The shortlisted entrants for the Jonathan Cape/Comica/Observer Graphic Short Story competiton (that is *such* a mouthful. I think they need to rebrand it as ‘Plonk’ or something) have been decided.
For me, as someone with a history in cartooning, it looms large as ‘THE competition’. This year I was determined to enter, because, apart from anything else, it’s super to have such a well-defined comics project to work on. I’m not sure I’d have the impetus to sit down and work on a four-page graphic short story without a good reason.
Anyway, now that the shortlist has been announced, I feel I can blog my entry – there’s a clause in the rules about the work not having been published anywhere before, and I’m always a bit paranoid that that might mean ‘even on your own blog’.
I’d also like to use this blog post to collect links to other entries – so, if you entered and your work is online, leave a comment. I’ll keep editing the post to add new links as they become apparent. Here’s what I’ve found so far, via a quick Google (there must be LOADS more than this… please shout if you have a strip I can add).
- Rebecca Bagley On The Way
- Robert M Ball Three images on his Instagram account
- Matt Boyce Words in Fingers
- Phil Breach & Russell M. Olson Orchard Gilbert
- James Eve Deadwood
- Jack Haughey A Viking Proposal
- Emily Haworth-Booth Colonic (winner, 2013)
- Adi Hollander Cafe Story
- Rebecca Jones Bin Day
- Michael Lomon Semper Ardens
- Briony May-Smith The Farmer’s Wife
- Kanitta Meechubot (Work in progress, I assume this is for the contest)
- Michael Parkin Lines (runner-up)
- Gavin Pollock Pets
- Jade Sarson and Dean McKnight Mabel and her Labels
- Zara Slattery Klimt Soup
- The Spine The Old Man Who Climbed a Tree
- 30Knight I Only Want A Proper House
Now here’s mine. It’s called ‘Overstock’. Click to see each page larger.