kester, Maia Kobabe and of the judges for donating their time and amazing talents to put together this first annual Prism Awards. We thank all of the creators who submitted work for the Awards. You are all amazing and important creative voices.

Tickets to the Queer Comics Expo are still available at https://bit.ly/QCExpoTickets. Please join us for the weekend and the awards ceremony!

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

BEST WEBCOMIC FINALISTS
With Great Abandon by EH MacMillian https://withgreatabandon.tumblr.com/
Failing Sky: Ghost Story by Scout Tran-Caffee https://failingsky.com/ghoststory
Villainette by Scout Tran-Caffee https://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 https://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) https://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

Welcome to Beyond Press | Home of the Beyond comics anthology

The Beyond Anthology is a queer sci-fi and fantasy comic anthology featuring unquestionably queer characters across the spectrum of gender and sexuality.

POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology edited by Joamette Gil

POWER & MAGIC PRESS

P&M Press is an independent comics publisher in Portland, OR. Our mission is the creative and economic empowerment of queer creators, creators of color, and creators at the intersections. Book Stores & Comics Shops: We want to work with you! Please direct all wholesale/retail inquiries to powerandmagicpress@gmail.com.

Food Porn edited by Gina Biggs https://comicorgy.com/print/food-porn-print-edition/
Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers edited by Hazel Newlevant https://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. https://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). https://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 https://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. https://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

About Prism Comics, the Queer Press Grant and Prism Awards
Founded in 2003, Prism Comics is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that supports LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ friendly comics, comics professionals and readers. Prism fosters diversity in comics and popular geek culture and is one of the only comics organizations that provide an annual financial grant to emerging comics creators – The Prism Comics Queer Press Grant. Learn more at prismcomics.org.
The Prism Awards are being established this year (2017) to recognize, promote and celebrate diversity and excellence in the field of queer comics. Apply again next year for the 2018 awards!

Queer Comics Expo is an annual event, presented by the Cartoon Art Museum, to celebrate queer culture and promote diverse queer representation in comics, animation and other great ways to tell stories. Proceeds from the event benefit the Cartoon Art Museum a 501©3 non-profit. Find updates using QCExpo on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter!

The Cartoon Art Museum’s mission is to ignite imaginations and foster the next generation of visual storytellers by celebrating the history of cartoon art, its role in society, and its universal appeal. The museum’s vision is to be the premier destination to experience cartoon art in all its many forms from around the world, and a leader in providing insight into the process of creating it.

Cartoon Art Museum • San Francisco, CA • 415-CAR-TOON • www.cartoonart.org
The Cartoon Art Museum is a tax-exempt, non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms.

For Additional Information and Inquiries:
Contact Nina Taylor Kester
education@cartoonart.org
415.227.8666 x303