#please check out and support the other contributors' pieces too !

[battle-facility-zine]

Contributor Application Tips!

Hello, Challengers! With a little less than a day away before our Contributor Applications open on February 20th at 4:00PM EST we the mods here at In Pursuit of Victory! felt that it would be helpful to provide a list of tips to keep in mind before applying for those who are new to zines. Without further ado, here they are!

Double check that all of your links are viewable before submitting! What do we mean by viewable? Well, it's exactly how it sounds—anyone who clicks the link must be able to see it without requesting permission. This extends not only to personalized Google Drive portfolios/samples but also to Archive of Our Own links as well; if your fics are currently set to the "for logged-in users only" setting then we cannot review your applications.

As per our guidelines, please make sure that you have properly tagged each of your fic submissions! Tagging is not just an essential part of fanfiction writing in general but also a courtesy to the mods who are reviewing your application. For those submitting AO3 links, the tags on the fic itself should suffice—and we would also appreciate additional notes in the body of your application too—but if you plan to submit excerpts via Google Drive please make sure to list the tags at the top of each sample document.

Put your best foot forward, or rather in this case, make sure to put your best pieces first! We generally recommend making a Google Drive folder, especially for those interested in applying for the Artist Roles, with each piece numbered in an order that allows you to lead with your best pieces. We also accept any other portfolio website that you may want to submit instead, just make sure you link to the exact page you mean the mods to land on!

Make sure to only put pieces that you think are your best or represent your current style! While it might seem tempting to pad out your portfolio with as many pieces as possible, this might actually hurt the overall quality of it. It's better to submit five of your absolute greatest hits than ten samples of mixed quality.

Remember the most important thing is that you have tried your best and that a rejection isn't a reflection of your worth as an artist or a writer! It is an incredibly brave thing to put yourself and your art out there and that is far more important than the result you may get in the process of doing so.

We the mods are so thankful and appreciative to all of the support the zine has received thus far and we are so excited to move onto this next phase of the project with you all. Good luck, to every Challenger out there!

[birbleafs]

[fic] A Tragicomedy In Five Acts

Series: Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan || The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Rating: T Genre: Friendship, Humour, Breaking the Fourth Wall Character(s): Akechi Touma, Saiki Kusuo, Saiki Kurumi, Saiki Kuniharu, Saiki Kuusuke Warnings: None, save for the canon-typical shenanigans Summary: Akechi has made a habit of showing up unannounced, uninvited at the Saiki residence. The inevitable "bonding" occurs and Kusuo despairs; the world continues to turn. A/N: A piece I wrote for the Disastrous Life Zine, a charity zine. I wanted to share the uncut version here since I like how it reads more (it's not too different from zine version, though). Leftover sales are currently still live, so here's your last chance to grab some limited items if you had missed the pre-orders earlier! Thanks to the mods & other contributors over at @disastrouslifezine, for all their hard work on this project. Many thanks also to my bro Digi for the awesome beta work and for always being an all-round great pal ❤ Fic can also be read AO3. _______ i. It’s a problem Saiki Kusuo should have—could have—nipped earlier in the bud, when he’d been forced to spend a whole Sunday with Akechi Touma betting on horse-racing. But between Akechi being (begrudgingly) accepted as one of the PK Psychickers to Kusuo having to stop a meteor from slamming into the planet—well, a lot had happened. Akechi had since taken to visiting the Saiki residence at random, with little notice in advance. On his second visit, Mom had invited him in before Kusuo could intervene. If it weren’t for the cupcakes Akechi had brought along—not to mention the terrifying heat of Mom’s demonic glare at the first sign of a protest—Kusuo would have teleported him miles away without hesitation. That’s how Kusuo finds himself now—glowering at Akechi who’s sitting politely in his room and firing a running commentary about nothing and too many things all at once. Resigned, he leans back into his study chair and asks, point-blank: What do you want, Akechi?

“Your mother is lovely as always,” Akechi replies instead, dancing around the question. “I’m grateful she’s gone from remembering me as ‘Pee Boy’ to ‘Kusuo’s Friend Who Only Ever Wets His Pants Occasionally’. Surely that’s a sign we have gotten closer.” It sounds just as terrible as the first—only a simpleton would be okay with that as a defining trait, Kusuo retorts. In any case, we’re hardly more than classmates. So, why are you here again? “I thought you would have realized it by now with your telepathy. But I suppose I can explain it for the sake of the readers!” Akechi beams, holding up a small case in his hand. Don’t just casually break the fourth wall, Kusuo frowns, even as he leans forward for a closer look. Akechi pops the case open and turns towards the game console. “I was recently gifted this game by my cousin, who assured me that, while underrated, it’s still a cult hit among fans. I thought it would be fun to play it together.” Kusuo stares flatly at the title OVERWORKED displayed on the disc as it slides into the console drive, already unimpressed. That is such a blatant rip-off. “Oh, no, it's a completely different game from the one you’re thinking of!” Akechi says. “Here you play as the overworked waiter of a cafe who serves multiple orders at once and takes over the cooking whenever the head chef throws a tantrum and storms right off.” How is that different from OVERC***ED? It is totally OVERC***ED! “Regardless, shall we have a play-off?” Akechi offers the controller to him. “Winner gets this box of cupcakes. I got them from the best pâtisserie in town, which is no easy feat. Why just this morning I left home at the crack of dawn to secure a spot in the queue, and even then, there were already about 30-odd people ahead of me! Who knew it was so popular—A-ah!” Kusuo yanks the controller easily from Akechi’s hand towards him with telekinesis, a glint of determination in his eyes now. Best two out of three levels. Loser also has to leave immediately. Akechi grins knowingly and cracks his knuckles, reaching for the second controller. “You’re quick to assume victory, Kusuo-kun. Very well, then!” Thirty-seven minutes later and Kusuo’s left staring at the final scores, appalled. He would have won if his character hadn’t kept freezing in place and glitching at crucial moments, messing up in the kitchens and sending out wrong orders. How is he always losing to Akechi like this? Clearly the universe is still conspiring against him. “You were so close to beefing my lask score dhoo,” Akechi says shamelessly through a mouthful of strawberry frosting. “And my, deez fupfakes are s’per dhasty!” Are you taunting me now? Kusuo scowls enviously at the cupcake in Akechi’s hand before he huffs, slinking back into his chair. Well, I’ll be staring dejectedly out my window for a bit, so feel free to eat your cupcakes and then leave. But Akechi only laughs then and, to Kusuo’s surprise, moves to place a chocolate cupcake before him. “You’re so melodramatic, Kusuo-kun. I never said the winner can’t share.” ... I guess you didn’t. They spend the rest of the afternoon eating cupcakes. _______ ii. This again? It’s been a month, but Kusuo already feels a sense of gloom settling over him when Akechi steps into the genkan. He would have been fine with leaving Akechi outside blathering away through closed doors for the entire day while he pretended not to be home, but obviously Mom is having none of that. “I’m so glad you’ve been coming over to play with Ku-chan!” she greets cheerfully. “I couldn’t believe it when I first heard, but you and Kusuo are getting along well, huh, Akechi-kun!” Dad says with a sagely nod, looking every bit the part of the morally upright, reliable father. Bold of you to believe such delusional notions of camaraderie, or that you even look the part of an admirable adult, Kusuo comments drily, before turning to leave. “We don’t just get along,” Akechi chimes in reply. “You could even say our friendship is super-califragilisticexpialidocious!” GET OUT. If looks could kill, Kusuo’s current expression is pure genocide. But his parents are already fawning and AH-HYUU-!!-ing at Akechi’s words, tears of joy gushing down their cheeks like an endless waterfall. Kusuo watches in quiet despair as Akechi is readily accepted into their fold with welcomed embraces, a key development in this romantic soap opera. Oi, what’s with the misleading narrative?! We’re not in that kind of fanfic right now! Dad and Akechi hit it off well enough, one thing leads to another, and Kusuo suddenly finds himself roped into playing MECH-O ARENA VR on the WAB station in Dad’s study. Seriously, stop it with the terrible rip-offs of actual games already, Kusuo frowns as he watches Dad’s and Akechi’s characters flitting about on the screen to fight off an incoming attack. “I suppose it’s not very original, is it?” Akechi says, punching the controller buttons in a flurry of movements. “But it’s different enough that we can probably avoid any unwanted copyright lawsuits.” That’s completely beside the point. Dad’s wholly immersed with the game now, so it’s impossible for Kusuo to get rid of Akechi without Dad throwing a childish fuss about losing his new gaming buddy. Not to mention Mom’s uncanny ability to appear with coffee and snacks each time Kusuo had tried to inconspicuously retreat back into his room, all while exuding an ominous aura that effectively dissuaded his need to leave immediately. Good grief—everyone’s being such a pain today, Kusuo sighs, before he finally relents to Mom’s cajoling to team up with her against Dad and Akechi in the final round. He figures it can’t get worse than this anyway. That is, until Kuusuke gets involved. _______ iii. When Kusuo returns home from a quick grocery trip for Mom, he walks into a surprisingly empty living room. He can hear Dad and Kuusuke’s voices from upstairs but for some reason he’s not quite able to perceive the atmosphere within—it’s as if his senses are partially blocked by a cognitive fog with the study engulfed in a dead zone. Must be that prototype “router” Kuusuke had installed in Dad’s study yesterday. Kusuo has zero interest in his brother’s tiresome antics, but is compelled nonetheless to check on them, if only to ensure Kuusuke isn’t playing Mad Scientist and coaxing Dad into yet another deranged human project. He opens the door, nearly lashes out in shock with telekinesis when he sees Akechi staring through the doorway with a creepy, owlish expression. “Oh, were you actually surprised, Kusuo-kun?” Akechi says. “My apologies for frightening you like that.” Kusuo studies the room cautiously, only to realize he’s unable to hear anyone’s thoughts with telepathy. He glares at his brother in suspicion. “Welcome back, little brother!” Kuusuke greets him with a Cheshire grin. “I see you’ve got yourself a new playmate. Hmm? Ah, you must think it strange that I've taken to Akechi-kun so readily.” Strange and highly dubious, Kusuo counters. What are you scheming? “Well, Akechi-kun shows the most potential and capacity for mental growth amongst the lesser primates close to you—” What a disparaging worldview. And stop deflecting! I know you can still understand me. “—So, he may yet make a good test subj—Ah, I mean, a good friend! Interesting specimens tend to gravitate towards you, after all. Though his propensity for peeing sure is troubling, isn’t it? Haha!” You can excuse questionable human experimentations, but you draw the line at incontinence? Kuusuke attempts a nonchalant shrug. “Priorities, amirite?” “But this is amazing, Kuusuke-san,” Akechi says, glancing up in awe at the blinking device on the ceiling. “The telepathy canceller really does block our thoughts efficiently!” “It’s child's play compared to Kusuo’s abilities,” Kuusuke says, seemingly modest, but Kusuo doesn’t miss the devious glint in his eyes when he reaches into his coat pocket to pull out what looks suspiciously like a detonator with a giant red button. “Still, with this, Operation SM☆SH can now finally commence—” Wait, Operation what?? Kuusuke, don’t you dare...! But Kuusuke is already pressing the button, and the study is plunged into darkness as the lights flicker off and the blinds draw shut. Alarmed, Kusuo wrenches the detonator away from Kuusuke’s grip with his telekinesis. What did you just do?! There’s an electronic whirr, a blinding flash, and Kusuo finds himself suddenly staring at a large LCD screen as it emerges from the ceiling. Music blares from overhead speakers as a cinematic opening sequence begins to play. “There you are, Kusuo!” Dad looks up from behind the coffee table where he’d been fiddling with the game console. He adjusts the VR headset over his eyes. “It’s time to finally beat you at SUPER SM☆SH BUDS as payback for last time! HII-YAAAH!!” ... Oh. So it’s just another game. “That’s right!” Kuusuke claps his hands together, blissfully ignoring the heat of Kusuo’s baleful glare. “I heard about your horse-racing bet from Akechi-kun and found this as the best way to even the odds for other types of games.” “The idea came to me while peeing in the shower; to find ways you could play and not get bored easily, Kusuo-kun,” Akechi adds in unnecessary detail. “But I didn’t think Kuusuke-san could actually pull it off.” “Here, Kusuo,” Dad says, waving his controller. “Come choose your character—” But Kusuo’s already teleporting away, fleeing the wretched upheaval within his own home to hide at Cafe Mami for the rest of the day. _______ iv. Akechi corners him after school three weeks later. Kusuo is surprised and unsurprised all at once; he had worn the germanium ring to class, after all, in a bid to avoid spoilers for the direct-to-streaming release movie adaptation of a book he’d been fond of. It’s easy to ignore everyone’s spoilery chatter when it isn’t droning directly into his mind—he’d kept his fingers stuck into  his ears each time class ended, oblivious to the strange looks thrown his way, and had even hidden away in the restroom cubicle during breaks, successfully avoiding any interaction with the usual human nuisances. Until now, that is. “Let’s walk home together, Kusuo-kun!” Akechi calls, jogging after him. I’m suddenly deaf and sound has eluded me, Kusuo deadpans as he breaks into a sprint, determined to leave before Akechi starts blabbing spoilers. “I noticed you weren’t quite yourself today,” Akechi continues, catching up with him.  “And I thought it might have something to do with the ring on your left index finger that you’ve fondled precisely seventeen times throughout the day.” What an awful way to describe it. I didn’t fondle anything. “Perhaps the material of that ring works in the same manner as the telepathy canceller—which would explain why you seemed uncharacteristically skittish today since you’re pretty bad at discerning people’s intentions without your telepathy.” What are you? A psychic? But Akechi only persists. “I realized later that you’d always leave whenever anyone started talking about that new movie on Netfl*x—” Can’t hear now, Kusuo slaps his hands over his ears. Gone horribly deaf. “And I figured it must be that you haven’t watched it yet for some reason, like maybe your home internet is down because your father forgot to pay the bills for three whole months and so it got cut—” How did you even..? Kusuo grimaces. N-nope, not listening! 100% deaf! “I know you don’t have a mobile phone to watch it on either,” Akechi continues. “So, that’s why I wanted to invite you to my house today, to watch it together. Oh, don’t worry, I know absolutely nothing about the movie. In fact, I’d only heard Kaidou-kun screaming out the title just ten minutes ago.” Kusuo pauses then, glancing back at Akechi in hesitance. Akechi only meets his wary gaze with a knowing smirk, and says, “We also have strawberry shortcake in the fridge.” _______ v. I don’t suppose there’s a good reason this time either, Kusuo sighs wearily, closing his book. Still, there’s a glimmer in his eyes; he knows Akechi had come bearing gifts—a selection of coffee jellies topped with cherries and chocolate drizzle. “I’ve made a habit of crashing your place unannounced, haven’t I?” Akechi offers a contrite grin, watching as Kusuo helps himself to a spoonful of jelly. “I do apologize, but whenever I get restless, I find myself wandering here by instinct. Admittedly, I was worried about being a bother, but your mother is always so welcoming at the door despite that dreary, constipated look in your eyes—” You are being a bother. Like a persistent mosquito that thinks it's summer all year round, Kusuo grouses with his Most Annoyed Expression, knowing how ineffectual his Feigning Ignorance Face had become over time. Also, have you graduated from pee references to shitty jokes now? Disgusting. But Akechi takes it all in stride, undeterred by Kusuo’s ugly grimace and acerbic jibes. “—Plus, it’d be considered extremely rude if I didn’t come in after that, and I certainly do not want you to think of me as rude. You’re a friend I hold in high regard, after all. I always have, ever since I found out it was you who saved me from the bullies back then.” The earnestness in Akechi’s words stumps him, if only a little. And though Kusuo is careful to keep his surprise from showing, there’s a part deep down in his not-so-granite heart that feels a touch of warmth at the sentiment. Akechi’s already placing the Scrabble board on the floor, so he misses the ghost of a smile that crosses Kusuo’s lips. Did Akechi honestly think he could beat a psychic at Scrabble too? How naive. “You’re probably thinking how naive I must be, believing I could beat you at a board game with your powers and all,” Akechi notes cheerfully, almost as if he’s a mind-reader himself. Kusuo frowns, slightly disgruntled by the fourth-wall breaking once more and wishes they would give it a rest for once. Overusing a trope gets really tiring, you know? Still, he smiles again as he takes a seat across from Akechi—who is now shuffling the Scrabble chips while nattering away about the history of board games and how the loser would have to give up his share of coffee jelly (as if Kusuo would allow it to come to that again). Two Sunday visits per month only, Kusuo says, lifting several chips into the air with a wave of his hand. If you beat me... I’ll allow it. Akechi’s eyes widen, before he breaks into a playful grin. “Very well, then. May the best man win.” Kusuo only lets out a soft laugh. Perhaps it’s not too late to pick up where they had left off in grade school. —End—

