ShortBox Comics Fair 2023!

I’ve been waiting eagerly all year, and it’s finally here!! The ShortBox Comics Fair 2023 has arrived!!

About the Fair

If this is your first time hearing about the fair, you are in for a treat! The ShortBox Comics Fair comes around every year for a whole month in October. It’s run by ShortBox, a comics publisher based in the UK and run by the absolutely lovely Zainab Akhtar.

For the whole month of October, the comic artists involved receive 100% of the sales (minus processing fees, of course), so when you buy a comic through the fair, you know it’s directly supporting the creators! The creators also retain all rights to their work, so this is truly a creator-oriented event. (Gosh, I’m getting weepy! 🥲)

If you’re interested in a comic for sale this month, I highly encourage you to purchase it now! While some comic artists may re-list the comic in their shops or with ShortBox later on or even go on to expand their comic into a longer length, not all will do so. So this is truly the best time to get these comics!

It’s an absolutely delightful event, read lots of beautiful comics, and a wonderful chance to check out new comic artists. I’ve been saving for this all year– wanna see what I got? (Hint: as much as I could possibly afford! 😂)

About Zainab Akhtar

Zainab (she/her) puts in a lot of dedication, care, and labor into creating, coordinating, and promoting this event year-round, and her hard work is so appreciated by so many in the comics community. She is the sole founder, organizer, and director of the ShortBox Comics Fair, doing everything from processing hundreds of applications to organizing the 130+ comic creators throughout the creation process to promoting and hosting the event itself each year.

If you’re able to support her work, please do so! The ShortBox store is open throughout the year, so even if you miss the fair, you can support her work through there!

The Comics

And now, without further ado and with MUCH excitement!– I present to you the comics I got from this year’s fair! I tried to get a variety of comics: artists I know and love, new-to-me artists, short comics, long comics, dreamy fantasy, chilling horror, relaxing slice of life, comedy, everything I could afford to get my hands on!

“On an isolated and stormy island, a witch receives a visit from her aunt.

The pdf contains both English and French versions of the comic / Version française disponible au sein du même pdf.”

“He hasn’t slept in weeks. Every night, a visitor demands his attention at his bedroom door.

A horror story about what you don’t want to acknowledge. Reader discretion advised.”

“No matter if it is during a fencing match or while relaxing in the courtyard, Flo’s rival Biskop always seems to know just the way to rile her up. She cannot for the life of her figure out what Biskop’s problem is – it is almost as if they are speaking two different languages.”

“Once upon a time, on a moonless night, the hunter was looking for the wolf as black as the night, and Gianna the baker was intent on walking the road to her ex’s house one last time, bringing croissants with her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it just so happened that Gianna met the wolf first.”

“A Legion land survey finds something they cannot identify on the border between the steppe-cities and the lands of the Wildercourt. To ascertain the nature of their strange discovery, the Legion solicits help from the wife and curator to the scientific legacy of the late Dr. Sorsa. Dr. Sorsa’s widow travels to the borders to find an enlightening truth – one which might finally land a decisive conclusion to the Sorsa legacy.

CW: death, body horror, depictions of dead people and animals

The ‘Extinction’ PDF is screen-reader accessible.”

“Naïve, reckless Veronica has finally had enough of her partner Stilts’ refusal to share her occult knowledge. Surely Stilts can understand that all Veronica wants is to feel closer to her gf and have some supernatural fun! But now, Nica has had enough of waiting. If Stilts keeps shutting her out, maybe someone else can become the girlfriend that Nica wishes she had.

Content warnings: Manipulation, bloody violence, animal death, sexual themes.”

“There’s a looming staircase in the woods that brings memories to life for its travelers. At first it’s great fun – with memories of carnivals, and celebrations. But then they get trapped in a loop of traumatic memories, and find themselves far from home. 

