Jonathan Cape, Observer and Comica Comics Competition launches

Publishers Jonathan Cape and the London-based comic event Comica have got together with The Observer newspaper to offer you the chance to see your work in print and win £1,000.

Take this opportunity to get your work read by industry experts. The judges are Joe Dunthorne (author of Submarine and Wild Abandon), Stephen Collins (author of The Gigantic Beard that Was Evil), Rachel Cooke (The Observer), Dan Franklin (Publisher, Jonathan Cape), Paul Gravett (Director, Comica Festival) and Suzanne Dean (Random House Creative Director).

The first prize is £1,000 and the publication of your four page story in The Observer New Review. The runner-up will receive £250 and your work will appear in The Guardian.

Deadline for entries: 27th September 2013.

• For entry forms and terms and conditions click here (PDF link)

• For a plan of how your story will appear in The Observer and for layout dimensions, click here (PDF link)

Hasbro Invites Kids and Fans to Create New Transformers Character

Hasbro has launched a worldwide promotion inviting fans of all ages around the globe to help create a new Transformers character that will be forever added to the Transformers world - including new comics.

In anticipation of the Transformers’ brand 30th anniversary in 2014, the “Fan Built Bot” Poll kicked off this week, and will run through 5th May on Transformers.com/vote. Hasbro is inviting fans - and, given the success of the comic down the years in the UK, we know there are plenty of British ones - to vote daily to shape this new Transformers character.

The new character will be made into an action figure featured in the “Thrilling 30” line of toys to celebrate the anniversary.

Hasbro is giving kids and fans the opportunity to make the “Fan Built Bot” character with votes determining everything from being an Autobot or Decepticon - to its vehicle or other mode, colour, personality and more. Kids and fans are encouraged to vote daily.

Also, to keep with the theme of the fans being the ones who really shape and create this new Transformers character, Hasbro will also give fans a say in the naming of the new character. More details on the naming will be announced soon.

“Since 1984, the Transformers brand has been bringing entertainment and excitement to kids and fans with our beloved characters like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime,” said Jay Duke, vice president of the Transformers brand at Hasbro. “We invite all fans to help us kick off the 30th anniversary of Transformers with a new character of their choice — for the first time in history?

"This is the perfect way to kick off our anniversary celebration and the ‘Thrilling 30’ line of special edition figures. It will be tremendous fun for everyone to keep track of the entire process from the designing of the character; leading up to its introduction as a toy and watching it become a part of the Transformers brand.”

The results of the poll will be announced by Hasbro at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, as part of the official kick-off to Hasbro’s Transformers “Thrilling 30” anniversary celebration. Kids and fans will be able to purchase the “Fan Built Bot” character as a toy and will see the new character appear in official Transformers comic books.

• For further information visit the official polling page at Transformers.com/vote as well as the Transformers Facebook page at Facebook.com/Transformers

Modesty Blaise Comic Challenge: The Winner

Davey Candlish, publisher of ace indie anthology Paragon, is the winner of our latest Comic Challenge to draw Modesty Blaise.

Here's his winning entry, which earns him a copy of Titan Books newest Modesty Blaise collection, Girl in the Iron Mask.

Davey claims he spends his time "watching cheesy 80s sci-fi and horror, even cheesier 70s ITC shows and occasionally drawing comics (but more often reading them)."

Choosing the winner was no easy task: we had some great art for this Challenge including entries from Keith Page, Dave Windett, Kev Harper, Paul Moore and many others.

• You can view all the entries here on the downthetubes forum


Find more photos like this on downthetubes Comics Forum

• Check out Paragon comic here: http://paragoncomic.blogspot.co.uk

Modesty Blaise Comic Challenge drawing to a close, deadline extended

Today is intended to be the last day for our Modesty Blaise Comic Challenge - but we've decided to extend it until Monday 25th March, 12 noon GMT, just in case there any more entries artists had almost completed between paid work, since we had several entries "close to the wire".

We have entries from a range of talented creators with their own take on Modesty, including Davey Candlish, Keith Page, Dave Windett, John Britton, Peter Hayes, Luke Scoffield and more.

