when can i apply?
CAKE 2024 will take place on August 24 and 25th at the Zhou B Art Center in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago! Applications for CAKE 2024 will open staring on Monday, March 18th.
How do I apply?
Applicants are directed to an online form to fill in contact information, bios, choose your table size (including pricing for each), and agree to the terms of the show. Most importantly, there will be a section to provide a small number of samples of your comics work. We are a comics-focused show, so please highlight comics work here. We will be looking for full comics or chapters where you are able to tell a story. For the most part, the sample links should not be single images or splash pages/covers.
What happens next?
The application window is open for about a month or so, after which, CAKE organizers will curate the final list of applicants and send out invitations to the show and waitlist notifications.
About the Selection proccess
In the past, CAKE has been known for its juried application process, which invited the larger Chicagoland comics community to be involved in exhibitor selection using a ranked choice vote.
2024 marks a significant change in CAKE’s Organizer and Coordinator roster. Due to the restructuring, and due to unavailability of our 2023 venue, we find ourselves under a much tighter deadline than usual.
We would rather have a show than not have a show this year! So, in an effort to streamline the application process for CAKE 2024, the organizers and coordinators have decided to forgo the usual Jury process, with intention to re-evaluate our process for the future.
To ensure a mix of returning and new exhibitors as well as an inclusive representation of our community, we will be using a Curation/Lottery approach to CAKE 2024.
Applicants for CAKE 2024 will be evaluated by our Organizers and Coordinators based on previous acceptance and demographic information volunteered within the application form, with preferential choice being given to returning exhibitors and underrepresented voices. Within the categories of returning exhibitors and new exhibitors, a random lottery will be used to determine acceptance.
