***UPDATE: AS of Feb 15th, this year’s Open Call is now closed! All artists and writers who received invites will be given the full two weeks to send in their pitches, but we are no longer accepting queries. Thank you to everyone who wrote in!!!***
***UPDATE: ALL queries should receive a reply. No answer from us? Please review our guidelines and send again.***
***CLOSES FEBRUARY 15th! GET YOUR QUERIES IN!***
And once again, the day is finally here! We’ve hinted and teased for the last month, and
Red Stylo Media is excited to finally announce the OPEN CALL for artists and writers to contribute to 27, A Comic Anthology inspired by Rock-n-Roll’s infamous “27 Club”.
Whoah. Whaaaaat is the “27 Club”?
Stars burn hot, bright and then go out forever, but their light shines on for ages after. Members of the “27 Club” reached musical stardom early in life and died too young– specifically, the tender age of 27. Some of the club’s more famous members include Jim Morrison (The Doors), Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), and Amy Winehouse. Visit this wiki link to see the full list!
27 Club is this year’s theme, and the format remains the same as our past anthologies: we’re looking for 8-page comics, posters, and vignettes in tribute to and inspired by a music artist who died at 27. The artists, their music, or even the Club itself can be inspiration for the pieces.
Red Stylo is pretty flexible, but here are some basic rules on how the anthologies work:
- We’re looking for inspiration, not adaptation. So, no panel-by-panel recreations of any song: music may not be public domain, so we have to ensure that all stories are original works inspired by a song or musician, and falling within fair use. Plus, straight-up adaptations are not how we do things at Red Stylo. If you haven’t already, check out our past comic anthologies to get an idea of what we are all about.
- Any genre is welcome. Comedy, tragedy, farce, sci-fi…the more “out there” the idea is, the more we want to hear it.
- Be brave! Hidden gems and forgotten tracks are very welcome, but don’t forget the more popular songs.
- Artists and band members are historical figures and can be used as characters. But, again, this is not an “official” anthology and therefore we can’t use any actual lyrics or music.
- All submissions must be fiction.
How to pitch for the anthology:
You must be invited to pitch. To make our list, writers and artists may send a query as a comic team (writer and artist together) or as an individual open to being assigned to a creative team. Please note: do not send a pitch or attachment without being invited. Pitches sent without invitation will be deleted without reply–sorry!
- WRITERS, please format your query as follows (no more, no less): Send a message through our Contact Us page with your name, brief bio and a link to a portfolio or sample of your work. First time comic writers and students welcome, but you should at least have some kind of creative work available online for us to peruse, even if it’s just social media. Tell us if you are a team or an individual.
- ARTISTS, please format your query as follows (no more, no less): Send a message through our Contact Us page with your name, brief bio and a link to your online portfolio or website. Again, first timers and students welcome, but you MUST have a link to samples of your work online, no exceptions. Tell us if you do sequential work, or will only do posters/prints/vignettes. Please note that vignette artists will still be asked to complete between three and five pieces. Inkers and Colorists are welcome to apply as well!
Everyone can expect a reply within two weeks of receipt. Haven’t heard from us? Please check our guidelines and send again. Fuzzy on anything? Check out our FAQs page here.
Rock-n-roll will never die, but this open call CLOSES on February 15th! Send a query today and then get ready to pitch!