[womenwantedzine]

Contributor Preview: Jccatstudios!

Instagram | Twitter

jccatstudios says:

My final preview for the @womenwantedzine !!! I am so proud of this project and I can’t wait to share it with you. PLEASE help this zine grow by either grabbing a copy or two yourself, or share this post with others! CLICK THE LINK IN THE ZINE’S BIO! You can support a good cause and enjoy the work of many talented artists and writers at the same time. CHECK THIS ZINE OUT!!! 😆

CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER!!! Introducing the @womenwantedzine official card game! This 32-card set features 16 powerful ladies and two playing styles: game of pairs and battle. Order the PIRATE QUEEN bundle in the store to get your pack of cards. LINK IN MY BIO!!! (Seen here)

My final preview for my poster for the @womenwantedzine ! It will be in the Great Pirate bundle (a great value, btw) and all bundles above it. LINK IN MY BIO!🎂 🌹 👰

————————————————————

We just reached 100 orders and unlocked new stretch goals! 🎉 Seriously, you do not want to miss them, so go order this zine and enjoy some great OP ladies content. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: these contributors, both writers and artists alike, are so talented. I’ve had the privilege to see the finished pieces, and I can’t wait for you to see them too. If you want to support this wonderful zine and the education of women across the world, please consider ordering your copy! 😊

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Check out more of her excellent work on her Instagram and her Twitter!

Repost made with artist's permission.

[blinkforman23]

My poem “Astral” has been published in Too Well Away literary journal. This piece is dedicated to my other half, and it’s one I’ve been wanting to get accepted for a long time now. I feel extremely blessed and grateful for this accomplishment following the release of Bittersweet and Blue this month and the publication of “Old Videos” last month. You can access both poems and my book through my website, link in bio. 
I also want to thank Amber Thompson for pushing me to be a better poet and collaborating with me through the writing process. She is a unique editor and amazing person who communicates with and challenges the contributors to make her journal a truly special place for writers to share their work. Please go support her and check out the new issue at toowellaway.com along with other talented writers!
As happy as I am with my current writing achievements, burnout is real amongst artists, so I probably won’t be as consistent with posting as before. However, I will be planning for Poetry Platform in the next coming months with Ted and Alma while working on my next writing project in collaboration with my best friend, Paul. Finally. Stay tuned for all that and thank you to y’all: old friends, new friends in the community, and those on here, who have given me nothing but support. You’re badass.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVGf7aHLEtS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[kuratoki]

Changes 15

So next chapter WILL be the last of this series before we begin DISTANCE! I’ve been wanting to finish this for sometime now and it’s finally happening. I hope you guys enjoyed Changes!

Changes Masterlist 

Do you agree that things change in time? Well four years abroad would tell wouldn’t it?

Pairing: Reader x Jeno ft. NCT`

Words: 2921

Warning: Swearing

Weeks had passed since Xanders passing and with a little help from your friends, you were healing. Jongin had come to SMAA to make the necessary announcements and to meet with you, Renjun and the Headmaster regarding what yours and Renjuns roles would be now. It was decided that outside of the dance classes you had, you were no longer required to attend class and everything would be transferred online. That was the easy part.

Your relationships with everyone else on the other hand, had gotten quite interesting. It was obvious that something had changed between you and Jeno since you guys came back late Monday evening, a car full of shopping bags and content smiles on your faces. Jisung, Hana, Doyoung, Jaemin, Jaehyun, Yuta, Chenle and Renjun were all at your place waiting for your arrival and the older members were happy to see that you were doing okay. 

Sicheng had engulfed you in his arms the moment you got out of the car, followed by Yuta and the rest of your friends while Doyoung went to greet Jeno and check in on how things really were with the two of you and he was satisfied to know that you were both happy. Jisung had also started acting differently around you from the norm. He stuck by your side throughout the day, only separating when you had different classes but even then, he’d be outside your next class waiting for you even though Jeno or Jaemin would be right there. In class, he would sit next to you, constantly taking your attention to the point where it was becoming too obvious to Jeno that something was up with Jisung and he didn’t like it one bit.

When you started taking your online courses, the library had become like a second home to you. You and Renjun spent most of your time there or in the NCT Practice room, practicing the memorial piece you were supposed to have ready by the Christmas party which was a mere weeks away. You couldn’t believe that you and Renjun put so much together in a short period of time but once the NCT Club members found out what you were up to, they offered their full support wherever you needed it. It may have also helped when you found out that Jongin was part of the founding groups of the original Dance club and one of the contributors to the SUEX fund. 

It technically wasn’t known to anyone that Jeno was offered a leadership role on the Selects competition team and you knew for a fact that Jisung had no idea. Soonyoung had requested that until he was contacted about his decision, to keep it under wraps as they were still giving several letters out so Jeno did just that. But because of this, he spent a lot more time with you and Renjun and it was almost normal to see the three of you together in the hallways through school instead of you, Jisung and Hana. 

