Observer celebrates 10 years of Graphic Novel Competition with Comics Special this Sunday

By John Freeman on November 4, 2017

This Sunday (5th November), British newspaper The Observer is celebrating 10 years of the Observer / Jonathan Cape / Comica graphic short story prize with a graphic novel special section as part of its New Review section.

This year’s winner and runner-up will be announced inside, and the special supplement features a cover by Chris Ware and an interview with comic creator Alison Bechdel, author of the long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, who came to critical and commercial success in 2006 with her graphic memoir Fun Home, which was subsequently adapted as a musical which won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015.

This year’s finalists entries are currently being exhibited at London’s Orbital Comics until tomorrow.

Below is a list of the finalists and their respective graphic short story. The first prize is £1,000 and the publication of the four-page story in The Observer New Review.

The runner-up will receive £250 and their work will appear on guardian.co.uk

4.42AM – Peter Cline
Dennis and June – Emily Bob
Greedy Guts – Tom Eaton
Haunted – Andi Watson
I Think Collin has Dementia – Author Unknown
If You’re so Wise, How Come You’re Dead? – Tor Freeman
Madame and Me – James Albon
Mister-e Car Wash – Oliver Elliott
My Father in Berlin – Astrid and Jonathan Goldsmith
On a Friday – Panosbaros
Plop – Stref
Prim – Andy Hixon
Sea Change – Ginny Shinnel
The Slug Finger – Lily Shaul
Start Up – Peter Duggan
The Three Ravens – Alé Mercado
Tom and Gerry – Jessica Barrah
Varicose Veins – Jessika Green

The quality of the entries, many from already-established creators, is impressive and I’m sure it can’t have been easy deciding this year’s short list. It will be interesting to see who the winners are.

• Orbital Comics: www.orbitalcomics.com

• Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story prize Page

• Artist Myfanwy Tristram has found some entries that didn’t make the short list, noted here

With thanks to Richard Sheaf

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.