LAUGH OUT LOUD! Call for Submissions - for female comic artists

City of Women in collaboration with Stripburger comics magazine

Let’s laugh out loud - when we try to convince ourselves that this is the best of all possible worlds! Let’s laugh at the reality which is permeated by apparent sense, because laughter reveals nonsense, it disrupts and opens up possibilities for change. It might be ludicrous, dreadful, quiet, cynical, self-ironic, provocative, shallow, roaring, hidden, malicious, frank or uncomfortable; when we hear it, it rocks the ground under our feet.

The premise and programme of the 13^th City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts is based on the subject of 'humour'. It is not our intention to merely 'map' humour by type (socially-engaged, black, national, self-ironic, fantasy, gender-specific, etc.), but to relate it to its actual social and political functions. Both, humour and art, permit the ‘impermissible’ to be portrayed and stated. Both represent the indispensable communication code for subjects which are potentially controversial or ticklish, while at the same time - by way of the humorous and light-hearted - the apparently inevitable status quo is maintained.

Let’s laugh even if something is not funny, and others don't laugh. We should ask, seek and find humour and art - although it may seem that all that's left are masters and servants, secretaries and directors, ours and theirs, loyalty point collectors, sharp air refreshers, wars for peace and virtual money. If they give meaning to our laughter, we should carry on laughing. Let’s laugh at the meaning of our own laughter.

The focus of 46^th edition of comics magazine Stripburger, made in collaboration with City of Women, is going to be women authors’ comics who deal with socially engaged and other relevant issues through the prism of humour.

All those interested in participation please send your work (max. five black-and-white A4 pages – if you want to send comics in colour, please contact us first) by August 10^th 2007 via the following e-mail address: burger@mail.ljudmila.org

Stripburger: www.stripburger.org

13. International Festival of Contemporary Arts - City of Women - Ljubljana, Slovenia
3^rd - 13^th October 2007: www.cityofwomen.org