On November 1, nominations will open for The Zelda awards, a new honor celebrating the outstanding achievements of women in comic book culture. In this session, Tyler is joined by founder Karla Medrano and committee member Sarah Cooke to discuss this new initiative, why it’s necessary, why now, and how female comic creators and their allies can get involved!
Highlights of This Session Include:
- Why Karla decided to found the Zelda Awards to shine a light on women in comics.
- Sarah shares her role in the awards committee and the importance of visibility for women in comics.
- Behind-the-scenes aspects of organizing the awards and some exciting things planned for the first event.
- The need to invest in oneself to succeed in the comics industry.
Today’s Episode is Sponsored by…
…the ComixLaunch Masterclass, learn my 4 Step Framework for a Profitable Comic Book Kickstarter Launch when you sign up for this new FREE training at ComixLaunch.com/class
Today’s Featured Guests:
Karla “Moon the Storyteller” Medrano is a passionate creator, nurse, wife, and mom with a deep commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices through storytelling and media. Her first major project, Luna, not only captured hearts but also earned awards and recognition in the indie space. Building on this success, she launched the Ororo Comics Podcast in 2024 with Dr. Ebony Toussaint, blending discussions on health, culture, and comics. Within months, their innovative podcast won the Comic Book Community Award for Best Unknown Channel, cementing its place in the industry.
Continuing her mission to empower creators, she launched Ink the Future, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that amplifies the voices of underrepresented creators. Her very first initiative is The Zelda Awards, a program dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women in comic book culture.
Now, she’s turning the page to a new chapter with the launch of Blaq Girl Comics. She aims to amplify the experiences of Brown & Blaq girls & women from across the globe.
Sarah Cooke (she/her) won Mad Cave’s 2023 Talent Search and the 2023 Negative Space Women’s Comic Book Writing Competition. Her published works include a short in the Flash Gordon Quarterly #4 called Dale Arden: Hero of Mongo, No Spell Lasts Forever, and a number of shorts. She is the editor of Volumes 1 and 2 of a science-fiction anthology called Faster Than Light. And an essay she wrote appears in the book How to Analyze & Review Comics: A Handbook on Comics Criticism. As a comics reporter, she has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Women Write About Comics, CBR, Voice of Youth Advocates, WTAP Television, and more.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:
More About Our Sponsor:
I sold the first comic I created when I was 14 years old out of my backpack in high school to a classmate for a crisp one dollar bill…
…It was the greatest feeling in the world!
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ComixLauncher [537]
Go nominate some women for Zelda awards!
How to Find Out More About Our Featured Guests:
Zelda Awards are on Instagram, @the_zelda_awards. And the website is https://thezeldaawards.org
Follow Sarah Cooke at Instagram/Bluesky: @sarahccomics, Substack: sarahlindseycooke.substack.com.
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