If you don't have time to enter yourself, and you're a member of our British Comics Forum, perhaps you'd like to check out the entries. You can 'Like' an image on the forum by clicking the 'heart symbol' below it. So, if you have time, please 'like' one or two of your favourite entries. It might influence our decision on the winner, who will get a copy of the latest Modesty Blaise collection from Titan Books, The Girl in the Iron Mask.

I'm sure the artists who have already taken time out to enter would appreciate any feedback on their work, too.

• You can view all the entries  so far here: http://downthetubes.ning.com/photo/albums/comic-challenge-modesty-blaise 

• Entries by email only to to johnfreeman6-mb@yahoo.co.uk, to arrive no later than 12 noon GMT on 25th March 2013, please. Full competition details are here

Art Competition: Win a copy of Modesty Blaise - The Girl in the Iron Mask

The next volume of Titan Books long-running and hugely-popular Modesty Blaise collections goes on sale on 22nd March 2013 - and we're running a competition to win a copy.

Modesty Blaise is glamorous, intelligent, rich and very, very cool. She's been called the female James Bond but she's much more interesting than that. Modesty started life in 1963 as a strip in the London Evening Standard. The first of the novels followed three years later.

Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask by the popular and sadly missed British crime writer Peter O’Donnell features three stories, drawn by Enric Badia Romero: ‘Fiona’, ‘Walkabout’ and ‘The Girl In The Iron Mask’. Willie’s admirer Fiona returns, Modesty faces the outback alone and an iron mask could mark her end in this latest gripping volume.

Each story is introduced by Blaise archivist Lawrence Blackmore.

With thanks to Titan Books, we have a copy of this latest volume to give away, so we're throwing out a challenge to our artist readers - send us your drawing of Modesty Blaise and we'll choose what we think to be the very best.

• Entries by email only to to johnfreeman6-mb@yahoo.co.uk, to arrive mo later than 12 noon GMT on 22nd March 2013, please. We plan to publish a gallery of the best entries and entry to the competition assumes you give us permission to do this. Good luck!

BD&Comics Passion Festival launches comics competition for young artists

Calling all comics devotees:  the BD & Comics Passion Festival is back at London's Institut Français 30th May 30th to 2nd June, with workshops, live drawing, concerts and movies galore are on the agenda, with some of the greatest writers and illustrators, including Patrick Sobral (Les Légendaires), Etienne Davodeau (Les Ignorants), François Boucq (Bouncer, Jérôme Moucherot) and many more…

And since you love comics, why not make one yourself? If you’re aged 7 to 17 and live in the UK, you can participate in the Festival's nationwide contest and stand a chance to win amazing prizes - whether you make it on your own, as a class project, or with friends.

All you need to do is design a comic book full of creativity where the food you love - or hate - most is the centrepiece. Anything can happen: a crazy scientist invents a new smell for Brussels sprouts? We love it! The adventures of Super Cucumber? Go for it! The discovery of a chocolate planet? We’ve been dreaming about it! But careful now, the title and cover of your comic are important, as much as the story and drawing …

A panel of experts will choose the three most inventive and achieved applications. The winners will get amazing prizes, all presented during an astonishing prize ceremony at the Institut Français in London, during the Festival.

Rules

· You must be aged 7 to 17 and you live in the UK to enter
· You can enter the competition either individually or as a group (as part of a school project or with friends)
· Make a comic book: there must be a cover, a back cover, a title, and a story of two pages minimum
· Write your story in French or English or both · Your comic book cannot be considered without the application form, available here in French and in English
· We must receive your entry before Thursday 9th May 2013 at midnight

• For more information, contact 020 7073 1345 or bdl@institutfrancais.org.uk

• Follow BD & Comics Passion on Facebook: facebook.com/BDandComicsPassion 

• Official web site: www.bdandcomicspassion.co.uk

Manga Jiman competition winners revealed

The judging panel for this year's Manga Jiman competition has selected the manga below as the winning entries for this year - and manga fans have a chance to be at the invitation-only awards ceremony at the Embassy of Japan in London next month.

This year, the Embassy is holding a competition for a limited number of its web site visitors to attend this exclusive event. For a chance to win, e-mail your full name, the name of the organisation you represent and your position to manga@ld.mofa.go.jp with "Webmagazine" as the subject.

