Submissions are now being accepted for consideration by the judges for the 2008 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards. Publishers wanting to submit entries should send one copy each of the comics or books and include a cover letter indicating what is being submitted and in what categories.

The tentative categories include best single issue, best short story, best continuing comic book series (at least two issues must have been published in 2007), best limited comic book series (at least half of the series must have been published in 2007), best new series, best title aimed at a younger audience, best humor publication, best anthology, best graphic album-new material, best graphic album-reprint, best reality-based work, best archival collection, best U.S. edition of foreign material, best writer, best writer/artist, best penciler/inker (individual or team), best painter (interior art), best lettering, best coloring, best comics-related book, best comics journalism periodical or website, and best publication design. The judges may add, delete, or combine categories at their discretion. The cover letter should include both a mailing address and an e-mail address.

Entries are also being accepted for the category of best webcomic. This category is open to any new, professionally produced long-form original comics work posted online in 2007. Webcomics must have a unique domain name or be part of a larger comics community to be considered. The work must be online-exclusive for a significant period prior to being collected in print form.

All submissions should be sent to Jackie Estrada, Eisner Awards Administrator, 4657 Cajon Way, San Diego, CA 92115, before the deadline of 14 March 2008. Visit Comic-Con to learn more.

Since 2004 the EERIE HORROR FILM FESTIVAL has screened over 200 films. The 2008 EERIE HORROR FILM FESTIVAL will feature even more special guests, bigger prizes and lots o’ mayhem! Submission categories for the 2008 Eerie Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition includes Horror Feature, Horror Short, Science Fiction Feature, Science Fiction Short, Suspense Feature, Suspense Short, Student(10 - 17 yrs of age) Horror Feature; Student (10 - 17 yrs of age) Horror Short; Short Length Screenplay; Feature Length Screenplay; Student (10 - 17 yrs of age) Feature Length Screenplay; Student (10 - 17 yrs of age) Short Length Screenplay, Video Game Concept, Video Game in Production, Completed Video Game.

Latest deadline for film and game entries is 1 September 2008, and 1 August 2008 for screenplay, but you can begin entries as early as January. The September deadline will be the only one noted on this calendar. Visit the site to learn more!

I have a pipeline straight to Colorado’s western slope, and I happen to know that the snow bunnies out there are shivering with goosebumps. Why? Because they finally got a good dump of snow! Ski season may be saved after all. Snow Puppy is happy, that’s for sure!

Russell Ossendryver has once again shown his fanaticism for open source with his 3-part compendium about Microsoft’s antics during the OOXML scandal - definitely worth a read!

I’m pleased to add FigDig.com to the list of “accoutrements” in the middle column - this is a great site to post your portfolios and more - go take a look!

Snow Puppy is visiting from Lab Rescue. Have a great weekend!

Gathering of the International Design Scene in Munich, Germany!

At TOCA ME design conference on 23rd February 2008 international and national designers are going to give an insight into the developing processes and different techniques of their creations.

What is design? How powerful is design? Where does design fail? On 23rd February 2008 TOCA ME design conference will take place for its third time in Munich’s Reithalle with renowned speakers from around the world. Topic and aim of the conference themed “beyond surface” is the ongoing question about the location decision of design as well as the networking of Munich’s design and creative scene and the international design centers.
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Here’s a good deal - You can create your own portfolios, participate in critiques and weekly assignments, and become part of an international community of photographers. Plus, you become eligible to win a Canon EOS 40D with an EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM lens. How? Just join PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM for two months for $9US (a $24 value). Then, while you wait for the results of the drawing during the first week of January, 2008, you can enjoy all the benefits of their highest Workshop + Showcase Level membership.

Either way, you win. Just read their member testimonials to see what others have to say about PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM.

Textile Republic provides a place for textile designers to share their designs with the worldwide textile community. For this competition, winning designs will be used to create a line of fabrics, clothing, wallpaper, stationary, and other merchandise. Preference will be given to submissions that seamlessly tile. File must be a Jpeg Image no larger than 800kb. Also, they will need a Tiff, PSD, EPS, Illustrator or PDF of your design if you win. Winning designers will receive $1,000 cash and a 5% royalty. You need to register for free to enter the contest. Deadline is 1 February 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

The World Photography Awards, sponsored by Sony, is an international showcase of the best images taken by renowned and undiscovered photographers alike. From landscape to music and photojournalism to fashion photography, the WPA is the first awards of its kind and is supported by hundreds of the industry’s top photographers, critics, gallerists, directors, founders and more.

Featuring eleven different categories, both professional and amateur photographers will be invited to enter work to the World Photography Awards from 9th October 2007 until mid-January 2008. The winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony in Cannes at the Palais des Festivals on 24th April 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

Via: Niptuckmyphoto

Don’t miss the 18 January 2008 entry deadline for Professionals and the 31 January 2008 deadline for Students from the Art Directors Club. It’s your chance to win a Gold Cube in the 87th Annual Awards. Enter your Advertising, Design, Interactive, Photography and Illustration, even unpublished work in Playground. There are also breakout categories, ADC Hybrid and ADC Design Sphere, and sponsored awards from Corbis and Yahoo! Visit the site to learn more.

Let your talent shine! Now in its 17th year, this competition is open to photography and illustration professionals and enthusiasts from any country.

Why should you enter? Exposure, exposure, exposure. Winners receive exceptional year-round recognition in three high-profile vehicles:

• Featured in the glossy, 200-plus page Photography & Illustration Annual, now being published in May. This much-anticipated annual is read by more than 60,000 of your clients, colleagues and competitors.
• Year-round our site features the winners in the Award Winners Gallery, which attracts more than 200,000 unique visitors annually.
• FURTHER EXPOSURE! All winning work will be displayed at the Awards Winners’ Exhibit in Toronto. This unique gallery show is expected to draw more than 1000 attendees. (Date and Location to be announced.)

All entrants receive a complimentary copy of the Annual ($30 value). For winners, an additional complimentary copy will be issued. Winners also receive approximately 50 tear sheets of the page on which their work appears, and Awards Certificates for each winning piece. Deadline is 1 February 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

This competition is now going into its sixth year and open to full and part-time students in creative advertising, graphic design, interactive design, photography and illustration from any country. Work that has been entered in past competitions is not eligible.

In today’s highly competitive market, the challenge is how to get noticed. One of the best ways is to promote your talent to Canada’s creative community and potential clients as a winner in the country’s biggest and most important awards contest.

Winners receive exceptional year-round recognition in three high-profile vehicles:

• Applied Arts is North America’s leading magazine for visual communications, with 65,00 readers, most are potential employers, who will keep Awards issues as invaluable references and sources of inspiration.
• Entering the Student Awards is a good career move, offering great portfolio exposure and you could possibly get hired.
• See how your work stands according to the highest standards in the industry, and a chance to see what’s expected of you once you graduate.
• Year-round our site features the winners in the Student Awards Gallery, which attracts more than 200,000 unique visitors annually.

FURTHER EXPOSURE! All winning work will be displayed at the Awards Winners’ Exhibit, held Nov. 2008, in Toronto. This unique gallery show is expected to draw more than 1000 attendees. (Location to be announced.) Deadline is 4 April 2008. Visit the site to learn more.