The Lakes International Comics Art Festival has announced its 2020 Race Into Space Comic Strip Challenge, a new competition for unpublished comic strip creations – with a top prize of £500.
The competition goes live today (Tuesday 10th March 2020) and is an exciting opportunity for comic creators worldwide to submit completed short stories in the graphic medium, with a “Race into Space” theme.
One overall winner will win a cash prize of £500, sponsored by the Lancaster-based Videö Gaming Platform, with the winner one of ten finalists whose work will be published in a digital anthology to be produced by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.
Winning entries will also be considered for print publication in a new title from Lancaster-based Crucible Comics Press, working in partnership with B7 Media. Any physical print publication in this new title will optional, on a paid basis, with creators retaining all copyright of their work.
The winning entries will be announced at this year’s annual festival between 9th – 11th October 2020, and be published by the Festival in a digital anthology comic, in the same format as the organisation’s Lost in Space project published in 2015 in partnership with Titan Comics.
This year, the Festival is looking for derring-do heroes and heroines – human, alien or otherwise! – in an adventure set in outer space that introduces the character and their world in a short and exciting story with a twist at the end.
The story can be serious, funny or sad – as long as it’s aimed at an all-ages readership that might not object to a bit of a scare. So no gore, please, although suggesting it is OK.
The competition will be judged by comics and magazine editor John Freeman, publisher of downthetubes.net, and Andrew Mark Sewell, producer at B7 Media, the company behind the Dan Dare Audio Adventures.
“I’m really excited to play a part in this competition with The Lakes International Arts Festival,” says John. “New creators are the life-blood of this industry, and what we’re hoping to see from the entries are characters as dynamic and memorable as the comic characters that helped shape some of our best-loved comics – be they 2000AD, Beano, The Phoenix, international comics, or British titles of yesteryear.”
“The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has always been about creating new audiences and finding and nurturing new talent,” says Festival Director Julie Tait. “We’ve published work by a number of comic creators in recent years and we are delighted to provide the opportunity for another platform for creative spirits.”
The Lakes International Comics Art Festival, which takes place in Kendal in Cumbria, celebrates the very best comic art from across the world, from cartoon strips to superhero comics and manga to non-fiction graphic novels, and has an impressive guest list for its 2020 event.
Announced so far are: Charlie Adlard, Steven Appleby, Comics Laureate Hannah Berry, Neill Cameron, Gemma Correll, Robert Deas, Francis Desharnais, Inko, Marc Jackson, Bill Morrison, Nichola Jennings, Chie Kutsuwada, Lou McKeever, Metaphrog, Terry Moore, Benoît Peeters, Sean Phillips, Mike Ramirez, Zoom Rockman, Martin Rowson, Posy Simmonds, Lucy Sullivan, Bryan Talbot, Mary Talbot, Toybox, Dan Walker and Emma Vieceli – with many more to be announced.
• The closing date for Race into Space entries is Tuesday 8th September 2020 (extended from 21st July 2020). For full details on the competition, which is open to both British and international creators – including format specifications and conditions – visit the festival website, or read on…
An artist’s concept of lunar base and extra-base activity. Created during a 1984 NASA Summer Study at the California Space Institute (CalSpace), Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Credit: NASA/Dennis Davidson
“Race Into Space Comics Challenge”: Rules, Judging Process and Submission Notes
Competition Rules
- The theme for the competition is ‘Race in Space’. The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is looking for derring-do heroes and heroines – human, alien or otherwise! – in an adventure set in outer space that introduces the character and their world in a short and exciting story with a twist ending.
- The story can be serious, funny or sad – as long as it’s aimed at an all-ages readership (that might not object to a bit of a scare, but no gore!)
- Submit a complete, previously unpublished short story – scripted, drawn and lettered – no more 4-6 pages in length – by Tuesday 21st July 2020
- Submissions may be in colour or black and white
- Submissions may be made by individuals or teams
- Submissions must be all-ages (or PG), and must not include adult content, explicit violence, and gore
- We are only able accept one submission per artist/creative team, so make sure it’s your best!
- Characters featured must be your own, i.e. not characters from TV, film or any other entertainment medium unless you own those characters yourself outright and can support that claim through previous publication, digital or physical
Judging
- All entries will be initially processed by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival team who will draw up a short list of at most 20 entries for final consideration by the Judges – John Freeman of downthetubes and Crucible Comic Press and B7 Media producer Andrew Mark Sewell
- The winners announced in the run up to the Festival weekend. The digital Race into Space anthology will be published digitally on Comixology as an anthology by LICAF
- No payment for digital publication by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is involved, but if the anthology is sold, creators will receive digital royalties
- One overall winner will win a cash prize of £500, sponsored by the Lancaster-based Videö Gaming Platform
- Winning entries published in the new anthology from Crucible Comic Press/ B7 Media will receive payment for publication
- If the quality of work submitted after the initial judgment process is not considered of a sufficient quality, LICAF and partners reserve the right to reconsider publication of an anthology
- Judgment of the entries is based on the rule of law in the United Kingdom and any dispute arising would be contested in a British court
Submission Specifications
- Legible, low resolution submissions of your final art of your completed story must be sent to the email address: competition@comicartfestival.com
- Physical submissions are not acceptable
- We will require winners to submit artwork for publication in a US comic format publication. Standard American comics typically are printed 6.63″ x 10.24″ (16.84 x 26.01 cm). That converts to an aspect ratio of 663 : 1024. Bleed is permitted. Comic page templates can be found here
- Please don’t forget to save your original layered files, in case re-lettering the story is necessary
- All rights remain with the creators
- All entries must include the entrant(s) names and a contact address, email address and telephone number
- In the submission of your entry, please include “Race into Space Comics Challenge Entry” in your subject line
- In your covering letter, please include the following: “I have read the submission guidelines for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival “Race Into Space” Challenge. I confirm the work submitted is wholly originated and features only my own characters. I agree to the requirements of the competition as outlined in the submission guidelines. I understand that should my work be accepted for publication in the anthology, no payment will be made upfront, but I will receive a share of the royalties from any profits made from the published work.”
The closing date for Race into Space entries is Tuesday 8th September 2020 (extended from 21st July 2020). For full details on the competition, which is open to both British and international creators – including format specifications and conditions – visit the festival website
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics Competitions, Crucible Comic Press, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News