Just a quick camera phone snap of some work in progress, so that this post has an image – it’s not actually relevant to the rest of the post : )
An update on my attempts to gather together entries for the Cape/Comica/Observer graphic short story contest. Apparently 180 people entered this year. I have managed to find and link to 14 of them (including my own), which is not even 10%.
I can’t believe that anyone who’s a cartoonist or comics artist these days doesn’t put their work online – surely! So perhaps people aren’t labelling them in the same way that I’m Googling. Do let me know if you manage to find more.
I was in Edinburgh last week. For some reason, I was waking insanely early each morning, which did at least give me time to listen to a Guardian podcast about the competition, while my daughter slept.
One of the judges, Rachel Cooke, talked a bit about it. I was hoping for some stunning insights into how they chose the winners, or what sort of strips almost made the grade, but no dice. To be fair, it was very interesting listening to previous winners talking about the projects they’ve gone on to create: Stephen Collins’ The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil, and Isabel Greenberg’s Encyclopaedia of Early Earth.
One thing that was mentioned, and which I’ve also seen online, is that there were fewer entries than expected, and they put that down to people being intimidated by the professional-looking entries that won previously. I wonder if that’s why they chose a strip that is technically less polished this year.
Apart from that, I haven’t seen much analysis online, either. There are endless re-announcements of the winner, but I’m not reading people’s thoughts about it, really. Again, maybe I’m just Googlin’ in all the wrong places. I haven’t seen the shortlist yet, either, though there’s a lead in the comments to my last post…
While we were in Edinburgh, we experienced a few full-on torrential downpours. One of these rather serendipidously put us through the doors of Forbidden Planet, where they had a special offer on selected books. I picked up Guy Delisle‘s Pyongyang, about his two months as an animator in North Korea.
Ahhh, it was brilliant. Like many, I’m already kind of fascinated by North Korea, and my goodness. People often say that books make you feel like you’ve been to a place yourself – well, this makes it clear that graphic novels can do that for you, too. I gobbled it up, and by the end, I also felt like I’d spent two months in this utterly surreal country.
Shenzen next then, I think.
Myfanwy Tristram 
I’d read Pyongyang ages ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t remember much about it other than that though.
It’s still very fresh in my mind. Empty hotel restaurants, night time excursions during which they try to shake off their guides, and clashes of opinion when Delisle tries to put forward a Western view of the regime. :)
heh, I was listening to that Guardian podcast last night! Interesting to hear how it’s developing over the years – I thought the 180 figure was surprising though, as I’m sure its been much higher in previous years..
Yes – I actually find it quite reassuring that the odds are so low, heh heh. Although, obviously it’s laudable that they’d like to open it up to more people.
I’ve just remembered the bit where she said that there was one art school that always sent in a load of entries, and you could tell them by the style.
Yeah – I think they said Kingston!
Interesting – thanks!