Mattias Elftorp

Stories are a way to escape reality, but also a way to communicate and to help us understand the world around us. These are stories on different subjects, told with different voices in different ways by 13 creators from 8 countries. This volume of CBA has no theme, it’s just stories.

The new volume of CBA features international comics dealing with the erosion of language. How do we talk when words that used to mean certain things have become so vague that they can be freely appropriated by anyone, for any purpose? And what’s up with the currently so prevalent flirting with war, fascism and the dehumanization of anyone who doesn’t fit into the unspoken and conveniently unspecified national identity? Objective truth (if there ever was such a thing) and even language itself seems to be sacrificed on the altar of rhetoric and propaganda. What are the consequences when you can string any random, misspelled words together and people will make their own connections and decide to aggressively either agree or disagree, wholeheartedly even though the sentence actually makes no sense?

New issue of the international comics anthology CBA: Uncomics – an artistic field where contemporary art and comics inform each other. Where the absence of sequence encourages the reader to investigate the picture plane(s) in any direction and order, becoming an active co-creator in the process. A space outside the tedious limitations of story, where images both abstract and suggestive interact. Comics, at last, as a visual art form.§

The pandemic was supposed to have a deadline, most of us agreed on a year. CBA deadlines are like the pandemic:we’re still open for submissions for the theme PLACEHOLDER. The world is paused for an indefinite time. What does this do to our experience of our existence? How do we replace our routines? We’re waiting, and in our wait, we imitate the “real” we hope will soon return. Like placeholders in our own lives.

New issue of the international comics anthology: From hospital staff to comic creators to basically any job in the gig economy. Anyone who doesn’t have a steady income, or who is expected to do more work in less time than is reasonable, can feel it. This volume of CBA explores BURNOUT. Not so much stories of depressing social realism, but rather artistic expressions of that feeling, suggestions for solutions, wishful thinking and visual abreactions. Expressions of rage rather than apathy, insurrection rather than complicity. Something to read for strength in times of austerity.

CBA is an international comics anthology for experimental storytelling. The theme of this volume is Worst Case Scenario: What’s the worst that could happen? And if that happens, what’s the worst that could happen? And if that happens, what’s the worst that could happen? And so on… There’s a psychiatric method in cognitive behavioral therapy called “The Downward Arrow Technique” where you begin by writing down the answers to this repeated question and we thought it’d be the perfect theme for our upcoming CBA vol 40. Especially since this is an election year in Sweden. Especially since war and famine and climate change and personal disasters are on the horizon. So how bad can it get?

Signs of science? The science of signs? Or neither, or both. How about the sleep depriving thought of eternity when you turn off the lights at night. Of the ever reaching deepness of space, black holes and the creation of photons in the core of the sun. How about when you get lost in thought, staring at your thumb, thinking about how the cells in your skin work and work and work, divide and fall off. The molecules they are made of. The vanishing weight of the atoms. How did the insects develop wings? What is the purpose of the flick-flack of the Rechenbergi spider, the tiny squeak of the desert rain frog, the Higgs boson? And what is dark energy anyway? The history of the natural sciences is filled with wonder, with horror and gore, with idealism and the search for truth, but above all curiosity. These questions were the basis for this issue of CBA. Full speed ahead, towards the event horizon of CBA!

