PRISM COMICS AT WONDERCON LOS ANGELES – MARCH 25 – 27, 2016
Prism Comics is exhibiting, presenting panels and announcing the recipient of
the 2016 Prism Comics Queer Press Grant at WonderCon in Los Angeles, March 25 – 27, 2016.
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Contact: Ted Abenheim, President, Prism Comics – ted@prismcomics.org
“WonderCon and Comic-Con International are very welcoming of diversity.” says Ted Abenheim, President of Prism Comics.
“And we’re excited to be ‘LGBTQ Central’ at WonderCon’s first convention in Los Angeles.”
Prism Prism will be at Booth 1819 celebrating queer and queer-friendly comics and graphic novels, popular media, geek culture and cosplay. Prism will be presenting guest appearances by comics creators including Alex Woolfson, Lambda Literary Award nominee and creator of Artifice and The Young Protectors, who will be selling and signing his books and prints Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the Con; Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, ALPHABET, Merrier); Elizabeth Beier (Bisexual Trials and Errors); PK Eiselt (Junkyard Angels), Jeff Krell (Jayson); Jon Macy (Fearful Hunter and Lambda Literary Award winner Teleny and Camille); Robert Paul (Little Rainbow Comics); Jase Peeples (Square Zair Pair); David Reddish (Sex, Drugs and Superheroes and the Lambda Literary Award nominated The Passion of Sergius & Bacchus); Sonya Saturday (The 2016 Republican Presidential Candidates Coloring and Activity Book); Michael Varrati (Tales of Poe, Sins of Dracula) and more!
Prism will also have appearances by some favorite cosplayers and LGBTQ characters – Bernadette, Michelle La Belle, Deadly Z, Cathy Kutz, Lezz Trooper, Jillian Marie, Spencer Neustadt, Mark Price Chris Riley, TsukixxHime and others.
Prism will announce the recipient of the 2016 PRISM COMICS QUEER PRESS GRANT at the “ALPHABET – 10 Years of the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant” panel on Saturday, March 26 from 5:30 – 6:30 pm in Room 502A
The Prism Comics Queer Press Grant is one of the only annual financial grants in the comics field.
“For 10 years the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant has been awarded to fifteen outstanding comics creators to help them publish their works of LGBTQ interest.” says Queer Press Grant Chair, Jon Macy. “And we’ve had an amazing number of creators who have submitted for the Grant whose work was unique, diverse and deserving of recognition.” In honor of The Queer Press Grant, Prism Board Members Tara Madison Avery and Jon Macy have gathered together over 50 comics creators for an all-color anthology of new works from creators who have received the Queer Press Grant, submitted for the Grant or supported the Grant. The book, which will be released this spring by Stacked Deck Press is called ALPHABET, and a portion of the sales of each book will benefit future Queer Press Grants.
Prism will also present three panels on LGBTQ comics and popular media:
TRANSGENDER IN POPULAR MEDIA
Friday, March 25, 2016, 5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m., Room: 502A
Transgender people are making their mark on popular culture from comics to movies to television. What are the advantages of having trans creators tell trans stories? What barriers are left to break as trans people achieve greater notoriety in popular media? How will transgender characters affect the kinds of genres and stories we love to read or watch? Join moderator Prism Comics and moderator Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Anything That Loves, Prism Comics Board Member) and panelists Shadi Petosky (Danger & Eggs), Julie Rei Goldstein (Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom), Mikki Del Monico (Alto), Gillian Cameron (Calogrenant) and Kat Blaque (vlogger and illustrator) for a lively discussion covering these and other topics.
