All strips regularly published in an AAN paper are eligible to compete.

Although AAN eliminated the cartoon category from this year’s editorial awards contest, the association announced today that it will host a separate contest for alternative cartoonists. All strips that were regularly published in an AAN paper in 2000 are eligible to compete.

A separate contest was necessary to properly conduct the cartoon competition since most strips published in AAN papers are syndicated. The annual editorial awards contest focuses on material that originates from a single paper.

Entries in the cartoon contest may be submitted by the cartoonists themselves. To qualify, each entry must include at least ten single- or multiple-panel strips that were published as stand-alone cartoons.

Entry forms were mailed this week; the deadline for entries is February 28, 2001. Any cartoonist who is interested in participating in the contest should contact AAN (202/822-1955) to request an entry form.

The winners will be announced during the editorial awards presentation at next year’s annual convention, which will be held in New Orleans, July 12-14.