Illustoria

Illustoria A magazine for creative kids & their grownups

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

11/30/2025

Today is Cyber Monday. We have all accepted this is a thing. It can’t be fought. The world has made it clear: Cyber Monday? Real. And thus we open our arms broadly and declare to the world:

TODAY IS CYBER MONDAY AND ALL BOOKS ARE 33% OFF!

Not to belabor a point here, keep scrolling for some helpful suggestions, and find your new favorite book today at prices that truly cannot be beat.

But wait, today is also a Monday, which means we must open the latest door in our annual Advent holiday countdown sale! The time has come for a weeklong back issue sale! Enjoy a full 50% off ALL back issues from Illustoria magazine, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and The Believer, all week long! What a bargain! What a time to be alive!

Happy shopping.

All discounts applied at checkout. Cyber Monday ends Tuesday at 6 a.m. Pacific, our back issue sale ends Monday, December 8 at 5:59 a.m. Pacific.

11/28/2025

Thanksgiving is over. You are satiated. Your inbox and buttons are bursting. You feel the urge to consume. We will keep this very short.

BLACK FRIDAY IS HERE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE 33% OFF.

Look the forces of inflation right in the eye and let out a mighty cackle as you partake in 33% off all periodicals and book subscriptions (that includes Illustoria)! The perfect gift, the perfect treat, the moment you have been waiting for. Enjoy.

Sale ends Saturday morning at 6 a.m. Pacific. Discount applied at checkout. Check back bright and early Monday morning for an entirely different Cyber Monday promotion and the continuation of our weekly Advent countdown sale.

Get your oven mitts ready—Issue 28: DESSERTS is here! We adore this sculptural cover by artist duo Chiaozza!Subscribe to...
11/18/2025

Get your oven mitts ready—Issue 28: DESSERTS is here! We adore this sculptural cover by artist duo Chiaozza!

Subscribe today and you’ll also receive our eye-popping The Art of McSweeney’s Kids 2026 wall calendar, featuring some of the most visually dynamic and beloved works of illustration McSweeney’s has ever produced.

Inside our Dessert issue, explore chocolate museums across the globe. Ever wonder what it takes to be a pastry chef? Discover the answer in our ongoing comic with Dora the Cat. Dive into the fascinating history of the fortune cookie. Let your creativity shine as you decorate a birthday cake and invent an imaginary recipe. Read original mythological origin stories for ice cream cake and apple crisp, imagined by young authors worldwide. What’s more, marvel at the desserts Egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs, and even cave people once enjoyed!

​Our wall calendar features art by Jordan Speer, Lisa Hanawalt, Tucker Nichols, Lisa Brown, Thi Bui, and more. Guaranteed to both sell out and delight, The Art of McSweeney’s Kids wall calendar is available on its own OR for absolutely free when you subscribe to Illustoria, while supplies last. What a perfect gift idea for the holidays!

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

Major news! Now until Sunday night, we're offering 20% off all kids' titles at as part of our Annual Advent Calendar Sa...
11/14/2025

Major news! Now until Sunday night, we're offering 20% off all kids' titles at
as part of our Annual Advent Calendar Sale! Stock up your library, find your new favorite bedtime read, and enjoy some truly unbeatable bargains (discount applied at checkout).

PLUS, we're also announcing our "The Art of McSweeney’s Kids 2026 Wall Calendar", showcasing some of the most visually dynamic and beloved illustrations McSweeney's has ever produced. Receive this glorious calendar for FREE when you subscribe to Illustoria magazine (while supplies last) or purchase it on its own.

Fly through the year with artwork by Jordan Speer, Lisa Hanawalt, Tucker Nichols, Lisa Brown, Thi Bui, and more! This calendar is guaranteed to sell out, so grab yours today!

Stay tuned and keep an eye on your inbox for more surprises, special items, bargains, and who-even-knows-what-elses, every Monday until the end of the year.

FUN RECIPE ALERT 🧑🏽‍🍳 Looking for a deliciously fun after-school (or after-work) snack? Make a 🥜 PEANUT BUTTER SNAIL 🐌 w...
10/28/2025

FUN RECIPE ALERT 🧑🏽‍🍳 Looking for a deliciously fun after-school (or after-work) snack?

