SelfMadeHero's Graphic Anthology Programme
If you are a UK-based budding comic-book artist from a Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller or non-white Latinx background, and you’d like to be part of a mentoring programme that culminates in your work being published by SelfMadeHero, then look no further than our Graphic Anthology Programme.
The mentors
Each mentor is highly experienced in their field, delivering mentoring, feedback and masterclasses to help participants create a graphic short story over the 12-week programme.
“Stories have the power to affect the way we view the world; stories in the form of text and image have a special power to address our emotional sensibilities by delivering a multilayered experience. It is important to support the telling of stories in all formats, and by all voices. The more we learn about various experiences through narrative, the more empathetic towards those experiences we become. I hope that the Graphic Anthology Programme platform can empower its readers to enrich and expand their worldview, and empower the artists involved to trust in the importance of their stories and the beauty of their expression.” – Catherine Anyango Grünewald
Biography
Catherine Anyango Grünewald, a published graphic novelist and teacher, taught at the Royal College of Art in London for 10 years and is now a Senior Lecturer in Illustration at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. She illustrated a graphic novel adaptation of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness for SelfMadeHero in 2010, and in 2019 was awarded the Navigator Art on Paper Prize, the biggest award for work-on-paper in the world. She is currently working on a graphic novel adaptation of Sister Helen Prejean’s Dead Man Walking (Random House, forthcoming). In 2021, Phaidon’s Vitamin D3 included her among the 100 best practitioners of contemporary drawing.
“You cannot place the responsibility for your own representation on others. No one else can express your reality like you.” – Asia Alfasi
Biography
Asia Alfasi has won several national and international manga awards for her short stories, earning her a position in London’s acclaimed 2014 “Comics Unmasked” exhibition at the British Library. She is currently working on a graphic novel based on her own childhood in Libya; a series based on a character from Islamic folklore, Juha: The Tales of Sheikh Nasruddin; and Native Narratives, a collection of Libyan folk tales – with the ultimate aim of harnessing the medium as a tool for cross-cultural dialogue.
“The lack of professional provision and access for non-white comics creators is very real. It’s great to see a very necessary correction from SMH with this new initiative.” – Woodrow Phoenix
Biography
Woodrow Phoenix is a writer, artist and graphic designer based in London and Cambridge. His work has appeared in national UK newspapers including The Guardian, The Independent and the London Evening Standard, in magazines and comics collections across Europe, the US and Japan and in television projects for Walt Disney and Cartoon Network. His books include Plastic Culture, the critically acclaimed Rumble Strip, the award-winning anthology Nelson and the experimental She Lives, a gallery installation that is also a graphic novel. Woodrow is a Visiting Lecturer teaching the MA in Graphic Novels and Children’s Books at Middlesex University. His most recent book is Crash Course (2020).
“Having delivered many Manga and comic-book workshops in schools across the UK, I know how much representation matters to the young people I speak to. Seeing an outspoken woman of Chinese descent achieve success in the UK comic-book industry surprises and inspires them in equal measure. I regularly receive letters from past students who’ve gone on to pursue careers in art, illustration, writing and publishing. I’m honoured to be part of this initiative to highlight and nurture talented artists of colour.”
– Sonia Leong
Biography
Sonia Leong is a comics/manga illustrator and author of many drawing guides, including Draw Manga: Complete Skills (Search Press). Her debut graphic novel was the Manga Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (SelfMadeHero), and her most recent book was Great Lives: Marie Curie (B.E.S. Publishing). She also illustrates for children’s books, fashion, advertising, film and television. She is the Director of Sweatdrop Studios, an independent comic publisher based in the United Kingdom.
“The comic-book and graphic storytelling industry is a beautiful and creative world. However, it is true that the medium is drastically lacking in ethnically diverse creators, for reasons including deeply rooted cultural restrictions and expectancies, socio-economic climates and industry prejudice (among others). Following the global pandemic, with a paradigm shift in all industries opening up opportunities with less bias, the future feels that much more hopeful and, importantly, colourful. Now is the time to champion and publish voices from diverse and non-conventional backgrounds, to help them tell their stories to inspire, educate and inform a global readership. I believe that this new scheme from SelfMadeHero will help that process get underway in the graphic novel industry.” – Mustashrik Mahbub
Biography
Mustashrik Mahbub is a multi-award-winning Cambridgeshire and London-based artist and director. A graduate of Graphic Design and Communication with Applied Arts from the Surrey Institute of Art & Design in the UK, his first published comic was the Manga Shakespeare Julius Caesar for SelfMadeHero. He has scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro with an easel strapped to his back for Reporters Without Borders, and cut his teeth working with London’s elite advertising agencies and production houses, assisting on the visual and conceptual development of creative campaigns for big-name brands before moving into media production, working with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry.
The core publishing team
SelfMadeHero’s production team for the Graphic Anthology Programme will include editor Ayoola Solarin, graphic designer Txabi Jones and publisher Emma Hayley. All have a high level of expertise in creating graphic novels.
