Extended deadline for CBA vol 53!
We’ve extended the deadline for CBA vol 53: Placeholder!
New deadline: April 30
We’re looking for both comics and text articles.
Read more about the theme and submission guidelines here.
Call for Submissions – CBA vol 54|55: WAS IT A CAR OR A CAT I SAW?
We’re looking for comic contributions and articles exploring the theme:
CBA vol 54|55: WAS IT A CAR OR A CAT I SAW?
Main Editor: Kinga Dukaj
DEADLINE: Sep 1 Oct 31
Have you ever just had to stop what you’re doing and go “wait, is this a dream?”
When the unknown starts bleeding into reality and you are forced to question your sanity, if just a little bit.
You know the sort of thing that happens in dreams that makes you sure it’s just a dream? How do you cope when it happens in the waking world?
In this theme we’ll explore the dreamy and the bizarre, the uncanny in the mundane, the creepy in the dark corners of everyday life. Magical realism with a twisted flair, comics that invoke a mystical, surreal, dreamlike state of mind, with a tinge of discomfort… Think of the movies by Lynch, for example…
—SUBMISSION GUIDELINES—
Please read and follow these guidelines:
-Number of pages: We prefer comics that are about 5-30 pages, but any number is welcome.
-Format: 20x26cm
-Color: Color / Black and white
-Language: English
-File format: .TIF
-Resolution: 1200 dpi line art or 300 dpi CMYK
-Length (texts): A good size for a text is ca 7500 characters (including spaces), but it can also be longer or shorter.
-Bleed: 5mm. Think you know how to handle bleed? Read this: (https://cbkcomics.com/bleed-explained/) to make sure you know what we mean.
-Within this space, there are no limits.
-Delivery: We prefer download links that do NOT require us to login anywhere (wetransfer usually works fine, for example).
-Request: Please don’t use Comic Sans. We don’t like it and will ask you to change to another font.
And again; Please check our guidelines for bleed.
Please send us high-resolution files from the start.
Please ask us if you are unsure about formats, resolution, bleed, etc. We prefer stupid questions to bad files. And there are no stupid questions!
Include a short presentation text about yourself, with one URL (if you have a website or similar).
Your presentation text should be approximately 500-700 characters in length. It should read more as an entertaining and informative bio and less as a CV. What you want to say about yourself is up to you, but it’s generally more interesting for our readers to know about your interests, who you are and what else you’ve published rather than where you’ve studied. We may edit it if needed to fit our format.
Send comics, questions, etc to: submissions(a)cbkcomics(.)com
—
What we are looking for is comics which rely on artistic ambitions and a will to experiment rather than what has been done a thousand times before. We want to expand the boundaries of what is possible to achieve in the comics medium. We are looking for the same thing in texts; articles, essays, exploratory texts, etc.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee you any payment for participating (although this year we have more financing so we might be able to pay something for once). If we publish your submission you will receive 10 free copies of the issue. That’s all we can promise at this date. Hopefully you will find being in CBA an enjoyable experience. Naturally, copyright for your material will stay in your hands.
Also note that we are constantly overworked and there’s a great risk that we won’t get in touch in case your submission doesn’t make it into the current volume. We are sorry for this and will try to catch up as soon as things clear up (optimistically in 2023)…
Personally on CBA vol 47
Hey, it’s me, Mattias Elftorp of the CBK crew.
I’m not very good at bragging. Mostly I just tell people (= blog about, post some link somewhere) about things I’ve been involved in and hope for the best, but I’m going to give it a try here, because far too few people bought CBA vol 47 (buy it here) that I was the main editor of (which I know because I’ve seen the orders).
I’m not even marketing my own stuff here, mostly, and I don’t make any money from the sales, so it’s self-less bragging, really. I do this for you. So here goes:
One of the things I did make in this volume was the cover, and I’m really happy with it. It’s a combination of a linocut print, a scan of the plastic sheet I used to mix the paint when I did the print, the old circuitboard I scanned and used for Piracy is Liberation after finding it at the dump in Skellefteå in the 1990s, and maybe some other random structures I had lying around. The letters of the title are left-overs from someone’s (Kinga’s?) lino cut-outs for something. Anyway, I had fun doing it and think it worked pretty well as a cover.
The first comic, by Avi Heikkinen was the winner of the comics competition in Oulu where I was one of the judges (because I got the honorary prize the year before). I really liked how it’s look of photo-based drawings worked well with the story about a camera that can look into the past, and a film-maker who becomes obsessed with it.
Next up is a comic I wrote and compiled, based on a nightmare that Kinga Dukaj had, built out of one of my favorites of her artworks. It’s one of those dreams where you dream that you wake up but then realize you’re still in the dream, then you wake up but realize you’re still in a dream and so on. Layer by layer. Scary stuff that made for a scary story that fit really well with her photomanipulation of a tree growing out of a skull.
