Illustoria

A magazine for creative kids & their grownups

Stories, art, comics, interviews, DIY, activities a magazine for creative kids & their grownups

06/29/2024

Today is the day! We can't wait to see you for our EIGHTH birthday party at San Francisco Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Join us for:
♻️ Upcycling-themed art activities led by Illustoria & SF Botanical Garden! We'll make making paper plate leaf faces 🌿 and plant rubbing zines 🍁.
🎟️ Book giveaways by SF Public Library
📚️ Books for sale by beloved local bookstore Green Apple Books
⁠🤗⁠ An all-ages, family-friendly event
⁠
Admission: $3 -14; FREE for SF residents + kids under four years old! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome!

Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. Learn more and RSVP via link in bio or gggp.org/event/illustoria-day. ⁠
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Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

06/29/2024

Today is the day! We can't wait to see you for our EIGHTH birthday party at San Francisco Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Join us for:
♻️ Upcycling-themed art activities led by Illustoria & SF Botanical Garden
🎟️ Book giveaways by SF Public Library
📚️ Books for sale by beloved local bookstore Green Apple Books
⁠🤗⁠ An all-ages, family-friendly event
⁠
Admission: $3 -14; FREE for SF residents + kids under four years old! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome!

Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. Learn more and RSVP via link in bio or gggp.org/event/illustoria-day. ⁠
⁠
Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

06/28/2024

It's almost ! Join us TOMORROW, Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm at the San Francisco Botanical Garden for a day of creativity and celebration.
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Admission ranges from $3 to $14, and is FREE for SF residents and children four and under! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome! There will be upcycling-themed art activities led by Illustoria & SF Botanical Gardens. SF Public Library will offer an exciting book giveaway, and local bookstore Green Apple Books will host a table of fabulous children’s books for sale. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event.
⁠
Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. Learn more and RSVP: gggp.org/event/illustoria-day. ⁠
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Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

Art by Annie Dills & Jade Howdy.

06/25/2024

It's Issue 24: LOVE cover reveal day! This issue features a cover by renowned illustrator Valerio Vidali that makes our hearts swoon.

In this issue, learn to say love in another language, send anonymous valentines, and make fairy bread for your bff. Discover iconic children's literature duos, ponder where love resides with a poet, meet collaborating artists who discuss the joys of co-creating, and so much more!

There couldn't be a better time to announce Issue 24, as now through the end of June, the entire McSweeney's store is up to 60% off! Subscribe before June 30 and receive Issue 24: Love, followed by a boundless supply of creative ideas for 15% off. While you’re at it, stock up on a slew of highly discounted Illustoria and McSweeney’s treasures. Link in bio to shop!

06/25/2024

Announcing our next issue theme... LOVE!!! 🩷
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Here's a sneak peek of the heart-melting cover by renowned Italian illustrator and picture book author Valerio Vidali. In this issue, we spotlight friendships, families, hobbies, fan clubs, and unlikely animal buddies. 👯🎨
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Stay tuned for the cover reveal and pre-order link on Tuesday... 😮

06/24/2024

📢 CALL FOR KID ART 📢⁠

This is an opportunity for a talented young artist you know to have their work published in the next print issue of the magazine.⁠

Submit a drawing of an ALIEN! Questions to ponder: What does your alien look like? Does it have purple skin and scales, or perhaps it’s made of metal? Does it survive on birthday cake alone? Does it have a rad space suit? Is your alien charismatic, or does it hope to take over planet Earth 🌍️ ?
⁠
Chosen artwork will be published in Illustoria 25: COMICS, which will come out November 2025. Submit work to⁠ "[email protected]" with the subject line “Alien” for a chance to have it featured. Deadline: July 1.
⁠
Include the artist’s name, age, city, and state. This call is open to artists up to 14 years old anywhere in the world. ⁠⁠

Art by our art director, .

06/21/2024

Illustoria Day is just a week away! Celebrate with us in an afternoon of art and reading at the San Francisco Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm!

Admission ranges from $3 to $14, and is FREE for SF residents and children four and under! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event.

