Get listed and you could get drawn in.

Dates (all Central Time)

Giveaway opens

Mon Oct 19, 12:00 AM

Entries close

Sun Nov 15, 11:59 PM

Winner drawn

Mon Nov 16

Finale airs, winner announced

Sun Nov 29, 7:30 PM

$100 paid

Within 14 days of confirmation

The Upstairs directory giveaway: official rules

1. 01

   No purchase necessary. A purchase does not improve your chances. Joining the Dumb Dope directory is free.

2. 02

   Sponsor. Dumb Dope, c/o Chris K Howard LLC, 700 Smith St #61070 SMB#16372, Houston, TX 77002.

3. 03

   Eligibility. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. who are 18 or older at the time of entry. Employees and contractors of the Sponsor and their immediate families are not eligible. Void where prohibited.

4. 04

   Entry period. Begins Mon Oct 19, 2026 at 12:00 AM CT and ends Sun Nov 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.

5. 05

   How to enter. Create a free listing at dumbdope.com/directory/join. To count as an entry, the listing must be published by the end of the entry period and include your name, discipline, city, at least one image of your own work, and at least one link. Join requests submitted during the entry period that meet these requirements count as entries once approved, even if approval happens after the close. Listings created by Dumb Dope from past interviews are entered once their subject claims the listing with their own email by the close. Listings that existed before the entry period are entered if they meet the same requirements by the close. Each eligible listing earns one entry. Entrants may earn one bonus entry by nominating another creative at dumbdope.com/nominate during the entry period, using the same email as their listing (limit one bonus entry per person, two entries total). A nomination counts whether or not the nominee is later listed. Listings are reviewed under the directory's normal standards. Listings that are incomplete, not the entrant's own work, or that break the directory's terms are not entries.

6. 06

   Winner selection. One winner is chosen in a random drawing from all eligible entries on or about Mon Nov 16, 2026. Odds depend on the number of eligible entries.

7. 07

   Prize. One winner receives (a) $100 USD, paid by PayPal within 14 days of confirmation, and (b) an appearance as an illustrated character in the season finale of The Upstairs, scheduled to air on Instagram @dumbdopeofficial on Sun Nov 29, 2026. The character is drawn in the show's style from the winner's profile photo. Approximate retail value: $100. The appearance has no cash value. Dumb Dope decides the character's design, screen time and any dialogue, and the winner gets to see the design before it airs.

8. 08

   Winner notification. The winner is contacted at the email on their listing. They must reply and sign the likeness and publicity release within 48 hours, or an alternate winner is drawn.

9. 09

   Release. By accepting, the winner allows Dumb Dope to depict them as an illustrated character and to use their name, city and listing in the finale and in posts about the giveaway, without further payment.

10. 10

    Taxes. Any taxes on the prize are the winner's responsibility.

11. 11

    General. Dumb Dope may cancel or change this giveaway if it can't run as planned. This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Meta. By entering, entrants release Instagram and Meta from any liability.

12. 12

    Winner's name. Announced on @dumbdopeofficial on or after Sun Nov 29, 2026, or available by emailing contact@dumbdope.com after that date.

13. 13

    Early-listing bonus: the first 25 eligible listings completed during the entry period, in order of completion, receive one month of Promoted placement at no cost (retail value $25), starting within 7 days of completion; no cash value.