Today however was different. There was no Renjun, there was no Jeno, there was no one. You were in the library working on the details for the Christmas party while the other two were out getting supplies (at the approval of Jeno’s teacher) for the Selects Christmas party which was going to be hosted at a ballroom in the Gangnam district since most of those flying in from Europe would be staying there.

Focused on the words and numbers in front of you, you didn’t see the person who came to sit in front of you but you already knew from the cologne the person wore.

“What the fuck do you want, Wong Yukhei.” you said without looking up from your laptop. Ever since he had punched Renjun in the eye and got put back on probation, it was as if he turned a new leaf and even though he was making progress, it still didn’t mean you liked him.

“I want to apologize.” he said softly and that made you look up at him with raised eyebrows. He took your silence as a form to continue and let out a breath, “You were right...Everything…”

“Go on…�� you said waiting for him to continue, “You and I both know how busy I am.” 

“My sister, Xander..your accident all those years ago..” he continued and gulped, looking towards the door worried that Jeno, Renjun or Jisung would walk in at any moment.

“Jisung has class, Renjun and Jeno are both off campus and won’t be back till after lunch.” you stated as if reading his mind and let out an impatient, “Can you please hurry up.” 

“You were the first person who challenged my sister...you taught her through your skills and persona that she couldn’t get everything she wanted and she hated you for that.” he explained, “The day Xander decided to mentor you instead of her during your first year, she was crushed and when she realized that you and Renjun were friends, she took advantage of that.” he looked down, “She took advantage of me.” he whispered, “She wanted me to date you so I could just break your heart after, when I first met you...I was like okay whatever this’ll be easy.”

“But it wasn’t” you deadpanned and Yukhei nodded, “So this was why you never stopped pursuing me? Even when you and Yeeun were dating?”

“It’s...it’s more complicated than that..” Yukhei said shaking his head, “My sister had a hunch that Xander would get you to audition for the Selects performance team and she knew you and I were going to the same dance camp that summer...she told me that she’d tell Yeeun that I was cheating on her if you didn’t get hurt.” 

“You know all this information you’re telling me can ban her from the Selects team...indefinitely right?” you asked, “She can audition again this year for a performance role but she can also kiss her competition seasons goodbye.” 

“I know...and I warned her…” Yukhei stressed, “Honestly after I read Xanders letter...I now understand why he cut all connections with me...I wasn’t a good brother in the first place to Yuwen and I should have guided her better...you and Xander never deserved to go through what we put you through all this time. I’m sorry but the thing is...I never stopped liking you either...I told myself that if I kept pursuing you and you somehow gave in...I would break things off with Yeeun” 

“Damn straight.” you said looking Yukhei dead in the eye, “Do you know how much rehab I had to go through? The accident literally tore through my knee Yukhei, it wasn’t just a simple strain. I lost my spot on the SCHOOLS competition team because of it...I couldn’t dance properly for close to a year. Your sister was first in our class for second year but at least I got the leading role in Swan Lake right?” you let out a breath, “I can’t forgive you right away and I hope you understand that. You punched Renjun in the face for stating facts. I never liked you Yukhei, my heart always belonged to someone else. Xander, Jongin, everyone but you and your idiotic sister knew that.” 

“I know, I know..” he said closing his eyes tightly, balling his fists up, “Seeing you and Jeno over the last few weeks really...opened my eyes...I uh...decided to give it another shot with Yeeun.”

“Congrats.” you said dryly, “Yeeun came and apologized to me last week and told me about it. She’s actually really nice Yukhei, don’t take advantage of that.” 

“I won’t...not this time.” Yukhei said reassuringly, “She told me about that...said that you were nice about it too.”

“I told you, she isn’t bad. Yea, she had this unhealthy like for Jeno but once the air was cleared…” you weren’t sure where this conversation was going but you paused, “I forgive you Yukhei...I don’t think we can be friends but know that I don’t hate you.” 

Yukhei felt as if a large weight was lifted off his shoulders as he let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Y/N.” 

“I’m doing this to clear my conscience…” you said looking back down at the numbers at hand, “Your sister better watch herself though. She yelled at Anne-Marie because they weren’t auditioning for the lead roles and the only reason we’re including her in this seasons production is because of Xander. This whole show is dedicated to him.” 

“I heard...I’m sorry…” Yukhei said with a frown, “Do you know if she’s allowed to attend the Christmas party?” 

“Negative.” you said, “She already knows this from Jongin. She wasn’t even in the Selects performance last year and suddenly she wants to come back? She’s going to have to go through training camp like everyone else.” 

“That’s understandable..” Yukhei said with a nod and stood up, “I should get going, I said I would meet Yeeun outside of her class before lunch. Thanks for hearing me out.”

“Anytime Yukhei.” you said and gave him a light smile and your eyes went back to the numbers in front of you where you realized you made a huge mistake and let out a frustrated groan, slamming your head down on the table, “I freaking quit!” 

“Don’t quit now, we need you for the show!” a high pitched voice said from in front you and your head shot up at the voice, making you hold in your squeal since it was the library.

“MIA!!!” you whisper yelled, getting up and running around the table so you could engulf your friend in a bear hug, “What are you doing here?! Does Renjun know you’re here? Does your mom know you’re here?!” 

You continued to bombard her with questions as she giggled, she had really missed you just as much as you did her.

“I’m here early to help with the Christmas party. Renjun has no idea that I’m here and my mom and Jongin are actually meeting with your Headmaster and a Park Jisung right now regarding his application to study abroad.” Mia answered and gave you a bright smile.

Mah Mia was half Chinese and half french but was obviously blessed with her mother's looks of blonde hair and blue eyes. Xander had introduced you to each other on the first day of training camp and the two of you were inseparable ever since. Even though you didn’t attend the same school at the time, you often kept in touch through messages and random face time calls. When she and Renjun started dating, nothing really changed except roasting Renjun became a daily occurrence which in reality, he was already dreading.

“Hold on, let me pack my stuff up and we can go to one of the practice rooms.” you said closing your laptop and Mia helped you pack up the notebooks you had laid out.  

“So where is this infamous Jeno I’ve heard so much about?” she asked casually as the two of you stopped at your locker. Instead of going to one of the practice rooms, Mia suggested you take the rest of the day off and after receiving permission from the Headmaster, you were getting your necessary things to leave for the day.

“Out with your boyfriend to get supplies for the Christmas party.” you answered and hung your bag on your shoulder, “Since the day he met Soonyoung, Jeno’s been involved in the planning process as much as Renjun has.” 

“Yea,Jongin said he stepped up once he got his offer letter. No one but you and RJ know right?” she asked and you nodded in confirmation, “Good. We should double date sometime before we leave for Europe.” she suggested with a wink and you rolled your eyes. She knew every detail from the weekend that Jeno “saved” you from Yukhei and was still teasing you about it to this day.

“We literally leave in two weeks.” you deadpanned, “Do you want to get lunch somewhere nearby?”

Mia thought for a moment, “Honestly I was thinking we could go to Japan…” 

“With the guys?” you asked, taking your phone out so you could text Renjun but Mia shook her head and took your phone away.

She looked behind you and smiled when she saw three people walking down the hall towards the two of you and went ahead to greet them.

“Let’s take Jisung with us.” she said with a happy smile, “It’d be nice to actually get to know him.” 

“What are you guys plotting?” Jongin asked with a raised eyebrow knowing that when you and Mia were together it only meant one thing. Trouble.

“Y/N and I are gonna take Jisung to Japan for the weekend. Is that okay?” Mia asked her mother who looked at her oddly.

“As long as you’re back Sunday night…” she answered and engulfed you in her arms the moment you were in arms length, “Oh Y/N! I haven’t seen you in so long! I have missed you so much!” 

“Hi Anne-Marie” you said, embracing the older women. Despite being a mother of two and running a dance company, she still looked like a top tier ballerina with her long blonde hair and blue eyes, “I’m so sorry about Xander.” 

“It’s okay dear.” she said with a sad smile, “I’m glad that you and Renjun agreed to participate this year. It means alot.” 

“Once a Select, always a Select.” you said with a smile, “Anything we can do to help.” 

“So what’s this about Japan?” she asked and Mia smiled.

“Since Jisung will be attending training camp next semester, I thought it would be good to get to know each other. Plus I haven’t been to Japan in forever.” Mia said wistfully, “We’ll catch the next flight out and we’ll be back Sunday evening.” 

“Wait we’re going to Japan? What about class tomorrow?” Jisung asked wide eyed.

“Skip a day, it’s the weekend after that anyways.” you said with a shrug and Jisungs eyes bugged out of his head, you skipping school!?

“My gosh, together for less than an hour and the ideas to ditch Renjun are already flowing.”Jongin said with a smirk, “I can get you guys out of classes, don’t worry about it. Are you guys going to tell Renjun?”

“Heck no.” Mia said with a giggle, “Plus he’s not here right now anyways. Y/N said he’s off campus. I already checked the flights and have three tickets reserved.”

“Ah...so you were already planning this.” you said with a knowing smile, you had to admit you really needed a break from all the planning. Plus, it’d been a while since you had hung out with Jisung and since he was going to be around you and Hana much more in a few months, you thought it was a good idea.

“Wait so I’m coming?” Jisung asked pointing at himself.

“You have no choice Park.” Mia said with a grin, “We’ll stop by your houses to pack a bag but we have to catch our flight in two hours.”

“I’ll drive you.” Anne-Marie said, giggling at her daughters behaviour. She was glad that Mia was doing better after they landed on Korean soil. It was obvious that the two of you had missed each other since you were now connected at the hip, “We better get going then before Renjun gets back.” 

“I love how your mom gets in with our plans.” you said to Mia with a giggle, “But she’s right. Jisung and I only live about a ten minute drive from here so lets go. See you in a few days Jongin. Don’t miss us too much.” you said with a wink.

“Oh, I’m sure it won’t be me who will be missing you guys.” Jongin said crossing his arms and chuckled, “Have fun you three. Jisung, don’t let the two girls bully you or else you’ll never win against them.” he warned.

“G-got it.” Jisung said nervously looking at the two girls who were now whispering to each other with smirks on their faces.

A few hours later, Jeno and Renjun walked into the NCT practice room only to see Anne-Marie and Jongin talking to a few of the members. 

Hana and Jaemin were quick to approach the two with concerned looks on their faces but Renjun made a beeline for Anne-Marie, engulfing her in a big hug.

“Have you guys seen Y/N or Jisung?” Hana asked Jeno who looked at them with a confused look.

“I dropped her off at school this morning before Renjun and I went into the city to get some stuff for the Christmas party. Why? What happened?” Jeno asked, the tone in Hana’s voice made him concerned thinking something happened and with Jisungs name thrown in there, he didn’t know what to think.

“Jisung never came back after his meeting with the Headmaster and we haven’t seen Y/N all day. We were supposed to meet for lunch.” Hana explained, “I tried calling her phone but she won’t answer.”

“You should check their Instagrams.” Yuta called across the room. He was currently wearing identical smirks with Jongin who was trying hard to hold in his laughter when he saw realization dawn on Renjuns face.

