Hello from Illustoria! We are a tri-annual art and storytelling print magazine for creative kids and their grown-ups. Packed with stories, comics, DIY projects, and interviews orbiting a central theme—our magazine aims to ignite curiosity and a creative response.

We are looking for new artists for our upcoming Issue 30: MAIL. This issue will celebrate all things analogue correspondence: letters, post offices, stamps, history of the postal service, famous letter-writing friendships—from the unusual to the heartfelt, and everything in between.

Deadline: Monday, October 6, 2025 at midnight

APPLY HERE

Details:

Please submit pre-existing artwork for this call. You do not need to create new work to submit.
Attach three JPG files of past work. Make sure at least one of your submissions is a comic (i.e., panel-format storytelling) so we can get a sense of your style.
In 1-2 sentences, describe your idea for a comic inspired by the theme of “MAIL”.
This call for submissions is open to artists 18 years and older, based worldwide. All artwork mediums (ink, watercolor, colored pencil, digital, etc) are welcome for this call for submissions.

Guidelines:

All artists published in Illustoria are compensated. Compensation is determined based on scope, length, and complexity. It is important to us that all artists are paid equitably and reasonably, according to our resources. All fees will be discussed and approved by the artist before work begins.
Please familiarize yourself with Illustoria’s style to see whether your work is an editorial fit before submitting. We are a print magazine for readers who are primarily 8 - 12 years old. This call for art is ONLY for artists ages 18 and older. We frequently hold calls for submission for younger artists, so please stay tuned for that.
We will hold more calls for submissions in the future, so if your artwork does not meet these criteria, please stay tuned. Unfortunately, we will not have time to review artwork that does not meet the requirements below.
For questions, please email “illustoria@mcsweeneys.net” with the subject line “Question”. Please do not send questions via Instagram comment or DM, as we do not check these inboxes as frequently. Please do not email asking when you will hear back from us, we promise to write as soon as we can!

FAQ

I submitted to this call for submissions. When will I hear back?
Thank you so much for taking the time to show us your work! Illustoria is made up of a tiny team, and our inboxes are always overflowing. We are taking our time to diligently review all submissions and write back to everyone. If you haven’t heard from us yet, please do not email us. While we can’t promise a timeline, we promise to get back to you as soon as we can!
What do you mean by “comics”?
By “comics,” we mean narrative and paneled artwork.
How old do you need to be to submit?
This is a call for artists ages 18 and up. However, we often post calls for young artists, so please stay tuned for future opportunities.
Do I need to create new work for this call for submissions?
Not at all. We are receiving past examples of work. Once artists are chosen for publication, we will work with them to commission or reprint artwork.
I am not a comics artist, can I still submit?
While you do not need to be a comics artist specifically, we ask that artists submit at least one example of past comics art to determine whether they might be a good fit for this opportunity.
Is there a language requirement for the submissions?
For this call, we are asking for comics submissions in English; thank you.
What is Illustoria?
Illustoria is a triannual art and storytelling print magazine for creative kids and their grown-ups. Our audience includes readers six to twelve years old and up. Packed with stories, comics, DIY projects, and interviews orbiting a central theme—this magazine aims to ignite curiosity and a creative response. Feel free to follow us on Instagram. Subscriptions and issues 9–22 can be found here. Issues 6–9 can be found here.
How much will an artist get paid for their work to be published?
We offer compensation according to scope, length, and complexity. All fees will be discussed and approved by the artist before work begins.