Winnerss will be notified by e-mail no later than 31 January 2013.

Entries are listed in alphabetical order by title and the exact position of each entrant will be announced at the ceremony.

Title	Entrant(s)
A Comic Book	Joshua Green
Bon Appetite	Tammy Taylor
Ganbare, My Son	Wei Tran
I Love You	Sara Ferreira and Gisela Martins
Invidia	Katja Hammond
Kumakop	Zuhaib Dalvi
Moving House	Susan and Steven Cook
Saying and Doing	Dean McKnight and Jade Sarson
Sky Riders	Rhiannon Tate
The Boy Who Flew	Kieran Blue Walton
The Lady In White	Dounia Chanchorle

All of the above entries will be displayed at a special exhibition at the Embassy of Japan in the spring of 2013 and the website will be updated with the final positions once the announcement has been made.

More on Facebook for further news on Manga Jiman: https://www.facebook.com/MangaJiman

Adventures in Comics competition returns for 2013

Celebrating illustration, writing, making, sequential narrative, and all that is Comics, Margate-based Marine Studios has just announced the launch of its 2013 Adventures in Comics comic competition.

AIC3 is inviting UK-based creators to respond to their annual two-page-comic challenge. Simply create a 2-page-comic* in response to this year’s theme – The Great Tree.

All entries will be showcased in an exhibition and free printed publication in February 2013 and the winning entry will be judged by comics aficionado Paul Gravett.

To enter, send your 2-page-comic to: Kam@hkd.uk.com or RickAThkd.uk.com

The deadline for submissions: 25th January 2013

• Visit www.adventuresincomics.org to find out more. Previous AIC entries can be seen on our website and blog.

• Marine Studios Margate is at 17 Albert Terrace, Margate, Kent CT9 1UJ. Tel: 01843 282 219   info@marinestudios.co.uk. Web: marinestudios.co.uk

*Each page maximum A4 size (210 x 297 mm) in either landscape or portrait format.

Win a trip to New York Comic Con with Curicon

Curicon, the new social network for collectors of nerd and pop culture, is offering its users the chance to win a trip to New York Comic Con this October - a prize that includes flights, accommodation and tickets to one of the biggest pop culture conventions on the planet.

Curicon offers a colossal library of over 250,000 collectibles and the site provides features which are desperately needed by online collectors and shares a passion for collectibles and a social community platform connect collectors by their interests all around the world.

• Comic fans in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand or Mexico can enter the competition here on curicon.com

• You can follow the Curicon team on their blog, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and G+. You can also come meet the Curicon team at our New York Comic Con Booth #102

Chance to win David Lloyd art, courtesy of Panel Nine

Panel Nine, the "deluxe digital graphic novel" publisher, is giving away an original page of black and white artwork by V for Vendetta artist David Lloyd.

The artwork is taken from from the Kickback graphic novel by Lloyd, recently re-published digitally for the iPad.

Panel Nine Publisher Russell Willis noted: "This is a rare opportunity to get a fabulous piece of original comics artwork by renowned artist David Lloyd. Kickback is a memorable work that is now getting the attention it deserves. It is a brilliant crime-noir thriller by a modern-day master of sequential art."

Kickback is a 96 page full-color graphic novel for the iPad with many behind-the-scenes extras, an exclusive interview with Lloyd and audio commentaries by the artist on his approach and method. The Kickback iPad app is available from the iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kickback-crime-noir-thriller/id511224450?mt=8

To enter to win this awesome piece of original artwork, just download and subscribe to INFINITY (itunes link), a free iPad magazine about digital comics and graphic novels, also published by Panel Nine, and tap OK give your name and email address when subscribing.

The deadline for entries is 7th September 2012 and the draw for the artwork will be held on 8th September in London, England.

- Full details of the competition are available on the Kickback Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/app.kickback

 

London International Creative Competition extends deadline for entries

The London International Creative Competition is inviting all visual artists to submit their creative work for inclusion in the London Creative Awards, which has a top prize of £2000.

The artwork is juried by a board of internationally esteemed artists, writers, curators, gallery owners and other luminaries of the visual arts. There is no limit to creativity. LICC has no boundaries and encourages you to push the envelope of your creativity. All disciplines are accepted.

