Submit your Graphic Novel Today!
Our Contest Runs From June 1 - July 31, 2026
Calling all comics and manga fans, artists, and storytellers: You are invited to enter San José Public Library’s Graphic Novel Making Contest for all ages as part of our Summer Learning Challenge.
Create and submit your own short comic or graphic novel! Entries can be up to 8 pages long, black & white on single-sided 8.5"x11" pages. The contest is open to amateur creators of all ages! All participants will receive a participation prize and winners will receive a prize bundle. Cultivate your creativity and improve your skills by attending some of our virtual or in-person comic creation programs to learn about character creation, illustration, storytelling, and more!
Be sure to follow the contest rules:
- Review the Contest Guidelines (available in Español and Tiếng Việt)
- Check out the FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions
- Refer to this How To Submit Guide for a walkthrough of the submission process
*The Graphic Novel Making Contest has updated the Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents to include that any artificial intelligence (AI) created comics will not be eligible for an award. We respect the talent and skill of our participants and want them to be recognized for the time, patience, and energy they put into their entries into this contest every year.
Any questions, comments, concerns, or curiosities on this matter can be sent to graphicnovels@sjlibrary.org.
Judging
Entries will be judged using a rubric scale covering the following: overall story, originality, creativity, and illustrations. Review the judging criteria and rubric (available in Español and Tiếng Việt) to understand how your comic will be scored.
Prizes & Age Categories
A participation prize is awarded to each individual who submits an entry to the Graphic Novel Making Contest. If an entry is co-authored, each contributor will receive a participation prize!
First, second and third place winners in every age category (0-7, 8-9, 10-12, 13-17, 18+) will be awarded a prize; up to two additional honorable mentions may be in awarded in each category.
Winners will be announced at the Graphic Novel Making Contest Awards Ceremony at San Jose City Hall Council Chambers & Rotunda on Saturday September 19, 2026. All participants are invited to the Awards Ceremony to celebrate you achievement and pick up prizes. Participants will be able to pick up their prize at the Awards Ceremony or the SJPL location of their choice.
Previous Entries
Explore previous entries, winners, and highlights on Biblioboard!
Comic Creation Resources
If you're looking to build your comic and drawing skills, check out these staff-curated recommendations to help you learn from the experts!
Grow Your Skills at our Programs
Want to cultivate your comic-making craft, hone your illustration skills, and become a better storyteller? Or maybe you just want to have fun drawing and making comics?
Bay Area Comics and Comix Exhibition
Monday, June 1st to Wednesday, September 30, 2026
The California Room’s exhibit “Bay Area Comics and Comix” presents the history of American comic books, highlighting the participation of the San Francisco Bay Area. The exhibit displays comic books and materials illustrating our journey from 1842’s The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck to the arrival of the modern comic book in the 1930s, and from there to a backlash against comics in the 1950s which resulted in comic book regulation. Continuing into the 1960’s, the exhibit presents the explosion of “underground” comics which were largely a Bay Area phenomenon that opened the door to the emergence of the modern graphic novel and alternative comics.
Kickoff Event
Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The San Francisco Bay Area has been a hotbed for comics for 150 years, from the publication of political humor magazine The Wasp in 1876 through the birth of the comic strip in the San Francisco Examiner two decades later, to the rise of underground comix in the 1970s and the alternative press, self-published 'zines and webcomics in recent decades. Join Cartoon Art Museum Curator Andrew Farago as he explores the rich comics history of the Bay Area along with guest panelists writer and publisher Dan Vado and artist Norman Felchle. The program will conclude with a free drawing for books and comics.
Questions?
Please check the Graphic Novel Making Contest FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions about the Contest.
If you have any questions regarding the 2026 Graphic Novel Making Contest, please feel free to leave a comment in your preferred language at the bottom of this blog post or send an email to graphicnovels@sjlibrary.org. A member of the Graphic Novel Making Contest Committee will work with a staff translator to respond as quickly as we can. Thank you for your interest!
Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el Concurso de Creación de Novelas Gráficas 2026, no dude en dejar un comentario en su idioma preferido en la parte inferior de este blog o enviar un correo electrónico a graphicnovels@sjlibrary.org. Un miembro del Comité del Concurso de Novelas Gráficas trabajará con un traductor de personal de la biblioteca para responder lo más rápido posible. ¡Gracias por su interés!
Nếu quý vị có bất kỳ câu hỏi nào liên quan đến Cuộc Thi Vẽ Truyện Tranh năm 2026, xin vui lòng để lại câu hỏi của bạn bằng ngôn ngữ bạn thích ở cuối bài viết này hoặc gửi email tới địa chỉ graphicnovels@sjlibrary.org. Thành viên của Ủy ban Cuộc Thi Vẽ Truyện Tranh sẽ làm việc với một nhân viên biên dịch để phản hồi nhanh nhất có thể. Cám ơn sự quan tâm của quý vị!
Disclaimer
San José Public Library staff members are not eligible to participate.
San José Public Library reserves the right to refuse submissions that are not appropriate for a general audience. This contest is open to all California residents.
Add a comment to: It’s Time! The Graphic Novel Making Contest Starts Today!