Send Us Your Comics About Earnest Hunks Against the Bourgeoisie!
We are thrilled to announce COMRADE HIMBO: a brand-new project from POMEpress. This book is a printed comics anthology about big-hearted, socially conscious hunks of all genders railing against the violence of capitalism.
Here at POMEpress, we strive to create the content that we want to see. We’ve built our whole brand around the sincere expression of emotion, and with COMRADE HIMBO, we want to show that even though our country is broken, we can and must keep fighting.
But we also just want to make a book about hunks doing their best. So, this is a call for submissions!
GUIDELINES
For COMRADE HIMBO, we’re seeking submissions for two types of content: short black & white narrative comics, and a small number of full-color illustration inserts.
COMICS SUBMISSIONS: We’re looking for black & white comics that range from 3-11 pages (odd-numbered total page counts only please).
All stories MUST:
- Feature a himbo (of any gender identity)
- The himbo must be doing something socially conscious/using their himbo powers for good — whatever that means to you
- Be PG13-appropriate — all genres are OK!
- Feature original characters — submissions that include existing characters will be disqualified.
We are NOT looking for:
- Anything that makes fun of the himbo — we want to celebrate the himbo’s sincerity. We do not want to mock them.
- Capitalist Apologists
- Pro-Police Content
ILLUSTRATION SUBMISSIONS: We are also seeking a select number of color illustrations, ideally (but not necessarily) in the style of old Soviet propaganda posters.
Art Specs
Submissions must follow these specifications:
- Please design submissions for 6.625 inches x 10.25 inches at a minimum of 300 dpi
- Please make sure that art stretches to the bleed of the page – learn more about bleed here
- 0.125 inches of bleed, with a 0.25 inch safe zone
- Final color illustrations will need to use CMYK colors
Dates and Editorial Guidelines
Applications for COMRADE HIMBO submissions close on October 26th, 2020 at 11:59PM CST. All final files will be due in March 2021, to be printed in the summer of 2021. If your submission is chosen, we will send you a follow-up email with editorial deadlines within the following week, after submissions close.
Submission Application Guidelines – COMICS
Submissions to this anthology will require the following items/attachments:
- The title of your comic
- Your pitch: a short summary of what your comic will be about and who your characters are — as well as the estimated total number of pages (odd-numbered totals only)
- Identifying info for all creators involved, including names, email addresses, and the contribution each creator will make to the piece
- An example of previous COMICS work (at least one page from a comic you have created)
- At least one rough character sketch or piece of concept art — does not need to be inked; does not need to be a fully paneled page; we just want to get a loose idea of what you’d like to do (any concept art will ONLY be used for evaluation purposes — POMEpress claims no ownership to use, distribute, or do anything else with it!)
Submission Application Guidelines – ILLUSTRATIONS
Submissions to this anthology will require the following items/attachments:
- Your pitch: a short summary of your illustration idea
- Identifying info for all creators involved, including names, email addresses, and the contribution each creator will make to the piece
- At least 3 examples of previous illustration work; ideally a link to your portfolio
- At least one inspiration image to show the style you’d like to achieve, propaganda-style or otherwise
FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS:
- We are only looking for original content created for this publication. We are not accepting submissions for previously printed or digitally published work.
- Please be sure that links to Dropbox or Google Drive folders are public (not password protected) and will not expire. This gives our editorial team time to review your work.
- Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification.
TO SUBMIT YOUR BLACK & WHITE COMICS PITCH, please fill out our COMICS submission form. Pitches submitted outside this form will not be considered.
TO SUBMIT YOUR COLOR ILLUSTRATION PITCH, please fill out our ILLUSTRATION submission form. Pitches submitted outside this form will not be considered.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
- This is a paid project. We will be paying $50 USD/page per creative team for each selected black and white comic, and $100 USD per each selected one-page color illustration.
- After the successes of our previous Kickstarters, we are also planning a Kickstarter for COMRADE HIMBO, and we will include stretch goals for increasing this pay rate. But, as with all of our Kickstarters, the failure or success of the campaign will have no impact on whether or not you will be paid the base rate—your payment is guaranteed.
- In addition to payment, we will provide 10 comp copies for comics submissions and 5 comp copies for illustration submissions for contributors to sell or distribute however they want.
- If your creative team includes multiple creators, payment and comps will be divided among the creators based on how they see fit.
- Those selected as contributors to COMRADE HIMBO will be able to purchase additional copies of this book for half of its final cover price.
LEGAL INFORMATION
All of the works that run in COMRADE HIMBO will be creator-owned. However, we ask for first publication rights for one year after publication. After that point, POMEpress reserves general publishing rights in perpetuity. Basically: during the first year, POMEpress has the sole authority to reprint COMRADE HIMBO (online or in print). After the first year, you can reprint your submission, sell it online, or submit it to another publication. However, POMEpress will also reprint and sell COMRADE HIMBO as a whole.
You must be 18 years old or older to submit to this anthology.
FAQ
What is a himbo?
Think: the ~sensual intelligence~ scene from George of the Jungle. Think: Keanu in the 90s. Think: literally any moment from the 2015 cinematic classic, Magic Mike: XXL. We’re looking for sweet dummies trying their best, who are willing to be vulnerable and earnest, and who just want to make the world a better place.
Do himbos need to be male-identified?
Absolutely not. Himbos, thembos, femmebos, and earnest & gentle hunks of all other genders are welcome in this book.
Can himbos be smart?
Yes!!! At least as we see it, the term “himbo” isn’t an indictment of somebody’s intelligence, or lack thereof — what we’re looking for is an unselfconscious goofball, a sincere person who isn’t ashamed of having big feelings and acting on them without guile.
What do you mean by “socially conscious” himbos?
These hunks need to use their himbo powers for the good of others! We leave it up to you to decide what that means.
How sexy/violent can my comic be? (i.e. Can I show a nipple or just partial boob?, etc.)
Consider this book PG13+. Submissions should be appropriate for early-teen readers. Please limit cussin’, avoid f-bombs and intense graphic violence, and limit nudity and overt sexual content. While POMEpress may publish a book with more mature themes in the future, we are not planning to do so in COMRADE HIMBO.
My creative team includes multiple creators/an artist and a writer/etc. Will we both receive financial compensation?
We leave it to the creators involved to agree on how to distribute payment and comps, but will send both to each team member based on that agreement.
How many pitches can I submit?
You can submit more than one, but only one project per creative team will be accepted.
Can I submit a prose/poetry piece to this anthology?
No. This is a comics anthology.
Can I submit an illustration to this anthology?
Yes! We are looking for a select number of himbos, ideally (but not necessarily) illustrated in the style of Soviet propaganda posters.
Have questions for our team? Reach out at hello@pome-mag.com.
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
After the successes of our previous books, we at POME have been itching to bring you more of the sweet, sweet comics content you crave. We are so excited to contribute COMRADE HIMBO to the greater canon of fictional himbos, and we can’t wait for you to fall in love with these righteous sweethearts!
Yours in solidarity,
The POMEcrones