What do hit series Tales From The Crypt, The Walking Dead and films like 30 Days of Night, The Crow, Hellboy and Blade have in common?
THEY ALL
STARTED
AS COMICS
Hard Truth
Real Opportunity
Endless Possibility
99% OF SCRIPTS NEVER GET MADE.
Most scripts never get read by more than a handful of people. Even studio-commissioned and contest-winning screenplays very rarely get 'produced'.
WE WILL MAKE YOUR SCRIPT A REAL COMIC.
This contest is different. Winners get their scripts made into comic books or graphic novels and published by one of the top indie comic labels.
NOT JUST PUBLISHED. OPTIONED.
These comic properties will be optioned by leading Hollywood production companies and read by top industry producers, agents, managers and financiers.
2024 SPONSOR - AMP COMICS
We are pleased to announce that the premiere sponsor and published for the 2024 contest is AMP Comics. Winners from this year's contest will be published as a series, one shot, or part of the Horror AMPthology. AMP Comics will be in comic stores via Diamond Distributors and in bookstores through Simon & Schuster. For more information go to www.ampcomics.com
TIMELINE
Deadlines, entry fees and judging timeline for the 2022 Horror2Comic Contest.
(All deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.)
Enter by August 31st, 2024
Early Bird - $50
Enter by September 30th, 2024
Standard Entry - $60
Enter by October 31st, 2024
Late Entry - $70
Enter by November 30th, 2024
Last Minute - $80
Announced January 13th, 2025
Quarter-Finalists
Announced February 15th, 2025
Semi-Finalists
Announced March 31st, 2025
Finalists
Feedback - $95
Feedback on your script is offered for an additional fee. It must be requested at time of entry.
Announced by July 1st, 2025
Winners
PRIZES
Grand Prize
Grand Prize
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Your story will be made into a comic book, limited series, graphic novel or part of a horror anthology published by AMP Comics.
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The Grand Prize-winning property will be optioned for film and television by one or more of our production company sponsors and put into active development.
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Grand Prize winner receives a custom metal-cover prize comic and a metal cover special edition of their winning comic.
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+ More to be announced!
Horror2Comic winners will see their stories come to life in comic form and put into development as a film or TV show.
3rd Place
1st Prize
-
Your story will be made into a comic, graphic novel, children's book or anthology excerpt that will published by Amp Comics or another leading comic publisher.
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Your comic optioned by one or more of our production sponsors and put into active development.
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Win a special metal cover Horror2Comic prize comic and 50 individual copies of your published work.
2nd Prize
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Your story made into a comic short story and published in an anthology by Amp Comics or a leading indie comic publisher.
-
Your comic will be optioned for film and television by one or more of our production company sponsors and put into active development.
-
Win a special metal cover Horror2Comic prize comic and 50 individual copies of your published work.
3rd Prize
-
Your story made into a comic short story and published in an anthology by Amp Comics or a leading indie comic publisher.
-
Your property optioned for film and television by one or more of our production company sponsors and put into active development.
-
Win a special metal cover Horror2Comic prize comic and 25 individual copies of your published work.
Special Jury Prize
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Your story will be made into a comic, graphic novel or anthology that will published by AMP Comics or another leading comic publisher.
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The Special Jury Prize-winning property will be optioned for film and television by one or more of our production company sponsors and put into active development.
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Special Jury Prize winner receives a custom 'ivory-foil' Horror2Comic prize comic.
JUDGES
We hand-picked judges from the world of film, television and comics who have a keen eye and love for all things horror. Our team is behind some of the genre's biggest hits -- CABIN FEVER, CREEPSHOW, ORPHAN, BORDERLAND, ZOMBEAVERS, LOST BOYS, and more.
Stan Spry - The Cartel
Stan Spry is a Founding Partner and CEO of the Cartel and a Literary Manager and Producer who represents top tier writers, directors, producers, show runners, and production companies. Stan has produced over 150 movies and TV shows in 11 years and is the Executive Producer and financier of the hit series “Creepshow” for AMC/Shudder.
Joshua Malkin - Writer
Joshua has written feature projects for Sony, Fox, Universal Pictures and more than a dozen other companies. In 2008 he wrote Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever for Lionsgate. Joshua co-authored top-selling fantasy comic book series The Source (Scout Comics, Publisher – top title, 2018) and the upcoming YA graphic novel, Unikorn. He is the editor of SHIVER, Scout's upcoming Horror Anthology.