Then there’s Danijel Žeželj. Danijel fucking Žeželj, just to emphasize, because not enough people have seen his works. And a lot have, because he’s worked on X-men, Superman and a whole lot of other stuff, self-published and at big publishers. I first heard about him from the Stripburger crew when they were visiting Malmö in 2005 and talked about Stripburger in particular and Balkan comics in general. I saw Žeželj’s stuff and immediately fell in love! First time we published him in CBA was later that year, or maybe the year after. We distributed a few copies of his book Small Hands, which is sadly out of print now, I think, but it’s one of my favorite comics. Anyway, it’s always great to have his stuff in one of our books and you should check him out if you don’t already know his works.
After discovering Balkan comics, I found Komikaze, a Croatian web-based anthology, and in Komikaze I found a bunch of artists that we also published back in the day. One of which is now a friend of mine that I meet maybe once or twice year (pre-covid, when we could go to festivals), which is far too seldom; Radovan Popović. His art style here is based on chaotic paintings/collages, evocative and dark and beautiful. In this case a story connected to Philip K Dick, inspired by the Science/Fiction theme.
Another artist originating in the Balkans but living in Canada at the time is Ivana Filipović. I may be mistaken but I don’t think I found her but rather she found us. She sent a comic to the AltCom anthology of 2018, which she said was the first comic she made in about 20 years. A great honor and I’m glad she started again because I really like her stuff. Mostly straight-up drawings, and this is no different. She picked up on the religion-related part of the theme, with a fun/dystopic sci fi twist.
Korina Hunjak, another Balkan artist, but one that I’ve had less personal contact with, made this one. The ”where is the line between the living and the artificial” robot story is a classic, and one I often find interesting. This one is thematically reminiscent of the game Detroit: Become Human (which I replayed recently, by the way. Great game).
Francisco Sousa Lobo is a friend of a friend in Portugal. I have a couple of his books published by Portuguese comics network/publisher/association Chili Com Carne, and they’re always interesting, mostly low-key storytelling with simple lines that don’t necessarily betray the dark undertones of the stories. This one is no exception, and I think it’s a good sample of what he’s doing. You should check him out!
Last but not least, one of the founding members of CBK, Oskar Aspman, got inspired to make a new comic in his way that is often abstract in story, expressive in line-work, apocalyptic in mood. Always a pleasure.
And I also wrote a few illustrated text pieces, one about the construction of identity, one about something I’ve been thinking a lot about the last few years: how we seem to be living in an increasingly fictionalized world, in the post-truth era that former US president Trump is such a great champion for. It’s interesting and pretty frightening depending on the kind of dystopic fiction we often end up living in…
So that’s it. Maybe none of this sounds like something you’d like and then you should probably stay away. But if you’re anything like me and it sounds like something for you, give it a try (buy it here)! This is one of my favorite issues in recent years, and not just because I was so involved in putting it together, but because I think it’s really good!
By the way, if you want a wide variety of comics in style and content, why not get a subscription? It’s an extra good idea to get it now, before we will have to to raise the price due to increased postage costs. If you’re like me, you like things that are high-quality and low-price, so if you make sure you get your subscription before mid-April, you’ll get a better deal (not that it’s going to get super expensive after that, but still)!
Digital exhibition: UNDERWORLD
CBK presents:
UNDERWORLD
A new digital exhibitions to keep social distancing while still being able to enjoy art!
Where: hybriden.se
When: The exhibition starts Saturday Mar 13 at 19:00
and will stay active for the foreseeable future
An online exhibition celebrating the launch of CBA vol 51 ‘Underworld’! Come have a sneak peek at what’s inside, and learn more about the amazing comic artists featured in the issue.
The Underworld exists in many forms: an invisible realm of all deceased, a torturous prison for sinners, whatever alien societies rule a ‘hollow earth’, as well as the non- mythological but equally weird organisms that really do scurry around below us. Less literally, it could imply unseen aspects of any organisation, or the darkest moments in an individual’s journey.
Artists: Tiffany Baxter [UK], Eric Falier [BE], Lars Krantz [SE], Aiden Kvarnström [SE], Kimmo Lust [FI], Elida Maiques [ES/IE], Shane Melisse [UK], Sajan Rai [UK/SE], Gar Shanley [IE], Damir Stojnic von Ktonsky [HR], Olivia Sullivan [UK], Nanami Takeuchi [UK], Lily Vie [UK].
Exhibition by: Kinga Dukaj, illustrated by Sajan Rai.
Go HERE to see the exhibition.
CBA vol 51: Underworld and other books can be ordered from the Hybriden webshop.
This exhibition is presented with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd.
CBA vol 51 out now – with special poster!
So CBA vol 51: Underworld is finally out! It was sent out to subscribers in the last few days along with the anniversary CBA vol 50, since they both came around the same time!
