Opportunities for emerging artists to get their work seen by established figures in the comics scene are a rarity. That’s one of the reasons we hold our twice-yearly one-to-one Zoom sessions here at BF as part of our Broken Frontier Connects initiative. This year, though, Portsmouth Comic Con Artistic Lead David Baillie has put together a talent search that new comics creators can enter with the chance of winning prizes that include a portfolio review.
From the Portsmouth Comic Con website:
‘Since I was old enough to hold a pencil, I’ve always wanted to make comics and I remember how impossible that seemed when I was a kid,’ says Comic Con Artistic Lead David Baillie. ‘One of the best things about comic conventions is that they bring together a whole bunch of people who create comics, all into one place. Any kid walking around Artists Alley will see example after example of people who are making comics, right now, with passion and skill – and doing it really well.’
But even with all these great examples on Artists Alley, we know it can still seem like an impossible goal, hence this new Talent Search. All you need to do to take part is draw a single comic page. The page can be any size. It can contain any number of panels you like (as long as it’s more than one! Two panels is fine – oh and don’t worry if you don’t know what a panel is – it’s the square box in a comic that break up moments of time or actions! Don’t worry, everyone has to start somewhere.)
There are more details about what’s being looked for here on the convention’s website alongside details on how to enter but the basic rules are:
- The entry has to be a single page of comics. No multiple page stories, please.
- The page has to contain more than one panel (2 is fine! More is great.)
- No AI – this has to be the work of a human being.
- The comic can be made using digital or traditional analogue materials – paper, pencils, pens, paint, origami, Photoshop, Procreate, Krita and Clip Studio are all welcome!
- The comic must have been written and drawn this year – no old work, please. We want to see your newest, freshest ideas and techniques!
- All rights remain with the artist, although we may ask for the work to be reproduced in coverage of the competition, the entrant can refuse, if they wish.
- THE DEADLINE is midnight on the 9th of May! (Just before the convention begins.)
- Good luck!
This kind of initiative is rare so take opportunity of it while you can!
