Cartoon Contest

Abbeville Press, publisher of the bestselling New Father series of books, is sponsoring a contest to gather cartoons for publication in the forthcoming book The Military Father: A Hands-On Guide for the Deployed Dad by Armin Brott. We’re looking for cartoons that illustrate how the military experience affects dads (mostly of children from newborns through age nine, but an occasional tween or teen would be great) and dads-to-be in their relationships with their families. For those cartoons selected by Abbeville Press for publication in this book, winners will receive $150 and full credit in the book.

Who can submit cartoons?
Dads or dads-to-be who are currently on active duty, in the National Guard, and in the Reserves; civilian fathers separated from their families due to employment by the U.S. Government or a contractor; civilian dads whose spouses are in the military; family members of dads in the military including spouses and children; veterans who were parents when they were on active duty.

How can cartoons be submitted?
There is no limit to the number of entries per person. Please email cartoon submissions to cartoons@abbeville.com or send original art to: Cartoon Contest c/o Abbeville Press, 137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.

Specs for submitting cartoons

For cartoons submitted via email, please follow these instructions:

• Cartoons must be greyscale or black-and-white


• 300 dpi at 4" tall


• tiff, pdf, or jpeg format

For original art mailed to us (please note that art is not returnable), please follow these instructions:

• Cartoons must be black-and-white


• Cartoons must be drawn in pen and ink, graphite, or markers on paper


• The maximum size for cartoons is 8.5 X 11", the minimum size is 3 X 3"

Possible themes to explore in your cartoons

• Before deployment: How does deployment affect dads and their family members? What are some of the concerns and issues that come up, upon deployment?


• During deployment: How does being deployed affect a dad’s relationship with his children and spouse? What can dads do to stay in touch with their family during special occasions such as birthdays or the birth of a child? How can they continue to be a presence in their children’s lives while they are away? How can they make use of email, video conferencing, blogging, etc.?


• After deployment: What issues and challenges come up when a dad comes home from military service? Some examples are: getting re-acquainted with family, dealing with post-traumatic stress and other health issues, adjusting to civilian life.


• Other issues affecting military families: How can a civilian dad best support his spouse’s relationship with her stateside children when she is deployed? What challenges face couples when the mom is deployed?

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2009. For more information please call 1-800-ARTBOOK (278-2665) xt. 28.