Unmask Corruption competition Launched

Corruption is both a cause of poverty and a barrier to overcoming it, and one of the most serious obstacles to eradicating poverty. Now, experimental youth initiative Ctrl.Alt.Shift - a community of self proclaimed “outspoken” individuals working to highlight corruption through their own magazine - have joined forces with Oscar nominated Marjane Satrapi (author of Persepolis), and acclaimed musician and writer Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion) to launch their Unmasks Corruption competition.

The two artists will judge a competition along with Comica Director Paul Gravett, Musician and Writer/Artist duo V V Brown and David Allain to give people the chance to create a unique comic style story in collaboration with Dev Hynes.

After the first round of judging at the end of September, five shortlisted entrants will be given Lightspeed Champion’s comic script as inspiration and asked to create a visual adaptation of the story. The winning commission will be published in a comic and form part of an exhibition around the theme of corruption at Lazarides Gallery in London's Soho, coinciding with Comica this November at The Institute Of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London.

“We’re looking for someone who can really communicate through their drawing," explains Paul Gravett. "There’s no set medium - manga, traditional or mainstream [are all acceptable]. Comics are a complex language. Beyond the drawing, they need to think about symbols, layout choices, sound effects and how to construct sophisticated meanings.”

“For the story I’m writing, I’m trying to create something with a universal message which can be adapted in many ways," adds Dev. "But part of what is truly wonderful about comics is that it’s not TV, it’s not film and there’s no budget. Your imagination can run wild - so let it, and have fun."

• To enter the competition please send relevant examples of your visual work along with your contact details to Ctrl.Alt.Shift by Friday 25th September by visiting www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk, or email your examples to comiccomp@ctrlaltshift.co.uk