♻️ Participate in upcycling-themed art activities led by Illustoria & SF Botanical Gardens
🎟️ Enter to win a giveaway hosted by SF Public Library
📚️ Shop for gorgeous kid's books at the Green Apple Books table!
⁠
Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. Learn more and RSVP: gggp.org/event/illustoria-day. ⁠
⁠
Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

Artwork Credit: 1st slide - Jade Howdy; 2nd slide - Annie Dills.

06/20/2024

Happy Summer Solstice, friends! To celebrate the official passing of the seasons, McSweeney's is holding a massive summer blowout sale! ⁠
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Now through the end of June, our ENTIRE* store is up to 60% off. Enjoy 15% off Illustoria & McSweeney's subscriptions, 50% off back issues, 20-60% off merch, and much more. ⁠
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Find your perfect beach read, and make that summer feeling last all year round. Shop: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/t/categories/Illustoria

06/06/2024

📢📢📢FLASH SALE ANNOUNCEMENT 📢📢📢

For the next 24 hours, subscribe and you’ll receive FOUR issues of Illustoria for the price of THREE!

What a better way to spend summer than lounging by the pool or curled up in a camping tent reading Illustoria? Subscribe today and make this dream a reality. 🏝️🌞🐚🏕️

Flash sale ends Friday, June 7, at 9:30 a.m. PDT. Additional discounts cannot be applied. Flash-sale price does not apply to gift subscriptions.

https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription?taxon_id=1

06/04/2024

Holy cow 🐄 we can't believe Illustoria will be EIGHT this year! To celebrate this milestone, we're throwing a bash with incredible SF partners at the San Francisco Botanical Garden on Saturday, June 29, 11 am - 1 pm. Everyone is invited!

Participate in all-ages, upcycling-themed art activities with Illustoria and the SF Botanical Garden. Win books during SF Public Library's exciting book giveaway. Browse and shop thoughtfully curated children's literature by Green Apple Books. It's going to be a fabulous day!
⁠
This is an all-ages, family-friendly event. Admission ranges from $3-14 and is FREE for SF residents and children four and under. RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome!

Learn more and RSVP via link in bio or gggp.org/event/illustoria-day.

Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. ⁠
⁠
Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

06/04/2024

You're cordially invited... to our ✨️EIGHTH birthday✨️! 🥳 We’re ringing in another year of creativity with a bash at the 🌳 San Francisco Botanical Garden 🌳 on Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm. We can't wait to see you there! 📚️ 🍰
⁠
Admission ranges from $3 to $14, and is FREE for SF residents and children four and under! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome! There will be upcycling-themed art activities ♻️ led by Illustoria & SF Botanical Garden. SF Public Library will offer an exciting book 🎟️ giveaway, and local bookstore Green Apple Books will host a table of fabulous children’s books 📚️ for sale. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event. We can’t wait to celebrate with all of you! 🤗⁠
⁠
Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. Learn more and RSVP: gggp.org/event/illustoria-day. ⁠
⁠
Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

05/30/2024

Big news… Illustoria’s ✨️eighth birthday✨️ is coming up, and to celebrate, we’re throwing a bash at the 🌳 San Francisco Botanical Garden 🌳 on Saturday, June 29, from 11 am to 1 pm! 🥳

We hope you’ll help us ring in another year with a joyous day of art and children’s literature. 📚️🎨🤗 RSVP: gggp.org/event/illustoria-day.

Admission ranges from $3 to $14, and is FREE for SF residents and children four and under! RSVPs are appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome! We will be hosting rad art activities led by illustrator Jade Howe. SF Public Library will offer an exciting book giveaway, and local bookstore Green Apple Books will host a table of fabulous children’s books for purchase. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event. We can’t wait to celebrate with all of you!

Address: SF Botanical Garden, Library Terrace, 1199 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122.

Many thanks to our partners, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Green Apple Books, and SF Public Library, for making this event possible!

05/30/2024

In Issue 23: Past & Future, read a full-length interview with our cover artist, the wonderful London-based illustrator (and long-time Illustoria contributor) Charlotte Ager!