I Bild & Bubbla 192 presenterar vi ännu ett varierat och spännande innehåll. Huvudintervjun är med Anneli Furmark (»Fiskarna i havet«) som även bidrar med skisser och opublicerat material till en färgsprakande bildbilaga. I övrigt kan du läsa hyllningar om den nyligen avlidna chefen för Serieteket, Kristiina Kolehmainen, intervjuer med serieskaparna Johanna Kristiansson (»Katten Nils«) och Emelie Östergren (»Evil Dress«), en artikel om 3D-serier med mera. Innehållsförteckning Bild & Bubbla nummer 192 Redaktionen läser: Vi har bett medlemmarna i redaktionen redogöra för vad de har på nattduksbordet just nu. Aktuellt: Projektet Tusen Serier går ut på att skapa möjligheter för personer med invandrarbakgrund att delta i den svenska seriekulturen. Aktuellt: Bokbordet – Angoulême 2012. En rapport om bokutgivningen i den snabbast växande seriemarknaden i Europa, från den ojämförligt största europeiska seriefestivalen. Aktuellt: Marvel stämmer serieskapare. En tvist om rättigheterna till figuren Ghost Rider slutade med att upphovsmannen Gary Friedrich måste betala skadestånd till Marvel Comics. ktuellt: Mœbius 1938–2012. Den banbrytande och stilbildande serieskapare Jean Giraud, också känd som Mœbius, gick bort tidigare i år. Kristina är död. Kristiina Kolehmainen har gått bort och Seriesverige har förlorat en stor personlighet. Kollegan Ola Hellsten berättar om sin tid med Kristiina. Kristiina Kolehmainen. Journalisten Ville Hänninen från vår systertidning Sarjainfo berättar om Kristiina från ett finskt perspektiv. Serie: Kristiina mon amour. Skaparparet Fredrik och Hanna Strömberg hyllar Krisitiina Kolehmainen, i serieform. Seriekrönika: SIS 2012. Skaparduon Rob?&? Bob rapporterar från årets upplaga av Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival. Mus Mouse Maus – tolkningar av den berömda serieromanen. »Mus Mouse Maus« är ett av Seriefrämjandets mest framgångsrika utställningsprojekt. Serie: Upp flyga orden. Det har varit en del debatt kring utställningen »Mus Mouse Maus«. Serieskaparen Magnus Jonasson ger här sin kommentar till debatten, i serieform. Bakom de röd-gröna glasögonen – 3D-seriernas historia. I den här artikeln skildrar vi utvecklingen från röd-gröna glasögon och handtecknade 3D-serier på 1950-talet till dagens 3D-serier skapade med avancerade datorprogram. Vid jordens medelpunkt – intervju med Anneli Furmark som nyligen utkom med den kritikerrosade boken »Jordens medelpunkt«. Bildbilaga: Anneli Furmark. Furmark har grävt djupt i sina arkiv efter opublicerade skisser, oljemålningar, utkast till omslag etc. Tecknarglamour – kaos, kladd, ordning & original hos Johanna Kristianson. Johanna Kristiansson skapar den populära barnserien »Katten Nils«, tecknar barnböcker, läromedel med mera. Serie: Katten Nils. En serie av Johanna Kristiansson, speciellt för Bild & Bubbla. Ner i kaninhålet – en djupdykning i Emelie Östergrens Underland. Emelie Östergrens serier gräver sig ner i det undermedvetna, eller om man så vill, ner i Underlandet. Recension: Med andra ögon. Li Österberg har rönt en hel del uppmärksamhet med det egenutgivna fanzinet Agnosis. »Med andra ögon« är den andra samlingen med serier från detta fanzin. Recension: Tamara Drewe. På ett författarpensionat strålar ett persongalleri samman för att genom egen förskyllan inveckla sig med varandra i en skickligt konstruerad intrig. Recension: Tummelisa eller den andra vildmarken. Matilda Ruta gör en personlig tolkning av H. C. Andersens sagoberättelse. Recension: Ja till Liv! – Liv Strömquists ABC. Liv Strömquist stärker sin position som en av Sveriges ledande serieskapare och tillika debattörer. Fanzin: Potpurriexplosion i avigserierna! Stockholms Internationella Seriefestival har just gått av stapeln och våra fanzinbevakare Stef och Martina har fått in ett monsterlass fanzin att läsa och recensera. Svenskt Seriearkiv presenterar: Thord Lindblom – omslagsmästare i idrott och äventyr. Unika serietidningsomslag av Thord Lindblom nu i arkivets samlingar. Föreningsnytt: Seriefrämjandets Fanzinpris. Seriefrämjandets Fanzinpris är den finaste utmärkelse som kan tilldelas en egenutgiven serietidning.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS IN C'EST BON ANTHOLOGY VOL. 6 Knut Larsson (cover) Johan Jergner-Ekervik Rebecka Lindberg Lina BLixt Olivier Schrauwen Fredrik Strömberg (text) Mattias Elftorp Jamil Mani Chiu Kwong Man