Each of the 15 Final Selection winners will also receive a segment of the LICC Awards Trophy. When each trophy is fit together, it will form a completed piece of art work, like a jigsaw puzzle. On the 10th anniversary of LICC, all  the artists along with their trophies, will gather together and present their altered trophy. At that time, these piece will be united, combined, and put on display at an exhibition in London.

The categories are: Advertising Design, Architectural Design, Audio/Music, Environmental Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Installation Art, Interior Design, NetArt, Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Sculpture, Textile Design, Video and Film
Web Design, Writing  and Other Creative Designs

Originally scheduled to end in April, the extended deadline is 8th September  2012. Entry Fee: Professional: £20, Student: £15 Prize: £2,000 cash prize, selected work published in LICC's annual Book of Creative Designs, a feature in the LICC newsletter, and the much sought after LICC Trophy at the London Creative Awards in September of 2012.

• For more information, please visit www.thelicc.com

Dundee Comics Prize competition returns with superhero theme

In 1944 The Dandy introduced a home-grown British superhero – The Amazing Mr X, who appeared in 14 instalments between 1944 and 1945.

Drawn by DC Thomson staff artist Jack Glass, the The Amazing Mr X made a brief reappearance in The Dandy annual in 1962, drawn by Dudley D. Watkins -- but since then, he has been all but forgotten.

Now the University of Dundee, in partnership with DC Thomson, is giving comic creators the opportunity to bring the character back to life, re-interpreting the character for the 21^st century!

The challenge to recreate one of Britain's first superheroes (DC Thomson actually created other characters that could be regarded as superheroes earlier than Mr X) is the focus of the Second Annual Dundee Comics Prize.

Entries should consist of a two - three page origin story and a cover image featuring your interpretation of this classic British superhero.

The first prize is £500, plus publication of the story in The Sunday Post and in the Dundee University publication Anthology, which showcases new work by up-and-coming comics creators. There will also be two runner-up prizes of £250 each.

The deadline for completed submissions is 1st October 2012. The work will be judged by a panel consisting of comic professionals and scholars, with the announcement being made at the Dundee Comic Day on 28th October 2012.

Winners and runner-ups will be invited to attend. There will also be an exhibition of artwork from the competition at Comic Day.

Mr X was the alter ego for private enquiry agent Len Manners who dons "a queer costume, black skin-tight trousers and white jersey" and uses amazing strength that he can "summon at will" to fight crime.

Former Dandy editor Morris Heggie has described Mr. X as "The closest we've ever had to a super hero". However, he also admits that "His arch nemeses weren't glamorous.... He would chase people who stole lead from roofs and other small time crooks."

The character is actually one of several ill-fated superhero characters we're told DC Thomson has considered reviving in the past. These also include the mysterious Captain Hornet, The Comet, Captain Q, Danger Man, the Flaming Avenger (who appeared in Rover back in 1933), King Kobra (drawn by Ron Smith, he appeared in Hotspur back in 1976), Tarzan imitator Morgyn the Mighty, Red Star Robinson, the Scarlet Hawk (who fought crime from a secret base in Dorset) the Supercats (first appearing in girls comic Spellbound), Spring-Heeled Jack and Zogg the Wizard.

The company even had its own version of Supergirl, although we suspect a certain very large US comics company might have a few things to say if they tried to re-publish her...

Image © DC Thomson

The aim of the Dundee Comics Prize is to nurture talent in comics, and to help new creators gain recognition. Anyone can enter the competition, and the submission can be in any style, in black or white or colour, but the work must be finished to a high standard (lettered, inked, etc), and it must be a complete story. The work must be original, the creators must own the copyright, and it must not have been published already, or currently offered for publication elsewhere. When submitting work good quality scans are requested in the first instance, although original artwork may be requested at a later stage (although will remain the property of the creators).

The prize is awarded to the creator or team who produce the work. If the work is collaborative the members of the team will share the prize money equally. All winners (including runners-up) will be asked to provide a short account of how the comic was created, along with any relevant photos and sketches. These will be used on the website and in the exhibition and publications to demonstrate how the winning entries came about.

