Emanata Presents
About
the Cover
Gabe Carlson is a 2025 VCU alum currently working full-time as a registered nurse. When he isn’t in the hospital, Gabe prefers to spend his time creatively- reading, drawing, or writing. Although healthcare remains a passion and priority, art and being creative remains a core part of his person.
He can be found on Instagram as @Lukass_Kick.s and on X as @Lukass-Kicks
This year’s cover is based on two of my oldest existing characters Max (right) and Thadus (left) from my original story Toothache. I feel like these two characters, as well as their evolving story, are a reflection of my growth as an artist throughout the years; I’m able to look back on their early days and really see exactly how much I’ve improved after all this time. And while Max and Thadus’s story may keep changing, one thing remains constant- these two will always hunger for each other.
About the Poster
H.M. Smith is a VCU alumni who graduated from CommArts in 2024. She primarily creates graphic novels and book illustrations, which are traditionally done in marker and ink. Her works were featured in Emanata from 2022-2024, including “The Driftwood Express,” “Nautilus,” and “Ants.” Currently, she sells her work at conventions around the East Coast, and works full-time designing newsletters and flyers for her local health department.
You can check out her portfolio here! https://linktr.ee/shermaworma
Acknowledgements
Emanata wishes to acknowledge and thank the following:
Gabe Carlson for the beautifully gothic cover.
H.M. Smith for the exquisitely illustrated poster.
Our editors for volunteering their time and effort, making our comics possible.
Our contributors for sharing their skill and passion for the art of creating comics and for their unyielding support throughout this year.
Our amazing staff, Hannah Perlow, Jordan Kalafut, Apollow Hurley and Malia Achico for their attention to detail and strive to make Emanata better and better every year.
And VCU’s Student Media Center, for giving us the tools and resources to make Emanata come to life!
Mark Jeffries Creative Media Manager mjeffries@vcu.edu
Jessica Clary Director of Student Media claryj@vcu.eu
Dear Readers,
I want to say that I am so grateful that you are taking the time to read through the comics of so many hard working contributors. You’re absolutely in for a treat this year! In Emanata volume 13, Hunger, you will find every genre of content you could ever possibly hope to read. Each comic is a bitesized piece of content. Each comic will show you a look into each and every artist that took the time to create it. Our genres within this comic anthology range from romance to horror to fantasy and much more.
Emanata has come so far as an anthology. Every single person who worked on Emanata in any way shape or form should be proud of their hard work and contributions to create an appetizing new volume of Emanata. Your hunger to create is the whole reason this anthology exists today.
Emanata is something that I have been contributing to ever since I got to VCU in my freshman year. My comics have improved greatly since I first submitted. The experience of being able to create something and become published was such a novel concept to me. I’ve always been inspired by the passion of my peers and being able to work alongside everyone in Emanata has been an absolute treat.
I hope you all enjoy!
-Hannah Perlow
by Elizabeth Wright
I was the head chef of this place for Three Decades...
But, I let that get to my head.
I thought I was Untouchable...
So I began slacking off. until one day...
The new guy Arrived...
I thought I was being pranked... But the boss had us cook our Iconic Dish...
FRIED Rice
Like the jackass I was, I trashed the poor guy the entire time instead of minding my own food.
Eventually, we Wrapped up Our dish,
Presented it, And had the Boss taste it.
The new kid wins.
I couldn’t believe How delicous the rice was...
It's been six months since I met Zev. A few weeks since we started dating.
We met because he needed a photographer for his band.
Good music, but at first,I thought the werewolf thing was kinda...dorky.
But now, it's the first full moon since we started dating and I haven't heard from him at all. It's never been his nature to just ghost me, so...I thought maybe it was a good idea to check on him.
Then, I started thinking of the weird habits he had.
And his fridge was just full of meat and protein.
All his bandmates wear hats, even in summer.
And he's a sweetheart, great boyfriend...
but a nightmare to share a bed with. He sleeps like a...dog.
For some reason, my heart was pounding when I got to his door. I heard...growling?
Creobroter Creobroter
Jade TeSelle Jade TeSelle
was wonderin’ if you’d like to come with me. Maybe we can get to know each other.
hey... I know a quieter place around here.
Don’t make a mess in there.
Ready to have some fun?
The body of a young man who went missing 2 weeks ago has been found.
This makes the 5th victim in the last 3 months
Reports say that he was partially eaten.
We ask everyone to be careful and watch out...
...There’s a Man-eater on the loose
Emanata’s Hunger was typeset with Manuskript Gothisch and Adobe Caslon Pro. fonts. The cover was printed on 100# Starbright White Smooth Opaque Cover. The interior pages were printed on 70# Roosevelt White Smooth Offset. It was printed by Carter Printing Company, Richmond, Virginia and produced at the Virginia Commonwealth University Student Media Center, Box 842010, Richmond, VA 23284.
©2026
