comic strip superstar
Since the beginning of American Idol, cartoonists across this great country of ours have been pining away at our drawing tables for a similar contest to come along. Why couldn't there be an American Cartoonist? Aren't we "hip" to the "jive"?*We wanted the chance to go on live television and draw funny pictures in little boxes.Finally, we got this chance.** Comic Strip Superstar is a contest put on by Andrews McMeel Publishing and Amazon.com. In it, you create a totally new comic strip, draw 10 dailies and two Sundays, and send it through a series of tubes to the good people at Universal Press Syndicate. The overworked, malnourished Universal Press Syndicate editors, as well as a panel of All-Star judges, will read all submissions and narrow them down to the top ten. Those ten will be posted on Amazon.com and the ultimate winner will be chosen by reader vote. Jimmy Carter will be on hand to make sure the election is fair and untainted.As winner, you'll be crowned Comic Strip Superstar and given gobs of money, a book deal, and a chance to draw comics for the rest of your natural life. I think you also get to meet Garfield.Naturally, I entered the contest. Who knows, right now some Universal editor could be pouring over my scribbles and thinking "the kid has talent!"My submission is called "Blavin and Blobbes," about a young girl and her best friend, a living blob of nuclear waste. Together they start a club: Boys Are Really aFul (BARF). It is both original and fun for the whole family; I am certain I've got a winner.Seriously, I can't reveal my real submission because I don't want to get disqualified. But I will keep you updated with any news or information I glean in the next couple months. If I'm one of the lucky ten, you can be sure to read about it here. If I'm dumped after the first round, you can bet I'll be bitter until the end of my days, drinking myself to death while muttering obscenities under the Hawthorne Bridge. Maybe I'll meet some other cartoonists down there!Kid Shay out.*No.**Sort of.