PRISM AWARDS

2021 PRISM AWARDS

SHORT FORM

WINNER: God Sees Me Crying in the Bathroom Stall by Vincy Lim

FINALIST: QAT Person Number 3 by Dylan Edwards)

FINALIST: The Unfading Flower by Hari Conner

WEBCOMICS

WINNER: Superpose by Seosamh & Anka

FINALIST: Shaderunners by Alex Assan & Lin Darrow

FINALIST: A Guide To A Healthy Relationship by Copper

SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS

WINNER: To Cut by Noella Whitney

FINALIST: Sasha From The Gym by Otava Heikkilä

FINALIST: How To Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess 

MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER 

WINNER: The Low Low Woods (DC Comics). Written by: Carmen Maria Machado & Joe Hill, Art by: Dan McDaid & Dani Strips

FINALIST: Juliet Takes a Breath (Boom Studios) by Gabby Rivera & Celia Moscote

FINALIST: The Deep & Dark Blue (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) by Niki Smith

ANTHOLOGY

WINNER: A.B.O. Comix: A Queer Prisoners Anthology Vol 4  Edited by 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 Edited by Casper Cendre

Honorable Mention: Stories for a Cause: A Queer Malaysian Comic Anthology Edited by Ann Li Khaw

YOUNG READER

WINNER: The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

FINALIST: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

FINALIST: Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 3: A Dish Best Served Cold by Natalie Riess

2021 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

Short Form Judges:

• Remus Jackson (Flux)
• William O Tyleer (Cinephilia)
• Trinidad Escobar

Webcomic Judges:

• Becky Hawkins (Super Butch)
• Noella Whitney (To Measure)
• Lawrence Lindell (From Truth with Truth)
• Viktor Kerney (MEGASheen podcast)
• Ajuan Mance

Small to Midsize Press Comic Judges:

• Hari Conner (Ha-rie, Finding Home)
• Nicky Rodriguez
• Jasmine Simone
• Blue Delliquanti
• Rob McMonigal (Site Editor at Panel Patter)

Mainstream Publisher Comic Judges:

• Shannon Lee
• Nick Porter (MEGASheen podcast)

Anthology Judges:

• Malach Lily (The Boar King)
• Gillian Pas-casio (Alphabet Arthro-poda)
• Alex Hoffman
• Hunter Rook

Young Readers Category:

• Avery Kaplan
• Rhonetta Robertson (Hair Story)
• Josh Trujillo
• Greg A. Elysée (Is’nana)
• AJ Real

2020 PRISM AWARDS

2020 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

Short Form Judges:

• Mey Rude (Journalist)
• E Jackson (Flux)
• Sfé R. Monster (The Beyond Anthologies)
• Heidi MacDonald (editor-in-chief, The Beat)
• Breena Nuñez (I, Exist)
• Lawrence Lindell (From Truth with Truth)

Webcomic Judges:

• Gillian Pas-casio (Alphabet, Arthro-poda)
• Rob McMonigal (Site Editor, Panel Patter)
• Sean Cohea (Reviewer, Panel Patter)
• Becky Hawkins (Super Butch)
• Rhandi Fisher (The Pride of Life)
• Nick Porter (MEGASheen podcast)

Small to Midsize Press Comic Judges:

• Hari Conner (Ha-rie, Finding Home)
• Emma Houxbois (Transcription)
• Barry Deutsch (Ampersand)
• Noella Whitney (To Measure)
• Amanda Castillo (Mapmakers)  

Mainstream Publisher Comic Judges:

• Brian Andersen (Stripling Warrior)
• Jack Baur (Librarian, Berkeley Public Library)
• William O Tyler (Theatre of Terror, Cinephilia)
• Kayden Phoenix (Jalisco)
• Greg A. Elysée (Is’nana)

Anthology Judges:

