MacArthur Foundation

The MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, often referred to as the "MacArthur Genius Grant" is one of the highest honors a person can achieve in recognition of creativity in their field. It is awarded to scientists, artists, community leaders, and other exceptional individuals who display “originality, insight and potential”. Yesterday, the recipients of the 2016 MacArthur Fellowship were announced and among them was cartoonist Gene Luen Yang.

Cartoonist Alison Bechdel is virtually a household name at this point. Her comics, including Fun Home and Dykes To Watch Out For, are deservedly critically acclaimed, and 'The Bechdel Test' has become an increasingly relevant shorthand for analysis of gender diversity in fiction. In other words, she's a genius, and today, that became official. Bechdel is one of the latest recipients of The MacArthur Foundation's "Genius Grant," which honors "talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction," and comes with an award of $625,000 that can be spent any way the recipient sees fit.