AUGMENTED: A 2019 CYBERPUNK ANTHOLOGY is a full color sci-fi/cyberpunk anthology that examines the way that our increasingly dependent relationship with technology will shape our governments, our livelihoods, and our own bodies in the years to come.

While many of us we don’t have cybernetic enhancements (yet), we are more connected and more augmented than we’ve ever been. The smart phone is almost a necessity to navigating the world. Wearables such as smart watches have become almost as ubiquitous. Our homes– from security systems to speakers to baby monitors and lightbulbs– are now connected to the internet as well. Because of all this, private companies have total and granular access to our tastes as consumers. They can even literally follow our every move.

As fatigue enters our relationship with technology, so does nostalgia return. Some of the most influential cyberpunk stories in recent memory—films like Blade Runner, Akira, and The Running Man—were all more prescient than their creators could have imagined they’d be. And they all happened to be set in 2019.

This year is symbolic. It represents a crossroad that all of us stand at right now. It asks us to re-evaluate our relationships with technology and one another. There’s no question that 2019 is the year of cyberpunk. Therefore, we must lead by example and showcase the future that we want to live in—a future that reflects the intersectional realities of our world.

AUGMENTED is looking for stories that pay homage to the works that shaped us as well as stories from new voices on an important genre that has historically lacked diverse perspectives. Consider the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and disability in the stories and worlds you create.

How will a world where we are all augmented change the ways in which we see the world and each other– for better and for worse?

LOGISTICS

This project will be launched on Kickstarter. The pay is a $50 page rate per team, plus 5 comp copies and the ability to buy the anthology at 50% off cover price for eternity.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Pitches for short comics (between 2-10 pages) that are thematically centered on science-fiction or the cyberpunk genre.

You can submit up to three pitches, regardless of whether you’re a writer or artist (or both!). We’re looking for your strongest ideas.

Submissions open FEBRUARY 19TH, 2019

Deadline for pitches is MARCH 12TH, 2019

You will have our decision regarding your submission by MARCH 31st.

Already Established Teams: Send us up to 3 pitch ideas and a few examples of the artist’s work (at least one of which showcases their ability to provide sequential art)

Artists: 2-3 examples of your work, at least one of which is sequential art.

Writers: Pitch a story from start to finish. Feel free to link to some examples of your other work as well!

We have a letterer signed on for the project, so teams will not need to provide their own.

We are NOT looking for submissions from creators under the 18 years old, pin up or prose submissions, graphic violence, or graphic language.

Please send all submissions (and any questions) to augmentedanthology@gmail.com.

PRODUCTION TIMELINE

The physical book will launch in the first quarter of 2020, but we will begin releasing digital content from the anthology in the fourth quarter of 2019.

More detailed deadlines to come!

CREATOR’S RIGHTS

If accepted, you cede exclusive first worldwide rights to the story for a full calendar year from the date of publication, and non-exclusive worldwide reprint rights in perpetuity.

ABOUT US

Nadia Shammas is a comic writer and editor. She’s best known for creating CORPUS: A Comic Anthology of Bodily Ailments. Her writing can be found in various upcoming anthologies including THE GOOD FIGHT and EVERYTHING IS GOING WRONG. This is her second anthology.

Alex Lu is a freelance editor. In the past, he’s worked on projects with publishers including Top Cow, First Second, and Papercutz. His critical work about comics has been featured in publications including The MNT and PanelxPanel. He also the Managing Editor of the Comics Beat. This is his first anthology.