KOLAŻ | THE BOX exhibition @ Malmö Stadsbibliotek

CBK presents:
KOLAŻ | THE BOX
Double release exhibition for CBA vols 64 & 65!

Where: Malmö City Library
When: The exhibition opening happens on Tuesday Nov 12 between 17–20 (to the left after the main entrance, up one floor then straight ahead)
We will be there giving out cookies and you’ll be able to buy both books on site.
It will stay up until Dec 6.

Who is CBK?
We’re comic artists running a non-profit publishing organization! Since 2001, CBK has worked for a more varied and exciting comics culture in Sweden and on the international scene. The main vehicle for this purpose is the international comics art magazine, CBA. We also arrange exhibitions of comics art, festivals and other cultural events.
Our vision is to push the boundaries of what can be done in comics, to broaden the perspective of what the comics medium is and can be, both in relation to itself and to other art forms.

About the exibition

In the exhibition you can see samples from the two latest issues, inspired by the following theme descriptions:

KOLAŻ
Step into the world of KOLAŻ, where images are discovered, altered, and transformed — merged with sketches, digital twists, and layered reconfigurations. It’s a creative process of cutting, rearranging, and reimagining, where fragments are pulled apart and pieced back together. Story themselves are patchworks of moments stitched into something new, where unexpected contrasts may emerge and magic happens when each reader brings their own meanings, their own interpretations, their own fragments to the pasteboard.

THE BOX
What’s in THE BOX? Who wants to know? How big is it? Where is it? Is it on its way somewhere? Why does it matter? Why can’t you know what’s in it? Or do you know?
This issue is a box filled with stories. But what is THE BOX if you think outside the box?

The books can be ordered/pre-ordered from Hybriden:
CBA vol 64 – OUT NOW!

CBA vol 65 – coming soon (available to order now)…

Subscribe to CBA (4 issues)

CBA vol 65 won’t be officially available until Nov 25, but we will have a few copies as a sneaky pre-release at the exhibition.

Facebook event

The exhibition is made with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd.

Available NOW: Piracy is Liberation 013 & CBA vol 62|63

Two new books are coming soon, but you can order them already from Hybriden! Approximate release date will be April 20.

Both books and much more will be available at the Stockholm International Comics Festival, May 25-26!

Piracy is Liberation 013: Missile Crisis

The City is firing sentient smart-missiles against terrorists hiding in the previously unknown desert. But who is this outer enemy?
Using metamagic, Purple learns how to fly and takes Information and Erica on an expedition to find out, but the truth comes with unexpected dangers.

Weighing in at 236 pages, this book continues the story started in Piracy is Liberation 012: Outer Enemy.
Published by CBK in cooperation with Wormgod, Piracy is Liberation is political theory, filtered through autobiography, masked as fiction in the form of cyberpunk postapocalypse.

Story art and design by Mattias Elftorp, cover by Susanne Johansson, illustration & editorial assistance by Kinga Dukaj.

CBA vol 62|63: Liminal Space

Liminal space, a concept that deconstructs the notion of fixed boundaries and absolute realities. It is a space that challenges the dualities of self and other, inside and outside, past and future. A bridge to cross, a door to open. A place to question and transcend.

Liminality has always been a part of humanity. Maybe not as a state of transition but rather as a state of constant becoming. It is a space that disrupts the linearity of time and questions the stability of identity. That area of blurred boundaries is very much an integral part of the creative process for us as humans and artists.
A realm of ambiguity. A pause in time, a shift in state. A realm of potentiality. Where form and meaning await.

Here (or in there) we can push the boundaries of the unexpected. With comics, the idea of the liminal space can be used to craft stories and narratives that exist between different realms of reality.

Comics by: Svalan Sörblom [SE], Anamarija Kvas [HR], Tom Mortimer [UK], Miku Maria Gustavsson [SE], Edmund Mortimer [UK], Aiden Kvarnström [SE], Saskia Gullstrand [SE], Kekube [PL], Tomxyz & fishboneseater [PL], Adam Kołodziejski [PL], Mattias Elftorp [SE], Damir Stojnic-Ktonsky [RS], Zlatko Krstevski [MK], Oskar Aspman [SE].
Cover, text, illustrations & main editor: Oskar Aspman [SE].