Content warnings: child abuse, drunk driving”

“Father Valencia is a friendly priest from the capital tasked with revitalizing the distant island province of St. Camillus. His kindness immediately uplifts the community. And yet despite all his apparent benevolence, Mr. Rivera, the island’s funeral director, senses something is off…

content warnings: catholicism, violence, alcohol, smoking, implied abuse, vehicular accidents, mild homophobia, manipulation, death, detailed corpses, blood, knives, snakes, crocodiles”

“A tiny forest creature delves into the woods to find ingredients so they can prepare their grandmother’s special minnow soup for a loved one. A cozy comic best served warm on rainy days.”

“Morana has risen after a deadly fall from her horse, and the love of her life is willing to do anything to return her memories and make her well again.

Contains: violence, blood, needles, and sexual content”

“In the winter of ’99 a young girl’s father is killed in a vicious wolf attack. Five years later, the girl has returned to the forest to seek revenge on the wolf that killed her father. My Father Was A Good Man is a queer horror story about the unexpected horrors that lurk in the shadows of our lives. 

Content warning: mild gore, violence, body horror, and themes of domestic abuse”

“Shelby has a strange skill- she can draw someone she’s never seen before, and then cross paths with the real person within the week. When a high-stakes $20 bet between friends forces her to demonstrate her powers, Shelby begins to realize she’s about to come face-to-face with her ultimate fear: a cute girl. Content warning for strong language.”

“Three old friends had a great evening at the concert of their favourite idol group, and had a chance meeting with a fellow fan. But there’s more than meets the eye with the story he tells.”

“When your Prey begs to be caught, how does the Hunter react?

18+, erotic content. Contains sexualized imagery of weapons, hunting dogs, rough sex, and both puppy and primal kink play.”

“It’s hard to remember the night before when it’s a really hot day.

Content Warning: Gun Imagery, Mild Violence”

“After moving to a new place, Emery has a strange encounter with the local delivery man.”

“Lily exists in a world with a small island inhabited by a mysterious woman, a vast and unforgiving ocean and a destination of her own making.

Her goal? To cross the ocean to this ‘Destination’. However, as time passes and each voyage ends increasingly in failure, she begins to wonder whether it’s a journey worth making and whether she should surrender herself to the waves and the comforting silence beneath. 

Will she persevere and take on board the council of the mysterious woman? Or will she let it all go and sink again into a false sense of security, this time, for good?”

“A man lost in the forest of an unfamiliar land finds a secluded abbey devoted to unicorns. There, he accepts the enthusiastic hospitality of the single acolyte present, while a secret weighs on his conscience.”

“A horrible curse. A threatening note. And just where do you go when the full moon is out and you absolutely cannot be seen? Wherever it is, you better bring a spare tupperware.”

“Death comes swiftly in this land, but no longer leaves an object to be mourned. 

In her efforts to prolong the inevitable, a knight takes refuge in the bones of a convent. 

Content warnings: Suicide, violence, intimate scenes. For mature readers.”

More ShortBox Comics Fair 2023 Releases!

There were SO many more comics I really wish I could have purchased, but alas, I was restricted by the savings I had 🥲 You should definitely go check out the other wonderful looking comics in the fair before it ends! Here’s a full list of which comics and creators are in the fair (alphabetized by creator first names).

Remember, the closing day (October 31st) and time are in the UK time zone, so make sure you place your order before it ends in your own time zone!

So that’s a look at the ShortBox Comics Fair for this year! The only question I have for you now is, how empty is your wallet gonna be after this? 😂 And if you’re like me, start saving in November for next year’s fair, too!

Okay, I’m off to go finish my chores so I can cozy up on my couch and read a buttload of comics. I’m planning to take the day off tomorrow to read them– and maybe justify the day off with reviewing some of the comics I read 😂 See ya later!

Eager for more comic book content? Sign up for my newsletter Into the Bramble to keep up with content like monthly release lists and issues of More Comics Please! And if you know anyone looking for a good comic to read, feel free to share this with them!

*Comic creators and publishers, I do my best to get the details accurate in my posts, but if you catch a mistake, feel free to reach out to me! You can email me at hellojbeoin [at] gmail [dot] com; it’s much appreciated!