SJPL Graphic Novel Making Contest Judging Criteria User Guide

Table of Contents

SJPL Graphic Novel Making Contest Judging Criteria

SJPL Graphic Novel Making Contest Judging Criteria

Workmanship
- Is it clean and professional, or are there smudges, sloppy lines, etc.
- Are the illustrations clear? Is it easy to tell what’s going on, who is who?
- Is the story visually easy to follow?
- Is the quality of work consistent throughout the comic?
Technique
- What level of skill and/or effort is evident for their age group?
- Are characters and objects drawn accurately for their age and skills?
- Are they successfully using their chosen media?
- Is there visual depth (overlapping, line weight, sense of space). If applicable, is perspective being portrayed correctly?
- If applicable, is there an understanding of light and shadow?
Page Layout
- Does the overall page and panel layout flow?
- Are the transitions easy to follow?
- How are the compositions and framing within the panels?
- Does the shape, size, and placement of panels tell you anything more
- about the emotion or importance of their scenes, or are they generic?
Creativity
- Is the style unique and distinctive or have you seen it a lot?
- Are there interesting character designs?
- Does the background design serve as an interesting setting?
Expressiveness
- How much emotion/reaction can be read from the character’s facial expressions and body language? Can you tell without reading the text?
- Do the illustrations overall (characters, style, setting) evoke a certain mood? Does it match the story?

Originality
- Have you seen this story before?
- If so, did they take a new or interesting view of it?
- Is it predictable? If there’s a twist, is it thoughtful or an easy out?
- Does the story resonate or leave any impact on you?
Clarity & Plot
- Is the story easy to follow? If not, does it feel like it’s that way on purpose?
- How is the pacing?
- Does the plot make sense? Is there some form of resolution?
- How well does the text move the story forward?
Setting & Characters
- Is the setting well established?
- How do the characters work in the setting?
- Do the characters feel genuine instead of cliche? Are they unique from each other?
- Do the characters grow?
Grammar & Dialogue
- Is the grammar and spelling correct? If not, does it help or detract from the story?
- Is the dialogue appropriate for the age group?
- Is the dialogue authentic? Does it match the emotion presented in the images or author’s intent?
Use of Text
- Is the text legible?
- Is the text well-placed within the art?
- Is there a balance between the text and art that serves the story well?
- Do text variations (font styles, bold/italic/underline, sound effects, etc.) make sense and help the story, or is it out of place?