CCSF alumnus nominated for 2024 Ignatz Award for anthology comic
By: Rae Daniels-Henderson
rdanie16@mail.ccsf.edu
City College alumnus Desmond Miller is one of Small Press Expo’s “Outstanding Anthology” 2024 Ignatz Award nominees for his collaborative comic book We Belong.
The comic book is an all-Black, all-LGBTQ+ sci-fi and fantasy anthology created by over 20 comic creators. Editors Viktor T. Kerney and William O. Tyler won the 2024 Kinnard Better Future Award for their work on the book.
Miller graduated from CCSF in 2014 with his Associate of Arts degree in Communication Studies, although he originally wanted to be an entertainment journalist.
While studying at CCSF, Miller served as editor-in-chief for The Guardsman and also wrote for Etc. Magazine.
Desmond Miller has been writing for around 17 years and has always been interested in comics, “I have been reading comics since I was a little boy,” he said.
Miller “came to illustration recently,” when he could not find an illustrator for his pages in We Belong in enough time, so he put himself to the test and did it himself. He taught himself how to use ProCreate on his iPad. “It was a nightmare and there were times I wanted to give up, but I didn’t and it worked out,” he said.
It was Miller’s first paid gig as an author and writer, seven months later the comic was published by Stacked Deck Press. “ I wrote and drew six pages, colored, and lettered it,” he said.
Miller’s comics focus on black, brown, and LGBTQ+ characters and feels that there is still a “lack of POC voices in fantasy.” So, he has many more stories to be told.
Miller finds inspiration everywhere and is constantly creating stories, “I am a writer and fledgling artist.” He has created and is continuing to create a wide range of projects from child adventure stories, mythology, and more.
When asked about his past projects, he enthusiastically remembered, “Oh, and I made a movie!” The “semi autobiography,” is titled “Souls of Splendor,” and can be found on YouTube.
He has made a children’s adventure book based on one of his nephews titled, Between Here and the Lint Trap, which can be found on rltpress.com.
Three issues of Hansel and Gretel: Agents of the Coven, illustrated by Jon Spencer, The Foxhunters, which is based on ancient Japanese mythology.
One of Desmond’s favorite projects that he has worked on was Robinson Crusoe in the 6th Dimension, about an African-American protagonist who gets trapped on an alternative Earth. This story was Miller’s first published panels.
Some of Desmond Miller’s current projects include a live Podcast every Thursday called The Geek Chat, another anthology, but this time about Queers in sports, types of stories with inspiration from “Wicked,” and short fiction Queer slasher, horror stories.
Talking about his long and beautiful list of accomplishments, Miller advises anyone else to “make art for your own sake, don’t worry about who you look up to, just do it.”
When he feels a spark of inspiration, he acts on it, even while commuting on places like BART. Miller’s constant creative journey is an inspiration, in 2007 he created his own comic book publishing company, Slumberland Press.
What is impressive, it’s that he did all of this while working full-time and going to school. What you can take from Desmond is doing what you love is a “good outlet,” and that there can be a sense of fulfillment from “not talking down about yourself and getting out there and doing it.”
Miller’s positive message is that he wants us all to take from his work, no matter the obstacles, trials and tribulations– it can be done.