• Malach Lily (The Boar King)
• Rhonetta Robertson (Hair Story)
• Nilah Magruder (Creaky Acres)
• Viktor Kerney (MEGASheen podcast)
• Michelle Zhuang (Permanent Alien: An Asian-American Comics Anthology)

The Prism Awards Organizing Team:

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

2019 PRISM AWARDS

SHORT FORM FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: see me by e Jackson

FINALIST: You Don’t Have To Be Afraid of Me by Victor Martins

FINALIST: Fazenda De Sangue Azul by H. Pueyo and Dante Luiz

WEBCOMICS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: SuperButch by Barry Deutsch & Becky Hawkins

FINALIST: After the Fog by H-P Lehkonen

FINALIST: Null Point by Amara Sherm

SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho (Iron Circus)

FINALIST: It Will Be Hard by Hien Pham(self published)

FINALIST: The Lie and How We Told It by Tommi Parrish (Fantagraphics)

MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges, Polterink, and Jim Campbell (Boom! Studios)

FINALIST: Runaways #12 by Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka, Matthew Wilson and Joe Carmagna (Marvel)

FINALIST: 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)

ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: ABO Comix Vol 2: A Comic Anthology by LGBTQ Prisoners edited by Casper Cendre

FINALIST: Group Chat edited by Carolynn Calabrese, Jenny Mott, Ashley Gallagher, Rachel Weiss

FINALIST: Being True: LGBTQ+ Comics From The Boston Comics Roundtable edited by Renie Jesanis, Kyri Lorenz, and Steph Rose Glass

2019 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

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 Comics Beat)

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)

2018 PRISM AWARDS

SHORT FORM FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: To Measure by Noella Whitney, 2017 

FINALIST: Contact High by James F Wright and Josh Eckert, August 2017 

FINALIST: Figurinha by Dante Luiz, May 2017

FINALIST: There’s More Than One! by Justin Hubbell, June 2017 

FINALIST: It Was 1973, and Tiffany Banks Was Totally Winning at Gender by Ajuan Mance, 2017 

WEBCOMICS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti, (excerpts from 2017)

FINALIST: Cans of Beans, chapter 9 by Tamara Go, 2017 

FINALIST: SuperButch Issue 1 by Becky Hawkins and Barry Deutsch, 2017 

FINALIST: Monster Pop! by Maya Kern, (excerpt from 2017) 

FINALIST: Superpose by Ciaran and Anka C, (excerpt from August 2017-November 2017) 

SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: The Boys Who Became Hummingbirds by Daniel Heath Justice and Weshoyot Alvitre, Alternate History Comics Inc., June 2017 

FINALIST: Steam Clean by Laura Ķeniņš, May 2017 

FINALIST: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters by Emil Ferris, Fantagraphics, February 2017 

MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag, Scholastic Graphix, 2017

FINALIST: Iceman by Sina Grace (writer), Alessandro Vitti (artist), Kevin Wada (artist), Marvel Comics, 2017 

FINALIST: Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin (Writer), Nina Vakueva (Pencils), Irene Flores (Inker), Rebecca Nalty (Colorist), Jim Campbell (Lettere)r, Boom Studios, 2017

ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Dates: An Anthology of Queer Historical Fiction Volume 2 edited by Zora Gilbert and Cat Parra, August 2017 

FINALIST: Power & Magic: IMMORTAL SOULS edited by Joamette Gil, 2017 

FINALIST: Oh Joy Sex Toy, Volume 4 edited by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, 2017