Ethan Erwin - Dark Castle
Ethan Erwin is Co-President of Production at Dark Castle Entertainment, overseeing all aspects of production and development. Ethan worked on films such as HOUSE OF WAX and KISS KISS, BANG BANG starring Robert Downey Jr., THE BOOK OF ELI, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, THE NICE GUYS.
His latest film, ORPHAN: FIRST KILL, a prequel to the cult hit ORPHAN, is being released by Paramount on August 19th.
Lauren Vilchik - Producer
Lauren produced the hit horror franchise CABIN FEVER, and is the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Kyle Rankin - Writer/Director
After winning Project Greenlight and co-directing THE BATTLE OF SHAKER HEIGHTS, Kyle directed INFESTATION for Mel Gibson’s Icon, NUCLEAR FAMILY for Michael Eisner’s Vuguru, and then created the viral videos Case Tape #347 and Exhibit B-5. In 2015, he crowdfunded NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB (on Amazon), and then used the same creation model for 2018's THE WITCH FILES (Netflix). His seventh feature, RUN HIDE FIGHT, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, 2020.
David Byrne - Publisher
David A. Byrne is a writer, editor, and the Publisher for AMP Comics. As the Co-Publisher at Scout Comics, David oversaw the publication of over a hundred unique comic titles during his tenure. David has an education in film and business and experience as an editor, writer, and retailer. David has produced the hit comics Stake, Skin Deep, and Canceled and other well-received titles.
Rich Douek - Writer
Rich Douek is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated writer of original series like Sea of Sorrows, Road of Bones and Wailing Blade, as well as writing for Wastelanders: Star Lord, Superman: Red and Blue and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Universe. Born and bred in NYC, he currently lives across the river in Montclair NJ, where he works as a creative director in advertising when he’s not busy writing comics.
Ashleigh Snead - Producer
Snead has produced numerous features including Shudder’s punk rock horror THE RANGER (SXSW 2018), sci-fi thriller THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND (a Netflix Original), shark survival thriller THE REQUIN (Lionsgate/Saban), horror-comedy SCARE PACKAGE (Shudder), witchy western THE PALE DOOR (RLJE), disability inclusive horror DEMENTER (Dark Star Pictures/Arrow Video), and karma thriller DON'T LOOK BACK (dir Jeffrey Reddick, creator of FINAL DESTINATION).
Rider Strong
After being cast as Gavroche in Les Miserables at nine years old, Rider Strong began his career as an actor, becoming best known for his roles on Boy Meets World and the cult horror film, Cabin Fever. Moving behind the camera, Rider wrote and directed short films that have played over 60 festivals worldwide and won both audience and juried awards. He returned to his roots, this time a a director for three seasons of the Emmy-nominated Girl Meets World. His play Never Ever Land premiered at Theatre Unleashed in Los Angeles in the fall of 2019.
Toni Bui - Filmmaker
Tony won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for his film THREE SEASONS starring Harvey Keitel. He produced GREEN DRAGON starring Patrick Swayze and directed the TV pilot THE THROWAWAYS for Sony Crackle.
Don Handfield - Motor Content
Producer of THE FOUNDER starring Michael Keaton and co-creator of History Channel's KNIGHTFALL. Handfield co-wrote the season finale of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories reboot on Apple+ which was based on his original comic series THE RIFT.
Joshua Starnes - Amp Comics
Joshua Starnes is the President of AMP Comics and previously served as the Co-Publisher of Red 5 Comics. Starnes built a line of comics which were nominated for three Eisners, an Inkpot award and a Reuben, licensed comics from King Features and Outlook Co. and doubled the company's library in five years. He is the writer of the hit comics The Box and Spook, which was optioned by Blumhouse Television and the second season of the acclaimed Netflix series Kulipari starring Mark Hamill.
CRITERIA
Judges assign a score based on the following elements (10 points each):
1. Concept
The basic premise of your story -- what it is about.
2. Plot
What happens in your story -- how the events unfold.
3. Characters
How compelling and unique are your characters.
4. Theme
The universal message your story conveys.
5. Dialogue
Unique voices, buried subtext, real emotion.
6. Market Appeal
Commercial potential and audience demand.
7. Pacing
The timing of plot and character development.
8. Structure
Does your story have a satisfying beginning, middle and end.
9. Presentation
The style and format with which your story is on the page.
10. Emotion/Scare Factor
Does your story make people feel something. Good, bad or ugly.
OUR SPONSORS
CONTACT US
1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #317
Los Angeles, California 90035
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