The Observer Graphic Short Story Competition

It's that time of year again.... Hallowe’en, Bonfire Night, and the Observer/Jonathan Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Contest, which happily appears to have become an annual event. I think this competition is a great idea because it encourages people to work on new comics, and generally stimulates comics activity in the UK. It would be fantastic if more such competitions took place.

Another interesting thing about the contest is that it gets people talking about comics, gets the artists discussing what's good and bad about working in the medium, and whether a "graphic short story" is actually different to a comic strip. There's an example of this debate here on the Drawn site, which also features last years winning entry "Away In A Manger" by Catherine Brighton. And things really heat up here on the Guardian website - check out the comments section.

Below is my own favourite entry for the 2007 competition: Adam Cadwell's "Spilt Soda".



There's a nice, varied panel of judges this year, which includes Marjane Satrapi, so it'll be interesting to see the type of work they choose.