Buy them here:
CBA vol 50
CBA vol 51: Underworld
CBA vol 50 was presented earlier, so here’s some info about the new issue:
The Underworld exists in many forms: an invisible realm of all deceased, a torturous prison for sinners, whatever alien societies rule a ‘hollow earth’, as well as the non- mythological but equally weird organisms that really do scurry around below us. Less literally, it could imply unseen aspects of any organisation, or the darkest moments in an individual’s journey.
Comics by: Sajananami (Sajan Rai [UK/SE] & Nanami Takeuchi [UK]), Olivia Sullivan [UK], Shane Melisse [UK], Lily Vie [UK], Aiden Kvarnström [SE], Kimmo Lust [FI], Damir Stojnic von Ktonsky [HR], Gar Shanley [IE] Elida Maiques [ES/IE], Tiffany Baxter [UK], Lars Krantz [SE], Eric Falier [BE]. Cover & poster artist & main editor: Sajan Rai [UK/SE].
This volume comes with a specially made, fold-out poster by Sajan Rai. (50 x 35 cm). Something to look at and feel that even though this final issue of 2020 was a bit late, even with the pandemic and all the other catastrophes going on, there is still some beauty in the (under)world:
Call for submissions: CBA vols 52 + 53
Call for submissions: comics and text articles for
CBA vol 53: PLACEHOLDER (EXTENDED DEADLINE!)
and
CBA vol 52: BURNOUT (NO MORE SUBMISSIONS)
CBA vol 53: PLACEHOLDER
Main Editor: Leviathan
DEADLINE: Mar 31 Apr 30 (EXTENDED DEADLINE!)
The pandemic paused the world for an indefinite time. What does that mean practically? What does it do to our consciousness and how we experience our existence? Some places see recovering wildlife and cleaner air. Which other phenomena appear to replace our old routines? We’re waiting, and in our wait, we imitate the “real” we hope will soon return. We are like placeholders in our own lives.
We’re looking for comic contributions and articles exploring these themes. Scroll down for submission guidelines!
CBA vol 52: BURNOUT
Main Editor: Mattias Elftorp
DEADLINE: Mar 15 (NOW CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS)
Burnout has become an increasingly normal part of everyday life for many of us since the term was getting widespread use in the late 1900s. From hospital staff to comic creators to basically any job in the gig economy. Anyone who doesn’t have a steady income, or who is expected to do more work in less time than is reasonable, can feel this. So who is to blame? Could we create a situation, a systemic change, to avoid the conditions that cause burnout?
What we’re looking for aren’t necessarily stories of depressing social realism, but artistic expressions of that feeling, suggestions for solutions, wishful thinking and visual abreactions. Expressions of rage rather than apathy, insurrection rather than complicity. Something to read for strength in times of austerity.
—SUBMISSION GUIDELINES—
Please read and follow these guidelines:
Number of pages: We prefer comics that are about 5-30 pages, but any number is welcome.
Format: 20x26cm
Color: Color / Black and white
Language: English
File format: .TIF
Resolution: 1200 dpi line art or 300 dpi CMYK
Length (texts): A good size for a text is ca 7500 characters (including spaces), but it can also be longer or shorter.
Bleed: 5mm. Think you know how to handle bleed? Read this to make sure you know what we mean.
Within this space, there are no limits.
Delivery: We prefer download links that do NOT require us to login anywhere (wetransfer usually works fine, for example).
Request: Please don’t use Comic Sans. We don’t like it and will ask you to change to another font.
And again; Please check our guidelines for bleed.
Please send us high-resolution files from the start.
Include a short presentation text* about yourself, with one URL (if you have a website or similar).
Please ask us if you are unsure about formats, resolution, bleed, etc. We prefer stupid questions to bad files. And there are no stupid questions!
*Your presentation text should be approximately 500-700 characters in length. It should read more as an entertaining and informative bio and less as a CV. What you want to say about yourself is up to you, but it’s generally more interesting for our readers to know about your interests, who you are and what else you’ve published rather than where you’ve studied. We may edit it if needed to fit our format.
Send comics, questions, etc to: submissions(a)cbkcomics(.)com
What we are looking for is comics which rely on artistic ambitions and a will to experiment rather than what has been done a thousand times before. We want to expand the boundaries of what is possible to achieve in the comics medium. We are looking for the same thing in texts; articles, essays, exploratory texts, etc.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee you any payment for participating (although this year we have more financing so we might be able to pay something for once). If we publish your submission you will receive 10 free copies of the issue. That’s all we can promise at this date. Hopefully you will find being in CBA an enjoyable experience. Naturally, copyright for your material will stay in your hands.
Also note that we are constantly overworked and there’s a great risk that we won’t get in touch in case your submission doesn’t make it into the current volume. We are sorry for this and will try to catch up as soon as things clear up (optimistically in 2023)…
Winter sale at Hybriden!