Whipping out their phones, Renjun was the first one to growl.

“ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??!”

[giyuuzine]

First of all, thank you so much for 184 responses on the interest check in less than 2 weeks! We have received a lot of interesting ideas and comments on the form and we would like to share with you some of the results and respond to some of the comments! Note: The interest check form is still open until the end of October 2019 as originally planned. If there are more questions and interesting results I will make another post like this again :3

Thank you for so much interest!  First of all, Writer Mod applications have just opened in the previous post. Please apply if you are interested in helping out as the position is very important. We won’t have writer contributor positions if we can’t get a Writer Mod! 

Regarding the layout mod, we are currently not looking for one.  I do not expect a lot of layout work since the zine will be mostly full page art work. The writing pages I am not sure right now, but if we think a layout mod is required later we will look for one, so please keep an eye out! For the merch artist positions, we won’t be looking for merch-only artists. However, we will be looking for five sticker artists from the accepted team. There will be an option to check whether you are interested in working on an extra sticker on the application form to be opened next weekend or earlier!

Thank you for the feedback! We are going to have an application process due to the large amount of support!

Most respondents are in for the 30+ page range. The final page count will most likely depend on the applicants, but I am still thinking the final page count for the physical copy should be capped at around 60 pages. Perhaps we can have a larger PDF copy if there are applicants who would only want to be in the PDF copy?

We get a lot of interesting responses on this one, but of course we all like Giyuu~ (To the 17.6% respondents who chose the blue option are you Shinobu’s spies? :3)

---------------------------------

And... onto some responses to comments. (Note: Comments maybe slightly modified or shortened to group similar comments together)

Will there be ships? To be honest I don’t know too much about ships, and we are not here to start ship wars, so I would say let’s keep the zine SFW and ship-free. It is ok to draw Giyuu interacting with any other characters but we are going to have pieces that makes Giyuu shine as the main character in the piece! However, anything that is largely hinted or canon in the manga/anime is fine!

Will there be merch? Yes! We are currently planning to choose 5 merch artist for stickers from the accepted applicants. (There will also be one zine exclusive acrylic keychain from the mod.) We will discuss with the accepted team whether they would like to produce more merch. Merch will be for-profit, and the earnings from merch will be used to send participants a small gift, but it is not expected to be enough to cover a free zine plus shipping of the zine.

Can there be manga spoilers? I think certain spoilers are ok, such as Giyuu with a character which has not appeared in the anime, but spoilers such as a character’s death or who won in a battle is not recommended.

Maybe make this a paid zine instead? That was my original plan, but at that time I was unsure whether Giyuu is a popular character (thank you so much for showing so much love for him >A<) so I thought it may be easier to make this a free zine. If this is a paid zine there will be more stuff to worry about and I may be more strict on the screening process, which may take away some of the fun. We need to spread the Giyuu support far and wide~~

[memoryofpromises]

We like to thank you all for the love and support! Don't forget that each response in the interest check helps a lot in important decisions, including buyer interests! Please fill out the form if you’re interested in contributing or purchasing the zine. We have updated the form to multi-select contributor options.

💫 Interest Form: https://forms.gle/Naj5nqAVRH2nJx6i7

Below are answers to questions from the form.

To potential contributors: "Both Ships" option can mean showing interest in creating two separate pieces for both ships or don't mind contributing to either one. We'll make it more specific in the applications.

1. I think if it were focused on one ship instead of two it could be better received?

This was something that came up and was discussed amongst the mods. For transparency, we have both RikuNami and RepliNami favored mods as well as those who love both so ultimately we decided a combination worked best for our zine.

2. How will u separate between RepliNami and RikuNami in the zine without mistaking for each other?

We will be dividing into two sections--one RepliNami and one RikuNami--to make it clear.

3. I'm a fan of kingdom hearts and I ship them 😍😍 i just have one question, if I become a writer can I be merch artist too? Thank youu 😊😊

While we haven’t reached a stage of confirming physical distribution for this zine yet, in the scenario that we do go down that route we absolutely will be giving applicants the option for multiple roles within the zine.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone showing interest in the Memory of Promises zine! We hope for a successful kick-off and look forward to future contributors and buyers!

[yaldev]

Praise Pelbee, I was interviewed by StarScript!

So StarScript is a startup I’ve been keeping an eye on. They’re working on a platform which is like a combination of Patreon and a social media network for worldbuilders. I’ve contributed a bit to their crowdfunding campaign and chatted with the owner, and now they want to feature me as young talent who will be on their platform! I’m their fourth featured creator, and the first writer!

I'm so excited about this! I feel like I’m starting to get somewhere with my worldbuilding, even if my following now is quite small. (I love you lads, I mean that!) This would get me a bit more exposure, and it’s honestly just an honour to be featured alongside the likes of Tony Washington!

If you want to learn a little more about me and my thoughts on StarScript, go check out the interview! It even has a face reveal.

If anyone’s worried about Yaldev becoming pay-to-access, I have no such intentions. Yaldev is always meant to be free and I’ll keep posting all the same content on Tumblr and elsewhere. (>implying i post with any relevant regularity anyway)

That said, if some people actually are interested in financially supporting the project, I’ll have to start doing more stuff for those contributors! Besides just writing more often for starters, I’m open to hearing what you guys would want to see! Here are some things I’ve considered doing so far!

Actually posting more? 🤔

Early access to new stories?

Author readings! I’m actually quite good at reading out loud. Blame four years of Drama class which I never actually did anything with.

Breakdowns of my own writing, for anyone who wants to learn something from my style.

Recording myself from start to finish and out-loud thinking for putting together some of my stories, for those who want to see my process.

The ability for patrons to vote on certain plot elements! Does this character survive the Collapse, or do they get what’s coming to them?

If anyone ever cares enough to make an OC for Yaldev, perhaps their official incorporation?

Choosing art that I previously skipped over for me to do? Maybe you could even pick art that isn’t by Beeple!

Bonus non-canon pieces set in Yaldev! For this last point in particular, I’ve decided against writing anything for Beeple’s art which has corporate logos, since Yaldev is an extremely far distance from our planet. However, perhaps I could do an alternate-universe extra series available to contributors, one in which mighty corporations from Earth are able to travel to Yaldev and launch an invasion...

Even if you don’t plan on contributing anyway, please do share your thoughts! These would all just be extra bonuses. Yaldev in its current style isn’t going behind a paywall, since it’s as much an exercise for my own practice as anything else. I do somewhat enjoy having the power to buy things, but thinking that my words are being seen by people and are actually meaning something to them is so much more valuable to me. When someone says that they liked this post, or ask questions about the events depicted, or make reference to something I wrote before, I really get that feeling. It means I’m not wasting my time speaking to a void with no response.

On that note, I really do appreciate feedback! Likes are a nice dopamine surge and new followers really feel like progress, but comments make my whole day. If you liked it, I’d love to hear that! If you didn’t, let me know so I can focus on improvement! Lately my goals have been centred on creating better openings for my posts. A problem that too many worldbuilders have is forgetting that their work is more interesting to themselves than anyone else, and that other people may not be as readily interested as the creator is. Making exposition interesting right off the bat is crucial!

Anyhow, I just want to thank you guys. New stuff up soon. I’m planning on a phase focusing more on the post-Ascendant Yaldev, with more about the Net Clan and other societies founded around the remnants of the Ascended Empire.

Yaldev is a fantasy/sci-fi worldbuilding project based entirely on Beeple art. It is the story of a world in mana-fuelled pandemonium, of the nation which rose to conquer it, of this empire's inevitable collapse, and of the new world which emerged in its wake. The project has major themes about perspective, imperialism, nationalism, nature and the metaphysical battle of law against chaos. All stories in order can be found on the subreddit!:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Yaldev/comments/94htyv/welcome_to_ryaldev_clicktap_here_for_info/

[lovenikkilibrary]

the great, big popnikki contributors post

Greetings from Miraland! Love, the POPNikki Team

That’s all of us. All 30+*. This is the team that’s worked (for a lot of us daily) since May to brainstorm, draft, and bring life to this crazy vision-turned-project. 

Now that we’re literally 30 days from Zine launch (and two weeks away from launching Site + our YouTube channel), I want to introduce you to everyone because POPNikki is not just the simple FanZine Project I started out asking fans to join. It’s since become a collective of like-minded creators, and don’t you think you’d like to meet all of us? 

*NOTE: Our FanArt Team Co-Lead Kira is technically missing from this group shot, but she’s with us in spirit and despite a busy schedule WILL make an appearance in our Summer Zine after all! ^^ Also not pictured is Site Team’s periidote and IRL Team’s Luna-- also with us in spirit!

Team Leads

POPNikki is divided into three divisions and each has its own subdivs requiring, well, WORK. The following group of Contributors help me keep each sector running smoothly (including a Contributor named Lilly who you’ll meet in the next section!).

The Librarian: Editor-in-Chief of POPNikki Zine and the founder of this operation, I have a toe in every division if I really think about it. But my personal skillset lies in brainstorming, cheerleading, and editing, which is why I head up the FanFic Zine Team and Co-Lead FanVid with Sea. ^^ Follow my blog for LN Resources. I archive them neatly so we can find them all again later ^^

Clow: Site Team Co-Lead, Developer, and Zine Editor (read: my partner-in-crime), Clow is a great collaborator who can take a vision, no matter how messy and turn it somehow into exactly what you need + want. Clow’s creative but modern style (and way of thinking) is reflected in the Site she’s helped design (can’t wait for y’all to join and see! ^^). You’ll want to follow Clow’s blog for all sorts of LN related posts, my faves being the lovely Starry Corridor photos found from all over.

Yoko: Unfortunately Yoko is taking a break from Tumblr, but when Site opens, we’ll update with a way to reach her! Yoko is the other Site Team Co-Lead and Developer whose incredible patience and research skills have helped bring Site to fruition. 

Ms. Loki: Ah, Loki... What can I say that you don’t already know? When I can’t find my head or my glasses (which often leads to me consistently uploading the wrong things), Ms. Loki is right there going above and beyond the call of IRL Team Co-Lead. Not only does she manage a group of Contributors (and I swear, most days, me!), but she also finds time to Contribute, herself! Look forward to her art and articles as she’s become a key part of our FanArt and IRL Teams. (And if you’re not already following for ALL OF THE LN THINGS... ^^ Ms. Loki is usually the OP!)

Val: FanArt Team Co-Lead Val has really had to step up this season due to an unexpected scheduling conflict. "Single-handedly” juggling a whole team of artists using a collaborative leadership style, Val has shown not only her skill as an artist but as a leader this term. Follow her art blog for a peek at her versatile art style or her personal blog to reciprocate the support she’s shown to POPNikki this Summer~

Sea: My FanVid Co-Lead and one of our three video editors, Sea is just amazing to work with. Perhaps it’s her eye for beauty (or the fact that she can find the beauty in everything), but every conversation ends in laughter and every problem finds a solution. She’s always ready to cheer our team on, so please do the same for her (and we’ll be sure to link you to her personal YouTube channel after Zine Launch!).

