2023 MontCo Art Comic Contest Guidelines and Rules

Middle school and high school students across Montgomery County, PA, can submit art comic work on overcoming challenges with kindness/friendship/unity.

Age brackets: 6-8th grade, 9-12th grade

Prizes: 1st and 2nd place determined by judges and a Public Choice Award determined by the public. Each age bracket will have a 1st, 2nd, and Public Choice winner. Prizes will be $100 for 1st, $50 for 2nd, and $100 for Public Choice.

Dates: The contest will be open for entries from June 26 to July 24, 2023. Entries submitted in-person or mailed must be received at Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library by July 24, 2023.

Submit In-Person: Bring your entry to the Circulation Desk at MC-NPL, 1001 Powell St, Norristown, PA 19401.

Submit by Mail: Mail to MC-NPL, 1001 Powell St., Norristown, PA 19401, Attention: Contest.

Winners: Will be announced August 19, 2023 at the MontCo Comic Fest and on the MC-NPL.org website and social media pages.

Contest Rules:

1. 1-2 pages (single-sided only) of 9 X 12 inch plain paper sheets
2. Must include a minimum of four panels/boxes per page and a maximum of 12 panels/boxes total.
3. Images must be created with pencil, ink, marker, sharpie, or colored pencils.
4. No digitally created images will be accepted.
5. Artwork must be an original work of the student or team.
6. Participants can work independently or in teams of no more than 3 people.
7. All members of a team must be in the same age bracket.
8. Only one entry allowed per participant or team.
9. Participants must live or go to school in Montgomery County, PA and be in grade levels 6-12 or the equivalent for homeschooled participants, starting the 2023-2024 school year.

Judging: Comics will be evaluated based on storytelling, character design, backgrounds, and composition. Judges will choose 8 semi-finalists from each age bracket and select which are the 1st and 2nd place winners. Public Choice will also come from the semi-finalists. Semi-finalists will be on display at MC-NPL.org and at MC-NPL and able to be voted for Public Choice Award between July 31 – August 18, 2023.

Rights to Artwork: Through the submission of artwork, contestants and their legal guardians grant non-exclusive reproduction and publication rights to the works submitted, which will not be returned.

Authorization and Contact Information: On the back of each submitted page, please write each participant’s name, grade, home address, and phone number, plus include the legal guardians’ signature(s) giving permission to enter the contest.