January 2024. I sit in an apartment deep in the tree-covered south of Sweden. Outside, the world is a frozen winterland.
My childhood friend Musho and I talk about making comic books. We cover the usual ground. Comic creation is lonely work, taking hours for just a few pages. A collaboration would be fun, more motivating – a way to endure and see a project through. The idea strikes: Why not create an anthology?
Over the past months, I’ve been organising what would become In the Heart of Night, a comic book anthology. We chose horror as our theme, a familiar genre for artists and easily conveyed to readers.
From the start, the goal was to create a physical book. Balance was key. We needed plenty of stories to make a strong anthology, but we couldn’t let it swell, or else the printing costs would crush us. Eight brilliant artists, from Sweden, Germany, England, USA, and Slovenia enlisted. Our campfire was a shared Discord server, keeping everyone inspired and in the loop.
The deadline was Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival 2024 (Stockholm’s International Comic Book Festival). Some printing issues had us stressed, but we just about made it! The books were well-received, I think. Some fellow cartoonists even asked if they could join future projects.
I am very thankful to all the contributing artists who made this book possible. Please check out their work! Gratitude is also owed to my co-producer Musho for good advice and support when hurdles appeared (almost daily).
You can flip through the anthology here and order a book in the shop. Also available on Webtoon and Tapas.
Summary March – May 2024:
In the Heart of Night, a horror comics anthology
Best Friends Forever (my story for the anthology): 6 pages
Exhibition at Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival 2024
Awesome! Looking forward to future art-tribe works =). Any idea on what other themes may be in the future?