San Francisco, CA — On October 1st at the Alternative Press Expo (APE), Prism Comics announced the recipient of the 2011 Queer Press Grant. This year’s grant is being awarded to Robert Kirby for his LGBT comics anthology series, Three. Prism Comics, which supports LGBT comics, creators and readers, established the Queer Press Grant in 2005 to encourage the publication of LGBT-themed comics.

“The Queer Press Grant is the only grant today given to independent comic book creators, as the Xeric Foundation is no longer awarding grants for comics,” says Justin Hall, Prism’s Talent Relations Chair. “Prism is very proud to support and recognize self-publishers such as Robert Kirby.”

Robert Kirby’s submission Three is an LGBT anthology series, of which Kirby has self-published two issues thus far, featuring alternative/independent creators including Eric Orner (The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green), Joey Alison Sayers (Just So You Know), Jon Macy (Teleny and Camille), Sina Shamsavari (BoyCrazyBoy), Jennifer Camper (Rude Girls & Dangerous Women), Michael Fahy (”Help Wanted”), David Kelly (Rainy Day Recess: The Complete Steven’s Comics), Craig Bostick (”Nothin’ But Trouble”) along with Kirby himself. The grant will allow Kirby to continue publishing Three as the only current ongoing LGBT comics anthology, in the tradition of past anthology series such as Gay Comix, Juicy Mother, and his own Boy Trouble.

Kirby began his cartooning career in the early 1990s contributing to dozens of queer zine titles like Holy Titclamps. His comic strip, Curbside, first appeared in the gay and alternative presses in 1991 and continued through 2008. Kirby also founded the gay boy comics anthology Boy Trouble, co-edited with David Kelly, which continued for five issues, highlights of which along with new material were collected by Green Candy Press in The Book of Boy Trouble Volumes One and Two. For more information, go to Kirby’s website.

Prism Comics’ Queer Press Grant is awarded to assist comics creators in publishing comics with LGBT characters or themes. Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation, and the project’s contribution to the LGBT community. They are reviewed by the Prism Board, past recipients of the Grant, and Prism’s Advisory Board.

The Queer Press Grant is funded entirely by donations, generally from comic book professionals and readers plus fundraising efforts from Prism members including Charles “Zan” Christensen and Roger Klorese. Since its inception, the Queer Press Grant has been awarded to Tana Ford (2010: Duck), Jon Macy (2010: Fearful Hunter), Ed Luce (2009: Wuvable Oaf), Eric Orner (2009: Storybox), Pam Harrison (2008: House of the Muses), Justin Hall (2007: Glamazonia), Tommy Roddy (2007: Pride High), Megan Gedris (2006: YU+ME), and Steve MacIsaac (2005: Shiftlifter)

For more information regarding Prism Comics, go to prismcomics.org.