"ccs1989" Said:

Wait, they let people vote multiple times on the same IP address? WHAT?!

"Sean C" Said:

Congrats on the publicity, man, but seriously - you don't want to win the contest. Not only will you lose the rights to your creation, Platinum has a horrific reputation in the industry; they don't pay on time, don't properly advertise their comics, etc...After everything I've read, they don't do right by the creators they employ. Go read DJ Coffman's blog - http://www.djcoffman.com/tikibar/ - he won the first CB challenge, became a big cheerleader for Platinum, and then got screwed.

I'd take my creation and keep it - get the publicity, but cross your fingers you lose, because that's better than winning with that gang.

QUOTE:
Some artists are able to work on their webcomics full-time without needing a day job to support it. This group of "professional webcomic artists" includes Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade, James Kochalka of American Elf,[39] Randall Munroe of xkcd,[40] Brian Clevinger of 8-Bit Theater,[41] Eric Millikin of Fetus-X,[42] Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Del,[43] and many others. Most of these artists began their comics as a hobby, but succeeded to the point that they could live off donations and merchandise.

There are different ways for webcomic artists to earn money, such as donations, advertising, and merchandising. Some use tip jars (through PayPal, for instance) or solicit donations through drives. Some sell merchandise featuring their artwork, or sell their artwork directly, sometimes under commission. If a webcomic has enough traffic, advertising and/or subscription revenue can also be generated. Some successful webcomics have subsequently been reprinted in book compilations, often self-published. Examples of webcomics in print include PvP, Penny Arcade, Sluggy Freelance, and Megatokyo, as well as many others.

Some webcomics, such as Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet, Van Von Hunter[44] and Diesel Sweeties[45] have been syndicated and published on daily newspapers' comics pages. Others such as The Perry Bible Fellowship and PartiallyClips have been published in smaller alternative newspapers, or printed in magazines, such as The Order of the Stick in Dragon Magazine[46] and Get Your War On in Rolling Stone.[47]

"Sean C" Said:

They were kind to DJ Coffman and the other contestants, too. However, he found out that they don't pay people on time - which is great if you have bills to pay, they DON'T actually promote your comic after the contest is over (How much of Hero by Night and Gunplay did you hear about after they won the CBC? DJ put money into ads himself, since Platinum wouldn't.), mismanage the property with a level of incompetence that defies logic, and if you complain, off you go, and they work to discredit you. What they really want is to get a property that they can make a fortune off as a movie, like they did with Men in Black. That's why they're hemorrhaging money, paying all their creators late, (many have yet to receive their 2nd quarter earnings)and are the laughingstock of the comics industry - they run a bad business; they burn people.

There are so many other avenues to publishing, like Image, Oni, Dark Horse, all of these smaller publishers take submissions. Zuda's been pretty decent, too. Hell, even self-publishing gives you a better business plan than Platinum. Put a business-plan together and apply for a Xeric Grant; you might get the cash to print it and distribute it yourself.

All I'm saying, man, is that the CBC seems too good to be true, and it has a PROVEN track record that, yes, it is too good to be true. All I can do is give you a heads-up that they aren't honest people, and they haven't made any moves to properly run a comic business.