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Rodolphe Töpffer (1798-1846), Swiss author, is known as the “inventor” of comics in the 19th century.

The "Comic Book Creation" contest accepts entries from June 1 to November 1. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

At first, comics were not immediately accepted and often appeared in the form of picture books (albums) for adults or on a few pages in satirical newspapers.

After World War II, a Belgian school pioneered comic book publishing in the form of two weekly issues about Tintin and Spirou.

Since the late 1960s, French comics have undergone an important turning point with many unique creative works. Currently, comics are recognized as the "ninth art" with a long and rich tradition in France.

French comics are very diverse, with many different styles, genres, and approaches (comics, manga, graphic novels, Franco-Belgian comics...), loved by a large public, especially young people.

Marked by emerging talent and innovative works, French comics account for an increasingly large share of the book market in France, as well as in Europe, the United States, and Japan.

In Vietnam, Kim Dong Publishing House is known as one of the first units to bring the comic genre to Vietnamese readers. In the 1990s, Vietnamese readers gradually became acquainted with and received comic books such as Doraemon and Dragon Ball from Japan and Asterix from France.

Comics have become an indispensable part of the bookshelf of many young readers.

Therefore, with the desire to find Vietnamese comic authors and artists and further develop Vietnamese comic works, the French Institute in Vietnam and Kim Dong Publishing House jointly organized the “comic book creation” contest.

Conditions to participate in the contest

Professional and non-professional authors who are Vietnamese citizens 18 years or older living, working, and studying at home and abroad are eligible to participate. The composition is intended for ages 13 and up.

The exam acceptance period is from June 1 to November 1. The time to announce the winning works is December 2024.

Works submitted to the competition must be original works, never published or submitted to any publisher. The author is responsible for the copyright of the works entered in the contest. The organizing committee does not accept translated or adapted works.

A special edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the comic book "Doraemon", released by Kim Dong at the end of December 2020. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

The work sent to the Organizing Committee is a complete work with a minimum of 10 comic pages, with specifications as follows: The dimensions of the works are 18cm x 25cm with a white margin around the painting. The organizers note that in the introduction section, the author must write his/her real name, pen name, year of birth, address, email, and phone number.

The jury includes Vietnamese and French authors and artists.

The competition's first prize is a seven-day trip to attend the Comic Book Festival in Angoulême, France, and visit some bookstores in Paris. The second, third, and consolation prizes are 15 million VND (US$586.65), 10 million VND (US$391.10), and 5 million VND (US$195.52) respectively.

For works awarded from the contest, the Publisher has the right to use the work in the form of publication for a minimum period of 5 years and has the priority to extend the contract to use it when the term expires.

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