This year’s Graphic Lit Contest received the highest number of entries and showcased the most outstanding quality we’ve seen in the few years we’ve been offering this category. This not only signifies that artists of exceptional talent trust us with their heartfelt work, but it also indicates that we are starting to make an impact in the comic literature space. Our reputation is further solidified by the caliber of judges who have agreed to lend their expertise and credentials to our contest. We were particularly honored to have Judge Leela Corman, known for her distinctive artistic style and critically acclaimed work, join us this year.
Here is what Leela had to say about this year’s winner and finalists:
“My choice is The River. I chose this for several reasons: its subject matter that travels between the worlds of dreams and ancestors, and the world of buses and cell phones and mundane concerns; because it’s beautifully drawn; because it is a story about Central American women, who aren’t represented enough in American comics; and in no small part because it is the submission that engages the most with the comics form.”
We wholeheartedly agree with Julia Mata’s The River as the winning selection, and it had stiff competition given the unique and compelling works like, runner up, Killing Simon, and finalists Running Thoughts, and The Burrow. Overall, we’re thrilled to bring these remarkable works to light, supporting our mission to be an outlet for diverse voices while exploring the boundaries of what can be achieved at the intersection of storytelling, timing, and visual art with comics and graphic literature.
-Drai Whitted
Graphic Lit Editor
Andrai Whitted is the Digital Media Editor at Solstice Literary Magazine where he painstakingly formats each issue among other contributions. He is also a designer and artist and in our Spring 2019 issue he has kickstarted a new genre for the mag with Graphic Lit featuring comic storytelling and other forms of sequential art including comic poetry and experimental works.
