For a sequential art submission, presumably a title screen and end credits will not count towards a 9-frame total?
Hey goliard. I logged in to see if there'd been a response to my earlier question, but there wasn't.
So, hi! Sorry this isn't the answer you were looking for, since I am not anything to do with the Jam.
I actually think that if you're able to make something good with so few assets (words or images, whichever it may be), then any amount of scaffolding around that should be for free.
There's a difference between the work itself, and all the promotional artifacts which are necessary to put it in front of an audience.
In a Jam which, to me, seems to focus on simplicity and brevity, it's inevitable that any messaging and publicity will outweigh the actual piece. So that shouldn't count, in my opinion.
But then, who am I?
Actually, I seem to be the only person willing to answer your question right now ;-)