Join us in creating a locally-made collection of short-form graphic storytelling!
The end product would be a printed, physical book, assembling the work of approximately 30 to 40 independent creators. With contributions ranging between two and twelve pages a piece, the target length will be approximately 250 pages total.
What we want is to do is provide both established and first-time (not to mention 100% human) creators a platform designed to get their work published, read, and kept forever. That end product will be something to be proud of, a professionally printed book that looks like the ones that already line your shelves.
The goals of this are twofold: Tell locally-made stories and empower emerging cartoonists. For a majority of our contributors, this will be their first published work! What we want to do is eliminate some of the stumbling blocks that self-publishing brings, and signal-boost new and experienced artists and writers alike.
What stands as an obstacle to many would-be creators isn’t storytelling, passion, or lack of ideas, it’s publishing. While some people are good at self-publishing (from folded mini-comics to daily webcomics), few people have the bandwidth to be an artist, writer, publisher, and marketer all in one.
First things first: This is a no-cost, voluntary project, with no artistic stipends available at this time.
You will get a book out of it, a handful in fact. Depending on the final amount of contributors and total print run, that number may shift. As of current estimates, contributors will receive five books a piece, (a $100 value) to keep, sell, or give away as you wish.
That, some grants or investments, and some hard work, is all that we need.
If you're reading this, it's because:
1) You've made comics before.
2) You're an artist or writer who is open to new and exciting projects.
3) You're just plain nosy.
The definition of comics is wide and accepting! Contributions can range from sketchbook-style journaling, to fully-painted images in a deliberate sequence, to (most commonly) panel layouts with words and pictures.
More specifically, we are looking for:
If that's the consensus, sure! There have been thousands of successfully crowdfunded comics anthologies, with a nearly endless amount of supporter rewards ranging from signed copies to original art, to inclusion in the content.
Absolutely. Contributors would retain all rights to their work and intellectual property in perpetuity, with a formal written agreement signed prior to their inclusion in this anthology.
This will obviously be a lengthy overall undertaking, with an optimistic timeline of one year.
Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, 2026 (Two Months) - Call for Contributors. Form a group of 30 to 40 creators who wish to be involved. Draw up agreements/communications for participation, including rights, timelines, operating procedures, and expectations.
March. 1 to August 31, 2026 (Six Months) - Content Creation. Story pitches and brainstorming sessions. Group meetings and educational opportunities, editing, the most significant section of this time will be devoted to the production of the comics themselves.
Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2026 (One Month) - Formatting and Layout. Preparing submissions as a print-ready pdf. This includes final edits, image cleanup, and pagination.
Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 (One Month) - Printing and Shipment. Allowing the selected printer enough time to deliver the final product at no additional or expedited costs.
Nov. 1 to Nov. 30 (One Month) - Final Promo and Launch Event. The release of the final project will include a live event with music, presentations, and book sales and signings.
Just send a reply to Nick Warren. As of now, they will be supervising this project as Editor-in-Chief. In addition to organizing contributors, they will be responsible for the graphic layout and assembly for print. Their tenure serving as Managing Editor for the Erie Reader, combined with decades of experience as a professional graphic designer make their skill sets uniquely suited for this role. They can be reached on Facebook Messenger, email at newwavecrashing@gmail.com, or nick@eriereader.com.