2018 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

• AJ Real (Advanced Death Saves edited by Josh Trujillo) – @darkshifter
• Ajuan Mance (Gender Studies; Alphabet; We’re Still Here) – http://8-rock.com/  @8_rock
• Brian Andersen (Stripling Warrior; So Super Duper; The Advocate) – www.sosuperduper.com, @superbrian
• e jackson (Flux; Drawing a Dialogue podcast) – @ehetja
• Gillian Pascasio (The Kiss of the Demoness) – @7CLUBS
• Gina Biggs (Love Not Found) – @ginabiggs
• Hari Conner (Finding Home) – hari-illustration.com  @haridraws
• Heidi MacDonald (The Beat, The News Blog of Comics Culture) – https://www.comicsbeat.com/  @comixace
• H-P Lehkonen (Life Outside the Circle) – webtoons.com. @hplehkonen
• Jack Baur (Librarian, Berkeley Public Library) – inthelibrarywithacomicbook.org  @kcorstel
• Mey Valdivia Rude (Autostraddle) – @meyrude
• Rob McMonigal (Panel Patter) – www.panelpatter.com  @rob_mcmonigal
• Scout Tran-Caffee (Villainette; Falling Sky) – xo.villainette.com
• Sfé R. Monster (Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology, Vols. 1 and 2; webcomic Eths’ Skin) –  sfemonster.com  @sfemonster
• William O. Tyler (WoT’s Cinephilia) –  @williamotyler

2017 PRISM AWARDS  

SHORT FORM FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Nothing Wrong With Me, 2016, The Nib, by Dylan Edwards

FINALIST: Flux, 2015, self-published, by E Jackson

FINALIST: The Kiss of the Demoness, 2017, self-published, by Gillian Pascasio

FINALIST: Liar, 2017, self-published, by Hari Conner

WEBCOMICS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Villainette, 2015, self-published, by Scout Tran-Caffee

FINALIST: Failing Sky: Ghost Story, 2016, self-published, by Scout Tran-Caffee

FINALIST: With Great Abandon, 2017, self-published, by EH MacMillian

SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: Short Gay Stories, 2017, Team Pärvelö, by H-P Lehkonen

FINALIST: Active Voice The Comic Collection, 2016, Furia Press, by P. Kristen Enos: writer, Heidi Ho: contributing writer, Casandra Grullon: artist, Derek Chua: artist, Leesamarie Croal: artist, Beth Varni: artist, Dan Parent: cover artist

FINALIST: Destiny, NY Volume One: Who I Used to Be, 2017, Continuity Entertainment, by Pat Shand: writer, Manuel Preitano: artist, Jim Campbell: letterer, Shannon Lee: editor

MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER FINALISTS & WINNER

WINNER: The Backstagers #1, 2016, BOOM!Box, by James Tynion IV: writer, Rian Sygh: artist

FINALIST: Lumberjanes #17, 2015, BOOM!Box, by Noelle Stevenson & Shannon Watters: writers, Brooke Allen: artist

FINALIST: Supergirl: Being Super #1, 2016, DC Entertainment, by Mariko Tamaki: writer, Joëlle Jones: pencils, Sandu Florea: inks, Kelly Fitzpatrick: colorist, Saida Temofonte: letters, Jones and Fitzpatrick: cover

ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS  & WINNER

WINNER: Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology, 2016, P&M Press, edited by Joamette Gil

FINALIST: Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology, 2015, Beyond Press, edited by Sfé R. Monster & Taneka Stotts

FINALIST: Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers, 2015, self-published, edited by Hazel Newlevant

FINALIST: Food Porn, 2016, Strawberry Comics, edited by Gina Biggs

2017 PRISM AWARD JUDGES

• AJ Real (Dominican University Library)
• Ajuan Mance (1001 Black Men, Gender Studies)
• Brian Anderson (Stripling Warrior, The Advocate)
• Heidi McDonald (The Comics Beat)
• Jack Baur (Berkeley Public Library)
• Jon Erik Christianson (Comics Alliance, Prismatic Pull)
• Kirwan McHarry (Border Dwellers in Boys’ Love Manga)
• Mey Rude (writer and editor at Autostraddle)
• Mel Rieff Hill (The Gender Book)
• Nia King (Queer & Trans Artists of Color, We Want the Airwaves podcast)
• Rob McMonigal (Panel Patter)
• William O. Tyler (WoT’s Cinephilia)