The Icelandic Comic Book Society
The Icelandic Comic Book Society (ÍMS) was founded in 2019 to champion the cause of Icelandic comics and graphic novels, both as an artform and as an industry. Society membership includes artists, writers, critics, readers and researchers of sequential art. The Society supports Icelandic comics creators with workshops, monthly meetups and other cultural events for all ages.
Our policy on who is welcome
ÍMS was founded by LGBTQ+ women (and one straight guy) and inclusivity has been a cornerstone of its identity since then. ÍMS welcomes people from all points on the gender/non-gender spectrum, be they gay, trans, bi, asexual, aromantic, genderfluid, genderqueer, nonbinary or any other identity that the ÍMS board is currently unfamiliar with. You are welcome.
People with physical disabilities are welcome, as are neurodivergent people whose mental processes are traditionally categorized as disabilities. ÍMS endeavors to hold its events and Comic Jams in venues that are accessible and tolerable to all its members. That means wheelchair ramps, low-level lights and music and reasonably priced refreshments.
Foreigners and immigrants are welcome. ÍMS counts foreign-born people among its members and every board member knows foreign-born people whom they count as friends and/or family. Icelandic comics should represent Icelandic culture and Icelandic culture has been multicultural since the island was visited by Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Irish, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Polish, Lithuanian, Nigerian, Gambian, Congolese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and American immigrants. This island belongs to the birds. The rest of us just live here.
Our policy on who is NOT welcome
As an organization that endeavors to make as many people feel welcome in our midst as possible, ÍMS must paradoxically also stipulate who is not welcome. In short, they are: Fascists, bullies, racial supremacists, nationalists, concern-trolls, transphobes, creeps, xenophobes, and plagiarists.
Our policy on generative AI-art
ÍMS has seen no compelling arguments in favor of so-called “AI-art” and several in favor against: ÍMS finds that AI-art production is unethical, environmentally irresponsible, derivative and counterproductive to its users' artistic development. ÍMS is categorically opposed to the use of AI for art production and prohibits its use among its members.