Laugh Tracks

The Great Non Sequitur Sign-Off!

Welcome to the first ever Great Non Sequitur Sign-Off contest! It’s your chance to put your wit and originality to the test and to finally earn the admiration and respect of your family and friends. Write the winning joke in the sandwich board above and see your cartoon published in newspapers and online. Just remember space on the sandwich board is limited so the winning line must be able to fit.

How to Enter: Just send an email to nonseqsignoff@amuniversal.com. Be sure to include your suggestion for what should be written on the sandwich board. Please also include your Name, Phone Number, Email Address and Hometown Newspaper.

How it Works: Wiley Miller will narrow down all of the entries to a final four. From there the fans will take over and begin voting for their favorite on December 7th, at Non-Sequitur.com. There is only a week to vote so check back on Non-Sequitur.com for the updates. The winning entry will be announced in the actual Non Sequitur strip that will run in papers across the globe on Monday, December 21st!

Prizes: The top four finalists will each receive an autographed book from Wiley Miller. The grand prize winner will also receive the original strip with his or her gag written into the sandwich board. You will also receive a Sandwich board with your quote on it, autographed by Wiley.

Timing:

• December 4th – Last Day for Submissions
• December 7th – Top 4 Finalists Announced, Public Voting Begins
• December 11th – Last Day to Vote
• December 21st – Winner Announced – Actual Strip Runs in Papers!

For questions regarding The Great Non Sequitur Sign-Off, please email support@gocomics.com.

Amazon Comic Strip Superstar Winner Announced!

The final votes have been tallied, and the winner of the first ever Amazon Comic Strip Superstar contest is: Dana Simpson, whose charming submission, Girl, took a lead early in the voting and never let go, despite a late push by the eventual runner-up. Congratulations, Dana!

Dana's winnings include a book deal with Andrews McMeel Publishing, online distribution on GoComics.com, and a development deal with Universal Uclick.

Congrats to all of the finalists in the Amazon Comic Strip Superstar contest. This certainly shouldn't be the last we hear from this group of amazingly gifted cartoonists. And once again, big congrats to Dana Simpson for winning the contest and introducing us all to the enchanted world of Girl!

Lio Look-Alike Contest: And the Winner Is...!

The votes are in, and the winner of the first-ever Lio Look-Alike Contest is Brian F. of California!

Brian's perfectly staged photo has it all: homemade Lio costume, spiked hair (just look at that spike!), his local newspaper, and check it out: a pair of horror movie icons are just chillin' with Brian on the couch - you know, just like you see in your typical Lio strip! No wonder this photo was a hit with voters! 

For being the top vote-getter, Brian will receive a signed and framed, original Lio strip from creator Mark Tatulli. Congrats, Brian!

And for all five of our fabulous runners-up, a signed copy of the first Lio treasury, Lio’s Astonishing Tales: From the Haunted Crypt of Unknown Horrors!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Lio Look-Alike Contest!

Vote Now!

Lio Look-Alike Contest: Vote for the Finalists!

After six weeks and an amazing influx of entries from Lio fans all across the country, Lio creator Mark Tatulli has hand-picked his favorite entries for the Lio Look-Alike Contest finals!

Hey, everyone! Mark Tatulli here. First and foremost, let me extend my deepest thanks to all of those who entered the first-ever Lio Look-Alike Contest! Seeing so much enthusiasm for the strip has been a blast. I've enjoyed seeing all of the creative ways fans staged their photos - many with props, homemade costumes, and of course, Lio's trademark spiked hairdo. Each and every contestant photo brought a smile to my face. With so many great entries, narrowing it down to just six was incredibly tough!

About the finalists: These six contestants nailed it, right down to their inclusion of the hometown newspaper. They've got the look, but what's more, each of them really captured the spirit of Lio. It was a tough field of competitors, but these six (in no particular order) rose above the rest:

(Click image to enlarge)

And lest I forget, I have to give honorable mention to one more entry. Had this been a Lio's Dad Look-Alike Contest, this contestant would have won, hands down:

Well, it doesn't get any easier from here, but at least my part of the judging is done. Now it's your turn! Which of the six finalists should win the first-ever Lio Look-Alike Contest? Vote now!

