I’m pleased to announce the winners for the 2012 ‘My Arctic Animal’ comic competition! I was amazed and moved by the creativity, passion and variety of the entries I received. They were incredibly varied, from dramatic, to funny, to heart-wrenching, utilizing every art medium from crayons to digital paint. In fact, there were so many fun and creative entries to choose from, it was difficult to narrow it down to just one for each age group (8 and under, 9 to 13, 14 to 18).

The overall winning entry was “Zaenok the Collared Lemming” by Zefanya N Putri, age 16, USA.

What I love about Zefanya’s comic is her clever use of layout to take us on a guided tour of the Arctic through the eyes of the collared lemming, Zaenok. From sword-fighting narwhals to leopard seals used as platforms, the sequence of events packed into this single page makes it a joy to read. Congratulations Zefanya!

Click here to view the rest of the winning entries!