Dayan:  IRL Team Co-Lead and Artist, Dayan’s ideas and participation have both played integral parts in the fruition of this project. Dayan almost bursts with creativity and an energy that really keeps you going. Did you know that in addition to her LN Blog, she also has another blog for her art? I’m such a fan of all our Contributors, but there’s something so lovely about Dayan’s style that I can’t help but share every post. I feel so lucky to have her on board, and y’all are lucky too because you won’t have to wait for Zine before seeing some of her work. She’s also been working on a very fun Site Feature that will meet you guys once we launch! ^^

*Kira: FanArt Team Co-Lead (and supposed to be on break for this issue, Kira did a few of the background illustrations for Zine articles I know you are going to LOVE! If you don’t follow her LN blog, you’re missing out on a wealth of .png and background resources.

Site + Social Media Contributors

Lilly:  Despite a busy schedule offline this season, our Social Media Manager Lilly still managed to pull off a very special project, complete IRL and FanFic write ups, edit, and head the Social Media subdiv by some miracle over the past few months (thank you so much). Lilly’s eye for detail has been extremely valuable and so when you go to follow her LN blog, be sure to note how you’ll only be getting the good stuff over there ;) You may also get to chat with Lilly at some point if you follow us in her domain-- the POPNikki Tumblr (and soon, our other social media).

Red: Our IRL, Site, and Social Media Contributor, Red, has been such a gift to this project. In Fall, we can’t wait to show you the fun project he’s been working on, but in the meantime, look forward to his Game Guides. Are you counting down the minutes with us? Red can be found here and here on his LN specific blogs! 

Royce: Royce recently joined POPNikki but has hit the ground running. Now our go-to for Site graphics, we can’t wait to hear how you like the awesome visuals Royce has whipped up! You may already know to follow his LN blog for only the best Royce RP aesthetics on the block. Blue roses to anyone who does XD (or check out his OCs RP blog)  

Clark: Part of our Social Media subdiv and working on a super fun, super secret FanFic project for a future Zine edition (why yes we are thinking about Fall...), Clark’s been a supporter of this project from the get-go. Follow him for fun from a slew of different fandoms (Monster High meets LN, anyone? I’m just sayin’).

periidote: periidote is a Site Team Contributor who will be helping with Site FanPOP Features starting end of Summer/ early Fall! Follow periidote’s LN blog here and get ready for great content from her~

YouTube Contributors

Legs: My go-to video editor in a pinch (whether it’s for advice or for help or to make sense of this vision I had in a dream...), Legs always returns a product above and beyond expectations. July 18th, y’all. Be ready! And in the meantime, follow Legs, for game-related jargon (including but not limited to Love Nikki)

Haley: FanVid Team Contributor and YouTube Channel manager. Haley is always full of great ideas, but when YouTube opens, feel free to drop us comments with even more! 

Brittany:  FanVid Team + FanFic Team Contributor Brittany is also one who’s always brainstorming. We can’t wait for you to see her tutorials and meet her ideas in Zine when it drops this August! 

LittleAvalonia: I’m very excited for what the future holds with an actress like LittleAvalonia on our team. Funny (and having fun), LittleAvalonia brings a new element to LN FanPOP that we can’t wait to share with you. 

Witchy: IRL + FanVid Team Contributor, Witchy, is a gem in the POPNikki Contributor pool. Look forward to Halloween (feels so far, I know!) when we debut their sketch(es ^^) and articles. In the meantime, follow Witchy to check out their art and more.

Joltik: Our newest video editor thanks to her enthusiasm and helpfulness after our latest Open Call, Joltik is already hitting the ground running in her new role! Full of ideas and ready to work, I feel so grateful she’s joined our team! ^^ Don’t forget to give her a follow for LN related tips, tricks, and info. 

twinklebear: Joining us with awesome content come Fall, twinklebear helps out where needed, particularly in Site Team and of course, here in the FanVid group. ^^ 

Zine Contributors: 

Donsveertje: Donsveertje (known as Beetle to me) is a phenomenal artist who answered a POPNikki Open Call. Happy to help with any project when time allows (and actually working a few zines at the moment!), Beetle has great energy, ideas, and can really bring your vision to the page. The laughs are a blessed bonus. ^^ 

Fishbone: The more I work with Fishbone, the more I fall in love with her work. An artist who’s willing to try different things (no matter how crazy they sound) until they work, Fishbone is such a dedicated and positive team member. With like a million Tumblr accounts XD (follow them all here and here and here as well!).

ArtisticArmoury: Another Open Call gem, ArtisticArmoury has been so great to work with. Every part of the process is not only well done but also fun as we’ve been having a blast adding even more expression and visual color to the FanFic Feature he’s now a part of. Check out ArtisticArmoury’s art or personal blogs to get a sense of his work. 

Inky: Also finding the time between a tight schedule, Inky has jumped into this project as an artist from an Open Call. You may recognize Inky as the artist of that awesome piece re: the doctor. But Inky has another, strictly LN blog that I hope you’re following because it is full of fun LN stuff (like important update infos but also MEMES y’all). 

Zemiki: Zemiki is a Feature Artist in the POPNikki Zine Summer Issue. Already known for her great work, Zemiki’s providing several original pieces for fans to enjoy to accompany our second FanFic Feature! Get a feel for her style by following her art or personal blogs. 

Astie:  IRL Team Contributor Astie has an unstoppable energy that brings life and joy to the POPNikki Team. Look forward to the article Astie has prepared for y’all in Zine this Summer (while we work on finding the link to the Tumblr-- we’ll update you on Site after the launch! ^^).

Roulette:  Roulette is such a hardworker for Zine I cannot. Contributing content to both IRL and FanFic Teams, Roulette writes articles and provides Spanish translations for our guides. Give her a follow! (EDITED TO UPDATE: her blog link! Here’s the best account to reach her at~)

Sophie: My writing buddy, I could honestly send all of the virtual hugs to Sophie. Working together on her FanFic Feature story has shown me both her dedication to the game and being a writer-- two of my favorite things in the whole wide world! XD We also share a love of tea (which is besides the point, but still). While you await Zine launch to get a taste of her words, check out her Tumblr and say hi to my hardworking team member (whose mind and articles are split between FanFic and IRL)~

Yasjupe: Another FanFic Team Contributor (and Feature writer), Yas is a writer whose gorgeous ideas flow into gorgeous thoughts and words on paper. I think you’ll truly enjoy the story she’s been working on. Check out her Tumblr while waiting for Zine to drop! 

Megaera: After reading a fic by Meg re: Prehistory Lord, I knew she HAD to be a part of POPNikki’s FanFic Team this first issue. Megaera’s Summer Feature does not disappoint, and I count my blessings that I get to work with so many talented writers-- and read their work early, of course ;) Be sure to follow Megaera’s LN blog in the event she posts more fiction! She also has a personal blog you’re welcome to follow.

Rev: For this summer’s issue, IRL Team Rev teamed up with FanVid Team to create a sweet tutorial for you all. Honestly, you’ll be amazed, I think when Zine drops! In future, we might also see articles by this Contributor as Rev is known for helpful guides and great Starry Corridor pics! You can also check out Rev’s personal blog. 

Iri:  Many of you might recognize Iri for her helpful event guides and suit breakdowns on YouTube. We know her as apart of the team (and seriously, what a joy ^^)! Despite a hectic schedule, Iri has Contributed an article and exclusive interview for you guys this summer. Can you imagine what Fall will bring? If you’re already hype, subscribe to her YouTube channel to hold ya over to Aug. 1st ^^

Contributors Debuting this Fall 

Jace-Darkheart: Officially part of FanFic Team as a comic writer and artist, we hope you’ll get to see Darkheart’s work come Fall!

Ile: Though scheduling conflicts mean you won’t be seeing our Artist, Ile’s work this Summer, we hope you can find some in Zine this Fall! 

Luna: Though scheduling conflicts mean you won’t be seeing IRL Team Contributor Luna’s work in Zine this Summer, we hope you’ll be able to see her fun article on Site or in Zine by Fall!

Our Team is huge so following everyone might seem like A LOT. But don’t forget that you can follow @popnikkiofficial​ on Tumblr now to ask questions about the project and officially become part of the POPNikki Community here on Tumblr. In all honesty, y’all already are part of that Community, and I mean, so are we! So if you can’t follow all, here’s the best one! We’ll see your lovely comments and someone will be checking the POPNikki Ask box later this week to answer questions. (And, I mean, I’m always down to fangirl about this project lol!)

To all of the Contributors on this list (and to come), thank you all so much for making this thing happen. ^^

[shiropridezine]

Rules

As a Shiro-centric zine, this zine will not include pairings. This was a hard decision because Shiro kissing a man or getting married visually is great rep, and ideally would be perfect content, but this fandom is volatile and to keep this zine a positive experience for everyone involved, we decided to focus on him alone for this project.  Please be respectful of this rule and don’t try to “sneak in” ships.  Other characters are absolutely welcome to be included supporting Shiro, just not as part of a pairing.  If you are concerned about it being seen as “too shippy” with just one other character, consider adding more!  Additionally, please keep the focus on Shiro rather than using his sexuality as a prop for other characters.

Whilst the focus of the zine is on Shiro’s MLM canon rep, we encourage contributors to include other identities within their pieces if they wish. Trans, ace and demi, poly, bi, and gay are all equally welcome alongside Shiro’s canon gay status.  

Entries should be family friendly, so NSFW content will respectfully be rejected from this project. You can use NSFW examples in your application though; the mods are all over 18.

Be polite to people in the zine, to mods, to customers. Ship hate will not be tolerated. This is a positive space safe for everyone, regardless of ship. Leave your weapons at the door. Anyone found to be blatantly harassing other members of the fandom, especially regarding ships, will be removed from the zine.

Applications

Applications will all be done blind.  This is to avoid any bias during the application process.

Artwork links must not be to your portfolio and must be free of any legible signature or watermark that identifies you as the creator as relates to your application.  (For example, initials, hidden/blended signatures, or a name that is not connected to your blog are all fine.  For examples of signatures that are fine as is, check out x, x, x; for examples of signatures that would disqualify, check out x, x, x.  Also, check out all of this beautiful art because it’s amazing!)

Each fic sample should be roughly 3k or shorter.  Submitted fic must be in google docs or another format without your name attached.

If you are concerned about art theft, we encourage you to include some sort of watermark on your work that is not directly identifiable as your name/handle.  (If nothing else, a semi-transparent “This work was stolen” watermark across your work” is fine, as long as we are able to view your work.)

You may use any host of your choosing (tinypic, tumblr, google drive), provided we will not be able to identify you as the creator when we open it (i.e. deviantArt, Tumblr).  We will not save your work at any point from the sent files.

Our applications will ask for your social media, but don’t worry about us being able to identify you via that information!  When we review, we assign each application a number, then copy over only the number and the three linked works to a blank spreadsheet.

