The Optimist Comics Art Challenge is an online art competition for Chicago artists aged 10-18. Participants have entered an illustration of their own original comic character along with a quick write-up about their character's backstory. It's up to you to vote on the character you want to read the most!
The entry with the most votes will win a scholarship to OC Academy to publish their story and be a featured artist at Optimist Con, our annual comic convention!
Take a look at the entries so far. Voting starts on September 20th and Ends on September 27th. Come back to help us pick a winner!
OC Online Art Challenge –Official Rules & Regulations
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Open to students ages [insert age range, e.g., 10–18].
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Must be the original creator of the submitted artwork and backstory.
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Only one submission per student.
How to Enter
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Create an original character drawing and write a short backstory.
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Submit your entry through the official submission form.
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After submitting, you’ll receive a unique voting link to share with friends, family, and community members.
Voting Process
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Voting opens [insert start date] and closes [insert end date].
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Voters may only vote once per entry per day.
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Any attempt to manipulate or artificially inflate votes (e.g., bots, fake accounts) will result in disqualification.
Winner Selection
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The winner will be the student with the highest number of valid votes at the end of the voting period.
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In the event of a tie, the organizing team will host a runoff vote between tied contestants or select a winner based on creativity and effort in the submission.
Prize
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The winning student will receive a scholarship voucher redeemable for free participation in the [insert program name] Comic Publishing Course.
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The voucher is valid for [insert timeframe, e.g., 12 months] and may be redeemed at any scheduled course date.
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The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
Rights & Permissions
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By submitting, students grant permission for their artwork and character backstory to be displayed on the challenge website, social media, and promotional materials.
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Students retain full ownership of their characters and artwork.
Code of Conduct
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All artwork and backstories must be school-appropriate and free of hateful, explicit, or plagiarized content.
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Any submissions violating these guidelines will be removed.
Organizer Rights
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The organizers reserve the right to extend deadlines, disqualify entries, or modify rules if necessary for fairness and integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How do I know my submission was received?
A: Once you complete the form, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your personal voting link.
Q: Who can vote?
A: Anyone with your unique voting link can cast a vote — friends, family, classmates, neighbors, and supporters.
Q: Can someone vote more than once?
A: Voters may cast one vote per entry per day during the voting period.
Q: How do I get people to vote for me?
A: Share your link on social media, email it to friends, or text it directly to family and community members. Creativity in rallying support is part of the fun!
Q: What happens if someone cheats?
A: Any suspicious activity — such as using bots, fake accounts, or vote farming — will be investigated. Entries found cheating will be disqualified.
Q: What if there’s a tie?
A: In the case of a tie, we’ll either run a special runoff vote or select a winner based on the creativity and effort shown in the submission.
Q: What does the winner get?
A: A scholarship voucher to participate in the Comic Publishing Course for free! The voucher can be redeemed within [insert timeframe] at any available session.
Q: Do I keep ownership of my character?
A: Yes! Your character belongs to you. We just ask for permission to showcase it as part of the challenge and for promotional purposes.
Q: Is there a cost to enter the challenge?
A: No — entry is completely free.
Q: Can I submit more than one character?
A: No, only one entry per student will be accepted.
