Prism Comics 2016 Queer Press Award Recipients Named

This weekend at WonderCon saw the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant awarded at a panel celebrating ten years of the grant, which assists creators who want to self-publish comics with LGBTQ themes. This year the grant was awarded jointly to Catherine Esguerra for Eighty Days and Elizabeth Beier for I Like Your Headband.

Esguerra’s Eighty Days is an alternative fiction story set in 1935, about a delivery pilot who falls in love with a thief --- but their romance faces obstacles from the ruling class of pilots in a Eurasian society. Beier’s I Like Your Headband is an auto-bio comic about discovering and exploring bisexuality in childhood along with true stories of the author’s dating life.

In a press release announcing the winners, Jon Macy, the Prism Comics Queer Press Grant Chair stated:

"The Prism Comics Queer Press Grant, is more than just financial assistance, it celebrates queer comics creators, and brings attention to new, and often unheard, voices in our community. it's a very exciting time for LGBTQAIU comics."

The first Queer Press Grant was awarded in 2005 to Steve MacIsaac for his comic Shirtlifter, and over the past decade has been awarded to the likes of Pam Harrison, Tana Ford and last year's recipient, Dave Davenport. Entries are judged foremost on their artistic quality, but also on their financial need, proposal presentation, and the project's contribution to the LGBT community.

You can find more information about Prism Comics at prismcomics.org, about Elizabrth Beier at elizabethdrewyou.com and about Catherine Esguerra at catherineesguerra.daportfolio.com.