For more information on why we chose to use blind apps, please see this post. While Getti, the head mod of Prism, is not involved in Seaborne, it is this post that inspired her use of blind apps.  The zine linked also has a tag with common questions about blind apps, if you would like to review!

A thank-you to Seaborne: a Voltron Merfolk Zine and The Shape of Sheith for letting us borrow these rules and format!

[inky-thoughts]

hi! i was wondering, do u perhaps have any tips on what to pay attention to when applying for a zine instead of making one?

I actually planned to cover that a bit during a later post in the series where I also wanted to talk a bit about zine etiquette for contributors, but I definitely can give you some pointers already (also I love to procrastinate, soooooo this ask is more than welcome haha)

THIS GOT REALLY OUT OF HAND SO THERE’S A READ MORE NOW ^^;

First of all, find a zine for something that you actually feel passionate enough about so that you want to create for it. You don’t want to create something for something you actually hate. Zines are supposed to be fandom fun with this feeling of professionalism, not something you absolutely need to drag yourself to work on.

I also wouldn’t apply to too many at once, especially with similar/overlapping schedules. 2-3 is reasonable if you have a life outside of the arts, like a job or school, but if you’ve got both going on, maybe reduce it to a max. of 2 at a time. If you’re basically freelancing and the zines would be your next projects, apply to as many as you actually know you can handle. Always assume you get into all of them, and plan accordingly. If you don’t get in - more time for other stuff. But especially from the perspective of a zine mod, don’t take on too many if you can’t handle it.

Always, always, ALWAYS pay attention to the zine’s schedule. Check before you even open the tab for the application that you actually got time for the zine. Always be as pessimistic as possible (but still realistically so) because you never know when you’ll be in an art/writing block. If especially final drafts are due around major deadlines from school/uni/anything else important to your life, do yourself a favour and opt out of this zine. You’ll be endlessly stressed and the mods don’t know what to do with you.If you decide on applying to the zine and got in, write down all deadlines in your calendar of choice (I actually have two different calendars so I mark that in both), and if you know yourself as that person who is really forgetful about deadlines, please do everyone a favour and put yourself reminders on what works best for you (alarms, countdowns, reminders via phone, sticky notes in your room, etc.)

Check if you meet all of the zine applicant’s requirements, and if not all, can you work on them so you fit in time before applications close? It’s not worth getting your hopes up if you end up not even being able to participate because they look for certain people.

I would also always check out the zine’s mods/admins and what kind of reputation they have. If they aren’t publicly mentioned anywhere on the zine’s blog/whathaveyou, I would rather evade the zine.Same goes for any weird feeling you get, be it through the language they use (e.g. unprofessional tonality like My Immortal/2000s chat language seems like the mods don’t take it seriously enough unless it is actually the zine’s theme, the use of slurs or inappropriate/rude statements), or appearance of the blog/twitter account, … I personally also would steer around people who are self-acclaimed “antis” even if they support your OTP, this still can get ugly as the atmosphere might be tense/not very welcoming, or even downright hostile.Remember that if you participate, you will be associated with the zine and the zine with you.If it is not a free downloadable zine, what happens with the earned money? If they don’t state anything about it, it really looks shady. Same goes for a claimed Charity Zine where you can’t access any information to which organisation(s) they want to donate.

Here and here are some other really prominent red flags of how to spot possible scammers.

If you are just starting out with zines, it might be wise to rather look for smaller ones and see what comes out of it. An all-applicants-get-in zine is hard to find nowadays I believe, but is still a good opportunity to just get to know deadlines with creative works in a larger project.

Always tell in advance that you (possibly) can’t make a deadline if you got into a zine. Running after people 24/7 is exhausting and annoying and definitely triggers the will to strangle someone much more than you sending a small e-mail with “I’m sorry but I can’t make the deadline because [I’m sick/my dog died/my exams are more stressful than expected/I have to cover for a coworker/we have a big family celebration/…], can I please get an extension (of XX days)?” - please for God’s sake don’t be embarrassed or even scared to tell such things, it happens but it’s always better to know such things a few days or even a day in advance instead of … a week after the deadline actually was supposed to happen. I promise you, bascially all of the mods are very understanding and definitely will help you figure out a solution.

Be kind to other participants and try to get to know them a little better. Fan projects are such a great way to make new friends and actually find people to collaborate with as well, additionally everyone benefits from a good atmosphere on the team. The great thing about most zines having discord channels nowadays is that you can actually communicate with other participants instead of mainly just the mods. Also, if you happen to check out the other contributors you might find several hidden gems of artists/writers!

A bit on portfolios:

Depending a bit on the zine, it always is better for you to have a small compilation of fanworks that actually deal with the zine’s characters/the source material, even if it’s just a more detailed/polished sketch or a slightly longer drabble (between 500 and 1000 words). If it isn’t already required in the application form, it at least shows interest in the source material and the zine itself.

As an artist, have actually polished pieces with (preferrably full-body) characters and real backgrounds (physically interacting characters are always great btw). Think about what you enjoy about zine pieces yourself - you usually don’t discover everything at the first sight, or they just downright awe you so it’s actually worth it to look through the zine once more. Show pieces that are of the same quality because you want to get into a zine. If you apply as a merch artist, also have at least one or two pieces that show a style suited for the merch you apply for.

As a writer, it is good to have at least one solid one-shot between 1-5k words. Mods want to know how you deal with the rather small wordcount that is typical for zines. I really would recommend especially writers to have at least one piece from the source material the zine’s about.

Also, I wouldn’t include anything that is older than max. 3 years, however good and awesome it is. Whether you are an artist or a writer, I will guarantee you that you won’t create works the same way as you did back then. At some point, it’s just dated and you’ll have to say goodbye for good.Mods want to know what they can expect from your zine piece, so it’s also better to have a good average than an outstanding outlier that you are highly unlikely to ever recreate. Show what you usually do with a little bit of extra sprinkles of what they might get, as it is a zine entry.If you have already participated in zines, maybe include one of these pieces, that way they know you have ~experience~ and it gives them more realistic expectations.

Be honest with yourself: Are you actually ready to be in a zine, and is your art of choice, too? If your skill-level barely goes beyond middle-school art class/creative writing, and/or you don’t really have a portfolio to actually show people, maybe hone your skills a bit more as you create more pieces and challenge yourself.

I hate to be that person but I think especially artists are over-eager and just apply whether or not they are even skilled enough. I can guarantee you that just a poorly executed headshot of a character isn’t even close to enough to get into 99% of the zines out there, same goes for conveniently hiding hands behind the character’s back or other strategically placed objects. Know your skill-level, and know when it’s actually realistic to go semi-professional with it, because even if it is about a fun fan experience, mods also want to present a solid product in the end. This is not to discourage you but more as a sisterly advice because when I looked through the apps of our zine, I saw applications on a level where I would have never even dreamt of participating in a zine when I was at that stage.

That became more than expected (and sorry for the little rant at the end) - I hope that was somewhat helpful and what you had in mind, nonnie

[aftgcalendar]

Hi everyone!

A month ago (Jan. 20th), we posted a survey to assess the reasons this project didn’t sell well and the level of interest for future fanprojects within the TFC fandom.

Thank you to all the 36 people who took the time to answer the survey, and here are the results!

In short...

--- The main reasons indicated for not purchasing the calendar were:

Not interested (40%) - in general, in the theme, in the artist line-up (the sad reality of fandom marketing), etc.

Didn’t have the money (31%)

Would have preferred a physical copy (17%)

Not enough payment options* (12%)

*At that moment, Paypal was the only payment option available. Stripe and credit card payments were made available after the start of the survey.

--- As for the fandom’s general interest in future fanzines:

27 people said that they didn’t think there were too many fanzines in the fandom and would be ready to buy more. 

However, 3 reckon that there are too many, and a couple more indicated that there seemed to be a general fatigue in the fandom. 

--- General lessons to be learned from this experience:

Physical copies of your zines are always a plus

Multiple payment options should be offered

You can find more detailed results under the cut.

To finish, even if we didn’t sell as well as we were hoping for (though every cent counts in this fight and we did collect a bunch of them :D), creating this calendar was still a lot of fun and we are very proud of it!

A big thank you to everyone who supported us, and a special shout out to the ones who sent us lovely and encouraging messages! <3 

And even if we might not be organizing anymore TFC projects, be assured that we will be supporting any new initiative any of you may have!!

- The AFTG Calendar team, @cielly-art & @kitshunette

/!\ Please note that all questions were optional, and one person could check multiple answers. /!\

Q1 : Why didn’t you purchase the calendar?

To this question:

14 said they weren’t interested* (40%)

11 said they didn’t have the money (31%)

6 said they would have preferred a physical copy (17%)

4 said that there were not enough payment options** (12%)

* When stated, the reasons of the lack of interest mainly revolved around the fantasy theme and the artists line-up, which are two things we’d like to address here:

If you were wondering how the theme was chosen, it was voted among the contributors: the 3 options offered were “Fantasy”, “Olympics” and “Sci-Fi” (they came out in that order).

About the critics over the artist line-up : although it is indeed the ruthless reality of marketing that offering a line-up made up entirely of Big Names would have helped the sales, it is however our deep belief that fanzines should also feature works from lesser known creators and help them reach a wider audience. It doesn’t invalidate the arguments of the ones who answered this, nor does it make them bad people (as it was only honest and reflects reality, no matter how unfair and sad it is). One may agree or disagree, but it is a concept we believe in and we definitely don’t regret it. Every artist put time, effort and heart in their work, and the art produced were amazing. And yes, this is digressing into an official love letter to our awesome contributors, YOU ALL ROCK AND WE LOVE YOU.

** Paypal was the only payment option available at the start of the survey, as we had selected the “direct payment” option on itch.io. After this issue was pointed out to us, we switched to the “collected by itch” option, which allows for more payment options but is also less reactive for proceeds collecting.

Q2 : Why didn’t you reblog the sales post?

To this question:

5 said they didn’t think it’d make a difference (38%)

4 said they weren’t interested enough to reblog (31%)

3 said they never reblog fanzines posts (23%)

1 said that they just didn’t want to (8%)

To the ones who chose the first answer, please never start from the principle that what you do won’t make any difference (in this context and, really, in any context)!

Without going into the details of how even the smallest gesture can matter a lot in all kinds of fields (online or in real life), a reblog on tumblr dot com means that your action may bring a piece of information to someone who would be interested in it, and has the means to purchase the advertised product (be it fanzines, or commissions, or anything one is selling). 

Maybe it indeed won’t have any concrete effect (we don’t live in a perfect world). But really, nobody will trace the effects of your reblogs and come and point at you and scowl if your action was not followed by concrete beneficial consequences. If you kinda want to reblog the thing, slam that reblog button! It is one of the rare things where only good things can come out from it!

Q3 : What could have helped convince you to buy?

