East Coast Black Age of Comics ConventionMedia Release -- This past May, history was made at the Glyph Comics Awards (GCA) ceremony as Jeremy Love’s Bayou became the most celebrated book in GCA history, winning all five awards in which he and his webcomic were nominated, including Story of the Year. Expectations are high for another exciting competition this year.

The panel of judges for the 2010 competition is:

David Brothers, comics blogger, 4th Letter!
Carol Burrell, editorial director, Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group
Brian Cronin, writer, Comic Book Resources
Katie Merritt, co-owner, Green Brain Comics; former president, Friends of Lulu
Dan Merritt, co-owner, Green Brain Comics

Any comics publisher – small, large, corporate, independent, self-published – as well as online comic creators and cartoonists for newspapers and other periodicals, are invited to submit black-themed material released from January 1 through December 31, 2009 for consideration for award recognition. The Committee defines black-themed work as any comic with any combination of the following: a black protagonist(s), or at least a black character(s) pivotal to the direction of the story; a setting(s) or a theme(s) that explores the black experience within the United States and/or abroad, past, present, and/or future; and/or a comic of any kind written and/or illustrated by a black creator(s).

Anyone wishing to submit their comic book or comic strip for consideration in the 2010 competition should e-mail GCA Committee Chair Rich Watson for further information. Hard copies are preferred, though submissions of electronic files will also be accepted. Online comics creators and newspaper/periodical cartoonists with websites should send a direct URL link to their site or page. Daily cartoonists must have a minimum of one month’s work archived and available for viewing; weekly cartoonists a minimum of two months. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, January 31, 2010.

The 2010 Glyph Comics Awards ceremony will be held at the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) on Friday, May 14, 2010.