The deadline for this year’s Queer Press Grant (QPG) is coming up soon—on September 1, 2011! As the Xeric Foundation is no longer awarding grants for comics, the QPG is the only grant today that is given to independent comic book creators. Get your applications in now! The grant was established by Prism Comics to assist in the publication and promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender comics.

"The Queer Press Grant is a significant resource to help promote LGBT themes in independent comics, and to support up-and-coming cartoonists bringing their projects into the world," says Justin Hall, Prism's Talent Relations Chair.

This year’s submission deadline has been moved up to September 1st this year so that the recipient can be announced during San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo taking place from October 1-2. Applicants can submit online now at prismcomics.org/grant.

The Grant is awarded to a comics writer/artist or team working on a project with LGBT characters or themes, to assist them in publishing a new project or expanding an existing one. Entries are judged first and foremost by artistic merit, followed by concerns such as financial need, proposal presentation, and the project's contribution to the LGBT community. They are reviewed by the Prism Board and past recipients of the Grant, with the larger advisory board brought in when tiebreakers are needed.

Grant guidelines can be found at prismcomics.org/grant. Questions about the grant can be directed to Justin Hall at justin@prismcomics.org.

The Queer Press Grant is funded entirely by donations, generally from comic book professionals and readers plus fundraising efforts from Prism members including Charles “Zan” Christensen and Roger Klorese. To donate to the Queer Press Grant, prismcomics.org/donate.php or donate through Prism's Facebook Causes page for the 2011 QPG. From these contributions, the standard amount of the Grant in the past few years has been $2,000.

Since its inception, the Queer Press Grant has been awarded to Tana Ford (2010: Duck), Jon Macy (2010: Fearful Hunter, Ed Luce (2009: Wuvable Oaf), Eric Orner (2009: Storybox), Pam Harrison (2008: House of the Muses), Justin Hall (2007: Glamazonia), Tommy Roddy (2007: Pride High), Megan Gedris (2006: YU+ME), and Steve MacIsaac (2005: Shiftlifter)

Prism Comics promotes the works of the LGBT community in comics. It does not implicitly endorse any other material or products associated with those works. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s).