In the interview, Charlotte shares her childhood influences, advice for artist's block, and much more. Grab this issue today to check out the whole thing: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-23?taxon_id=1

04/30/2024

BIG THANKS to everyone who came to Kepler's Books on Independent Bookstore Day! We had an absolute blast-and-a-half drawing and hanging out with you. Much gratitude to Jade Howdy for leading such a rad Animal Portrait Workshop 🐯⁠ and to the entire Kepler's staff for making this event such a hit. It fills our hearts with joy to meet y'all in person. Please stay tuned for more in-person events in the future!

04/27/2024

Today is the day! Join us at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, California for Independent Bookstore Day. This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly.

From 1:15-2 pm, our Operations Assistant and incredible illustrator Jade Howe will lead an Animal Portrait Workshop 🐯

From 2-3 pm, a troupe of incredible authors (including Dave Eggers) will be signing books (such as the award-winning 'Eyes and the Impossible')! ⁠
⁠
This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly. Kepler’s is hosting an entire day of awesome events (including a 🌞 morning presentation by Gene Luen Yang🌛 evening trivia), so be sure to check it all out: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/independent-bookstore-day-2024-at-keplers-tickets-877683935277?aff=oddtdtcreato

04/26/2024

Tomorrow is the day! Join us at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, California on Saturday, April 27, for Independent Bookstore Day. This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly. Below is the day's itinerary:

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Gene Luen Yang will be leading an interactive presentation and signing!

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Our Operations Assistant, Jade Howe, will lead a family-friendly Animal Portrait Workshop.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: A troupe of incredible authors (including Dave Eggers) will be signing books (such as the award-winning 'Eyes and the Impossible')!

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Test your knowledge with questions about all things books and Kepler's. Prizes include gift cards and tickets to upcoming events.

Address: Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real #100, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

We hope to see you there! More details: http://bit.ly/4ba17Fs

04/25/2024

We can't wait for our pop-up at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, California on Saturday, April 27, for Independent Bookstore Day!

Our very own Jade Howe will lead an Animal Portrait Workshop. Jade is our Operations Assistant and an illustrator/printmaker based in San Francisco. Her work strives to highlight the little joys in life like petting a dog or eating a good sandwich.

After the workshop, a troupe of incredible authors (including Dave Eggers) will be signing books (such as the award-winning 'Eyes and the Impossible')!

This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly. Kepler’s is hosting an entire day of awesome events (including a morning presentation by Gene Luen Yang and evening trivia), so be sure to check them all out and RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/independent-bookstore-day-2024-at-keplers-tickets-877683935277?aff=oddtdtcreator

04/18/2024

🥁 We are thrilled to join Kepler's Books on Saturday, April 27, for Independent Bookstore Day 🥁

Join us as illustrator Jade Howe leads a rad Animal Portrait Workshop 🐯✏️. Afterward, a troupe of incredible authors (including Dave Eggers) will be signing books! 📚️

This event is free, open to the public, and family-friendly. Kepler’s is hosting an entire day of awesome events (including a presentation by Gene Luen Yang and trivia), so be sure to check them all out and RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/independent-bookstore-day-2024-at-keplers-tickets-877683935277

04/17/2024

💥We are excited to announce our 2024 Call for Comics Submissions!💥 ⁠
⁠The deadline to submit is Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PST.⁠
⁠
All artists published in Illustoria are compensated. Selected artists will either be commissioned to create a short memoir comic strip for our upcoming issue or kept on file for inclusion in a future issue. By “comics,” we mean any style of paneled-format storytelling 💬 Comics in all mediums will be considered: digital, analog, even sculptural, and photographic! ⁠
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Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply: illustoria.com/blog/callforsubmissions. Send to an artist that you think should submit!

03/28/2024

Calling all philosophers, sci-fi buffs, and curious humans, Illustoria #23 Past & Future is OUT TODAY!

Join us as we dream of tomorrow and recall days of yore. Subscribe before Sunday, March 31, and receive $5 off this time-traveling issue alongside a full year of remarkable ideas in your mailbox.

Begin your journey through the centuries with a whimsical cover by Charlotte Ager. Then put on your history cap and traverse an article maze filled with ancient defrosting worms. Ponder the starry night sky with astronomy-themed comics. Then hop in your rocket and speed to the future! Read letters from the year 3000 imagined by young authors from around the world. Check out a full-length interview with our cover artist, learn how to make a zine, enjoy art supply recommendations, and so much more.

