ROK Comics is pleased to be supporting UK indie publisher Adam Grose, who runs Clown Press, with his plans to create a charity comic in aid of the Red Cross, to raise money for flood victims the world over.
Although initially prompted by floods in the UK during the summer, floods in other parts of the world continue to cause misery four thousands of people, and Adam was moved to try and inspire the comics community to create a collection of one page strips and raise funds for flood relief.
"The UK experienced some of the most horrendous weather, with a month's worth of rain falling in 24 hours," Adam explains. "During this time, many of our fellow citizens experienced flooding, unknown to many of us.
"I decided to put together a comic to help raise awareness of our changing world, the environment and the increasing floods and disasters, that seem ever increasing since the turn of the millennium."
Posting an appeal on the downthetubes forum, Adam has asked for writers and artists to band together, creating a one page strip cartoon or illustration, using the title of 'Flood'.
"This comic will initially be available as a download via Smallzone (www.smallzone.co.uk)," says Adam, "then as a printed book to help raise money for the Red Cross and victims of the floods. Hopefully, this will be available the world over and help to bring more awareness to our world community."
Some of the strips will also be adapted for the ROK Comics mobile format, with any profits from sales going to the Floods cause. (ROK Comics have kindly agreed to do the adaptation work for any creators who would like to see their "Floods" strip in this format).
Contributors so far include Simon Mackie, David Hailwood, Team Sputnik, John Freeman, Mike Nicoll (panel from his strip above) and, of course, Adam.
Deadlines and Format Information for submitting strips
Adam would like to get this out relatively soon, but he is also aware creators all have many projects on the go and various deadlines. A working deadline for the page would be by the end of November/ first week in December. His hope is to publish available by Christmas as a download, an alternative Christmas present, with the print edition available May 2008.
If you would like Adam to read through anything before it is committed to being drawn, then he is available to read through your idea. "Otherwise, I am sure you are able to use your judgement on this issue," he says.
"I don’t want to control what type of story you create, as I am not one for censorship, therefore giving you the widest possible of choices. Obviously there are certain things you may feel you can’t do, law-abiding, but if you are worried then please contact me and we can talk about it."
Technical Information
Please supply art as follows:
FILE: A4 29.7 x 21cms. Portrait or Landscape.
RES: 300 DPI
FILE FORMAT: ART - PDS is preferable, high quality JPEG also. WRITING - Word or PDF
STYLE: Up to the individual artist.
ROK COMICS STRIPS: If you want your comic to be adapted for mobile delivery by ROK Comics (www.rokcomics.com):
- Please supply the art as a layered photoshop file (only the lettering needs to be a separate file) or unlettered image file with your script.
- Lettering for mobile has to be 18 to 24 point for legibility.
- The mobile formatted strip will be submitted to you for your approval before publication on a special 'Floods' page of ROK Comics
Writers: Submit a 'Drabble'
Several writers have expressed an interest in contributing text stories, so Adam's suggested they submit 100 word 'drabbles' for the project.
"If you are a writer and you would like to create a drabble for this project then go for it," Adam says. "I know writers might have some difficulty finding an artist or would rather just write a short story of 100 words. The theme would be the same - FLOOD. I look forward to your contribution.
For more about Drabbles visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble
If you are a writer and artist and you would like to get involved then please contact Adam via adgros@hotmail.com.
• Web Link: adgros.blogspot.com/2007/10/flood-charity-comic-for-red-cross.html
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Saturday, 20 October 2007
Lunney Comics!
ROK creator Lizz Lunney, whose 'Burger Love' strip was shortlisted for the 2007 ROK Comics Humour Competition, has two new comics on sale via her web site (www.lizzlizz.com)Waiting For Sushi is a 32 page A6 comic with colour cover containing lots of mini cartoons with characters such as Hairy Midget Elf, Leaning Rabbit, Burger Love and The Boy with Living Ears!
"This first edition of this comic is now sold out," says Lizz, "but a second edition is now available. " This new version features three new cartoons - Melon Boy!, Fat Pigeon and Smelly Pigeon! and What to do if your Hair is on Fire!
Party Animals is a black and white 16-page mini comic featuring exciting little cartoons and ew characters such as My Mate Primate, Disco Rabbit and Troy the Talking Chair! This comic comes with a free random badge.
Hailing from Birmingham in the UK, Lizz studied Animation at a University "in a little town in the middle of nowhere."I soon discovered animators spend too many hours alone in the dark drawing the same picture slightly different millions of times with very little reward (except insanity) and so I developed an interest making fake taxidermy squirrels and puppet animation which is much more fun," she says. "Since then I have concentrated on cartooning again,
Her next comic will be Zine Arcade which she sells us which again features her characters, Smelly Pigeon and Fat Pigeon.
