Hot Topic holds contest for fans to design Kingdom Hearts t-shirts, winner to be sold as Hot Topic-exclusive merchandise

Hot Topic and Fan Factory are currently running a contest where Kingdom Hearts fans can submit an original t-shirt design, to potentially be sold at Hot Topic locations. Submissions are accepted until June 11th at 11:59 PM PST, while the voting period for the contest takes place from June 12th at 12:00 AM PST until June 18th at 11:59 PM PST. The grand-prize winner of this contest will be awarded $2000 USD, and will have the opportunity for their design to be sold through Hot Topic. In addition, four runners-up will be awarded $300 each. This contest is limited to residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Entrants must be above the age of 18.

According to the contest's guidelines and FAQ, t-shirt submissions must adhere to the following: Designs cannot use intellectual property that has not been featured in the Kingdom Hearts series. This includes Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm franchises, as well as material that infringes on non-Kingdom Hearts copyrights and brands. In addition, for legal reasons, elements from Tarzan, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Final Fantasy cannot be used in any capacity, despite their inclusion in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Furthermore, obscene/inappropriate content or content touching upon polarizing topics will not be considered. Lastly, entrants must not copy existing artists or artwork.

Each individual entrant can submit up to 10 designs, so if you have plenty of ideas, don't feel as though you have to narrow it down to a single choice! Hot Topic and Fan Factory have stated that designers are also free to promote their submitted work to friends, family, and followers, so let people know that you've entered!

We look forward to seeing upcoming submissions, and we would be thrilled to share the news that your shirt design has won and is available for sale! Good luck, everyone!

You can view winners of previous Fan Factory contests here.

Are you going to enter this contest? Do you have any other ideas for Kingdom Hearts-related products that you want to see in the future? Let us know in the comments below!