Category: CBK

We want comics and texts for
CBA vol 40 – Worst Case Scenario
What’s the worst that could happen? And if that happens, what’s the worst that could happen? And if that happens, what’s the worst that could happen? And so on…

There’s a psychiatric method in cognitive behavioral therapy called “The Downward Arrow Technique” where you begin by writing down the answers to this repeated question and we thought it’d be the perfect theme for our upcoming CBA vol 40. Especially since this is an election year in Sweden. Especially since war and famine and climate change and personal disasters are on the horizon. So how bad can it get?

Deadline: APRIL 15
Main editor: Kinga Dukaj
(More details below…)

Think of a scenario where you imagine the absolute worst thing that could happen.
When you have that in mind, ask: if that happens, whats the worst that could happen?
When you have that answer continue asking it about 3 more times until you’ve got a clear story.
Use this as a script for your comic.

Editors note: The goal in the Downward Arrow Technique is to explore your core beliefs and work through them, and is often used for anxiety, phobias and other disruptive thought patterns. This method is very practical, simple and effective in helping the person get to the root of their negative thoughts and unhealthy beliefs about themselves. However, this is not the goal in CBA vol 40. We just want to know the worst.

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 scheme: Black and white
Language: English
Format: .TIF
Resolution: 1200 dpi line art or 300 dpi grayscale
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.

Please send us high-resolution files from the start.
Also 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 date. Hopefully you will find being in CBA an enjoyable experience. Naturally, copyright for your material will stay in your hands.

—TEXT GUIDELINES—
We’re looking for texts that touch upon the subject, preferably articles, essays and exploratory texts. We’re not looking for short stories for this issue.

Feel free tp share the Facebook event to anyone who might be interested!

You can read a longer version of this post HERE.

Also coming soon: Call for submissions for the AltCom 2018 anthology: HOW TO SURVIVE A DICTATORSHIP

CBK is currently looking for donations to cover the costs of printing and distribution of the upcoming anthology, CBA vol 38|39: FRAGMENTS.

This might be CBKs final try to make CBA survive. If it doesn’t work, the anthology may go on hold for an undefined time. This all depends on if we will receive Tidskriftsstöd (state support for magazines) for the next year or not. But until we do, or don’t,  we still have to pay for the printing cost of this upcoming anthology. In other words – this is the final chance to support CBA for some time (unless people suddenly start buying lots of back issues). So please help fund the crowdfunding campaign of this year’s final, upcoming anthology Fragments and we will be forever grateful.

CBA vol 38|39 features comics by Marie Jacotey-Voyatzis, Martin López Lam, Stefan Petrini, Rakel Stammer, Diego Shim, Henrik Rogowski, Victor Expolio, Insulina Kid, Mattias Elftorp and Gonzalo de las Heras, and texts by Mattias Elftorp and Saskia Gullstrand with Johanna Rojola and possibly some additional material in this more-than-a-hundred colorful pages issue. Both the cover and the issue is compiled by Christina Cromnow of the CBK editorial crew, who is currently working on her debut graphic novel.

These artists present their own fractal visions under the common concept of FRAGMENTS.
Also, for the first time in years, we include texts in this volume. But we need your help to make all this possible!

All the comics in the volume are already finished. We only need to put the whole volume together and do some final editing before sending it to print.

You can support this project via our campaign at Indiegogo where you can also see some sample comic pages from the book.
Please note that the campaign ends on December 16!

The deadline is soon here! April 13 (note the timezone, not sure how that works at Indiegogo) is the last day to donate to CBK for the new volume of CBA.

Here’s my introduction to the book. Hope you like it (click it for biggermaking):

And let’s have the video once more, shall we? Just because it’s so nice:

The other day i finished lettering the comic I don’t want to dream by Spyros Verykios. We normally don’t do that but he needed help and I liked the story so much that it was worth it.

It’s a beautifully painted and quite disturbing comic of 43 pages that will be included in the upcoming CBA vol 36. A while ago we changed the structure for how we work with the editorial stuff in CBK. Instead of having big meetings that decide the contents of each issue (well, we still have those big meetings to discuss the comics), we have one person that is the main editor. This is because the new crew that took over CBK 2 years ago is a bit more diverse that earlier ones when it comes to taste. Which is a good thing in general, but it also meant that for each new volume, no one was completely happy with the contents. Having a rotating main editorship made a change in that; now everyone can at least be completely happy with one issue once in a while, and it’s ok to not be 100% satisfied the rest of the time. To be clear: I’m not saying that I don’t normally like the comics in CBA, but you always have your favorites. There’s a Swedish proverb to explain this. Taste is like the ass: divided.

So CBA vol 36 is my volume. I got to use my absolute favorites of the material that has come in from the last calls for submissions (Spyros Verykios, Akab & Elena Guidolin), and also headhunted some other stuff (Serena Schinaia & the cover by Radovan Popović), and I’m really happy with it.

The problem is that CBK is currently out of money. Tusen Serier is letting us wait a bit with paying our part of the rent for Hybriden, but it’s not a good situation since our funding from the Swedish Arts Council was cut off. So we decided to try crowdfunding via Indiegogo.

HERE’S THE CAMPAIGN PAGE. Please help us by donating some money and/or share the link and spread the word (if you prefer, it’s also possible to donate directly to us via PayPal: info [at] cbkcomics [.] com). It would really mean a lot to us (and to me, since this volume is a personal matter) and you’ll also get some perks as thank you. The really big spenders will get our entire back catalogue of what we still have in print, which is a massive pile.

Also check out this really cool promo video with art from the book, made by Víctor Expolio, with music by Feberdröm.

Let’s plunge together into the pits of madness. Let’s watch the dissolution of reality, let’s dance with clear heads and see where it takes us. Let’s travel the river hiding in the desert sands until the wind rises and we reach the final collapse. Let’s look deep into the eye of the tiger. And see afterwards if we dare to dream.