CGC and Ringling College of Art and Design Team Up for Custom Label Contest Benefitting ComicBooks for Kids!

It has been almost a year since Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) announced the winners of its second-ever custom label contest, which spotlights the talented students from the INDEX Project at the world-renowned Ringling College of Art and Design. The INDEX Project gives students the opportunity to connect with real-world businesses, gaining real-life work experience and elevating their portfolios in the process. The annual contest has been well received since its inception.

To make this year's contest extra special, CGC also partnered with the non-profit organization ComicBooks for Kids, and will be donating all proceeds from purchases of the winning custom label to this incredible charity, which provides comics to kids in hospitals across North America.

This year, Ashley Habedank, CGC Marketing Manager, and Hayley Safko, CGC Graphic Designer, presented the contest parameters in person to the students of Ringling. The level of student engagement was tremendous, with dozens of students interested in participating. Similar to last year, students were tasked with creating an original design using their medium of choice (I.e., computer art, photography, painting, etc.) and like last year, the entries were outstanding.

The CGC marketing team voted on the entries this year and the top three were awarded cash prizes and recognition on CGC social channels. First place went to Kaya Lewis, who received a $500 cash prize. Second place went to Lizzie Christie, who won a $250 cash prize and third place was Emily Maradiaga, who won a $100 cash prize.

Mark Weiss, Founder and President of ComicBooks for Kids said, "We could not be more honored by this partnership with CGC, the industry's leading grading service. We think the Ringling students did an incredible job, and we are thrilled to represent their artwork for our first custom label.”

In addition to the prize and prestige the first-place winner will receive, CGC will also be offering their winning design for a limited time to CGC collectors to add to their graded comic books. All proceeds from the label will be donated to ComicBooks for Kids.

CGC plans on continuing this contest with the creative students from the INDEX Project at Ringling College of Art and Design for years to come.

Interested in custom labels for your next submission? You can view all of the available custom CGC labels here.

About Ringling College of Art and Design

Since 1931, creatives from every corner of the world have come to Ringling College of Art and Design to deepen, transform, and explore their passions. The nearly 1,700 students are fueled by a need to create, and Ringling delivers the tools to turn passion into profession: an award-winning faculty, cutting-edge technology, and a supportive, creative community.

Ringling offer the BFA in eleven disciplines and the BA in two. Beyond a rigorous curriculum — pairing studio and liberal arts — Ringling excels in propelling students outside of the classroom through client projects, substantive internships, and national competitions, stopping at nothing to shape students into tomorrow’s leaders of art and design. www.ringling.edu

About ComicBooks for Kids

The charity started out with a mission to provide kids in hospitals and cancer centers with comic books, and a desire to share the love and joy many have experienced

growing up reading comics with kids as they sit in hospital rooms. While no one can take away the reason a child is in a hospital, the goal of ComicBooks for Kids is to make their time there a little better by providing some relief in the form of comic books. ComicBooks for Kids currently provides child friendly comic books to hospitals and cancer centers across the US and Canada. www.comicbooksforkids.org