Hey all,

After settling up the bill from the printer this week, Prism Comics is in some serious financial straits. We're still several thousand dollars in the red after printing our (lovely!) 2004 guide to LGBT comics, and if we don't turn our fiscal ship around in the next few months, the chances of doing another guide project this summer are not high.

How can you help?

PRISM COMICS 2004
We need people all over the country to promote our guide to their local LGBT bookshops, comics shops and alternative bookstores. If we can get a wave of new orders, that will help out a lot. We can set you up with sample copies of the book and help you find local stores to contact. Email me at zan@prismcomics.org to pitch in.

PRISM COMICS ONLINE STORE
If you need a place to do your holiday shopping, might I suggest the Prism Comics Online Store? We've just added a little "100%" graphic that tells you which items have been donated outright, and whose sale helps Prism Comics the most.



TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS
If you know someone (or are someone) who likes to do year-end charitable giving and wants to support LGBT folks working in the arts, may we suggest Prism Comics? Talk to your family, friends and coworkers... I asked my Mom! Donations to Prism Comics are tax-deductible since we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which many donors look for.

LINK TO US
If you operate a website, make sure you've got a link to PrismComics.org on it! (There are some lovely banners here.) If you're active on message boards, suggest us as a resource for LGBT comics news and to shop for queer comics. (Or if you know Rich Johnston and can get him to plug us in Lying in the Gutters...)

Thanks for your support everyone! You help us help 154 LGBT creators and counting!

... but maybe you could put some of the guides up for auction. Instead of listing on eBay try Alternabid.com (formerly known as AlternaBay.com). This is a fantastic auction site for the community by the community. Ronnie (site owner) is super nice. He usually doesn't have any listing fees. Only downfall is that traffic/bids can kinda be slow at times. You'd get much higher volumes at eBay probablly.

OH, another thing, if listing sounds like a possibility perhaps you can get some copies of the guide autographed. Also, you could list some of the other items that are up in the shop right now. Again, merely suggestions...

Is there a webpage that says how much Prismcomics is in the red ?
(maybe when Prismcomics is no longer in the red that webpage can say what expenses (and desired expenses) there are and how much Prismcomics has towards those expenses.

Perhaps Prism could do print on demand for this years guide vs what we assume was a huge bulk order on some sort of credit or payment plan.

We're not sure how things are handled and what plans are already in the works for this year's guide but print on demand is so much nicer on the old pocket book!

Also print on demand would allow you to order just what you need when you need it.

We use a site called comixpress.com that specializes in print on demand. They can fufill big and small orders as long as they're given enough time.

The 2005 Update will done as print-on-demand.

All of the expenses Prism incurs are program service-related. For example, several thousand copies of the 2004 Guide were given to various gay & lesbian centers across the country to distribute to their local communities, and copies of the 2004 Guide were also given to 120 different LGBT Archives. Convention appearances such as Comic-Con International are also considered community outreach--we rarely recoup the cost of exhibiting, but cons are vital to our mission of promoting LGBT comics and creators to the general public.

Will the 2005 guide be in an upcoming Previews catalog? (or has 2005 guide already been in a Previews catalog?)

120 archives! WOW!
Is there a webpage listing GLBT archives ? (also interested in list of GLBT libaries)

I cobbled Prism's list of archives together from several online sources. Send me your e-mail to rich@prismcomics.org and I will send you the latest list that I have.

Have things improved with the option of banner advertising? Or do you need volunteers to head out and recruit advertisers to pay for space on your site?

I think our financial ship has been righted... we're all-volunteer and don't spend money extravagantly, and we've found our equilibirium over the past few years. It was a little rocky in those early days, when we weren't quite sure of our limits.

But it never hurts to have more advertisers! Anyone that you might know who's looking to reach LGBT comics fans, I don't know of a better place to point them!