Studies in Comics: General Call for Papers information

Papers are welcomed for Studies in Comics, a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal that aims to describe the nature of comics, to identify the medium as a distinct art form and to address its formal properties. We invite submissions exploring the formal properties of comics, advancing their own theory of comics or responding to an established theoretical model. We also welcome reviews of new comics, scholarship and criticism, conferences and exhibitions, as well as unpublished creative work.

We invite submissions of articles of 4000–8000 words from any discipline. These should have a strong critical focus and seek to apply hitherto unexplored theoretical approaches to the medium of comics or respond to published theories about the medium’s formal properties. Possible areas include:

• comics and visual language in the context of communications theory;
• the grammar of comics;
• narrative structure;
• the relationship between panel, page and the multiframe;
• composition and panel transitions;
• the treatment of time and space;
• responses to published theorists such as Scott McCloud, Will Eisner, Thierry Groensteen, etc.

We also welcome reviews of new publications and exhibits and short creative pieces of 1-8 pages in length. Creative work should be relevant to some aspect of comics, although there are no other thematic or stylistic restrictions. Metafictional submissions that deal with the processes and theories of comics creation are encouraged.

Article submissions

Please send your completed article and a metadata document (see ‘Notes for Contributors’, available for download below) by email. Please include the word ARTICLE in the email subject heading and indicate the word count of the article in your covering email. Papers must be submitted in English. All submissions will be peer-reviewed.

Reviews of publications and conferences and exhibitions

Please send expressions of interest by email include the words REVIEW PUBLICATION or REVIEW CONFERENCE or REVIEW EXHIBITION in the subject heading. There is no set length for reviews, however we would expect them to be around 1,000-3,000 words.

Creative submissions

Please include the word CREATIVE in the subject heading. All articles submitted should be original work and must not be under consideration by other publications. Studies in Comics is published twice yearly, however some issues may be guest-edited or themed – where applicable, submissions will be carried over for the next issue.

Submissions are welcomed from both scholars and enthusiasts. Contributors are encouraged to approach comics from any discipline and to turn their attention to comics from all countries and in all languages. So, whether you’re a semiotician, philosopher, scientist, historian, enthusiast or cultural, literary or film critic, Studies in Comics welcomes you!

Submissions should be sent to studiesincomics@gmail.com by either 1 June or 1 December for consideration for the next issue.