2025 Horror & Dark Art Calendar Submission Guidelines

Thank you and welcome independent horror artists to the Split Skull Media 2025 Horror & Dark Art Calendar photo submissions! We try to help indie horror artists gain more exposure because as artists ourselves, we know how hard it is to get our work “out there”. Please read and follow the guidelines below. Failure to do so will mean your photos won’t even be looked at... and that would suck!

Deadline for submitting photos: September 28, 2024 midnight.

Entry Fee: none, zero, zilch, nada

  1. You must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. By submitting to us, you verify this to be true and accurate.

  2. A photo release MUST be signed. This is a necessary evil to keep all involved honest. Click Here.

  3. Each photograph must contain some key information. Each image is filed and identified this way, including giving proper credit. Type this information in the body of the submission email for each photograph. Failure to provide this may result in your entry disappearing into the abyss. Double check your spelling!!!

    1. Caption or Title of photo

    2. Photographer’s name

    3. City and state where image was taken

    4. Do images contain A.I.?

    5. Website (optional)

  4. Photographs must depict horror in any type of twisted, macabre, and evil images of dark artwork, soaked in whatever vile media you choose to delve into, limited only by your imagination and creativity. Photographs may include, but certainly not limited to, sculptures, paintings, drawings, mixed media, famous horror graves, and locations in horror history, either fiction or non-fiction, but they must be your own photos. Fear is not an option, it is a must! But know this...

    1. Absolutely NO images of minors, hate crimes, genuine acts of violence, animal torture, or illegal activities of any kind. This will NEVER be tolerated. You will be called out and immediately reported to the authorities. Just don’t do it.

    2. Eroticism and nudity are allowed, but it must add to the artwork, not just for nudity’s sake.

    3. No celebrity photos or photos that identify any specific person.

    4. We all love the classic icons of horror such as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, etc., but we are looking for your original works of art. We are certain that you have sculpted the most terrifying Freddy glove out of chickpeas, but it has been overdone to death. So please refrain from submitting those types of artwork photos and stick to originals.

    5. Selfies/Model Photos - will only be accepted if the subject AND the photographer are one and the same person. They have to be extremely exceptional and well done. Just remember, they must be photographs oozing with horror.

    6. Book Covers Art – try to leave out any text if possible, such as titles or author names, unless it is part of the artwork. If that’s not possible, it is not a problem. We just like to highlight this information on the calendar itself.

    7. Full A.I. images are allowed - be creative!! They will still be referred to as "images" or "photographs".

  5. Photograph submissions must be clean and clear, at least 300 dpi, preferably CMYK and TIF or JPG format, with no time/date stamp on them. You can submit a maximum of thirteen (13) digital images for consideration. All properly submitted images will be reviewed and considered for inclusion in the calendar.

  6. Photos ABSOLUTELY MUST be the property of the entrant and may not have been previously published, WITHOUT EXCEPTION. Photographer agrees that any photos published in the calendar are their own and may be used in Split Skull Media promotional brochures, displays, websites, social media, products, activities, and materials in perpetuity. Photos will be cropped as needed for use and publication.

  7. All published photos (except those within the calendar grid) will be accompanied by the photographer’s name, photograph caption (title), and city/state where the image was taken, and the photographer’s website, as space allows. Calendar grid photos will be accompanied by the photographer’s name only, whenever possible, and/or an honorable mention.

  8. Photographers whose photographs are published on a monthly wall will be awarded the following:

    1. One free calendar, One SSM t-shirt, One SSM Death Certificate, Photo credit and website listing

  9. Submitting Entries - Send each photo in a separate email, as an attachment, with “2025 SSM Calendar Entry”, in the subject line to: [email protected]. Don’t forget to include the key information in the body of each email. GOOD LUCK, CADAVERS!!