The deadline for entries in the third annual Alternative Newspaper Cartoon Contest is March 14.

All cartoons that were regularly published in an AAN paper during calendar year 2002 are eligible. Only stand-alone cartoons — not illustrations accompanying an article — are eligible.

Entries may be submitted by cartoonists or by AAN editors on behalf of cartoonists whose work appears in their papers.

Entries must be received in the AAN national office by close of business March 14.

The contest has two divisions — one for cartoons that were published in fewer than five AAN papers, and another for cartoons that were published in five or more papers. Winning entries will be selected in each division.

Last year, Garrett Gaston’s “Le Petite Camera” won first place in the fewer-than-five category, while “Tom the Dancing Bug,” by Ken Fisher (Ruben Bowling), took first place in the five-or-more category. In 2001, when the contest had only one division, Chris Ware won for his Jimmy Corrigan/Rusty Brown strips.

For a copy of the contest rules, click here.