Grab your $5 discount on your metaphorical ticket through time and space will be $5 off! https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription

03/27/2024

Hold the phone ☎️ 👽️ Issue 23: Past & Future come out tomorrow! Inside, have fun with interactive games such as our "Say What?!" feature by Bay Area legend Aaron Gonzalez. Cut into the magazine ✂️ and match up silly phrases with the Aaron's inventive space travelers. Grab your copy or subscribe: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-23?taxon_id=1

03/26/2024

We can hardly wait for the release of Issue 23 on Thursday! ⏳️⌛️

In the meantime, feast your eyes 👁️ on this glorious spread written by dynamic duo Jessixa & Aaron Bagley, and illustrated by Andy Chou Musser. Contemplate the *~*meaning*~* of the past and present in this deeply philosophical feature. Once you're head starts spinning you'll know it's time for a slice of rainbow cake 🌈🍰 Grab your copy and begin your metaphysical journey! 🧠

https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-23?taxon_id=1

02/27/2024

It's Issue 23: Past & Future cover reveal day! Feast your eyes on this charming time-travel themed cover by Charlotte Ager. Pre-order your copy and subscribe: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription?taxon_id=1

Inside this issue, look to the past and discover mysterious animal preservation strategies and make a fruit salad inspired by dodo birds. Then hop in our time machine and read pen pal letters from the year 3000 written by young authors. Meet Diego Romero, a Cochiti Pueblo artist who bends time by melding traditional pottery methods and pop culture references. Plus so much more mind-bending content!

Check it all out: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription?taxon_id=1

02/25/2024

Announcing our next issue theme... PAST & FUTURE ⌛️
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Here's a sneak peek of the ultra-charming cover by Charlotte Ager. Travel through time and space with us in this fascinating issue!
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Stay tuned for the cover reveal and pre-order link on Tuesday... 😮

02/20/2024

📢 CALL FOR KID SUBMISSIONS 📢⁠ ***Deadline Extended to Tuesday, February 27, 2024***!

Prompt: Tell us about a favorite book that centers around a friendship between two characters. This book can be any genre (graphic novel, nonfiction, fiction, zine, etc.) as long as it is appropriate for readers ages 6–12.

-Tell us the name and author⁠⁠
-Write a 3–5 sentence review
-Include a drawing of the book’s cover

Submit work to⁠ [email protected] with the subject line “Friends” for a chance to have it featured. The chosen artwork will be published in Illustoria #24: Love, which will come out in July 2024. Include the artist’s name, age, city, and state.

Deadline: Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
⁠
Include the artist’s name, age, city, and state. This call is open to artists up to 14 years old worldwide.

02/14/2024

Roses are red, violets are blue… Illustoria readers are the best, it’s true!🌹To show our love for you on this Hallmark Holiday, we announce that for the next 24 hours, Illustoria subscriptions are $10 off! So whether you're holding your loved ones close (or rolling your eyes), we hope this sale adds some cheer to your February.

As part of your subscription, you’ll receive Issue 23: Past & Future ⏳️, then Issue 24: Love 💖 (perfect for a belated V-day celebration), and finally, Issue 25: Comics ✒️.

It’s going to be an incredible art-filled year, so subscribe today: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription?taxon_id=1

02/13/2024

♥️CALL FOR KID ART♥️ This is an opportunity for a talented young artist you know to have their work published in the next print issue of the magazine.⁠

Just in time for a Valentine's Day art project, our prompt is...draw your heart as a cartoon character! How would you convey its unique personality? What colors would it be? Would it wear shoes or a hat or sunglasses? What might it say?