Artwork will also be required on a short loan for the purposes of an exhibition. The decision of the judging panel is final, and DC Thomson reserves control over what is published, how it is presented, and in what format, in their publications.

• There's a feature on The Amazing Mr X in the the Art and History of The Dandy book

• Further information about The Amazing Mr X is available at http://www.v14.co.uk/misterx/ and via two pages from The Amazing Mr X:

• The Amazing Mr X, Page 1
• The Amazing Mr X, Page 2

• Please also read the Rules and Guidelines for the prize.  A flyer about the prize is available for printing and display.

• All queries and submissions should be sent to Dr Chris Murray, University of Dundee, at dundeecomicsprize@gmail.com

Related Information

• Winners of the Dundee Comics Prize 2011

(With thanks to Jeremy Briggs for the heads up on this item)

Heavy Metal launches "Four Horsemen" Art Contest

Heavy Metal Magazine has launched a second art competition tying in with its Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse project. This time titled “What is your Vision of War?” - and this competition is open to anyone in the world - and artwork by Simon Bisley is just part of the top prize.

The fantastic apocalyptic submissions from the first Four Horsemen contest (“What is your vision of Pestilence”) drew fans from all over the US. “What is your vision of War?” is open to fans all over the world, with a grand prize that includes an original Simon Bisley painting of War and a prominent placement of winning artwork in Heavy Metal Magazine; plus runners up prizes that include winning artwork in Heavy Metal Magazine, a signed edition of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Book 2: The Chosen, out later this month and free one-year digital subscriptions to Heavy Metal Magazine.

Founded in 1977, Heavy Metal (www.HeavyMetal.com) has become an iconic American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine known world-wide for its incredible blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, purchased the world renowned title in 1990 and serves as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief.

In Four Horsemen, Adam Cahill is a warrior bound by bloodline to guard the Seven Holy Seals that contain the End of Days. But sinister forces strike against him and send him into Hell itself. There, he must find three corrupt souls, chosen by Divinity, to join him in battle against the Four Horsemen to not only save their own souls, but to decide the very fate of Humanity. This title was created and co written by video game mastermind Michael Mendheim.

In addition to the works of Simon Bisley, the series will feature additional art by the late Stan Winston, Tim Bradstreet, Chad Fidler, and Dave DeVries, and script written by co-writers Mike Kennedy and Sean Jaffe.

Seven finalists in the art competition, which closes 13th August 2012, will be chosen by Simon Bisley, Kevin Eastman and Michael Mendheim (Four Horsemen creator and writer), and fan voting will open 15th August 2012 and close 31st August 2012.

• All entries MUST be posted by the end of day 13th August 2012. Fans can submit their entries by posting their artwork at https://www.facebook.com/Thefourhorsemenoftheapocalypse/app_182300495191195

• Visit the contest webpage at http://www.fourhorsemen.heavymetal.com/WarArtContest-id-73.html

• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Book One: Helldiver is available here on Amazon.com

• Full Terms and conditions of the contest can be found at http://fourhorsemen.heavymetal.com/contest_agreement.html

• Follow Heavy Metal Magazine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeavyMetalInk

Print Express launch Comic Printing Competition

The folk at British online printers Print Express love designers, writers, artists and anything creative and they've been running a number of competitions to help support interesting, creative people. Now they've decided to do something a little bit special - and if you create comics (but haven't yet had any professionally published), then this competition is for you.

If you send Print Express a e-copy of your comic, they'll pick a winner from their favourite entries and produce a small number of professionally printed books of it (enough copies for you to give to some friends, or you can use the extra copies as portfolios).

"We've run some competitions for writers in the past," a spokesperson told us, "but this is the first time we've ever run a competition for comic artists so we're not quite sure how to get the word out. If you think the readers of downthetubes would be interested in entering our competition, we'd love it if you'd be kind enough to mention our competition on your site."

We're happy to oblige. To enter, please email your comic as a PDF to: comics@printexpress.co.uk - or, if you find it easier, email them the link to your comic on your site or blog.

