UMBRA #7 - Comic Book Anthology

UMBRA #7 kicks off again with another campaign, featuring an incredible lineup of stories and authors!!

Capa provisória - UMBRA #7 - arte de Scott Base, “Ectype”

UMBRA 7 will launch another crowdfunding campaign at the end of summer 2026, with its release scheduled for October, as promised.

We continue the KRIZ3 saga that began in issue 5, initially written by Fernando Relvas, but whose third episode, "The Voice of Eldved", is now written by Pedro Moura and drawn by Ricardo Baptista .

With the space drama "Ectype", New Zealand author Scott Base returns, as does Frenchman Réza Benhadj, with a surreal encounter: "The Girl from Plum Island." We bring you a classic story from Argentina. This is the golden age of science fiction comics. We publish "From the Depths of the Dead Seas," the first episode of the saga I, Cyborg, by the great Argentinian writer and author Alfredo Grassi and illustrated by the equally celebrated master Lucho Olivera. It is an interrogation of the human condition, with the occupation of Mars as a backdrop. We will publish all parts in upcoming issues of Umbra.

A significant acquisition is the celebrated author Ricardo Cabral, who returns to his Terrea universe with a new, unpublished episode, “Terra Umbrae”. And, making his debut in our pages, the young author Luís Ribeiro, with a story from a cycle of stories revolving around nightmarish gastronomy. “The First Bite” is the first of his dishes.

Umbra #7 – Synopses

"Terra Umbrae" - Ricardo Cabral

"Terra Umbrae". Ricardo Cabral.

Returning to the fantasy world of the Portuguese author, recently compiled in Terrae (A Seita, 2026), we present a new episode that expands the territory and dynamics of this narrative universe. Two antagonistic forces confront each other in a liminal space, and the choices of its inhabitants will dictate either justice or blind power.

"A rapariga de Plum Island" - Réza Benhadj

“The Girl from Plum Island.” Réza Benhadj.

A short story with a classic flavor, revisiting a universal literary imagination of weird fiction. Herbert returns to Plum Island, the land of his childhood, and is immediately drawn to a young woman who seduces him feverishly. But innocence and seduction are not compatible with good fortune. What pitfalls await Herbert on the other side of desire?

Ectype - Scott Base

"Ectype". Scott Base.

Any missions to planets in outer space, or attempts at terraforming and human habitability, will have to comply with massive and extremely delicate calculations. A misplaced comma could have disastrous consequences. The New Zealand hard sci-fi author shows us one of those misplaced commas…

“Do fundo dos mares mortos” (Eu, Ciborg) - Lucho Olivera e Alfredo Grassi

"From the depths of the dead seas." Alfredo Grassi and Lucho Olivera.

The first episode of the I, Cyborg saga, here we find the outlines of the protagonist's terrible abandonment and isolation in the now desolate landscapes of Mars, where the memory of a violent past and the buried threat of the planet await him. Noir, science fiction, and existential horror, in a masterful concentration.

“A primeira garfada” - Luís Ribeiro

"The first bite." Luís Ribeiro.

Eating at a restaurant can present several challenges: choosing a seat, a table, dealing with noise, conflicting aromas, inconsistent service, communication breakdowns, and cooking details. And what if these problems turn into fears, and those fears into nightmares? Will you be prepared to uncover the gastric darkness that plagues us?

“A voz de Eldved” - Pedro Moura e Ricardo Baptista

“The Voice of Eldved”. Pedro Moura and Ricardo Baptista, after Fernando Relvas.

Building upon the legacy of Fernando Relvas, this story continues the unfinished saga of Kriz3. The human character Io is still groping her way through the strange world she has found herself in, and is slowly beginning to understand the power struggles between the various territorial forces she finds herself in, while wondering what her potential role is in all of this. The time for answers is not yet…

Cover de "Eu, Ciborg" - arte de Lucho Olivera

Folha de rosto - "Eu, Ciborg"

About the author

Filipe Abranches (Lisbon, 1965). Graduated in Filmmaking from the Cinema course at the Higher School of Theatre and Cinema (ESTC). He was a professor in the Illustration/Comics department at Ar.Co. He taught at ESAP/Guimarães (Higher School of Arts of Porto – Guimarães Campus) between 2006 and 2008, where he coordinated the first Master's degree in Illustration in the country. He began his career in comics in the magazine LX Comics in the early 1990s. He was an illustrator for the weekly newspaper Expresso and published illustrations in several newspapers: Público , Le Monde (France), O Independente and Jornal I. His notable published comic book albums include: História de Lisboa, O Diário de K. and Solo . He has been an animation director since 2006, and his film "Birds" received the Indie Lisboa award at its premiere in 2009. Since 2019, he has been the editor of the UMBRA project, with six published collective anthologies and a graphic novel: SELVA!!!/Jungle!!! , which he authored. He divides his work between coordinating the publishing house and producing illustrations, comics, and animation.

Cover de "Eu, Ciborg" - arte de Lucho Olivera

Budget and due dates

The monetary objective of the seventh issue of Umbra has a production cost of €2450. This will allow us to print 600 copies, as in previous editions. Here's the breakdown: printing will cost €1770.62, copyright fees: €450, and platform commission fees will be €226.01, totaling €2446.63. €2450, rounded up. We hope to surpass this amount with your enthusiasm and commitment. The anthology will measure 270 mm x 190 mm (height x width), will be printed in black and white on 120g IOR paper, with a color cover on 260g cardstock and 80 mm wide, laminated flaps; sewn and glued binding at the spine with a French crease. 112 pages of excellent comics. We intend to have this issue ready for Autumn 2026, coinciding its launch with a comic book festival. Printing will begin at the end of September, after this crowdfunding campaign , along with the usual announcements on our social media channels, where we will be sharing news and details about the edition. Specifically, we will include biographies and previews of the works of the authors featured in this issue.

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