“There is a vast array of talent in UK comics, but, like many other creative sectors, it has a long way to go in acknowledging and showcasing the contribution of artists of colour to the industry. My hope is that the launch of SelfMadeHero’s Graphic Anthology Programme will go a little way towards dissolving the gatekeeping that still permeates the UK comics scene, while giving space for new, innovative voices to be heard.” – Ayoola Solarin
Biography
Ayoola Solarin is a comics editor, critic and arts writer. She has worked with numerous award-winning creators, and her byline features include The Guardian, Dazed, Vulture, i-D and Hyperallergic, among other publications. She is currently working in production on Netflix’s DEADENDIA television series.
“The UK comics scene is young, vibrant and culturally progressive, yet there remains a lack of ethnic diversity among published artists and writers. The launch of our Graphic Anthology Programme marks an important step in acknowledging, addressing and reducing this disparity.” – Emma Hayley
Biography
Emma Hayley launched SelfMadeHero in 2007, after spotting a gap in the market for high quality graphic novels. Her background in publishing, following a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism at City University, London, has seen her work as a journalist, as a film publicist and as an Editorial Director for several small publishers. Since launching her own company, her focus has shifted to the entrepreneurial face of book publishing, while remaining hands-on in commissioning new titles.
“SelfMadeHero’s Graphic Anthology Programme will give ethnically diverse artists a long-needed, powerful tool to creatively tell their stories and to inspire the UK comics scene… and hopefully beyond.”
– Txabi Jones
Biography
Txabi Jones is a freelance graphic designer from Bilbao who has been living in London and working for corporate and not-for-profit organisations for over 20 years. He has been with the SelfMadeHero team since October 2015. Txabi loves books and typography, and wishes he could play any musical instrument. Instead, he enjoys going to music events.
Criteria
The criteria for this development opportunity are as follows:
• You are an artist from a Black, Asian, Arab, mixed-race, Romani/Traveller or non-white Latinx background.
• You have not had a full-length graphic novel published by a traditional print publisher. However, you are still eligible if you have had a short story published by a traditional print publisher or if you have self-published comics.
• You do not have a literary agent representing you for graphic novels.
• You are 18+.
• You are a UK resident.
Judges
Submissions will be assessed by the mentoring and publishing team.
Catherine Anyango Grünewald
Asia Alfasi
Woodrow Phoenix
Sonia Leong
Mustashrik Mahbub
Ayoola Solarin
Emma Hayley
Txabi Jones
How to apply
The Graphic Anthology Programme launches with an open call for submissions on Friday, 19 February 2021. You will be asked why you want to participate in the programme, what interests you about it and how you think you’ll benefit. You will also be asked to tell us a bit about your background – your previous experience in comics, whether you have ever self-published anything, any relevant courses or university degrees (not essential) and why you think you’re a suitable candidate for this programme. We won’t expect an essay here, just a few sentences. Finally, and most importantly, you will be asked to submit some examples of your work: between 4 (minimum) and 10 (maximum) pages of sequential comics art.
Deadline for submissions is 26 March 2021.
You can apply in various ways. Please choose ONE of the following:
Please note that you will need a Submittable account to make your application and submit your artwork. Sign-up is free.
Key dates
Call for participants: 19 February to 26 March 2021.
Successful applicants will be notified the week commencing 19 April 2021.
Mentoring programme: 18 May to 11 August 2021 (3 hours a week + 8 masterclasses).
Launch of graphic anthology: 15 October 2021.
The mentoring programme is provided free of charge to participants. This was only made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and additional support from SelfMadeHero, Abrams & Chronicle Books, Oiffy and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. The programme is run in partnership with Spread the Word.
Read more
Spread the Word is a charity and a National Portfolio client of Arts Council England. It is funded to help London’s writers make their mark on the page, on the screen and in the world, and to build strategic partnerships to foster a literature ecology that reflects the cultural diversity of contemporary Britain. Spread the Word has a national and international reputation for initiating change-making research and developing programmes for writers that have equity and social justice at their heart. In 2020, it launched Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing by Dr Anamik Saha and Dr Sandra van Lente, Goldsmiths, University of London, in partnership with The Bookseller and Words of Colour. Spread the Word’s programmes include: the Young People’s Laureate for London, the London Writers Awards and the national Life Writing Prize. www.spreadtheword.org.uk
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. They have set out their strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 they want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. They invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
Abrams & Chronicle Books distribute a wide range of award-winning books, gift products and stationery. Based in London, Abrams & Chronicle Books is the European arm of two acclaimed US publishing houses, ABRAMS, based in New York, and Chronicle Books, based in San Francisco. Their illustrious lists include best-selling and globally renowned authors, illustrators, designers, artists, chefs and photographers. www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk
Oiffy is a production company established in 2011 by directors/writers Jörg Tittel and Alex Helfrecht and producer Philip Munger. They make films, TV, theatre, games and comic books. Alex is currently directing the painted animated feature A Winter’s Journey, which she adapted from Franz Schubert’s masterpiece. The film will star John Malkovich and Martina Gedeck. Jörg is writing and directing a game for VR and next-gen consoles with art by Mick McMahon. An animated feature based on his graphic novel Ricky Rouse Has a Gun is also in the works. www.oiffy.com
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, often referred to as LICAF, is an annual comics art festival held in Kendal, a market town on the edge of the English Lake District in the UK. Established in 2013, the not-for-profit festival takes place over a weekend in October each year, as the culmination of a year-round programme of education, commissioning and international work. www.comicartfestival.com
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