Comic books are breaking all kinds of cultural barriers these days. Over the weekend DC Comics was honored at the 15th annual Prism Awards for their accurate portrayal of mental health/drug abuse in two titles.
The first of which, The Rise of Arsenal focuses on Roy Harper’s battle against drug addiction in the wake of losing his daughter. The second is a Vertigo title called Greek Street, which in the recent Ajax storyline dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Look for the award-winning Greek Street storyline in Volume 3 which hits stores in September. You can read The Rise of Arsenal in the recently released hardcover graphic novel, Justice League: The Rise and Fall.
About the Prism Awards:
The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) annually presents, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), FX Network, and News Corporation, the PRISM Awards™, a nationally-televised awards show recognizing the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental illness: prevention, treatment and recovery in film, television, interactive, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment. Established in 1997, the PRISM Awards honor productions that are not only powerfully entertaining, but realistically show substance abuse and addiction, as well as mental health issues.
PRISM Award submissions are put through a rigorous nomination review process, judged by members of the creative community and scientific experts for entertainment value, accessibility of the message, and scientific accuracy. The production in each category that best exemplifies these three objectives is presented with a PRISM trophy at the annual event, held in Hollywood.
The PRISM Awards also has categories to recognize actors for their outstanding performances of substance abuse, addiction and mental illness onscreen, in television and feature films. These categories expand our celebration of “the art of making a difference” to include those who use themselves and their performances as instruments to show the real-life effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and mental illness on the lives of the characters they play and their loved ones.
The PRISM Awards program features several special PRISM Awards categories, such as the Larry Stewart Leadership & Inspiration Award. Each year, the Larry Stewart Award is presented to an entertainment industry professional for leading and inspiring the industry to make a difference on drug, alcohol, tobacco, and/or mental health issues. The award is named for founding EIC Board Director Larry Stewart, a veteran writer/producer/director who was a leading light in EIC’s efforts to collaborate with the entertainment industry on promoting and facilitating the accurate depiction of health and social issues.
EIC also presents a PRISM Heritage Award for the creators and/or stars of productions released before the founding of the PRISM Awards that accurately portray drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction, as well as mental health issues. The Heritage Award honors the legacy of accurate depiction, and spotlights creators and performers who demonstrated excellence in portraying these issues before the advent of the PRISM Awards.
The PRISM Awards encourage creators to make the most of their rights to free creative expression, while at the same time showing the reality of these health issues. As a part of the industry, EIC never wants to inhibit the creative process; however, we take pride in being the first to applaud creators who use their power and influence over their audiences wisely and responsibly, informing them while at the same time entertaining them. This is what we refer to as “the art of making a difference,” and that is what EIC and the PRISM Awards are all about.
[Sources] DC, Prism Awards
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