No other TV show, except for perhaps Star Trek, has the fan base that British television series Doctor Who has. Since the 1970s, they have even had an “Appreciation Society” club which has spread to every continent.
In short, there’s nothing like it and likely never will be as each iteration of the titular Doctor is always a surprise, delight and sometimes moment of wonder and criticism for a fan base that can never get too comfortable with the casting.
Today, BBC Studios announced the annual call for artwork to be shown at Comic-Con in July 2019, giving Whovians around the world a chance to create official Doctor Who apparel.
One grand prize winner and four finalists will have their works on display at the famous Comic-Con where hundreds of thousands of genre fans descend on San Diego in various forms of costume and dress to nerd out.
For faraway Whovians, this is a chance to make a mark amidst a crowded field of Doctor Who devotees worldwide. Their artwork will be made into t-shirts for the festival attendees to purchase.
Just keep in mind when creating your masterpiece that each entrant must design their own original piece of Doctor Who fan art in accordance with the following criteria – Artwork must feature both the TARDIS and one Doctor.
The twelfth series of Doctor Who is set to premiere in early 2020 (production began in January 2019). Chris Chibnall serves as the head writer and executive producer. This will be the twelfth season to air from the 2005 revival and will be the thirty-eighth season overall in the canon.
Jodie Whittaker is cast as the Doctor, with Bradley Walsh (Graham), Tosin Cole (Ryan) and Mandip Gill (Yaz).
The official word:
BBC Studios announces the “2019 Doctor Who Fan Art Competition,” giving fans an opportunity to see their own work on a Doctor Who t-shirt, with a limited quantity available for purchase at the BBC AMERICA booth at San Diego Comic-Con.
What is allowed?
Ahead of the new season, you can create renditions of the TARDIS and your favorite Doctor. Past ideas have run the gamut, whether a candy mosaic of Tom Baker to a bowtie collage of Matt Smith.
The Artwork may, at the artist’s discretion, “include a background texture, splash of color or other abstract background design, but must not feature any other design element, including (without limit) any other Doctor, character, companion, monster, robot, prop, location, building or branding element (including third-party brand names and logos), whether from the Doctor Who universe or otherwise.”
Examples of past artwork can be seen here.
When is the contest running?
The contest kicks off on April 17, 2019, at 8:00 am ET and closes on May 15, 2019, at 8:00 am ET.
Judges will select one grand prize winner and four runner-up artists.
What is the contest prize?
The grand prize winner and a guest earn a Doctor Who-themed weekend trip to London, which includes:
- Two nights of accommodations
- Special afternoon tea for two
- Doctor Who Escape Room activity in Reading, England
- Exclusive private screening of the fan’s favorite Doctor Who episode
- Having their artwork printed on limited-edition Doctor Who merchandise sold at San Diego Comic-Con
- Receiving a goody bag including iconic Doctor Who merchandise valued at approximately $680
The four runners-up will each:
- Have their artwork printed on official, limited-edition Doctor Who merchandise sold at San Diego Comic-Con
- Receive a goody bag including iconic Doctor Who merchandise valued at approximately $680
The fine print – rules:
From the BBC:
- Each entrant must design their own original piece of Doctor Who fan art in accordance with the following criteria: Artwork must feature both the TARDIS and one Doctor
- Artwork can be created in any two-dimensional medium and any color.
- Artwork must not include identifiers such as the entrant’s name, signature, image, likeness or any other identifier, or any reference to Comic-Con.
- Refer to the terms and conditions at doctorwho.tv/competitions/fan-art for more details on the criteria
How to submit your art:
Each artist must complete the entry form and upload their artwork in digital format on the Fan Art Competition website at doctorwho.tv/competitions/fan-art in accordance with the following criteria:
- It MUST be submitted in RGB high res formats (TIFF, JPEG, PNG, or GIF).
- Art resolution must be a minimum of 300 dpi.
- Artwork must measure at least 260mm x 260mm (a bit over 10.23 inches by 10.23 inches) when printed at 100 percent and must not measure more than 381mm x 508mm (15 inches by 20 inches)
You CAN submit multiple entries, as long as each separate entry is a different artwork.
Entrants can only win one prize in the competition. Good Luck!