Call for Submissions: 2023 Mini-Comic Bursary for Black and Indigenous Creators
The Mini-Comic Bursary for Black and Indigenous Creators is now open for submission! This annual bursary, which aims to support these under-represented voices in Canada’s comics industry, provides a $1000 to a Black or Indigenous person living in Canada for the creation and production of a mini-comic. This bursary is limited to developing and emerging creators but all ages and genders are welcome.
This year, we’re taking a new approach to our selection process: we’ve invited the last three bursary winners to select the 2023 recipient. We’re thrilled to announce that artists Talysha Bujold-Abu, Jazz Groden-Gilchrist, and Jordanna George have all agreed to serve on this year’s jury.
How to Apply: To apply for the 2023 bursary, send 3-5 sample pages to sal@conundrumpress.com.
Deadline: December 31 2023
Meet the Jury!
Talysha Bujold-Abu (she/her) is an illustrator, administrator, and writer – she holds a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Windsor (2018) and is recipient of the Conundrum Press Mini-Comic Bursary for Black and Indigenous Creators (2021). Residencies include: New Zealand Pacific Studio (2016), ArtsPond (2020-2021), Pelee Quarry – Stone & Sky Artists Residency (2020-2021), and Struts Gallery (2022).
Jazz Groden-Gilchrist: Jazz is an adopted black Vancouver based comic artist. He uses the safe(-ish) distance of storytelling to explore identity, complex familial relations, and responsibility, and loves creating diverse fantasy settings. Jazz also enjoys Ultimate Frisbee, Dungeons and Dragons, and awful puns. He is represented by the fantastic Jennifer Azantian.
Jordanna George: Jordanna George hails from the T’Sou-ke Nation in Sooke, BC. They hold a BFA in visual art from the University of Victoria, and now live in Coquitlam, BC on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Kwikwetlem nations. As a queer biracial illustrator and comics artist/writer, they love exploring themes of identity, belonging, and hope–especially pertaining to LGBT+ and Indigenous narratives–and combining these themes with their love of fantasy and sci-fi. They can be found online at jordannageorge.com and as @raebirdart.