MT

Thanks again to all of the participants. Don't forget to place your vote, and then come back here September 28 to see the winner!

Can you beat this Lio Look-Alike?

This is the final week to enter the first-ever Lio Look-Alike Contest! We've received lots of excellent entries so far - could yours be the winner? Send in your photo by September 18th!

Amazon and Andrews McMeel Universal Announce First Comic Strip Superstar Competition!

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Andrews McMeel Universal today announced the launch of the first Comic Strip Superstar, the international competition in search of the next popular comic strip artist. The winner will receive a publishing contract from Andrews McMeel Publishing, a $5,000 advance from Universal Uclick and a monthly stipend for the development of 20 comic strips that will be considered for syndication.

“As the nation's premier humor publisher in newspapers, books, mobile phones and online, Andrews McMeel Universal is uniquely suited to bring this comic strip contest to the public,” said Hugh T. Andrews, executive vice president of Andrews McMeel Universal. “We are excited by the opportunity this contest provides to continue our mission to seek, recognize and celebrate remarkable creative talent, and to share it with an appreciative and enthusiastic audience through a variety of distribution channels.”

Beginning today through Sept. 12, 2009, up to 5,000 entries will be accepted for the competition at www.amazon.com/comicstripsuperstar. Each entry should be original, unpublished work consisting of 10 daily comic strips and two Sunday comics, a title and a brief synopsis. From the submissions, Universal Uclick will narrow the entries down to 250 quarterfinalists. The quarterfinalists will then be narrowed down to 50 semifinalists by John Glynn and Lee Salem, seasoned Universal Uclick editors. In the semifinal round, popular comic strip creators Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury), Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse), Scott Hilburn (The Argyle Sweater) and Mark Tatulli (Lió and Heart of the City) will choose 10 finalists and post feedback for each on Amazon.com. Amazon.com customers will then have the opportunity to view the finalists’ submissions and vote for the grand prize winner.

“We know Amazon customers are extremely creative and enjoy discovering new talent. This competition gives them the opportunity to discover great new comic strip artists, while having a few laughs along the way,” said Jeff Belle, vice president of U.S. Books, Amazon.com.

The winner will be announced Nov. 9, 2009, and will receive a prize package from Andrews McMeel Universal which includes a publishing contract with Andrews McMeel Publishing and a newspaper syndication development deal and contract for distribution on GoComics.com desktop and mobile applications from Universal Uclick.

For complete terms and conditions on the Comic Strip Superstars competition, please visit www.amazon.com/comicstripsuperstar.

Announcing the First Ever Lio Look-Alike Contest!

Time to spike up your hair and mimic the weirdest little kid on the comic pages!

Mark Tatulli, creator of the Comic Strip of the Year, Lio, and GoComics have announced the first ever Lio Look-Alike Contest!

Beginning today through September 18th, fans of all ages can enter by sending submissions to liolookalikecontest@amuniversal.com.  Each entry should include a photo of your best Lio impression, and if your daily newspaper features Lio in its comics section, get creative and give the newspaper a shout out in your photo, too!

Mark Tatulli and Universal Uclick will narrow down the entries to the top 6 and then fans will vote for the big winner. The grand prize winner will receive a signed and framed, original Lio comic strip. The 5 runners-up will each receive a signed copy of the first Lio treasury, Lio’s Astonishing Tales: From the Haunted Crypt of Unknown Horrors.

Winners will be announced September 28. Send in your pics today!

liolookalikecontest@amuniversal.com

For complete contest rules and conditions, click here.

Haiku Ewe Contest Winner Announced!

Allison Garwood made the Haiku Ewe contest winner announcement on her blog this morning:

"Valerie Waters is the winner of the Draw Haiku Ewe For A Week Contest! She sent in a great submission that made me lol, for real, not just typing it to type it. You will get to see her submission on July 27 and then her other drawings all through the week until July 31."

Click here to read the full announcement.

Congratulations, Valerie!