Sakura-Con Manga Library

Sakura-Con Manga Library POSTER CONTEST

Manga Library contact/contest lead: Teresa Atkinson

Comments/feedback: mangalibrary@sakuracon.org with "Poster Contest" in subject.

Deadlines:

Posters must be turned in to the Manga Library no later than noon on Friday, April 6, 2012.
Posters must be picked up from the Manga Library no later than 4:00p on Sunday, April 8, 2012.

All posters must conform to the following specifications:

Size/Weight:

No side smaller than 11".
No side larger than 24".
No poster more than 3/8" thick.
No poster may be heavier than 5 lbs.
You do not need to stick with rectangular format, as long as your dimensions are compliant.

Content:

All poster content must be contained on one side.
All posters must contain this information on the back: Your club's name, a contact name, address, phone number, and email address. If you have a faculty advisor, use him/her as the contact if you don't have elected officers. If you used a software application, the name of the software.
All posters must contain the following information on the front of your poster at the TOP: Your club's name, your school/organization, town, and state/province.
Poster creator(s) name(s) must be included (front or back).
Poster content must be family-friendly.

Construction:

You may design your poster for portrait or landscape orientation.
Your poster will be displayed on a table top. To keep your poster upright, we suggest you attach a poster stand. (These are available in places that sell art supplies, and come in different sizes. ArtSkills is one brand. Choose a big enough size that will keep your poster upright.) Posters without stands will simply lean against the wall.
Posters must be sufficiently stiff to allow them to stand alone or lean without warping/bending against a wall for the duration of the event.
We strongly recommend you mount your poster on cardboard or foamcore and shrinkwrap or laminate it. This will protect your artwork, make it sturdier, and give it a longer life (you'll want to have it for use again, right?). (Talk to a photocopy shop to discuss these and other options.)
Posters may be created with any media and in any style, as long as they conform to the specifications.

Process:

Manga Library is the contest sponsor and its decisions on all matters relating to this contest are FINAL.
Your club agrees that any photos taken of your poster by Sakura-Con Publicity staff (with attribution credit) may be posted in Sakura-Con archives, publications, and websites.
Posters will be available for viewing and feedback in the Manga Library throughout the Con, 24/7.
ML staff will collect feedback forms and compile them. Your poster's feedback will be available when you pick your poster up on Sunday afternoon.
Prizes will be awarded and contact people notified. Prizes will be available for pickup with your posters.
Posters must be picked up from the Manga Library no later than 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. POSTERS WHICH ARE NOT PICKED UP WILL BE DISCARDED.

Suggestions:

The general theme of Sakura-Con in 2012 is our 15th anniversary. We are celebrating anime and manga – and all things associated with our event's traditional topics and themes.
Your posters can utilize any artistic style – create a manga page, build a collage, display a collection of pictures of your club's activities. It's up to your club! Think about how you might use a poster beyond this contest – if you have a club display case at school, could your poster be displayed there? Does your organization do a club information fair? A good poster is a great opportunity to get people interested in your group!
Represent your club, its members, and your school/sponsoring organization in a positive, respectful manner. (In-jokes only work among close friends; they're often poorly misinterpreted by people outside your inner circle.)
Poster content must be family friendly – posters which do not comply will not be accepted.
Share your club's history or special experiences, honor your founding members, show us what makes your group great!
同人誌: Dōjinshi is allowed. (See http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/lexicon.php?id=16)
We're SAKURA-Con, so cherry blossoms aren't gonna hurt your poster. Other possible elements you might want to incorporate are the anniversary/birthday theme, the number 15, books, libraries, reading, Seattle/Pacific Northwest.

Prizes Etc.:

We're working on the swag, but in general prizes will be intended for groups, not individuals. For example: manga, anime DVDs, snack boxes (e.g., Japanese crackers, Pocky, drinks), art books (e.g., "Art of Angel Sanctuary"), anime/ref guides, for example.
Prizes will be awarded based on attendee voting. There will be several loose categories, including: most polished, most fun, best artwork, best story, most creative, most unusual, etc. We reserve the right to create new categories as needed, and to eliminate categories which don't apply once we see the entries.
Industry guests may want to provide feedback, and we will make sure any comments made get back to your club.
Posters and awards will be reported in the Sakura-Con member newsletter and on the Manga Library webpage after Con.

FAQ:

Can our poster be 8"x10" or 9"x12"?

No, all posters must comply with the size specifications, which include no side less than 11".

Can our poster be 24"x24"?

Yes, as long as it's within the size specifications (No side larger than 24".)

Can our poster be a manga?

As long as it is contained on one side of your material, yes. If you wanted to have multiple pages, you might look into doing an accordion-style paperfold that would let you physically define separate pages, while keeping your artwork on one side only. Using an 11" x 24" piece of paper would easily give you 3 almost standard-size (8.5x11) pages.

Can our poster be a kite?

As long as it's contained on one side of your material and fits the size specifications, sure.

Can we use wood (aluminum, stainless steel, high impact plastic, etc.) as our poster material?

As long as your poster fits within the size specifications (including weight – nothing over 5 lbs!), sure.

What kind of papers and such can we use?

Art papers come in various standard sizes and finishes, so what technique(s) you want to use will determine to some degree what kind of paper you use. Keep in mind, there are a lot of "non-standard" options, too, like Japanese scrolls (check out the calligraphy supplies at Uwajimaya) or very thin sheets of wood veneer sold by some specialty paper suppliers. As for media – paint, ink, markers, collage, thread, beads, eggshell mosaic, whatever – that's up to you!

Does our poster have to be framed?

No, but it does have to be able to lean without warping or bending. Remember, there are size and weight specifications your poster has to fit in or it won't be accepted. Mounting your poster on cardboard or foamcore makes it stiff enough to lean without adding a lot of weight. Laminating or shrinkwrapping it protects the surface (your artwork!) and also does a little bit to stiffen it.

Can we use Anime Studio, PhotoShop, PowerPoint, or some other computer program to make our poster?

Yes. If you use a software application, please be sure to indicate the program you used on the back of your poster with your contact information. (We'd love to be able to let our software vendors know to come check out your work!)

If we have more questions, who can we ask?

Email us at the Manga Library, mangalibrary@sakuracon.org and put "Poster Contest" in the subject line. Thanks!