Right now: 20% off on books from CBK, Tusen Serier and Wormgod at the Hybriden webshop! Also 20% off on prints!
This includes CBA subscriptions, so it’s a good opportunity to get 4 issues/year of our international comics anthology sent to you.
And you can pre-order our jubilee 50th volume of CBA, our thickest volume so far, filled with great comics!
Pre-order CBA vol 50 for Black Friday
We’re doing a 50% sale on books from CBK, Tusen Serier and Wormgod at Hybriden this weekend (Nov 27-29).
Use the coupon code blackfriday2020 when you place your order.
CBA vol 50 will be released in January, but you can pre-order it now, and it is included in the sale.
No theme, no limits, only members of the current and former editorial crew of CBA celebrating this anniversary issue by doing whichever comics they want!
Illustrated haiku poems! Vampires! Cyberpunk! Abstract patterns and ruminations on death! Working with the elderly and trying to find your husband in the realm of the dead! There’s also a seal.
Comics by: Sajan Rai [SE/UK], Gonzalo de las Heras [SE/ES], Allan Haverholm [DK/SE], Mattias Elftorp [SE], Susanne Johansson [SE], Leviathan [SE], Stefan Petrini [SE], Henrik Rogowski [SE]. Text: Mattias Elftorp [SE]. Illustration: Mattias Elftorp [SE], Gonzalo de las Heras [ES/SE]. Cover artist: Kinga Dukaj [SE].
NEDJEM & ORIGIN OF LIFE
CBK presents:
NEDJEM & ORIGIN OF LIFE
Two new digital exhibitions to keep social distancing while still being able to enjoy art!
Go here to find the exhibitrions:
NEDJEM | ORIGIN OF LIFE
Both exhibitions are open from Wednesday Nov 25 at 15:00
and will stay active for the foreseeable future.
As we’ve said before:
To celebrate the latest volumes of CBA, we invite you to see these two exhibitions of comics pages from the books. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to show exhibitions in the usual way, so this time we’re making the exhibitions in digital form. Instead of meeting up at Hybriden to enjoy the art on the walls and mingle with wine and artists and other visitors, now you don’t even need to leave your home. Instead you can just visit the website and see them comfortably from your chair or couch or whatever you want to sit in. You can even drink your own wine and chat with friends on the internet at the same time, so it’s ALMOST like normal.
CBA and other books can be ordered from the Hybriden webshop.
Further information can be found when you go to the exhibitions, which are presented with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd.
Two digital exhibitions: Nedjem & Origin of Life
CBK presents:
NEDJEM & ORIGIN OF LIFE
Two new digital exhibitions to keep social distancing while still being able to enjoy art!
Where: hybriden.se (direct links will be available on this site for the opening)
When: Both exhibitions open Wednesday Nov 25 at 15:00
and will stay active for the foreseeable future
To celebrate the latest volumes of CBA, we invite you to see these two exhibitions of comics pages from the books. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to show exhibitions in the usual way, so this time we’re making the exhibitions in digital form. Instead of meeting up at Hybriden to enjoy the art on the walls and mingle with wine and artists and other visitors, now you don’t even need to leave your home. Instead you can just visit the website and see them comfortably from your chair or couch or whatever you want to sit in. You can even drink your own wine and chat with friends on the internet at the same time, so it’s ALMOST like normal.
CBA and other books can be ordered from the Hybriden webshop.
Nedjem (CBA vol 48)
CBA vol 48 is about cats. Cats and the lifelong friendships we form with our furry friends. Bonds so strong and endearment so deep and ancient, it permeates our lives through time. You find cats in scary stories, in cute stories, they’re a sign of bad luck in some cultures and good luck in others, worshipped as deities or shunned like pests. Remnants of our relationships with the floofy furs are found not just all over the world, but all over the internet as well. Here’s our contribution to the Cat Library of Time.
Artists: Jonatan Rosén [SE], Henrik Rogowski [SE], Aiden Kvarnström [SE], Filip Kelava [HR], Alexandra Duma-Dancai [RO/SE], Ivana Filipović [RS/CA], Helena Menanda [SE], Ivana Armanini [HR], Mattias Elftorp [SE], Kinga Dukaj [SE].
Origin of Life (CBA vol 49)
Where were you born? Where are you from? When these questions are asked really what the person means often is, who are you?
In the new volume of CBA we want you to ask yourselves some questions. Who are humanity as a collective consciousness? Where do we come from? All these little specks of life in this big dark space of nothing, and for what?
Artists: Ana Biscaia [PT], Ivana Geček [HR], Mattias Elftorp [SE], Ivana Filipović [RS/CA], Henrik Rogowsk [SE], Leviathan [SE], Lisa Örtlund [SE].
The exhibitions are presented with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd.