The Basics:

* Dark Horse is interested in finding and promoting new talent. However, due to the volume of unsolicited submissions Dark Horse receives, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:

* Do not send scripts or story proposals for any title currently being published by Dark Horse. Dark Horse's agreements with its licensors and creators prohibit Dark Horse editors from reading such submissions. Such submissions will be destroyed unread. Feel free to draw Dark Horse characters for art samples you intend to submit.

* Never send original art. Send photocopies only. Make sure the photocopies you send are clean and sharp and easy to "read." Be sure that each page has your name, address, and phone number clearly written somewhere on it.

* Please do not make telephone calls to follow up on your samples. Please do not fax or e-mail submissions of any kind. Faxed or e-mailed submissions will be immediately discarded. We do not review web sites.

* Consider carefully what you are sending. An editor wants to see that you can draw sequential art, not pinups. Five or six consecutive story pages is usually adequate. Include quiet scenes as well as action, utilize a wide variety of faces, figures (male, female, normal people as well as "super" characters, etc.), and well-realized settings. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the angle you've chosen take full advantage of the dramatic potential in a scene? Do the backgrounds establish where the characters are in relationship to their surroundings and to each other? Is there a well-defined foreground, middleground, and background? Is there a clear, readable story even without word balloons or captions? Have you left adequate room for the dialogue and captions?

* Pencillers: If you're sending finished work (fully pencilled and inked), include copies of the original pencilled pages before they were inked. If you want to show full-color work, send color photocopies. You may also include tear sheets of previously printed work. There is a sample script from which to work, available in Microsoft Word, or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

* Inkers: Include copies of the original pencils before they were inked. * Colorists: You may photocopy up to eight pages of Dark Horse's current B&W work onto white paper for coloring samples only. Send color photocopies of your work. Never send originals.

* What to expect: Your work will either be kept on file for reference or destroyed. If an editor is interested in your work, then she or he will probably contact you by phone, provided your phone number is included with your submission. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions we receive, Dark Horse no longer responds to each submission. If you're looking for constructive criticism, show your work to industry professionals at conventions or to friends who can be trusted to give you an honest opinion. An editor's job is to find creators who can produce publishable work. If you think you have the talent, desire, and professionalism to make it in comics, then give it your best shot. You have nothing to lose by trying.

* Send your submissions to:

Submissions
Dark Horse Comics
10956 SE Main
Milwaukie, OR 97222