Theme: LEGENDS AND HISTORICAL STORIES (II)

Due to the great success of the 2024 edition, we are continuing with the same theme – Legends and Historical Stories – for this year’s contest!

Last year, most of the winning comics explored the theme of FAITH:
„Kronstadt, Burgul împăratului” (author Felician Crișan), „Muma lui Ștefan cel Mare” (Vintilă Mihăescu), „Legenda Sf. Hubertus” (Alexandra Gold), „Legenda Meșterului Manole” (Cristian Stanciu), „Holy Place” (Marko Stojanović/Dražen Kovačević/Milan Jovanović/Vladimir Aleksić), „Sacrifice” (Marko Stojanović/Dragan Stokić Rajački/Đorđe Krajnović).
“St. Martin’s Church in Brașov, the monastery church of Curtea de Argeș, a church founded by Stephen the Great, a church in Serbia, and a cathedral in Wallonia all share a common fate in our festival: each dominates the ‘landscape’ of a winning comic. Five out of six winning works center around Christian faith.”
– Nicolae Pepene, Festival Director, in the introduction to the 2024 festival catalog.

Historical Legends. From words to comic panels.
Legends have accompanied world history since history itself began. Even today, historical stories often romantically reinterpret real events.
To all historical comic book artists and writers: your sources of inspiration are limitless – just like the beauty of storytelling!

Submission Period: June 10 – July 22, 2025
Festival Dates and Location: Brașov, Romania, August 7–10, 2025
Who can participate? Anyone over the age of 18 with a passion for historical comics

✅ What to do:
1. Create a comic based on a historical legend, 2 to 8 pages in length.
2. Submit a scanned version (min. 300 dpi resolution) by July 22, 2025 to salonbdbrasov@gmail.com, along with your contact details.
3. The comics can be in English, French, or Romanian.

What happens next?
1. A jury of 3 professionals (artists, historians, writers) will evaluate the entries between July 22–31, 2025.
They will select the comics to be exhibited and published in the catalog, and choose the 6 winners.
2. Winners will be announced on August 1, 2025.

Prizes & Benefits:
• 6 winners will be invited to the festival (all expenses covered)
• Each will receive a prize of 1500 RON gross
• Selected works will be exhibited at the festival and published in the official catalog

Application requirements (digital submission only):
• The comic, in A3 format, 2–8 pages, based on the theme Historical Legends, scanned at min. 300 dpi
• Clearly cite your source(s) of documentation, as this will be considered in the script evaluation
• State whether the comic has been previously published or is part of another work (published or in progress)
• Include a brief professional bio (education, exhibitions, portfolio links or samples)

Selection criteria:
1. Graphic quality (style, execution, originality)
– Pencil (traditional/digital)
– Ink/line art (traditional/digital)
– Color (traditional/digital)
2. Script quality (historical adaptation)
3. Overall quality of the comic (graphic design, composition, narrative)
By submitting an entry, authors agree that their comics may be used as visual materials in the festival’s communication efforts (with proper credit given to authors and titles).
The jury’s decision is final.

About the Festival
The International Festival of Historical Comics – Brașov, produced by the Brașov County History Museum, has become Romania’s most important event dedicated to historical comics. Its achievements include:
• 29 comic art exhibitions
• Touring exhibitions in 14 cities across Romania
• Romania’s first museum exhibition of comic art, dedicated to master artist Puiu Manu
• Exhibitions honoring Gopo’s centenary and Valentin Tănase
• 7 festival catalogs
• 198 new historical comic works created specifically for the festival
• 89 participating artists

The museum also coordinated the only European project dedicated to historical comics (Creative Europe, 2021–2023) and organized the largest exhibition of Balkan comic art, shown in:
– Comics Art Museum (Brussels)
– National History Museum of Albania (Tirana)
– National Library of Romania
– Leskovac Cultural Center (Serbia)
– Art Salon Veles (North Macedonia)
– Union of Artists’ Exhibition Center (Sofia, Bulgaria)
The museum has also published several editorial comic art projects:
• Histories from 1989 in Comics (2019) – 39 authors
• Graphic novel: 15 November 1987 (2022) – by Alexandra Gold
• Dracula in Comics* (2025) – 47 contributors, the largest Romanian comics album ever published

https://www.facebook.com/festivalbdbrasov

Organized by: Brasov County History Museum
Partners: Forums Association, Coresi Shopping Resort, Historia
Media partners: AGERPRES, revistacomics.ro, zilesinopti.ro