The full details of the competition are here on their blog, but the rules are as follows:

• Please, nothing stronger than a PG rating
• The comic must have been created by you, and you must have the rights to it
• You keep the full rights to your work
• Print Express would like to post a few images from your comic on their blog, so only enter if you're happy with them granting them that right (they won't publish it anywhere else, other than in the books they send you).
• There's no entry fee and the competition is open to everyone
• Only one entry per person, so please only send us your favourite
• Deadline is 8th August 2012

Project: Rooftop Announces "Fantastic Four: Fashion Forward" Redesign Contest

They're the first family of comic superheroes, and the first truly nuclear family in history; they're the Fantastic Four. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee for Marvel Comics, the F.F. rang in their fiftieth year last year with Reed finally growing into that greying hair he's always had. In modern comics, the team (and the title) are enjoying one of the most critically acclaimed runs since the original days of Stan and Jack, and to celebrate the team and their tenure Project: Rooftop is taking them in in our next redesign contest. "Fantastic Four: Fashion Forward" is a Project: Rooftop contest giving artists worldwide the chance to redesign this super-hero family in a friendly competition for honor, recognition and just plain fun.

"The Fantastic Four have been high on our list of heroes to celebrate here at Project: Rooftop for years," says site co-founder and comics journalist Chris Arrant. "Now seems like the perfect time to honor these four timeless creations and the two men who created them 51 years ago."

For this ambitious contest (Project: Rooftop's first team contest), P:R's staff will be joined by a very special guest to judge the entries: Stuart Immonen, artist of Fear Itself, New Avengers, Nextwave and creator-owned projects such as Moving Pictures, Shockrockets and Superstar: As Seen On TV. For the Richards and Co., Immonen has illustrated them in runs on both Fantastic Four and Ultimate Fantastic Four. Project: Rooftop has long admired his work and featured critiques of his superhero design on multiple occasions, and Project: Rooftop was in fact launched back on 14th March 2006 with an original redesign of Marvel's Black Widow Immonen contributed.

Entries for "Fantastic Four: Fashion Forward" should redesign the original four members of the Fantastic Four: Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Thing and the Human Torch. Any entries including other characters or missing these four will be discarded. All entries must be received by 31st July 2012 at midnight EST. As usual, check our guidelines, include your name and website, and send your art as an attachment in jpg, png, or gif format to projectrooftop@gmail.com.

 

International Literature Festival launches comic competition

The 12th International Literature Festival Berlin (ILB) will take place between 4th - 16th September and 2012 and, as in the past years the organisation will present over 100 authors from all over the world in more than 200 events.

This year’s festival focus will be “Europe” aimed at creating a "literary discourse, evaluating what role literature will and shall play for the European integration in the future.

In a non literary competition the organisation has decided the search of the European (self-) image shall be enlarged to the field of Comic Art with a competition entitled “Europe Now”.

Within this framework the ILB is looking for comics, which capture a (the) European reality, and perhaps the condition of the continent, how it appears to the comic author.

Comic artists from all over Europe are called to sent there work by 30th July 2012. A jury will select the “best comic”, which will be awarded with € 500 and exhibited during the festival.

For further information visit: www.literaturfestival.com

Japanese Embassy launches UK manga competition

The British Embassy of Japan is once again launching the major manga-writing competition, MANGA JIMAN 2012, with fantastic prizes and open to anyone fourteen (14)* years of age or over.


The manga should in some way make reference to ‘GANBARE!’, Japanese for ‘good luck!’, ‘do your best!’ or ‘come on!’.


The amazing First Prize is two (2) return air tickets to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways.** The Second Prize is a fabulous TOSHIBA laptop computer. Third Prize is a superb digital camera from RICOH UK Ltd


Runners-up will receive and a selection of manga publications, available in the UK from various UK manga publishers amongst others prizes.

The winners’ works will also be displayed in a special MANGA JIMAN EXHIBITION at the Embassy of Japan.

This competition is open to all UK residents. All creations should be original and between six (6) to eight (8) A4-sized pages in length and drawn so that it reads from left to right.

The closing date for the submission of entries is Thursday, 1st November 2012.

Should you wish to enter, please read the full MANGA JIMAN COMPETITION 2012 RULES & REGULATIONS (pdf) and then carefully fill out and submit the official 2012 APPLICATION FORM (Word doc) along with your entry by post or in person to:

Manga Jiman 2012 Competition
JICC
Embassy of Japan
101-104 Piccadilly
London
W1J 7JT

Please contact manga@LD.mofa.go.jp with any queries about the competition.