Chosen artwork will be published in Illustoria 24: Love, which will come out in July 2024. Submit work to⁠
"[email protected]" with the subject line “Cartoon Heart” for a chance to have it featured. Deadline: February 21.
⁠
Include the artist’s name, age, city, and state. This call is open to artists up to 14 years old anywhere in the world. ⁠⁠

We can't wait to see what you create! ⁠⁠If you submitted to an earlier prompt and haven't heard from us yet, thanks for your patience! We are responding to prior submissions very soon 💌

02/08/2024

February is here, the shortest and somehow also longest month of the year. As we look forward toward the promise of spring and the year ahead, we wanted to take this moment to look back and celebrate the year that we colloquially knew as 2023. And thus, for the next week all 2023 Illustoria & McSweeney’s titles are 20% off! Shop via store.mcsweeneys.net.

01/31/2024

Many thanks to Alta Journal and Jessica Blough for featuring Illustoria in their California Book Club newsletter! 👀 https://www.altaonline.com/california-book-club/a46537735/illustoria-childrens-magazine-mcsweeneys-dave-eggers/

Blough says, “The pages encourage you to draw all over them; their subjects spur just as much creativity as they emit.... it’s the kind of magazine that literary adults would be proud to share with their kids or grandkids.” ♥️📚️

These warm reviews are the thing that keeps our magazine going 🚂 If you haven’t already subscribed to Alta, we highly recommend you do so ASAP. Their journalists have their finger on the pulse of Californian culture and will keep you dialed in. We are so grateful for Blough’s lovely words!

12/29/2023

Happy from Lucia, age 7 from Winnipeg, Canada! We were bursting with pride when we saw these photos of Lucia presenting her work (which we included in Issue 20: Mystery) during show-and-tell!

We love the secret agent Lucia drew for our call for submissions. If you know a young person who would like to submit, please stay tuned! We post calls three times a year.

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http://www.illustoria.com/

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There's just TWO days left to subscribe to Illustoria and receive Issue 20: Mystery. You don't want to miss this issue, which is filled with riddles, art supply recs, and writing prompts galore. And because we like to go out with a bang: grab our combo subscription before June 15, and you’ll also get McSweeney's latest ✨glow-in-the-dark shirt✨ (just like the cover of Issue 20) and a packet of incandescent stickers, both stunningly designed by Yuk Fun for the exceedingly reasonable price of $55! ⁠ https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-yuk-fun-glow-in-the-dark-t-shirt-combo-subscription?taxon_id=1 ⁠ Many thanks to Parkette Shop and Ashley Wong for this vid of the Illustoria in their stunning shop. If you're in Hamilton, Ontario, we highly recommend a visit to their lovingly curated shop. You can also shop their goods online at parkette.ca!

🌀 Explore the inside of Issue 20: MYSTERY! 🌀 In this issue, explore the hidden and unexplained wonders of the globe. Discover all things mysterious, from insect communication to why zebras have stripes. Ponder childhood myths with guest curator Isabel Roxas and her troupe of illustrators. Make a Middle Ages-era puzzle and an alien toast snack. Learn about the strange behavior of the pink glow worm and green sea slug. Plus, read creative writing from young folks, interviews with youth activists, and much more. Grab this issue via link in bio. Thank you Isabel Roxas for this beautiful video!

Issue 20: Mystery is HERE! Check out our first *✧glow in the dark✧* cover by the incredible Cátia Chien. In this issue, plunge into the ocean deep and meet a friendly slime eel. Play a martian maze and make a puzzle on the back of a bottle cap! Read comics about UFOs and create your own alien toast. Discover artists from around the world, and learn what mysteries have captivated them since childhood in a feature guest curated by Isabel Roxas. Grab your copy: https://bit.ly/3K0vxiE

👾 Cyber Monday is here 👾 For 24 hours only, enjoy 30% off all Illustoria subscriptions! Plus, enjoy the same discount on McSweeney’s Quarterly, their New Release Subscription, and the newly resurrected Believer magazine! Illustoria subscriptions start with the adorable double-sided Illustoria 19: Cats & Dogs! Enjoy some of the very best writing for readers young, old, and everywhere in-between all year long. https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products/illustoria-subscription?taxon_id=1

Cowabunga! Now until Wednesday at 10 am, Illustoria-McSweeney's Quarterly Combo Subscriptions are only $99. That's a whopping $81 off, dear friends! Subscriptions will begin with our Issue 17: SENSES and McSweeney's Quarterly 65: Plundered. Check it out here: https://store.mcsweeneys.net/