Artist's commentary
We’re giving away three pieces of signed original art by “Vinland Saga” creator Makoto Yukimura, and to celebrate, the Vinland Saga Vol. 1 ebook is only $4.99 for the next two weeks!
You can see the three pieces in the gallery above. To win one, you’ll have to battle your way into a place among Askeladd’s elite Viking warriors!
Here’s how it will work:
- Create a character from the Viking Age. He or she could be a Viking, English, Welsh, a warrior, a blacksmith, a priest — anything! Write a one-paragraph description of your character that delves into her background, personality, and history. You can include an original drawing of your character if you want, but it’s certainly not required.
- We’ll take the best characters and create a bracket, pitting them against each other for the right to join Askeladd’s band! If you’re selected, you’ll receive your opponent’s character description, and you’ll have to write a few paragraphs describing how your character would defeat him. Does your character outwit her opponent? Intimidate him into submission? Or just pound him into the ground?
- After we’ve read both stories, we’ll choose the best one, and that character will advance. The brackets will converge on a final three-on-three showdown! The champion will get first pick of the drawings, the second place winner will receive second pick, and third place will get whichever drawing is left over. We’ll also compile all the battles of the top three into three epic Viking sagas, and post them on our site for everyone to read!
E-mail your entries to kodanshacomics@randomhouse.com (make sure any attachments are under 10 MB). Everyone who’s selected for the bracket will receive a free copy of Vinland Saga Book Four when it’s released in July.
Askeladd will be accepting applicants to join his band until July 11, and shortly after that the battles will begin!
Remake Viking history with us, and become a part of Vinland Saga!
And just in case you haven’t read Vinland Saga, now’s a great time to get started! From now until June 26, the Vinland Saga Book One ebook is on sale for just $4.99 on Kindle, Nook, iBookstore, and Kobo!
Rules:
- This contest is open to entrants with valid e-mail addresses worldwide, except where any part of the contest or these rules would be prohibited by law. Employees of Kodansha USA Publishing, Penguin Random House, or any parent or affiliate companies, as well as their spouses, family members, and any person in the same household, are not eligible to enter.
- All initial entries must be received by July 11, 2014. Kodansha USA Publishing is not responsible for entries lost for any reason.
- Each entrant may only enter once.
- By entering, you give Kodansha USA Publishing, Kodansha Ltd. and Penguin Random House permission to publish or use anything you submit (except your e-mail address and other contact information) in print, online, or in any other form, in perpetuity. If you’d like your entries to appear under a pseudonym, just ask.
- We will only use your e-mail address or other contact information to contact you regarding the contest. We will not use it for any other purpose or give it to anyone else.