* The competition is open to all legal residents of the United Kingdom who are, or will be, over the age of fourteen (14) by 1st January 2013.

**Terms and conditions apply.

 

Win tickets to see to see Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill!

The BD and Comics Passion Festival is back in London later this month - and we're delighted to announce DownTheTubes has two pairs of tickets to give away for their Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill event, titled "London and Other Realities"

This is the second festival organised by London's L'Institut Francais in association with Comica Festival, it's intended for fans of comic books, graphic novels and bandes dessinées.

Taking place between between 24th and 27th May, the festival features a terrific line-up of extraordinary creators (Christophe Arleston and Jean-Louis Mourier, David B., Guy Delisle, Karrie Fransman, Tom Gauld, Pat Mills, Kevin O’Neill, Luke Pearson, Grzegorz Rosinski, Jonathan Ross), music (Mesparrow), performances (Freeeks Factory), films and the best booksellers (Gosh!, La Page, Cinebook).

Pat Mills is the creator of 2000AD, developing its main character Judge Dredd and many popular stories such as Sláine and ABC Warriors. He worked alongside Joe Colquhoun (Charley’s War) and Kevin O’Neill (Nemesis the Warlock and Marshal Law). He is currently working on a screenplay for Subotica Films and writing his eleventh volume for best selling graphic novel series Requiem with Olivier Ledroit.

Kevin O’Neill is one of Britain’s greatest comic book illustrators. Although his art got him in trouble with his publisher IPC in the past for being “too violent and disturbing,” his distinct style has gained him great popularity. He has produced art for The ABC Warriors, Tharg the Mighty, 2000AD, co-created Marshal Law and Nemesis the Warlock with Pat Mills as well as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with Alan Moore.

To win tickets to see Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's talk, simply answer the question below and send your answer, together with your contact details, including phone number, johnfreeman6-bdl@yahoo.co.uk.

What is the theme of Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill discussion at the BD & Comics Passion festival on Saturday 26th May 2012?

Entries must be received by 7.00pm GMT Monday 21st May 2012

With nearly 30 events including live drawing, talks, exhibitions, workshops, a drawing jam with Mesparrow and a dress-up party, the team behind it say this innovative festival will have something for everyone.

In addition to the official web site (www.bdandcomicspassion.co.uk )  there’s also a Facebook page for the Festival.

• Check out the event's special new passes! (The Fan: 5 events for only £15, The Addict: 10 events for only £25)

• Download the full programme in pdf

MCM and Eagle Awards Debut New Comics Talent Competition

For almost a decade the MCM London Comic Con has been a haven for comics, movies, games and anime – and now, together with the Eagle Awards and upcoming Universal Pictures blockbuster Snow White And The Huntsman, they’re looking to the next decade with a prestigious competition for new comic artists and writers.

Judged by Titan Publishing senior editor Steve White, bestselling writer Tony Lee and Eisner-winning artist Mark Buckingham, the ‘Huntsman's Challenge’ competition calls on comic creators to come up with a fully finished, coloured and lettered five page story with a plot relevant to a dark fantasy setting.

“In just a few years we've seen our small Artists Alley turn into a full scale Comic Village, with hundreds of comic creators now attending and exhibiting,” said MCM marketing director Bryan Cooney. “Many of today's best UK creators started with a table at our shows, growing as we have. We'd like to give that opportunity to the next generation of creative teams.”

Submissions will be accepted from 1-29th February 2012 and our judges will select two winners: one for best design and art, the other for best writing quality. Both creative teams will be nominated for a new Eagle Award, the MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries and have their story included in May’s MCM London Comic Con show programme, printed in conjunction with Snow White And The Huntsman from Universal Pictures, who will also provide a selection of prizes.

Both winners will also receive invites to the 2012 Eagle Awards ceremony and after-party on the Friday of the MCM London Comic Con, along with industry passes to the full London Comic Con weekend and signing slots in the show’s Comic Village.

