Editorial Guidelines & Publication Criteria

Last Update: 01/01/2026

1. Introduction

The ComiCity Editorial Guidelines define what can and cannot be published. Our goal is simple: to ensure a creative, free, and fun space while maintaining a respectful environment suitable for everyone.
A strip is considered PUBLISHABLE only if it meets all the criteria below.

2. Editorial Criteria

🗣️ 2.1 Language

• Allowed: informal, dialectal, and colorful language.
• Allowed: mild profanity only when it serves a clear comedic purpose.
• Not allowed: direct insults toward identifiable real people.

⚠️ 2.2 Sensitive Content

• Not allowed: discrimination against protected categories.
• Not allowed: incitement to real-world violence.
• Allowed: cartoonish, grotesque, or hyperbolic violence if clearly comedic.

💬 2.3 Sexual Content

• Not allowed: explicit sexual content.
• Allowed: light, non‑degrading innuendo consistent with a comedic tone.

🎭 2.4 Ethics & Good Taste

• Allowed: dark humor, absurdity, surreal or grotesque comedy.
• Not allowed: degrading content targeting real individuals.
• Not allowed: content promoting illegal or dangerous behavior.

😂 2.5 Humorous Context

• The comedic intent must be clear.
• If the content is just an insult, isolated profanity, or a direct attack, it is not publishable.

3. Practical Examples

Here are some examples to help understand what fits within the editorial criteria:

• ✔️ Allowed: “I don’t reply to emails because it’s my way of protecting my mental health.”
  → Light humor, no real target.
• ✔️ Allowed: “The boss told us to think outside the box… so I stopped working.”
  → Workplace satire, not aimed at real individuals.
• ✔️ Allowed:
  “My smartwatch told me to walk 10,000 steps… so I threw the phone far away.”
  → Absurd humor, no real violence.
• ✔️ Allowed:
  “I’m on a new diet: I cut out everything that stresses me. I started with work.”
  → Social satire, light tone.
• ✔️ Allowed:
  “The boss said we’re like a family. I hope that doesn’t mean working on holidays.”
  → Workplace humor, no real individuals targeted.
• ✔️ Allowed:
  “I tried meditation, but my anxiety asked to speak to the manager.”
  → Surreal humor, no sensitive issues mishandled.
• ✔️ Allowed (cartoon violence):
  Mr. Bubbles being crushed by a pile of documents and reappearing unharmed in the next panel.
  → Slapstick, clearly unrealistic.
• ❌ Not allowed:
  Direct insults toward a real, named, or recognizable person.
  → Real‑world target → not publishable.
• ❌ Not allowed:
  “People from [protected category] are all…”
  → Discriminatory content → prohibited.
• ❌ Not allowed:
  “You should hurt…”
  → Incitement to real violence → prohibited.
• ❌ Not allowed:
  Isolated profanity with no comedic context, used only to insult.
  → No humorous intent → not publishable.
• ❌ Not allowed:
  Explicit or degrading sexual innuendo targeting real individuals.
  → Sexual content not permitted.
• ❌ Not allowed: Direct insults toward a real, recognizable person.
• ❌ Not allowed: Content glorifying real violence or dangerous behavior.

4. Review Process

When you request publication, your strip enters the Pending Approval state. The editorial review checks whether it meets all guidelines.

• Meets the criteria → it becomes Published.
• Does not meet one or more criteria → it becomes Not Approved.

If your strip is Not Approved, you can edit it freely: it will return to Draft and you can resubmit it for publication.

5. Frequently Asked Questions