The 2016 Thought Bubble Portfolio Competition winner: Tilen Javornik
15th November 2016
The annual 2000 AD Portfolio Competition took place once again at the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds earlier this month, with budding artists hoping to join the ranks of creators who’ve gotten their big break at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
With the prize of paid work for 2000 AD at stake, the queue of entrants was again huge this year!
The finalists were selected from all entrants by chief 2000 AD editorial droid, Matt Smith, before going on to the special and not-at-all-nerve-wracking panel the following day to have their entries examined, probed, and prodded by some of the well-established talent from the pantheon of 2000 AD droids.
This year’s judging panel was made up of Matt “D’Israeli” Brooker (Scarlet Traces, Low Life), Boo Cook (Judge Anderson, Blunt), Simon Davis (Sláine, Sinister Dexter), and Laurence Campbell (Judge Dredd, Synnamon). Just the first page of each submission was blown up onto the big screen for judges and audience to see, before entrants received top tips from industry professionals. It’s always interesying to see how different artists have interpreted the same page of script in different ways, with some fascinating takes on the same scene.
But, there can be only one winner and this year’s victor was Tilen Javornik!
The judges again stressed how close the decision was and how high the standard has become in this popular competition. Here’s Tilen’s winning page:
Thanks again to everyone who entered this year and also to our judges in coming to a unanimous decision. Tilen joins former winners such as Tom Foster, who has gone on to become a firm fan favourite since his victory two years ago.
And we’re pleased to be able to bring you the pages from the other finalists so that you can play judge and compare and contrast.
Brian Corcoran:
Kieran McKeown:
Kristian Carstensen:
Phillip Read:
This is the page of script that entrants were asked to draw:
TIME TWISTERS: The Timeless Assassin
by Rory McConville
PAGE 1 (6 PANELS)
1. Wide panel. Int. Timeport. 2274. ERZWIN HESERTINE (late 40s, sallow skin, bit feeble, bad posture) stands in the middle of the Arrivals area of the 2274 Timeport, pointing a gun at KNUCKLES BELGOOZY (A larger, younger man; very much in the prime of his life)
Erzwin is dressed in a suit and tie. Knuckles is dressed more casually, like he’s going on a holiday. He lifts up a pair of sunglasses and looks at Erzwin surprised.
Leave room for title/creative credits.
CAPTION: EVEN BEFORE ERZWIN HESERTINE WAS BORN, IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT HE WOULD KILL KNUCKLES BELGOOZY.
2. Int. Cafe. 4554. Knuckles executes a rival gangster in the centre of a crowded cafe. The gangster was midway through his dinner. This is our glimpse into the far future so it needs to look more technologically advanced than the 23rd century (where the majority of the story is set). Maybe include something like robot waiters to help distinguish it. Feel free to experiment with stuff, just so long as it looks distinct.
CAPTION: KNUCKLES WAS A MEMBER OF THE BELGOOZY CRIME FAMILY FROM THE FORTY-SIXTH CENTURY.
CAPTION: HAVING RECENTLY CARRIED OUT A MAJOR HIT ON THE RIVAL DEBLANCO FAMILY, HE WAS FLEEING TO 2274 TO ESCAPE RETRIBUTION.
3. Int. Carnagie Hesertine’s Living Room. 2199. Tight focus on BELEFONTE and WHISKERS, two hitmen working in service of the DeBlancos. They’re sitting on a couch addressing the “camera”. Some tea has been laid out on the table in front of them. Whiskers sits with his legs crossed. Both men exude an air of menacing charm. Belefonte smiles wryly.
CAPTION: BUT THE DEBLANCOS WEREN’T ABOUT TO LET HIM GET AWAY THAT EASILY.
BELFONTE: NOW WE’D LOVE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM OURSELVES, BUT…
WHISKERS: WELL, LET’S JUST SAY WE’VE GOT VISA TROUBLES.
4. Int. Timeport Visa Check-in desk. A long queue of weary travellers stand at intertemporal border control. At the desk, one of the staff scrutinises a traveller’s credentials.
CAPTION: THE TWENTY-THIRD CENTURY WAS VERY PICKY ABOUT WHO IT LET IN. KNUCKLES HAD ONLY MADE IT THROUGH BECAUSE, WHILE HE’D COMMITTED COUNTLESS CRIMES, HE HAD NO PRIOR CONVICTIONS.
5. Int. Carnagie Hesertine’s Living Room. 2199. Similar in style to panel 3. Back to Belefonte and Whiskers. They’re still addressing the “camera”.
BELEFONTE: WE KNOW HE’S ON A FLIGHT HEADED TO DECEMBER SEVENTEENTH 2274.
WHISKERS: SO WE NEED SOMEONE WAITING FOR HIM WHEN HE GETS THERE.
6. Wide panel. CARNAGIE HESERTINE, an elderly man and Erzwin’s greedy ancestor, over-eagerly shakes hands with Belefonte in his living room. Again, being set in 2199, while still greatly advanced, it looks almost pre-industrial compared to the worlds we see in the 23rd and 46th centuries.
CAPTION: REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DEBLANCOS VISITED CARNAGIE HESERTINE IN 2199 AND OFFERED HIM A DEAL. IN RETURN FOR CANCELLING CARNAGIE’S LONGSTANDING GAMBLING DEBTS, WHICHEVER OF HIS DESCENDENTS WAS ALIVE IN 2274 WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING OUT THE HIT ON KNUCKLES.
CAPTION: THAT PARTICULAR HONOUR WOULD FALL TO ERZWIN.