OFFICIAL Top Cow Talent Hunt 2016 Discussion Thread

[CBR News]

Hello!

This thread will serve as the Top Cow-sanctioned official discussion forum for all matters relating to Talent Hunt 2016. Feel free to discuss your submissions with your fellow participants, or ask questions of Top Cow President and COO Matt Hawkins -- who will stop by this thread periodically as time allows.

Full rules, submission agreement and sample scripts are available for download here.

Thanks, have fun, and good luck!

[givesight]

Can i still participate even if I have not entered in the past? I would like an equal opportunity. Also, do I need to provide pencil work? I would like to introduce a new work flow and use my 3d tools to enhance my 2d work. I will be providing work all the way to color. Thanks

[SaraKpn]

Can i still participate even if I have not entered in the past? I would like an equal opportunity. Also, do I need to provide pencil work? I would like to introduce a new work flow and use my 3d tools to enhance my 2d work. I will be providing work all the way to color. Thanks

Hi, of course you can participate. Only 2 of 8 winners must be previous entrants. And yes, you can use any technique you want, though the info form says: finished pencils, pencil to color work, digital painting or pencil/ink/ink wash combo for black and white publication. Last time, lots of people including myself, submitted fully colored pages. As long as the storytelling and art quality are decent, you can use anything from pencils to painting and 3D I mean, Stjepan used 3D in his work, so...

[givesight]

YES! thank you so much. Stjepan's work is out of this world and I would like to have a similar approach. I am geared up and ready to lay down some fire!

[Lightningmax]

The admonition to show not tell is one that is given many times to comicbook writers. However, we have to understand that saying in context: Comicbooks are a visual medium, so showing is possible, but there are times that context is necessary.
As an example let’s use one of scripts for the contest:
PAGE 22
PANEL 3
Push in to the shelf behind Apollo IX. There is a framed photo of the Pisces constellation. (Pisces is associated with Cupid and Psyche in Roman mythology)

I have read plenty of mythology and I didn’t know this fun fact. So someone in the story should have stated it. I forgot the book at home, so I don’t recall, but an object of importance should be shown early and possibly referenced sometime through the story. I don’t think it was shown until that panel. So maybe Psyche says it to Eros or Apollo sometime during the story, then the item has context.

[Shrike]

The admonition to show not tell is one that is given many times to comicbook writers. However, we have to understand that saying in context: Comicbooks are a visual medium, so showing is possible, but there are times that context is necessary.
As an example let’s use one of scripts for the contest:
PAGE 22
PANEL 3
Push in to the shelf behind Apollo IX. There is a framed photo of the Pisces constellation. (Pisces is associated with Cupid and Psyche in Roman mythology)

I have read plenty of mythology and I didn’t know this fun fact. So someone in the story should have stated it. I forgot the book at home, so I don’t recall, but an object of importance should be shown early and possibly referenced sometime through the story. I don’t think it was shown until that panel. So maybe Psyche says it to Eros or Apollo sometime during the story, then the item has context.

I don't think that's an error. Remember that the purpose of a script is not to provide information to a reader, it's to give instructions to the artist. The extra information is there so that the artist knows it's important and doesn't leave it out. Some readers will pick up on it and it becomes a nice Easter egg, and most won't get the reference but it doesn't take anything away from the story at all. Having someone mention it on-panel feels to me like a distraction from what's going on and you only have 22 pages, there's no sense in wasting any of that space on trivia. But everyone has their own style preference, I suppose.

[Lightningmax]

I don't think that's an error. Remember that the purpose of a script is not to provide information to a reader, it's to give instructions to the artist. The extra information is there so that the artist knows it's important and doesn't leave it out. Some readers will pick up on it and it becomes a nice Easter egg, and most won't get the reference but it doesn't take anything away from the story at all. Having someone mention it on-panel feels to me like a distraction from what's going on and you only have 22 pages, there's no sense in wasting any of that space on trivia. But everyone has their own style preference, I suppose.

It's an error, and here's why. We can argue about style all day, but good storytelling trumps style every time. It is not good storytelling to introduce an item at the end of a story which wasn't shown previously.

[Lightningmax]

An Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, hidden message, or feature in an interactive work such as a computer program, video game or DVD menu screen.

It is not a vital piece of story information.

[LucaM]

Hi, of course you can participate. Only 2 of 8 winners must be previous entrants. And yes, you can use any technique you want, though the info form says: finished pencils, pencil to color work, digital painting or pencil/ink/ink wash combo for black and white publication. Last time, lots of people including myself, submitted fully colored pages. As long as the storytelling and art quality are decent, you can use anything from pencils to painting and 3D I mean, Stjepan used 3D in his work, so...

I'm a bit confused about this. The info says what you wrote, but at the end of that paragraph it says also:

"We will accept just pencils as a submission."

Since it says "just pencils" and not "only pencils", i took it in the sense that it's fine to send just pencilled page, is it correct?

[Lightningmax]

I'm a bit confused about this. The info says what you wrote, but at the end of that paragraph it says also:

"We will accept just pencils as a submission."

Since it says "just pencils" and not "only pencils", i took it in the sense that it's fine to send just pencilled page, is it correct?

Just pencils are acceptable -- if you ink most companies want to see both pencils and inks.

[scarletart]

Are we allowed to enter both the writers and the artists contest? I didn't see any mention in the rules that it was one or the other if a person wanted to submit for both.

[REINDEER]

Hi everyone
How much pages pencillers have to draw?

[Lightningmax]

Are we allowed to enter both the writers and the artists contest? I didn't see any mention in the rules that it was one or the other if a person wanted to submit for both.

Yes, you can enter as both writer and artist. One of the entries from last year that was a runner up (?) was a writer/artist. You can illustrate your own story or write a story and illustrate the tryout scripts.

[Lightningmax]

Hi everyone
How much pages pencillers have to draw?

Eight pages minimum.

[TheRichSmithRobot]

As an artist can I submit work from each script or am I only allowed one entry?