To buy either comic visit: lizzlizz.com/store5/agora.cgi
Friday, 19 October 2007
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
$10,000 Mobile Comic Winner Announced
ROK Comics is pleased to announce the winner of its first $10,000 humour competition is cartoonist Steve English, for an episode of his ongoing series "Madd Science".
Runners up in the competition, which ran on ROK Comics this summer and attracted hundreds of entries, were David Hailwood and Toshiro de Smeyter for and episode of their strip "Drink Like a Fish" and Paul Eldridge, who used the ROK Comics Creator Tool to produce a strip entitled "The Secret of Stonehenge".
Steve wins the $10,000 overall prize while the runners up will receive 12 month subscription to ROK Comics.
After two rounds of short listing, thirty cartoons were considered by external judge Alan Digby, editor of the best selling British weekly comic The Beano, published by DC Thomson.
"The standard was very high, and the different approaches to a inherently restricted art form, such as the 'three picture' strip cartoon, were refreshing," commented Alan.
"I wouldn't be surprised if one of the contributors who made the shortlist managed to make a breakthrough into the world of cartooning - and it might not necessarily be the most obvious entrant who does."
"We were blown away by the huge range of entries to the competition," said ROK Comics Managing Editor John Freeman, "Especially given this is a fairly new medium for comics. But the creators have shown how easy it is for comics to evolve and reach new audiences without forgetting how to make people laugh."
Commenting on his win, Steve English (left) said: "It's fantastic. The last time I entered a cartoon competition I only won a pizza!”
"It's nice to know that when you're staring at a blank page and banging your head against a wall waiting for an idea to drop out, sometimes something lands in your lap that makes others laugh too.”
"I'm torn between cashing in the cheque and framing it as proof that I made the editor of the Beano smile... No I'm not – a framed bank receipt will do the job just fine."
Shortlisted were Ian Alexander, Josh Alves, Vicente Aviles, Mike Carey, Paul O' Connell, Rich Diesslin, Mike Flanagan (Adult Themes, filtered), Lizz Lunney, Jack Noel, Howard Priestley, David Reddick, Kennedy Rose (Adult Themes, filtered), Paul Stapleton, Super Massive Studios and Dave Windett.
Congratulations to all those who won or were shortlisted and better next time to everyone who entered. ROK Comics will be running more competitions in future.
Runners up in the competition, which ran on ROK Comics this summer and attracted hundreds of entries, were David Hailwood and Toshiro de Smeyter for and episode of their strip "Drink Like a Fish" and Paul Eldridge, who used the ROK Comics Creator Tool to produce a strip entitled "The Secret of Stonehenge".
Steve wins the $10,000 overall prize while the runners up will receive 12 month subscription to ROK Comics.
After two rounds of short listing, thirty cartoons were considered by external judge Alan Digby, editor of the best selling British weekly comic The Beano, published by DC Thomson.
"The standard was very high, and the different approaches to a inherently restricted art form, such as the 'three picture' strip cartoon, were refreshing," commented Alan.
"I wouldn't be surprised if one of the contributors who made the shortlist managed to make a breakthrough into the world of cartooning - and it might not necessarily be the most obvious entrant who does."
"We were blown away by the huge range of entries to the competition," said ROK Comics Managing Editor John Freeman, "Especially given this is a fairly new medium for comics. But the creators have shown how easy it is for comics to evolve and reach new audiences without forgetting how to make people laugh."
Commenting on his win, Steve English (left) said: "It's fantastic. The last time I entered a cartoon competition I only won a pizza!”"It's nice to know that when you're staring at a blank page and banging your head against a wall waiting for an idea to drop out, sometimes something lands in your lap that makes others laugh too.”
"I'm torn between cashing in the cheque and framing it as proof that I made the editor of the Beano smile... No I'm not – a framed bank receipt will do the job just fine."
Shortlisted were Ian Alexander, Josh Alves, Vicente Aviles, Mike Carey, Paul O' Connell, Rich Diesslin, Mike Flanagan (Adult Themes, filtered), Lizz Lunney, Jack Noel, Howard Priestley, David Reddick, Kennedy Rose (Adult Themes, filtered), Paul Stapleton, Super Massive Studios and Dave Windett.
Congratulations to all those who won or were shortlisted and better next time to everyone who entered. ROK Comics will be running more competitions in future.
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