Submission Guidelines

The Bag wants comics, visual storytelling or essays. A comic has a wide definition but it does not fit what every artist does so I also included the term: visual storytelling, just in case you are literal, like me, and think you don’t quite fit into the traditional “comic” category, but still like to put pictures you drew next to texts you wrote. We also accept essays on comics that cover either comic themes, reviews, analysis and/or the creation and making of comics.

This Bag is seeking the following genres:

  • Fiction/Non-fiction

  • Humor

  • Horror

  • Fantasy/Sci Fi

  • Visual Poetry

  • Visual Essay

  • Story stories with illustrations

  • Essays on Comics (does not require illustration)

Genres/Themes Not Accepted:

  • NSFW (the Bag is not ready for that jelly just yet). If you are unsure if your piece fits what the Bag wants then please measure it like this:

    • Nudity, yearning, desire, that hand thing from Pride and Prejudice (2005) or the Astarion leg hook from Baldur’s Gate 3… Yes. Leave your offering at the foot of the Bag.

    • Smut or Lemon… Respectfully, no thank you.

  • Explicit and Graphic violence, gore, assault, crimes against minorities and women/femmes. If you are unsure if your piece fits what the Bag wants then please measure it like this:

    • ‘Coraline’, ‘The Black Cauldron’, ‘Through The Woods’, ‘Interview With A Vampire’ if it is campy, creepy and a little disturbing… Yes. Leave your offering at the foot of the Bag.

    • The animated sequence: The birth scene from HOTD Ep. 1, ‘Clockwork Orange’, trauma p-rn… No. Seek another Bag.

Page Limit

  • Minimum: 1 page

  • Maximum: 16 page (if it has a few more please reach out so we can discuss if it is right for this magazine)

If You Are Submitting a Series of 4-panel (or less) comics

  • If you are submitting a series of 4-panel or 2-panel comics please either

    • Make sure it is readable on a 8.5 x 11 page, or

    • Send each panel as its own image.

Art Dimensions/File Type

  • 8.5 x 11 or 6 x 9

  • 300 DPI

  • PNG and/or JPG files (NO .heic files)

  • For folks who are scanning: please make sure to send it how you want it to be seen in the comic magazine.

Essay Requirements

  • 12 pt. font

  • Cambria

  • Citations in either MLA, APA or CMS

  • .doc or docx format preferred

  • Written about comics or the comic industry or personal experiences as a comic artist.

Media Accepted

  • Digital Illustration/Painting (No AI)

  • Traditional Illustration/Painting (must be scanned or in .jpg or .png format, no .heic files please!)

  • Multimedia and collage

  • Photography

Media Not Accepted

  • AI-generated work.

  • Physical work you would need to mail in.

  • Photography without illustration.

  • Fiction writing without illustration.

  • Poetry without illustration.

Disclaimer

Submitting work does not guarantee a spot in the Bag. If your work is accepted to be carried in the Bag you will receive an email after the deadline.

Simultaneous Submissions

Simultaneous Submissions (or, submitting your work to an other magazine as well as this one) is allowed! If it gets accepted there please send the Bag an email letting me know ASAP at oatbagcomicmag@gmail.com.

If You Are Submitting on Behalf of Someone Else

If you submit the application on behalf of someone else (with approval, of course) for personal or accessibility reasons and/or you will be the point of contact for that artist, please make a note at the bottom of the application so that I know who to contact.

How to submit

Once you have read over the guidelines feel free to submit your via the button below! I cannot wait to read your work.