New Hi8us Comic Scheme Launched

If you’re 16 plus, with a passion for comic art and live in the West Midlands, then Hi8us Midlands’ latest free comic art scheme, called Comix, could be for you. Applications for the competitive scheme, are now being accepted for consideration.

All the lucky winners will get to work with people on similar schemes across Europe and get a supported trip to a comic art festival in Spain and the Birmingham’s International Comics Show.

20 talented individuals will get the opportunity to develop their skills with John McCrea (X-Men, Spider-Man and The Hulk), Hunt Emerson (The Beano, Fortean Times), Laura Howell (The Beano, The DFC), IMAF winner for Best New Manga Asia Alfasi and Andi Watson (Geisha, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) amongst others.

Comix is a competitive scheme with only 20 places available for anyone 16+ who lives in the West Midlands and welcomes applications from all groups. (Women are particularly encouraged as they're still under-represented in the comics industry). If you're interested in submitting, applicants don't need any previous qualifications -- just passion, talent/potential and commitment to work hard!

To submit for the chance to participate, send Hi8us examples of your best and most recent work. They're looking for good photocopies of two to four pages of pencilled, original continuous comic-strip preferably without lettering (they don’t want pictures of single characters standing around). In other words, they want you to illustrate a comic story without drawing the words or speech bubbles (if you’ve already put text on your artwork they will however accept it). The most improtant thing about your subission is to show how you draw and also how you tell a story in pictures.

• At the latest, submissions must reach Hi8us by 6.00pm on Monday 1st June 2009.

• A full application pack with guidelines is available to download from the Hi8us web site: www.hi8us.co.uk

• An informal recruitment session will take place on Tuesday 26th May, offering an introduction to the scheme and opportunity to meet the lead artists, John McCrea and Hunt Emerson. Hi8us strongly recommend anyone wishing to apply to bring their submission artwork and application form to the recruitment session or, at the very least, examples of work. Contact Hi8us via email (kulwant@hi8us.co.uk) or telephone (0121 753 7700) as soon as possible to book your place at the Recruitment Session.