After the success of Turning Roads earlier this year, Limit Break Comics is proud to announce our second open-submissions anthology. Down Below is an anthology of Noir comics, inspired by Greek mythology. The book will be co-edited by Paul Carroll and Gary Moloney.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Down Below will feature four-page comics. Your pitch should incorporate an element of Greek mythology – a god, a hero, a monster, a story – and put a Noir twist on it. Think The Big Sleep but with an element of the extraordinary. Stories can include elements of science fiction and fantasy, but must be a Noir story. We’re seeking crime drama, not space opera.
Every story should consist of four pages, with page 1 beginning on the right hand side of the book, in full-colour. Note that full-colour does not necessarily mean technicolour, and the Editors are happy to talk to people about the colour design of their comics to engage with the Noir element of the book.
When preparing your pitch, consider:
- What sort of crime would a particular god, hero or other character from Greek mythology find themselves involved in?
- How recognisable is the story to the public?
- Is your story unique enough when compared to existing materials?
- How can you put a twist on a familiar tale?
Please note that we are not looking for:
- A rehashing of ideas from The Wicked and the Divine
- Illustrated prose or poetry
- Illustrations that are not comics
As with Turning Roads, we are unlikely to accept multiple pitches examining the same aspect of Greek Mythology. Creative teams are permitted to submit more than one pitch.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Pitches are open as of November 10, 2021. The deadline for pitches is January 28, 2022. More details on pitching and the link to the form are below. Please note that the form will close at 11:59pm (GMT) on January 28.
On February 11, applicants will be advised whether they have been accepted into the anthology. If you pitch more than one story, you will be advised specifically which one has been chosen.
On February 23 through to March 25, the book will be funding on Kickstarter.*
The deadline for final pages is June 10 with Kickstarter fulfilment planned for August.*
WHY PITCH TO US?
Limit Break Comics has been building its brand in Irish comics since July 2018, with the publication of three short story collections and the first of three issues in a limited series. 2021 saw the publication of Turning Roads, which received backing on Kickstarter from over 500 people.
Down Below seeks to build on the momentum of the project, to further showcase Irish and international talent. The project timeline allows for the book to appear at Dublin Comic Con, Octocon and Thought Bubble in the second half of 2022.
As well as offering a platform to lots of lovely comic readers, we want to pay contributors!
Payment of €50 per page will be made to each creative team in the book, made via PayPal. Teams are responsible for deciding how they split the payment. It is the intention of Limit Break Comics to increase this page rate through Kickstarter stretch goals and outside funding. Further details will be discussed with teams if they are successful.
Contributors maintain copyright over their work; Limit Break Comics is granted first publication rights.
WHERE TO PITCH
Pitches should be made through this form. You may submit more than one pitch. We are seeking pitches from complete teams for this project.
When pitching, you do not need to submit sample art or a script related to the story. Please provide:
- Portfolio links for each creator in the project
- A working title
- A logline for the story
- A brief summary of the story
- The myth your story is based upon
WHY KICKSTARTER?
We want to pay people. It’s that simple. The Kickstarter will enable us to pay contributors and print the book. The intention is that contributors will know with plenty of time before the pages are due that the book will be proceeding as planned.
WHO ARE THE EDITORS?
Paul Carroll is the editor of Turning Roads, as well as the writer behind Plexus and Meouch. In 2021, Paul co-founded IrishComics.ie. When not working in comics, Paul writes prose and publishes short story anthologies through Cupán Fae.
Gary Moloney is Limit Break Comics’ resident law-talking guy, both as a profession and as a genre-expert. He is the writer of Lens, along with a number of crime stories, following his debut collection Mixtape.
QUERIES?
Any queries should be sent to limitbreakireland (at) gmail (dot) com.
*These dates subject to change, but contributors will be notified in advance.
