CALL FOR PAPERS: COMICS, FANTASTIC NARRATIVES, AND DIGITAL CULTURE
CALL FOR PAPERS: COMICS, FANTASTIC NARRATIVES, AND DIGITAL CULTURE
The Cartema Journal (ISSN: 2763-8693) of the Graduate Program in Visual Arts (PPGAV) at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) invites national and international researchers to submit their contributions for the DOSSIER: COMICS, FANTASTIC NARRATIVES, AND DIGITAL CULTURE, to be published in 2026. It will be organized by Dr. Wilson Chiarelli and Dr. Alberto Ricardo Pessoa, with editors Dr. Luciana Borre and Maria Emília Sardelich.
Cartema publishes articles, visual essays, and commented artistic exhibitions. Interested parties should submit their works on the Cartema Journal platform by December 15, 2025, according to the Author Guidelines available at: https://periodicos.ufpe.br/revistas/index.php/CARTEMA/about/submissions
ABOUT THE DOSSIER: COMICS, FANTASTIC NARRATIVES, AND DIGITAL CULTURE
Comics have established themselves as a prominent artistic form in Visual Arts, combining graphic expression with complex visual narratives that engage in dialogue with various other communication forms such as cinema, design, photography, and new digital media. Considered a versatile art form, comics hold a central position in contemporary culture, whether in their commercial side or in independent versions, presenting themselves as cultural products embedded in the daily lives of multiple audiences across different platforms and media.
Their adaptation into other languages and media (such as films, animations, video games, art exhibitions, installations, and graphic design) demonstrates the versatility of this sequential art. Furthermore, comics have a constant presence on social networks, digital publications, collectibles, museums, and cultural events, often brought directly to the public by independent authors. This phenomenon of dissemination and consumption of comics across various media amplifies their relevance in the field of Visual Arts, generating a rich research field involving aesthetics, identity, memory, and digital culture.
Articles discussing, among other topics, will be accepted: Creative processes in comic development by both established and independent authors; case studies of commercial and independent comics, including fanzines, webcomics, and independent artists’ productions exploring new visual techniques; the relationship of comics with other forms of visual art such as painting, graphic design, photography, and cinema; experiences of visual mediation—how comics are presented in exhibition spaces, museums, and galleries, or integrated into artistic and cultural events; the use of comics in digital culture—online platforms, social networks, documentaries, films, series, and podcasts; reflections on memory and identity through sequential art, exploring how visual narratives address social, cultural, and historical issues, reflecting and constructing representations of groups and social movements.
