There’s no question that art is the cornerstone of everything we know and love about anime, it evokes emotions that otherwise are difficult for just words alone. Art sets the mood, the tone and the style. It’s evocative, memorable and, when done right, just plain gorgeous. AnimeChicago is devoted to the art of anime, of its characters and of the worlds it creates.

Yet, if you take a look around the AnimeChicago website, you’ll notice we’re missing a lot of art. We want to change that, and that’s where you can help. AnimeChicago started an art initiative with the launch of the Art Circle meetup in 2017, giving members a chance to hang out once a month and share their art. As much as we enjoy the Art Circle meetups, it was only the first step of a much larger project.

What we’re announcing today is the second step in AnimeChicago’s art initiative. We’re looking for artists of all skill levels to submit works using mascots that represent not only AnimeChicago but Chicago as a whole. Just who are these mascots? Click the link below to find out more!

The original character concepts were created and developed by Jamie, AnimeChicago’s president, a few years back. Finally, they’re available online for everyone to enjoy. What’s great about the descriptions is that while there are some character specifics, we’re ultimately leaving it up to you, the artist, to put your own spin on the characters! We want to showcase the creativity and talent of our members and of Chicago artists.

Our overall goal is to post submissions to a dedicated AnimeChicago art page, and eventually we hope to turn some of the collected works into an ongoing anthology series with the possibility of a printed booklet.

No matter if you’re an artist who loves traditional materials or you’re 100% digital, we want to hear from you. Can’t draw? That’s okay, we’d love short stories, poetry, and even cosplay to feature on our art page. The sky’s the limit! Get started now by checking out the link below!