168 pages of international comics in this double issue!

Get it from the Hybriden webshop!

This is also a good time to start a subscription.

Call for submissions: PLACEHOLDER (new deadline)

Once again, we’re extending the deadline for CBA vol 53: PLACEHOLDER. We know things are hard in these times, so we want to give our artists a bit more space to work. The new deadline is July 15.

The pandemic was supposed to have a deadline, most of us agreed on a year. CBA deadlines are like the pandemic:we’re still open for submissions for the theme PLACEHOLDER. The world is paused for an indefinite time. What does this do to our experience of our existence? How do we replace our routines? We’re waiting, and in our wait, we imitate the “real” we hope will soon return. Like placeholders in our own lives.

Main editor: Caroline Ulvros/Leviathan

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
These are the basics for submissions. More info here.

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.

Call for submissions: CBA vol 44

Folklore – it’s the stories our parents told us as children as well as a glimpse into another world, of fairies, trolls, and magic. But folklore is more than just stories about bad children who get eaten by witches; it’s our shared fears, hopes and dreams and they often share similar themes across the world. Folk tales have been told by an infinite number of people with equally infinite motives; some to warn, others to encourage and some who just try to make sense of the world around them. In volume 44 of CBA we want to dig deep into the roots of folklore from different cultures and explore what it has to say about ourselves as human beings regardless of nationality.

CBA vol 44 – Lore
Deadline: Januari 15 2019

—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
Format: .TIF
Resolution: 1200 dpi line art or 300 dpi CMYK
Bleed: 5mm. Think you know how to handle bleed? Read this to make sure you know what we mean: http://cbkcomics.com/bleed-explained/
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; 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).
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!

Unfortunately we cannot offer you any payment for participating. If we publish your submission you will receive 10 free copies of the issue. That’s all we can offer at this time. Hopefully you will find being in CBA an enjoyable experience. Naturally, copyright for your material stays with you.

–TEXT AND COMICS GUIDELINES–
Text and/or comics should explore the subject of folklore from an international perspective. That could be a new angle on an old story, an artistic spin on your favourite tale or something completely new.

Send your comics to: submissions@cbkcomics.com

Something super this way comes!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s CBA vol. 42 – Subversive Superhero Stories!

Vol. 42 will be released on September 27th at the Gothenburg Book Fair and as usual it is packed with great comics, intriguing texts and of course superheroes like you’ve never seen them before.

Table reservations are open for AltCom 2018!

For comics collectives, small press publishers and individual creators: It is now finally possible to book tables at AltCom 2018!

The market will take place Sat-Sun, August 25-26 at Panora in Malmö (but don’t miss that the festival begins already on the 23rd).

ALL THE INFO YOU NEED IS AT THE AltCom website.

Please note that having a table at AltCom 2018 is FREE of charge.

Best of CBK -pt. 2

Retrospective exhibition of 15 years with CBK
Place: Hybriden (Mitt Möllan, Bangatan 5, Malmö)
Opening: June 2, 17-22
Lasts until: August 16

After a short break – to make space for the Fridhem 2018 exhibition – we’re continuing the Best of CBK exhibition with more awesome works. And as if a whole lot of geat artworks wasn’t enough  the opening of part two will also be a great oppurtunity for anyone who is curious to meet the newest members of the CBK crew. And to watch said crew members eat A LOT of crisps. Which is an artwork in and of itself. 

C’est Bon Kultur (CBK) became an official association in 2003, with the formal purpose of creating and promoting comics that are visually interesting and that approach comics storytelling in experimental ways. It is now 15 years later and with approximately 60 publications and about as many exhibitions behind us, we have a big selection of comics and artworks in storage that we’d like to share with the world.