To this question:

6 said a physical copy (43%)

3 said more payment options (22%)

2 said a more general / different theme* (14%)

2 said if there were more popular artists in it* (14%)

1 said if it were a different format (not a calendar) (7%)

*See Q1 above.

Q4 : If you purchase fanzines, which statements do you agree the more with?

To this question:

16 said that they prefer charity over for-profits zines (30%)

14 said that the content is more important to them than the charity its supports (26%)

13 said that they buy all zines that interest them, no matter where the money goes (25%)

5 said they can make an effort if it is for charity (9%)

2 said the charity the zine supports plays a big part in their decision to purchase (4%)

2 said they barely look at where the money goes (4%)

1 said that they purchase fanzines more to support the fancreators and encourage them to keep going than for the charities (2%)

Q5 : Are there too many fanzines in the TFC fandom?

To this question:

27 said NO (84%)

3 said YES (10%)

2 said that there is an OK amount (6%)

Q6 : Would you still be interested to purchase other TFC fanzines?

To this question:

27 said Yes! (75%)

8 said Maybe? (22%)

1 said Yes, but only if it fulfills certain conditions (3%)

[squarecarousel]

Interview with Sayada Ramdial

We’re back at it again with interviews, this time with the wonderful Sayada! Her illustrations are full of personality and color-- traits that dance beautifully together as the artist reliably captures her subject. It doesn’t matter what the concept or topic is, because a client would always be able to trust that Sayada can execute and personify anything. This trait also makes her an invaluable contributor to Square Carousel, since our challenges can vary wildly from month to month. And she has some very wise words, to-boot, so keep reading below for more!

An untitled editorial piece Q: Looking through your portfolio of work, I feel like you could successfully illustrate just about any subject I could possibly conjure! Food, people, houses, forests, animals, fantastic or imaginary things... you have a strong grasp on all of it. Was it a conscious choice, to be so versatile? And how do you manage to keep it all cohesive?  A: Thanks so much, that's so sweet! No, I wouldn't say it was a conscious choice, it just comes out of necessity. If I need to draw something, I'll usually figure out how to do it rather than figure out how to avoid drawing the thing that may be challenging. As for keeping it cohesive, I'm not really sure! All I can consciously do is stick to the same brushes and color palette as the rest of the body of work it belongs to. I feel like 'style' is just the accent your hand speaks with when translating what's in your brain.  Q: I absolutely love that metaphor! It rings very true for me, too. Now, explain your process for us, from start to finish.  A: If it's for a specific assignment, I'll read through the brief or any of the materials given, and highlight the parts I think are important or that I may want to pull from when illustrating. Then I'll start thumbnailing for each of the illustrations, looking up reference as needed. Then I'll send thumbnails to the client to see if they have a preference or notes, after which I'll do a larger sketch per illustration and send that off for approval. Then the fun part- inking and coloring digitally in Photoshop! I do inks first, then flat colors, then shadows on another layer, then any other details like highlights and texture on other layers. Once the finished artwork's approved, the process is complete! 

"Into the Jungle”  Q: I see that you also enjoy making repeat patterns. Do you carry the same methods and concept over to this type of work, as well?  A: With repeat patterns, it's a lot less structured since the composition is more nebulous. I never really do thumbnails or even sketches when I do my patterns (probably because it's all been personal projects). If it's in Photoshop, I'll illustrate the objects and then copy and flatten them, so that I can move around the elements and place them in ways that work visually and make for a good and seamless repeat. In Illustrator, it's a similar process, but with groupings instead of flattened image elements. 

“Bananarama”  Q: Tell me about your dream job.  A: I would love to do illustrations for food packaging. Fancy delicious chocolate companies- hit me up and include a lifetime's supply of your product in the contract please! 

“Camembert Wedge with Apple and Sesame Crackers”  Q: What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?  A:  Some general advice that I've seen that I fully agree with: Foster relationships with your peers and support each other. Because trying to be friends with your heroes, or stoking jealousy of others' successes? That's just a waste of time. Build your own community and uplift each other as you all become more successful. Some less general advice: Avoid accidental tangents. 

“Green Honeycreeper on Acerola Branch” Q: I feel like that advice is so relevant today, in the world of Instagram celebrity and constant comparison. I’m so glad to have you as a peer, Sayada! Does your life and history influence any of your selected subject matter? If so, how?  A: I think for any artist this is unavoidable, whether it's intentional or not. For me, being a Caribbean woman I think has definitely influenced my aesthetic. I love using vibrant colors, drawing a variety of people instead of sticking mostly to a certain race or body type, and drawing nature, all of which I can trace directly to the environment that formed me.  Q: What do you enjoy most about being an illustrator?  A: Aside from being able to draw for a living, the flexible schedule is often a great thing. 

Sayada’s workspace  Q: What's your recent reading list look like?  A: The GAG Handbook and embarrassingly little else. The last books I read though, was Binti, as well as the Hilda and the Troll- both of which I recommend!  Q: If you had to choose between the ability to time travel or teleportation, which would you choose and why?  A: Teleportation, 100%! I live too far away from too many loved ones. I'd love to be able to visit everyone anytime I want, and without having to deal with airports too! I think time travel would be too risky in many ways. (I'm boring.)  Q: Cats or dogs?  A: I'm a Dog Person™, but I do love my roommate's cat too. 

Sayada herself!  Q: Anything else you would like the readers to know?  A: I've been extremely lucky to be where I am today. Even if I still haven't “made it”, the fact that I'm still able to pursue this career path is a privilege for which I'll always be grateful. Also, if you're an art director, Hi, I'm available for work! You heard the woman! If you’re looking for the perfect illustrator to hire (or just appreciate excellent artwork) check out her portfolio here.

[aygozineproduction]

Replying to Concerns From the Interest Check For Heart & Soul: A YGO Signature Card Zine

(As of 09/13/20)

I’m just hoping that instead of just focusing on the main protagonists and their main Rivals [...] the other supporting characters need some love too. Also if it’s too heavy of one series, it might seem a bit like the other series don’t matter much. I say this part cuz the other issue with some ygo zines is that there’s so much focus on the original series (nothing bad with it but like I said there are others)

Thank you for bringing this up! To those with this kind of concern, the first thing to understand is that zines produce what both contributors and supporters are willing to make of it. Whether a zine, like one for YGO, becomes heavily one-sided towards a specific series, theme, and/or characters is heavily dependent on (1) whether or not it actually gets enough general attention to run, (2) the kind of responses it gets during the interest check stage, and (3) the kind of people who apply for a position in the zine. That is why it is very important that zine interest checks are answered and shared so that it can reach and account for a wider audience.

We would love to put the spotlight on other characters besides the main characters and rivals, but if the only people who apply/show interest for this zine only want to do pieces on those characters and they’re the only ones answering and sharing the interest check, then that’s how the zine will most likely go. Sometimes, passive interest isn’t enough to push a zine. There could always be a content creator who would love to do a piece for a minor or obscure character/series but only if they know about this zine in the first place.

Again, thank you for bringing this up! Remember if you want a zine to work out well and in a direction you would like, answer and share interest checks. That’s the best way to create clear communication with the zine creators.

.

Please keep the zine SFW

The info doc has been updated to state that “This zine is rated PG-13 and gen.” There has never been any intentions for this particular zine to be NSFW.

.

.

.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t be shy with sending an ask!

Note: There is still two more weeks (until 09/26/20) to respond to and share the interest check!

INTEREST CHECK

INFO DOCUMENT

[wineanddinosaur]

With 1,000 Breweries and Counting, ‘Black is Beautiful’ Shows Strength in Numbers — But It Doesn’t Replace Long-Term Action

In June, in San Antonio, Texas, Weathered Souls Brewing Co. launched Black is Beautiful, a beer collaboration and campaign with a mission to “bridge the gap” and “provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.” In three months, the initiative has nearly 1,200 participating breweries on board in 50 states and 21 countries. It’s one of the fastest-growing craft beer collaborations to date to raise awareness of the injustices that Black, Indigenous, and people of color face every day.

Participating breweries commit to creating a tasty stout beer, and agree to donate the proceeds from the sale of the beer to organizations that support equity and inclusion and police brutality reform. Unlike collaborations such as Sierra Nevada’s Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, which raised funds for communities impacted by the most destructive wildfire in California history, there’s more to participation than a one-time donation. Breweries must commit to long-term equity work, whether in their local communities or within their own breweries. Or at least, they’re expected to.

While the response to Black is Beautiful has been overwhelmingly positive, it has left some industry members wondering whether this initiative and others like it will help the communities they claim they are supporting.

Black is Beautiful: A Catalyst for Change

In addition to the many participating breweries around the world, the fanfare around Black is Beautiful has inspired support that far surpasses the beer itself. From branded glassware, virtual 5K runs, beer trading groups, and more, the beer collaboration that centers on supporting social justice causes and ending police brutality has been received with much excitement. Marcus Baskerville, co-founder of Weathered Souls Brewing Co., has been blown away by the response. “When I started the idea, I figured that there might have been 100 people in all this. The fact that we actually reached 1,000 is a very humbling experience,” he says.

Some breweries have implemented programs that ensure ongoing support beyond their monetary donations. For Baskerville, there are many paths for long-term support. He says some breweries have started internships, such as Carton Brewing, and DaleView Biscuits & Beer, offering education and experience to BIPOC; and that the Texas Craft Brewers Guild reached out to him about efforts to form a Diversity Committee. “At the end of the day, the beer itself is just a conversation piece, and the important stuff is what happens after,” Baskerville says.

One brewery committing to long-term effort is Second Chance Beer Co. in San Diego, which announced early in the initiative that its Black is Beautiful release would be an annual event. Proceeds from each bottle will go to the local chapter of the ACLU. Virginia Morrison, co-founder of Second Chance Beer Co., says that she’s a firm believer in change coming from within. “Racism is institutional, it’s educational, it’s historical,” she says. “There’s so much, it’s so pervasive. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon. So that’s why this is going to be an annual commitment to us, because this needs to stay top of mind.”

Second Chance has applied to be a member of the ACLU of San Diego to facilitate a longer-term connection. Morrison also says she’s connected with local organizations that help formerly incarcerated individuals find employment, and that Second Chance has started a blind recruitment process in their hiring. “I’m working to make sure that it’s feasible for us to do, and really gets us to the goal of eliminating unconscious bias. Change from within, that’s also us,” Morrison says.

In an email to Black is Beautiful participants, Baskerville recently acknowledged supporters for their accomplishments in only three months of the collaboration, and that there’s much more to come. “We are making HISTORY people, and it’s a very humbling experience to be a part of it,” he wrote. “Every single one of you are making a difference for your communities.”

Problematic participation

While participation in Black is Beautiful is open to everyone, it has also attracted breweries that have track records of not supporting the Black community. The most glaring example is Founders Brewing Co., which was embroiled in a scandal and racial discrimination lawsuit starting in 2018.

