First-Ever Prism Award Winners Announced



The First-Ever Prism Comics awards have wrapped up, and we at Panel Patter are happy to list the award-winners and the finalists for each Category! Here they are, with links for you to seek out the great work involved!

BEST SHORT FORM COMIC 

Nothing Wrong With Me by Dylan Edwards, originally published on The Nib: https://thenib.com/nothing-wrong-with-me

Finalists: 
Flux
 by E Jackson http://eshiel.com/ – http://flux.eshiel.com/ 
Liar 
by Hari Conner http://www.hari-illustration.com/ – https://gumroad.com/l/BtKou#
The Kiss of the Demoness
 by Gillian Pascasio http://7clubs.tumblr.com/ -

BEST WEBCOMIC

Villainette by Scout Tran-Caffe http://strip.villainette.com

Finalists:
With Great Abandon 
by EH MacMillian https://withgreatabandon.tumblr.com/Failing Sky: Ghost Story by Scout Tran-Caffee http://failingsky.com/ghoststory

BEST COMIC FROM A SMALL TO MIDSIZE PRESS

Short Gay Stories
 by H-P Lehkonen http://hplehkonen.com/

Finalists: 
Destiny, NY Volume One: Who I Used to Be
 by Pat Shand (Writer), Manuel Preitano (Artist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), and Shannon Lee (Editor)https://www.storenvy.com/stores/980896-continuity-entertainment 
Active Voice The Comic Collection
 by P. Kristen Enos (writer), Heidi Ho (contributing writer), Casandra Grullon (artist), Derek Chua (artist), Leesamarie Croal (artist), Beth Varni (artist), and Dan Parent (cover art) http://www.pkristenenos.com/avgraphicnovel/

BEST SINGLE ISSUE FROM A MAINSTREAM PUBLISHER

The Backstagers #1
 by James Tynion IV (writer), and Rian Sygh (artist), 2016, from BOOM!Box https://www.comixology.com/The-Backstagers-1-of-8/digital-comic/410464

Finalists: 

Supergirl: Being Super #1
 by Mariko Tamaki (writer), Joëlle Jones (pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Kelly Fitzpatrick (colorist), Saida Temofonte (letters), Jones and Fitzpatrick (cover art), 2016, DC Entertainment https://www.comixology.com/Supergirl-Being-Super-2016-1/digital-comic/431009 
Lumberjanes #17
 by Noelle Stevenson (writer), Shannon Watters (writer), and Brooke Allen (artist), 2015, BOOM!Box https://www.comixology.com/Lumberjanes-17/digital-comic/260036
BEST ANTHOLOGY

POWER & MAGIC: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology,
 edited by Joamette Gil, 2016, P&M Press https://gumroad.com/powerandmagicpress  

Finalists: 

Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology
 edited by Sfé R. Monster & Taneka Stotts https://www.beyond-press.com/

Food Porn edited by Gina Biggs http://comicorgy.com/print/food-porn-print-edition/
Chainmail Bikini: The Anthology of Women Gamers
 edited by Hazel Newlevant http://chainmail-bikini.com/

I was very fortunate to be a judge for two of these categories, and while I don't want to share which ones, I can tell you that it was very difficult to make final decisions. I'll share here what I just said on Twitter a little bit ago, edited because I don't have a character limit here on the site. ;)

First, congratulations to all of the winners--very well deserved!

If you were a finalist, but didn't win, know that it was VERY hard for us to make final calls among such great work! Even with an awesome guide provided to us as judges, a lot of these decisions were a matter of degree. 

And if you submitted at all? Let me tell you, so many of you lovely queers are doing great work, and a lot of good comics just missed out. I was introduced to so many new voices, and my horizons were expanded, especially those working on comics relating to being asexual, an area of queerness I admit I'm not as familiar with as I should be.

To my entire queer family in comics, and to those I haven't met yet but are seeing this: Keep writing! Keep drawing! Keep showing people WE DESERVE OUR PLACE IN THE COMICS COMMUNITY. 

We aren't going to let the assholes win this one. We are comics and comics are us. And once again, I'm so happy that we here at Panel Patter are doing our best to make sure people get the biggest platform they can for some of the best comics being made today.