Nostalgia for some, news to others, we promise an interesting art experience. Big names in experimental and art comics will share the space with local talents and several generations of the CBA editorial crew. Over the years, we’ve strived to add something special in the translation from the comics page to the exhibition wall space. From acetone prints to apocalyptic scrap metal installations with DIY polaroids, blown-up postcards and blood-splattered plastic covers. One motto that runs through it all is: COMICS AS ART, ART AS COMICS.

Feel free to invite people to the Facebook event.

The exhibition is presented in cooperation with Fanzineverkstaden, with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd.

—IN SWEDISH—

2003 bildades kulturföreningen C’est Bon Kultur (CBK) med syftet att skapa och sprida serier som är visuellt intressanta och som experimenterar med berättandet i serieformen. Nu är det 15 år senare och med ca 60 publikationer och ungefär lika många utställningar bakom oss har vi samlat på oss ett stort lager av serier och konstverk som vi vill dela med oss av.

En nostalgitripp för gamla fans och en intressant upplevelse för dem som upptäckt oss på senare år. Stora namn inom konst- och experimentserier blandas med lokala förmågor och flera generationer av redaktionen för den internationella serieantologin CBA. Vi har genom åren gått in för att skapa något nytt och originellt i översättningen från tidning till utställningsvägg. Från acetontryck till skrotinstallation med gör-det-självpolaroider, förstorade vykort och blodstänkta plastskynken. Ett motto som genomsyrat verksamheten är: SERIER SOM KONST, KONST SOM SERIER.

Bjud gärna in dina vänner till vårt event på Facebook.

Utställningen presenteras i samarbete med Fanzineverkstaden, med stöd från Malmö Kulturnämnd

Two-for-one subscription offer

Right now you get two-for-one when you buy a CBA subscription, which means one subscription for you and one for your friend. Or maybe for your worst enemy, parent, grandparent, co-worker or neighbour who just need more great comics in their life.

How it works: To buy a subscription of CBA for you and your friend just go to our webbshop at cbkcomics.com , choose which issue you want to start your subscription at and add it to your cart. Once you’re done just press view cart  and then proceed to checkout. To add your friend’s subscription just reply to the confirmation email, that will be sent to you, with the  email, name and address of the person you want to give a subscription to.

What’s great about this is that you’re not just getting four issues of awesome comics you also become members of CBK when you order the subscription.

We need YOU for CBK!

Vi behöver dig i CBK!

(Sorry for the Swedish, by the way, it’s because this is more of a local concern. In short, we’re looking for new crew members for CBK…)

Du som brinner för serier och vill se mediet utvecklas. Du som vill vara med och ge ut snygga nyskapande serier som gör intressanta saker med historieberättande i serieform. Du som är intresserad av att tillsammans med en grupp andra serieskapare ge ut en tidning, arrangera utställningar och jobba med annat som har med förlagsarbete att göra. Du som vill ha ett utrymme att också ge ut dina egna serier som del av en antologi, i ett sammanhang där nybörjare delar utrymme med tunga namn inom internationella alternativ- och undergroundserier.

Du får gärna kunna InDesign, Photoshop etc. Du får gärna vara bra på att jobba med marknadsföring, distribution osv.

Du bör ha förmågan och tycka det är kul att se sammanhang och hur saker hänger ihop i processen att göra och ge ut en tidning, arrangera utställningar, driva en lokal som ställer ut och säljer serier, med allt vad det innebär (du behöver inte ha full koll från start, tycker du det är intressant i grunden så kommer du att lära dig).

Det finns i nuläget inga pengar till ersättning, så du bör vara engagerad och intresserad av att vara med av andra anledningar än att tjäna pengar. CBK och CBA har alltid gjorts med ideella krafter när det gäller både serieskapare och redaktion, på gott och ont, och det ser ut att fortsätta så ett tag till.

Är du intresserad?
Kontakta oss så styr vi upp ett möte!

Talk/celebration @ Rum för serier

In 2018, we’ll have been an official association for 15 years. We’ll start celebrating this already on November 16 (18-20) at Rum för serier (Friisgatan 12, Malmö) where we will do a talk about art comics and a little bit about our history and plans for the future. See you there!