Toni Boyce, an engineer, writer, and Certified Cicerone partnered with Fermentum PR on the webinar “Making A Statement” to educate breweries and other businesses in the craft beer industry on crafting authentic messages and how to communicate around sensitive social issues. In the webinar, Boyce raised concerns about problematic participation in social justice movements or working with marginalized communities when there has been a history of harm. (Disclosure: Toni Boyce is also a VinePair contributor.)

Speaking with VinePair, Boyce shared that there should be a more selective process for brewery participation in Black is Beautiful, and that Founders should not have taken up space in the conversation. “They should have sat this one out, in my opinion; they have too much of a longstanding history,” Boyce says. “This would have been a time to reflect, have your reckoning, and do some internal work rather than push yourself in the spotlight.”

Regarding Founders participation, Baskerville spoke directly with representatives of the brewery before their signing on. He took the opportunity to air his grievances about their past behaviors, and sees this participation in Black is Beautiful as a way for Founders to correct that harm, allowing them to participate. Baskerville says that while he knows he needs to keep an eye on breweries such as Founders, the craft beer community needs to make space for organizations to change. “If we get rid of everybody who wants to be an ally, then what are we going to have left? So until they show me differently, we’re gonna appreciate the participation and the help,” he says.

Boyce refers to Founders’ participation as “cognitive dissonance” and adds that just making a beer does not erase consistent harm they have caused. “That’s too much for me to reconcile, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way,” Boyce says. “You have to be willing to address those things, and none of those people have owned up to what they did.” Along with Boyce, many fear there may be issues with breweries following through on donation commitments, recalling that Sierra Nevada had issues receiving proceeds from Resilience Butte County Proud IPA. While the beer had raised millions of dollars, the brewery had not received half of the proceeds from participating breweries six months after the collaboration.

Baskerville recently reached out to participating breweries to remind them of the commitments to the collaboration, and distributed a survey to capture information such as beer release dates and donation amounts. While dollar amounts that breweries donated weren’t tracked initially, and Baskerville at first requested that a portion of proceeds go to fund racial injustice, Weathered Souls has since expanded to asking that 100 percent be donated to these causes. Weathered Souls is donating to the Know Your Rights Camp, and breweries can choose an organization local to them or one that is national.

‘This is not a one-time event.’

Boyce believes that successful brewery participation starts with how a beer collaboration is organized. “You have to set clear parameters and vet the people who are going to participate and be listed on your website as participants,” Boyce says. This creates more accountability, something Boyce believes is especially necessary to the Black is Beautiful mission. “This is not like a fire that just happened, and we need to get these folks back to normal and get them new homes and places to stay, [to] rebuild things and move on,” Boyce says. “This is not a one-time event.”

Black is Beautiful does not have a hard end date. “We know that inequality and racism aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon,” Baskerville says. “So, it’s more of a get it in where you can fit it in. We know people plan their production schedules out months ahead of time. If you can fit it in six months from now, and that’s when you can participate in this initiative, then please do.”

Baskerville knows that combating social justice and police brutality cannot be done in a short time period, and he invites more breweries to join in on the effort. The efforts around the Black is Beautiful collaboration have created a lot of momentum and sparked many conversations around racism, police brutality, and inclusion inside and out of the craft beer industry. Collaborations with a social justice component require conscious participation, with an understanding that the benefit is more than just brewing a beer and selling it.

The work does not end when the check is sent, but when participating communities honor their commitments to long-term equity and inclusion in their breweries, their local communities, and in the broader craft beer industry. Actions speak louder than words, or louder than the beer they produce. Those who don’t embrace the requirements to participate and take a stand as allies show that their efforts are just transactional.

The article With 1,000 Breweries and Counting, ‘Black is Beautiful’ Shows Strength in Numbers — But It Doesn’t Replace Long-Term Action appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/black-is-beautiful/

[isaiahrippinus]

With 1,000 Breweries and Counting, ‘Black is Beautiful’ Shows Strength in Numbers — But It Doesn’t Replace Long-Term Action

In June, in San Antonio, Texas, Weathered Souls Brewing Co. launched Black is Beautiful, a beer collaboration and campaign with a mission to “bridge the gap” and “provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color.” In three months, the initiative has nearly 1,200 participating breweries on board in 50 states and 21 countries. It’s one of the fastest-growing craft beer collaborations to date to raise awareness of the injustices that Black, Indigenous, and people of color face every day.

Participating breweries commit to creating a tasty stout beer, and agree to donate the proceeds from the sale of the beer to organizations that support equity and inclusion and police brutality reform. Unlike collaborations such as Sierra Nevada’s Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, which raised funds for communities impacted by the most destructive wildfire in California history, there’s more to participation than a one-time donation. Breweries must commit to long-term equity work, whether in their local communities or within their own breweries. Or at least, they’re expected to.

While the response to Black is Beautiful has been overwhelmingly positive, it has left some industry members wondering whether this initiative and others like it will help the communities they claim they are supporting.

Black is Beautiful: A Catalyst for Change

In addition to the many participating breweries around the world, the fanfare around Black is Beautiful has inspired support that far surpasses the beer itself. From branded glassware, virtual 5K runs, beer trading groups, and more, the beer collaboration that centers on supporting social justice causes and ending police brutality has been received with much excitement. Marcus Baskerville, co-founder of Weathered Souls Brewing Co., has been blown away by the response. “When I started the idea, I figured that there might have been 100 people in all this. The fact that we actually reached 1,000 is a very humbling experience,” he says.

Some breweries have implemented programs that ensure ongoing support beyond their monetary donations. For Baskerville, there are many paths for long-term support. He says some breweries have started internships, such as Carton Brewing, and DaleView Biscuits & Beer, offering education and experience to BIPOC; and that the Texas Craft Brewers Guild reached out to him about efforts to form a Diversity Committee. “At the end of the day, the beer itself is just a conversation piece, and the important stuff is what happens after,” Baskerville says.

One brewery committing to long-term effort is Second Chance Beer Co. in San Diego, which announced early in the initiative that its Black is Beautiful release would be an annual event. Proceeds from each bottle will go to the local chapter of the ACLU. Virginia Morrison, co-founder of Second Chance Beer Co., says that she’s a firm believer in change coming from within. “Racism is institutional, it’s educational, it’s historical,” she says. “There’s so much, it’s so pervasive. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon. So that’s why this is going to be an annual commitment to us, because this needs to stay top of mind.”

Second Chance has applied to be a member of the ACLU of San Diego to facilitate a longer-term connection. Morrison also says she’s connected with local organizations that help formerly incarcerated individuals find employment, and that Second Chance has started a blind recruitment process in their hiring. “I’m working to make sure that it’s feasible for us to do, and really gets us to the goal of eliminating unconscious bias. Change from within, that’s also us,” Morrison says.

In an email to Black is Beautiful participants, Baskerville recently acknowledged supporters for their accomplishments in only three months of the collaboration, and that there’s much more to come. “We are making HISTORY people, and it’s a very humbling experience to be a part of it,” he wrote. “Every single one of you are making a difference for your communities.”

Problematic participation

While participation in Black is Beautiful is open to everyone, it has also attracted breweries that have track records of not supporting the Black community. The most glaring example is Founders Brewing Co., which was embroiled in a scandal and racial discrimination lawsuit starting in 2018.

Toni Boyce, an engineer, writer, and Certified Cicerone partnered with Fermentum PR on the webinar “Making A Statement” to educate breweries and other businesses in the craft beer industry on crafting authentic messages and how to communicate around sensitive social issues. In the webinar, Boyce raised concerns about problematic participation in social justice movements or working with marginalized communities when there has been a history of harm. (Disclosure: Toni Boyce is also a VinePair contributor.)

Speaking with VinePair, Boyce shared that there should be a more selective process for brewery participation in Black is Beautiful, and that Founders should not have taken up space in the conversation. “They should have sat this one out, in my opinion; they have too much of a longstanding history,” Boyce says. “This would have been a time to reflect, have your reckoning, and do some internal work rather than push yourself in the spotlight.”

Regarding Founders participation, Baskerville spoke directly with representatives of the brewery before their signing on. He took the opportunity to air his grievances about their past behaviors, and sees this participation in Black is Beautiful as a way for Founders to correct that harm, allowing them to participate. Baskerville says that while he knows he needs to keep an eye on breweries such as Founders, the craft beer community needs to make space for organizations to change. “If we get rid of everybody who wants to be an ally, then what are we going to have left? So until they show me differently, we’re gonna appreciate the participation and the help,” he says.

Boyce refers to Founders’ participation as “cognitive dissonance” and adds that just making a beer does not erase consistent harm they have caused. “That’s too much for me to reconcile, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way,” Boyce says. “You have to be willing to address those things, and none of those people have owned up to what they did.” Along with Boyce, many fear there may be issues with breweries following through on donation commitments, recalling that Sierra Nevada had issues receiving proceeds from Resilience Butte County Proud IPA. While the beer had raised millions of dollars, the brewery had not received half of the proceeds from participating breweries six months after the collaboration.

Baskerville recently reached out to participating breweries to remind them of the commitments to the collaboration, and distributed a survey to capture information such as beer release dates and donation amounts. While dollar amounts that breweries donated weren’t tracked initially, and Baskerville at first requested that a portion of proceeds go to fund racial injustice, Weathered Souls has since expanded to asking that 100 percent be donated to these causes. Weathered Souls is donating to the Know Your Rights Camp, and breweries can choose an organization local to them or one that is national.

‘This is not a one-time event.’

Boyce believes that successful brewery participation starts with how a beer collaboration is organized. “You have to set clear parameters and vet the people who are going to participate and be listed on your website as participants,” Boyce says. This creates more accountability, something Boyce believes is especially necessary to the Black is Beautiful mission. “This is not like a fire that just happened, and we need to get these folks back to normal and get them new homes and places to stay, [to] rebuild things and move on,” Boyce says. “This is not a one-time event.”

Black is Beautiful does not have a hard end date. “We know that inequality and racism aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon,” Baskerville says. “So, it’s more of a get it in where you can fit it in. We know people plan their production schedules out months ahead of time. If you can fit it in six months from now, and that’s when you can participate in this initiative, then please do.”

Baskerville knows that combating social justice and police brutality cannot be done in a short time period, and he invites more breweries to join in on the effort. The efforts around the Black is Beautiful collaboration have created a lot of momentum and sparked many conversations around racism, police brutality, and inclusion inside and out of the craft beer industry. Collaborations with a social justice component require conscious participation, with an understanding that the benefit is more than just brewing a beer and selling it.

The work does not end when the check is sent, but when participating communities honor their commitments to long-term equity and inclusion in their breweries, their local communities, and in the broader craft beer industry. Actions speak louder than words, or louder than the beer they produce. Those who don’t embrace the requirements to participate and take a stand as allies show that their efforts are just transactional.

The article With 1,000 Breweries and Counting, ‘Black is Beautiful’ Shows Strength in Numbers — But It Doesn’t Replace Long-Term Action appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/black-is-beautiful/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/628161664204881920