The 'Chad in Amsterdam' writer is hopefully the first of many more MMC recipients.
Today is a good day. Chad Bilyeu receives the first-ever Make More Comics Arts Grant. A gesture that rings across the internet and inspires both fans and creators alike. Art has value. It costs, and it spends.
We like to think of ourselves as champions for comics. We love this medium. We love its artists. We want them to thrive, and we want the rest of the world to love them as much as we do.
Finding others who feel the same way is always an incredibly exhilarating experience. Passion feeds passion. Get enough of us in one room, and not only do you have an explosive convention on your hands, but a breeding ground for ideas. You gotta feed that fire; fan the flames and let it run wild and catch elsewhere.
The Make More Comics (MMC) Arts Grant came to life just last year when the world was seemingly at its bleakest. Comics patron (and also, mind you, an actual Comic Book Couples Counseling patron) Will Hoffknecht cobbled the Grant together with the desire to follow in the revolutionary Xeric Grant's footsteps. The MMC Arts Grant offers a modest amount of cash to the recipient as a buoy to keep their comics flowing.
Peter Laird, the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, established the Xeric Grant in 1992. For twenty years, it helped struggling geniuses like David Choe, Jeff Lemire, and Tom Scioli grow their comic book work. The MMC is new and just getting started. If they can achieve just a fraction of what the Xerica Grant achieved, then they will have committed wonders.
We're watching the MMC closely. It's an organization after our own hearts. No one starts making comics to become millionaires. They do so because they can't imagine doing anything else. They need promoters and defenders like the MMC.
And, hey, while you're here, why don't you jump on over to Chad Bilyeu's site and pick up a few of his Chad in Amsterdam comics. We just bought the bundle and eagerly await their arrival. If you want to give it a try first, Bilyeu, in response to today's news, has made the digital first issue free. Download HERE.
Also, be sure to hop on over to The Comics Lounge and watch their interview with Bilyeu about becoming the first Make More Comics Arts Grant winner.
Below, you can read the official MMC press release.
2021 Make More Comics Grant Announcement
PATTERSON, California - The Make More Comics Arts Grant is proud to announce the winner of the inaugural MMC Grant. Out of all the qualified submission packets we received the judging panel has chosen Chad Bilyeu and the next issue of his continuing comics project Chad in Amsterdam as our 2021 award recipient.
Chad in Amsterdam is an autobiographical anthology comic series told through short slice-of-life vignettes. Each story focuses on the life of Chad, an American living in Amsterdam through a direct and honest voice that reminds us of the works of Harvey Pekar and his American Splendor series. The stories, all written by Chad Bilyeu, feature a wide range of artists and styles.
”I can't remember life without being able to read, and I don't remember reading without comic books being a part of my personal library” stated Chad Bilyeu. “I'd like to thank 100% Comics and all of the judges involved for selecting me for this grant. I'll do my best to make my sixth issue something special and honest, as I continue working towards getting good at this comic creation business.”
For more information on Chad Bilyeu, you contact him and purchase his work at https://www.chadinamsterdam.nl/
The Make More Comics Arts Grant was founded in 2020 by Will Hoffknecht of Patterson, California with the goal of providing direct cash payments to support new and creative works in small press comic creation. The 2021 award was the first award granted and news about the 2022 grant will be announced later this year. For more information visit makemorecomics.com.