"Winning an Eagle on your first time out is a story worth telling in its own right," Cooney commented. "Having tens of thousands of people read your story and having it in print alongside a movie like Snow White And The Huntsman is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

All accepted entries will receive audience invitations to the May 2012 Eagle Awards.

Competition Rules and How to Enter

Entries for the 'Huntsman's Challenge' will be accepted 1-29th February 2012. Entrants must submit a fully finished, coloured and lettered five page story as a 300 dpi jpg or pdf with a page dimension of 170mm (w) x 230mm (h). These entries must have a beginning, middle and end within these pages, with a story relevant to a dark fantasy setting. To find out how to enter the contest, visit www.eagleawards.co.uk

Panel of Industry Judges

STEVE WHITE: Senior Editor, Titan Publishing: An editor of many of Titan's top comics and graphic novels including the UK Transformers comic, Steve is also an artist, writer and colourist of over 20 years’ experience.

MARK BUCKINGHAM: Artist: A multiple Eisner winning artist of over twenty five years standing, Mark is best known for his work on Hellblazer, Miracleman, Doctor Who and his award winning run as the primary artist on Fables for DC/Vertigo.

TONY LEE: Writer: A #1 New York Times Best-selling Author, Tony has been a freelance writer for 25 years, and a comic writer for nine of those. Best known as author and ‘showrunner’ of the Doctor Who comic for IDW, Tony's creator-owned comic Hope Falls is currently being adapted into a movie by Future Films.

MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries Voting

When the two stories shortlisted for the MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries have been selected, members of the public will be able to read both and vote for their favourite by visiting either http://www.londoncomiccon.net/ or http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/

• To buy tickets for the MCM London Comic Con at Excel London on 26-28 May, please visit: https://www.mcmexpostore.com/store

"first fictions" Graphic Novel competition shortist announced

A Rat’s Tale by Adam Blackman &
Dylan Shipley: one of the shortlisted entries.
It's based in modern Britan
and aims to warn young people about
the hazards of 'drug use' and 'addiction'

Myriad Editions has announced its shortlist for its "first fictions" competition which we reported on earlier this year.

The nominees include Hannah Eaton, Thom Ferrier and Tom Eglington, who is paying for his art career by writing comics stories, including the first Tharg’s 3riller which debuted in 2000AD Prog 1740 - "Silver -Tongued Exploits of Cosmo Nibs", drawn by John McCrea.

Novelist Ian Rankin, cartoonist Steve Bell and graphic novelist Bryan Talbot were among six judges that have selected the seven-strong shortlist, joined by graphic novelists Hannah Berry and Ed Hillyer (who is also a début novelist published by Myriad Editions), and Corinne Pearlman, commissioning editor for Myriad’s growing series of graphic titles, now published with the support of Arts Council England.

The shortlisted entries were chosen from a longlist of 21, described by Ian Rankin as "a very high standard overall". Entrants were asked to submit 15–30 pages of a graphic work-in-progress, either fiction or non-fiction, in black and white.

The winning author or team will have their work published by Myriad Editions in 2013.

In all, 74 qualifying submissions were received. The shortlisted entries will be showcased,
and the winner announced, on Saturday 21st January 2012 at First Fictions, a weekend of events championing first novels past and present, jointly organised by Brighton publisher Myriad Editions and the English Department at the University of Sussex.

"We were amazed by the quantity, quality and diversity of the entries," says Corinne Pearlman.

"It was difficult to pick a longlist. It was difficult to pick a shortlist. And it will be difficult to pick a winner."

The seven shortlisted entries include six sole creators and a writer and artist team. They are:

• Adam Blackman & Dylan Shipley: A Rat’s Tale
• Gareth Brookes: The Black Project
• Konstantinos Chrisoulis: Dryland
• Hannah Eaton: Naming Monsters
• Tom Eglington: Amber Sands
• Thom Ferrier: The Enlightenment of Iwan James
• Paula Knight: The Facts of Life

Candidates had to submit between 15 to 30 pages of a graphic work in progress for consideration. The winner will be announced at the First Fictions event, organised by the University of Sussex and Myraiad, on January 21st 2012 and work from the shortlisted entries will be showcased there too. The outright winner will have their graphic novel published by Myriad in 2013.

• For more information, visit www.firstfictions.com