Now Presenting the latest, greatest mini-comics
Each year the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo enthusiastically supports self-published comics by awarding MICE Mini-Grants to independent creators. We are thrilled to be back in person and to celebrate the hard work and talents of our exhibitors with MICE Mini-Grants. MICE Mini-Grants offer funding to help creators print their work, provide focused marketing and promotional support, and a top-notch distribution channel for their comics thanks to our partner Radiator Comics.
our partners
The Mini-Grant program is made possible thanks to a matching financial contribution from PrintNinja. We are also excited to announce our continued partnership with Radiator Comics, which offers winning entries an open opportunity for retail and online distribution.
MINI-GRANT 2023 Showcase
Congratulations to all of our MICE Mini-Grant winners of 2023! These award-winning selections will be available for purchase at the exhibitors' tables and later this year from Radiator Comics.
How to Learn to Code in Ten Easy Steps While Planning a Trip to Paris and Influencing People
Alexandra Gallant - 26A
A 28-page comic about finding your passion, believing in yourself and making your dreams come true... mostly to spite one guy.
All-ages
Homebound #1
Carlos Jambrina - 2A
Homebound #1 is the first issue in a new scifi-cozy-fantasy series; it tells the tale of Ona, an 18-month toddler stuck with three strangers: a talking lizard, his human sister and a space traveler. Together, they embark on a road trip full of comedy, action and slice-of-life scenes across a homey yet mysterious planet, on a journey to find the baby's home. 56 pages, grayscale
Teens and up
My Deadline is Tomorrow, But My Co-worker is Too Annoying!
Cynthia Yuan Cheng - 45A
MICE Mini-Grant 2023 Grand Prize Winner!
At the office, a number of challenges await the average worker. Endless deadlines, overtime, unexpected romance, work-life-balance, and… annoying co-workers. In this office comedy comic, Slip and Bubu have a rough night as they attempt to hit their next-day deadline!
Teens and up
HaciendA
Issue 2
Dave Ortega - 53A
The second in this new series of short stories by Dave Ortega. In "The Getaway", a reality dating show's formula is upended when a cast member disappears. The subsequent investigation by two young journalists leads to an unexpected place, even as they are hampered by the show's domineering producer, Maria.
Teens and up
Cat Gang Comix Issue #1
Ellen Chao - 9B
The daily adventures of funky cat teens Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and To Do as they navigate new experiences: exciting job opportunities! Summer classes! Magic?!! And more!
Teens and up
Blue & Red
Ellie Erhart - 34B
When I was eighteen, I entered an emotionally abusive relationship that didn't fully end for over two years. Gaslighting can make you lose your sense of self; this comic is about what that feels like. And what happened. And what it’s been like to move on.
Teens and up
Lamb to Slaughter
Ellie Liota - 7A
Lamb to Slaughter is horror comic about identity, loss, and the sacrifices we make for family. A wolf returns home from the hunt to her young siblings and critical mother. As tensions rise during a family dinner and secrets begin to unravel, the characters are pushed into moral gray areas where the boundaries between victim and victimizer blur in the pursuit of vengeance.
Mature readers
Kid Chrysalis: Butterfly Warrior
Gabriel Joy Reid - 45B
"17-year-old Chris Caden has a big secret, and it’s not that their Dad, Andres Caden, is a superhero protecting their city from crime! Nope, it’s that Chris also has a superpower of their own: a supernatural ability to transform into a mythical butterfly heroine. But as an otherworldly danger draws near, Chris’ secret identity won’t be a secret for long, and their new superhero expression will soon become a family matter.
“Kid Chrysalis: Butterfly Warrior” is a coming-of-age superhero graphic novella created to help increase positive Black and LGBTQ+ representation in content for kids and teens, encourage dialogue around transgender experiences, and empower readers with the courage to live unapologetically!"
Teens and up
Dear You
Giles Crawford - 20B
Louis has an existential breakdown on i95 after seeing Jawbreaker in March, 1996.
Teens and up
A Question Left Unanswered
Ly Riordan - 3A
Brigid frees a rabbit from a trap, and in return he promises to answer three questions. He answers two-predicting her future- but is killed by a passing lord's hunting dogs before he can answer the third. Even as the rabbit's predictions come to pass, her final question remains unanswered.
Teens and up
Working Cats
Maritsa Patrinos - 58A
"Working Cats" is a small zine featuring short gag comics that follow the new kitten on the block. Through him, we see the intricacies of bodega cat society within his Brooklyn neighborhood as taught to him by Sula, a veteran bodega cat who takes him under her wing.
All-ages
Milk!
Rachel Bivens - 80A
Milk! is an absurdist comedy mini-comic following an unsuspecting group of people waiting in line for milk and the antics that get in the way of their desires.
Teens and up
Purchase More Time
Sharon De La Cruz - 84A
A poetry comic about a Dad and a daughter.
All-ages
When She Set Fire to My Friend's Houses
Vincy Lim - 34A
Growing up disabled isn’t easy – much less when severe abuse seeps under the surface of everyday life. A story of survival and recovery during and after abuse, and the hope that there’s a life worth living despite all circumstances. When the odds are against you; when the police don’t believe you and laugh in your face; when the authorities tell you to give up and remain under abuse so at least you can have a roof over your head instead of facing homelessness on the streets, and managing to pull through to escape and thrive regardless. Knowing that you’re worth more than the life you’ve been given and making a name for yourself, even if it’s reclaiming the name you’ve been born with.
Mature readers
How To Fall In Love
Violet Kitchen - 80B
An abstract, meandering poem-comic about wanting too much from the world.
Teens and up