Make a 🥜 PEANUT BUTTER SNAIL 🐌 with the wonderful Dog Chef, dreamed up by Tom Bingham! Does your snail need a buddy? Make a peanut butter butterfly friend too!!!! 🦋 🧈

This yummy activity is featured in Issue 27: Bugs. Grab your issue via link in bio for tons more bug-themed activities 🐞🐛🔗

Mmmmm, what is that delicious smell? Why it’s Illustoria's Issue 28: DESSERT, and it’s just about ready to pop out of th...
10/15/2025

Mmmmm, what is that delicious smell? Why it’s Illustoria's Issue 28: DESSERT, and it’s just about ready to pop out of the oven! 🍪

⚡️ To celebrate this newly baked issue, we’re offering a FLASH SALE! FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS, SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE ONLY $27! ⚡️ Get a head start on holiday shopping and grab your subscription today, with a $13 savings!

Inside Issue 28, feast your eyes on a gorgeous sculptural cover by Chiaozza . Learn how to make cinnamon honey cake with our beloved DogChef, check out a restaurant review of a poop-themed café, read a full-length interview with our cover artists, discover forgotten desserts from history, such as the raspberry flummery, and so much more.

So what are you waiting for! Put on your oven mitts and apron and grab Illustoria’s Issue 28: DESSERT while we have this day-long flash sale! Grab yours via link in bio.

We are looking for new artists for our upcoming 📬️ Issue 30: MAIL 📬️. This issue will celebrate all things analogue corr...
09/26/2025

We are looking for new artists for our upcoming 📬️ Issue 30: MAIL 📬️. This issue will celebrate all things analogue correspondence: 💌 letters, post offices 📮, stamps , history of the postal service, famous letter-writing friendships ✏️—from the unusual to the heartfelt, and everything in between. Tag an artist that you think should submit!

Deadline: Monday, October 6, 2025 at midnight.

DETAILS:
✴️ Please submit pre-existing artwork for this call. You do not need to create new work to submit.

✴️ Attach three JPG files of past work. Make sure at least one of your submissions is a comic (i.e., panel-format storytelling) so we can get a sense of your style.

✴️ In 1-2 sentences, describe your idea for a comic inspired by the theme of “MAIL”.

✴️This call for submissions is open to artists 18 years and older, based worldwide. All artwork mediums (ink, watercolor, colored pencil, digital, etc) are welcome for this call for submissions.

GUIDELINES:
✴️ Selected artists will be compensated. Compensation is determined based on scope, length, and complexity. It is important to us that all artists are paid equitably and reasonably, according to our resources. All fees will be discussed and approved by the artist before work begins.

✴️Please familiarize yourself with Illustoria’s style to see whether your work is an editorial fit before submitting. We are a print magazine for readers who are primarily 8 - 12 years old. This call for art is ONLY for artists ages 18 and older. We are also currently holding calls for art made by kids, please check a few IG posts back!

✴️We will hold more calls for submissions in the future, so if your artwork does not meet these criteria, please stay tuned.

Apply & Learn more: https://www.illustoria.com/blog/2025/9/16/illustoria-call-for-mail-submissions-2025

👃🏾CALL FOR KID ART👃🏾Deadline: Monday, September 29, 2025. ⁠This is an opportunity for a talented young artist to have th...
09/24/2025

👃🏾CALL FOR KID ART👃🏾Deadline: Monday, September 29, 2025.
⁠
This is an opportunity for a talented young artist to have their work published in the next print issue of the magazine.⁠
⁠
Submit a drawing of yourself with an incredible NOSE! Meaning, think of an animal with an extraordinary sense of smell (African Elephant🐘, Bloodhound 🐶, Shark🦈) and give them your nose in a self-portrait. And voilà! You've transformed yourself into a super-sniffer!
⁠
Chosen artwork will be published in 💩Illustoria 29: SMELLY🌷, which will come out March 2026. Submit work to⁠
"[email protected]" with the subject line “SUPER NOSE” for a chance to have it featured.⁠
⁠
Deadline: Monday, September 29, 2025 ⁠✏️⁠
⁠
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Include the artist’s name, age, city, and state. If you can, please submit the image as an attached JPG. ⚠️⁠
⁠
This call is open to artists up to 14 years old anywhere in the world. ⁠⁠🌎️⁠
⁠
P.S. If you submitted artwork for our previous call for submissions, THANK YOU! We are a tiny team, and we are doing our best to write back to all of you incredible artists as fast as we can. Thank you so much for your continued patience and for submitting! 🙏🏼

DORA, the creative-career-seeking cat (dreamed up by YUK FUN ) is BACK in Issue 28: Bugs! 🐝 This time round, join her on...
09/24/2025

DORA, the creative-career-seeking cat (dreamed up by YUK FUN ) is BACK in Issue 28: Bugs! 🐝 This time round, join her on an action-packed beekeeping adventure. 🍯 Grab your copy of this buzzin’ issue of Illustoria at your local bookstore, library, or via link in bio!

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