Some may think it seems cozy and secure, but it will inevitably affect the innocent, especially when the law is designed precisely to target people whose only crime is to seek a haven in a country they were not born in. That in itself is bad enough. But will it even stop at authorities and public employees reporting undocumented people? Or will it also become a national duty to report those who do not behave “correctly” enough according to some arbitrary nationalist standards? “Lack of conduct” is already a legal reason for deportation as well as for punishing school children. What happens to the public psyche when laws are introduced that will force us to keep an eye on each other, suspect each other and report each other? And above all: what ways are there to refuse and to resist? In this issue, we take a look at the consequences of living under the threat of being reported simply for being someone who isn’t seen as belonging in the country. Informed on by public employees, government officials and/or neighbors and even family members. We look at consequences of not being able to trust one’s environment and, from the other side, being forced by the law to be part of such a hostile environment. ParaVox är en ny antologitidskrift från Tusen Serier, en plattform för antirasistiska serier av serieskapare från olika länder.

Long ago, European countries began to propagate the notion of white supremacy, of how other races would inevitably perish to make room for the (Western) European peoples. Today, race is mostly not talked about openly in that way, but the same notions live on and thrive in many circles and institutions, even if expressed in other ways. These days there’s talk of culture, religion and criminality, but there is always an implied image of who has an obvious right to a space and who must always justify their existence, be grateful, obedient and assimilated. Racism is not just about how we look at each other on the streets or at work, but also about how our lives are concretely affected by legislation around migration, discrimination, behavior and culture. ParaVox är en ny antologitidskrift från Tusen Serier, en plattform för antirasistiska serier av serieskapare från olika länder.

The second ”ceasefire” in Gaza turned out to be not much more than an empty phrase, and the struggle is far from over. Israel’s genocide is a continuation of decades of occupation and apartheid, but also of Palestinian resistance. As the violence persists, it affects not just Gaza and Palestine, but also neighboring countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. While people all over the world are protesting, many states and corporations are complicit in what can’t be called anything other than a genocide. Den del av bokens pris som går till förlaget, dvs ca 60:-, går till folket i Gaza via Senabil Society. ParaVox är en ny antologitidskrift från Tusen Serier, en plattform för antirasistiska serier av serieskapare från olika länder.

One day, Gregor Samsa woke up and found himself transformed into an insect. Do you think that bugged him? Puns aside, insects are fascinating. Many people find them disgusting and associate them with filth and decay, but without them we wouldn’t have anything to eat, considering they’re also the main pollinators of our plants. How could we survive in a world with no bugs? Then again, fleas were quite significant in spreading the plague. Insects are hailed as the protein of the future and shunned as vectors of disease. They’re pests, pets and objects of fear and fascination. But they aren’t the only kind of bug out there. If you’re sick, you’ve caught a bug. If your computer program doesn’t run as intended, it’s due to a bug. If you experience a glitch in the matrix, there might be a bug in the very fabric of our reality. If something is bugging you, you can’t stop thinking about it. And remember: shrimp are also bugs. Comics by: Aiden Kvarnström [SE], The Chemical Jam [IT], Matteo Galasso [IT], Angela Schmold [CA], Monica Nielsen [SE], Sandra G [RS], Adrián A. Astorgano [ES], Jon Högman [SE], Susanne Johansson [SE], Vlad Gaast [PT], Jason Song Quinn [US], Mattias Elftorp [SE]. Text & illustration by: Mattias Elftorp [SE]. Cover & main editor: Aiden Kvarnström [SE].

