Several times a year, 2000 AD holds an open competition to find new artists called '2000 AD Art Stars.' The latest round of submissions just closed, and Newsarama has the winner, as well as the two runners-up.
The theme for this round of '2000 AD Art Stars' was the company's character Sláine the Barbarian. Originally created in 1983 by Pat Mills and Angie Kincaid, Sláine is an Irish twist on the pulpy idea of barbarians.
With over 200 entries submitted, the winning entrant is German artist Uwe de Witt.
"The standard for the latest 2000 AD Art Stars competition has been unbelievably high - it was a challenge to choose from some outstanding pieces. But in the end, Uwe's entry felt like it reflected the strip's rich legacy of artistic innovation," says 2000 AD editor Matt Smith. "Channelling Bill Sienkiewicz with a touch of Bisley, plus plenty of references to Sláine's history, it's a vibrant and challenging piece of art that rewards repeated viewings."
De Witt has been submitting to '2000 AD Art Stars' for several years now, but this will be his first winning entry. His winning illustration will be published in an upcoming issue of 2000 AD, and Rebellion will be paying them for this - the first of what could be more with the artist at the long-running UK comics magazine.
The runners-up are Danny McMullen and Patrick David. Here are their entries:
McMullen and David will receive a bundle of 2000 AD graphic novels as prizes.
The next round of '2000 AD Art Stars' will commence October 16 - here are the full terms and conditions.
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