ALPHABET – 10 YEARS OF THE PRISM COMICS QUEER PRESS GRANT
Saturday, March 26, 2016, 5:30p.m. – 6:30p.m., Room: 502A
For over a decade, the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant has been given to up-and-coming LGBTQIA creators to help them bring their diverse styles and voices to the reading public. Now Stacked Deck Press has published an anthology entitled ALPHABET to commemorate the grant and its influence. The book features a roster of diverse queer cartoonists whose talent and experience are destined to change how we read comics in the decade to come. Please join Prism Comics and moderator Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Merrier) and ALPHABET contributors Sonya Saturday (Why Do You Cry When I’m on Top?), Ajuan Mance (Gender Studies), Elizabeth Beier (Bisexual Trials and Errors), Josh Trujillo (Death Saves, Love Machines), and Vi Cao (David Doesn’t Get It) with special guest William O. Tyler (Ratboy) for a lively discussion of their work and diversity in LGBTQ comics. Following the discussion, Prism Comics will announce the recipient of the 2016 Queer Press Grant.
X-OVER: THE CROSS SECTION OF GAY CULTURE AND GEEL CULTURE
Sunday, March 27, 2016, 3:00p.m. – 4:00p.m., Room: 515A
Once relegated to the fringe of society, LGBTQ culture has shifted dynamically into the mainstream over the last 15 years as witnessed by the acceptance of Marriage Equality, a transgender Olympian receiving standing ovations and more positive LGBTQ characters in film and television than ever before. Even the geekosphere, a traditionally straight boy’s club, is increasingly crossing over into the queer realm with gay comic book characters like Midnighter, lesbian characters on Gotham and Adventure Time and Ryan Reynolds admittedly bisexual Deadpool film. Join Prism Comics and Moderator, Mike Ciriaco (Hype, writer for LA Weekly, Frontiers) as he discusses the origins, trends and benefits of the overlap of geek and gay with panelists Josh Trujillo (Love Machines, Death Saves), Sina Grace (Self Obsessed), Tara Madison Avery (Gooch, Anything That Loves), Mike Manning (An Act of Love, Youthful Daze, Delirium), Jim McCann (Return of the Dapper Men, Mind the Gap), Ted Biaselli (The Haunting Hour, Spooksville) and Gordon Bellamy (game developer).
CREATOR AND COSPLAYER APPEARANCE SCHEDULE AS OF MARCH 17*
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
SHOW HOURS – 11:30 am – 7 pm
Alex Woolfson – all day
1:30 am – 1 pm – Robert Paul
1 – 2 pm – Robert Paul, David Reddish
2 – 3 pm – Michael Varrati, Elizabeth Beier / Cosplayer – Jillian Marie
3 – 4 pm – Elizabeth Beier / Cosplayers – Cathy Kutz/Bernadette (Xena and Gabrielle)
4 – 5 pm – Cosplayers – Mark Price and TsukixxHime
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
SHOW HOURS – 9 am – 7 pm
Alex Woolfson – all day
9 – 10 am – PK Eiselt
10 – 11 am – PK Eiselt
10 – 11 am – Jeff Krell
11 – 12 pm – Robert Paul, Jeff Krell / Cosplayer – Spencer Neustadt
12 – 1 pm – Robert Paul, Elizabeth Beier
1 – 2 pm – Jase Peeples, Elizabeth Beier
2 – 3 pm – Jase Peeples, Michael Varrati
3 – 4 pm – Michael Varrati, Sonya Saturday / Cosplayer – Chris Riley
4 – 5 pm – Sonya Saturday, David Reddish
SUNDAY, MARCH 27
SHOW HOURS – 9:30 am – 5 pm
Alex Woolfson – all day
9:30 – 11 am – PK Eiselt
11 am – 12 pm – Robert Paul / Cosplayer: KPM Cosplay
12 – 1 pm – Robert Paul, David Reddish / Cosplayer: Lezz Trooper
1 – 2 pm – Jase Peeples, Sonya Saturday / Cosplayer: Michelle La Belle
2 – 3 pm – Jase Peeples, Elizabeth Beier / Cosplayer: Deadly Z
3 – 4 pm – Elizabeth Beier, Sonya Saturday
*Schedule subject to change. Check at the Prism Booth 1819 for updates