You have entered into the weird forest. You are one of its creatures now. Welcome. You will never leave. The only path laid out before you, your only choice, is to go deeper, deeper, until you are completely and utterly lost. Not until then can you find who you are and where you’re going. If you’re lucky. Comics by: Tomasz Kontny [PL] & Tomxyz [PL], Mattias Elftorp [SE], Michael Elton Crye [US], Athanasía Aarniosuo [FI], Knut Larsson [SE], Susanne Johansson [SE], Svalan Sörblom [SE], Xico Santos [PT/SE]. Text & illustration by: Mattias Elftorp [SE]. Cover & main editor: Mattias Elftorp [SE].

In CBA vol 69, we’re doing it! And by “it”, we mean, well, haha: SEX. We’re diving into sex; queer, straight, emotional, horny, funny, serious. Comics that explore intimacy, desire, awkwardness, joy. Stories where sex moves the plot, reveals character or simply celebrates pleasure and the sheer joyfulness of a great fuck.

Fyra serier som reflekterar över den aktuella situationen vid tiden då de skrevs och försöker se hur enskilda händelser passar in i större sammanhang. Första delen av det här seriehäftet, Arg Kanin om ett folkmord, gjordes till en utställning i protest mot Israels deltagande i Eurovision 2024, under pågående folkmord i Gaza. Andra delen, Arg Kanin om en vapenvila, gjordes ett år senare efter att Israel brutit den alltför korta vapenvilan. Här finns också två tillbakablickar: Arg Kanin om yttrandefrihet och maktrelationer (2006) och Arg Kanin om svensk/israelisk vapenhandel (2011) som visar på att situationen inte startade den 7 oktober 2023 utan har pågått i årtionden med ockupation, apartheid och massakrer, men också med uppror.

No theme, just more stories. Let’s all go to the stars! Or maybe the future, if there is such a thing? These are stories to take you away and to bring you back, possibly changed. You just have to try it! This volume of CBA, the international comics anthology, has no theme, it’s just stories created freely by the writers and artists and compiled in the best combination by the CBA crew.

FRAMTIDENS UTOPI har en besättning på tre: Astrid, Isak och Katten, var och en med sina hemligheter. På sin väg mot människokolonin på Nya Paradiset får de problem. De har fått stopp i sin sannolikhetsdrivna Schrödingerianska osäkerhetsmotor och de har viktig last som måste nå kolonin. De kan bli tvungna att öppna lådan... Sannolikhetsdrift är en liten rymdopera i serieform, skriver och tecknad av Mattias Elftorp, känd för bland annat Piracy is Liberation, Arg Kanin.

More stories, no theme. A mix of new and established artists from various countries telling stories unfettered by predetermined themes or concepts. Stories that try out ideas, vent frustrations, share thoughts and explore concepts. Narrative experiments, shifting perspectives and pure fantasies. Stories to think about and be moved by. This volume of CBA, the international comics anthology, has no theme, it’s just stories.

Latest issue of the international comics anthology series: Step into the world of KOLAZ, where images are discovered, altered, and transformed — merged with sketches, digital twists, and layered reconfigurations. It’s a creative process of cutting, rearranging, and reimagining, where fragments are pulled apart and pieced back together. Story themselves are patchworks of moments stitched into something new, where unexpected contrasts may emerge and magic happens when each reader brings their own meanings, their own interpretations, their own fragments to the pasteboard. Comics by: Pavol Bratský, Mattias Elftorp, Tom Mortimer, Damir Stojnic von Ktonsky, Susanne Johansson, Markus Samnell, Julia Nascimento, Adam Boman, Mette Norrie, Helena Menanda, Aiden Kvarnström, Mileta Mijatovic, Mårten Edman, Miku Maria Gustavsson. Cover & main editor: Kinga Dukaj.