#Izzy hands zine

[rimbaudofficial]

hey if you’d like to contribute to a zine about Izzy Hands and gender (contributors of all genders welcome), email izzyhandsgender@gmail.com

doesn’t need to be a finished product — an idea or two works!

[ilikepears85]

Now the exclusivity period for the @izzyhandszines has ended I can show you my submission.

This is a mixed media painting and collage with what has become Izzy’s catchphrase and the spade tattoo on his left hand.

Sailors believed being tattooed with a spade would mean they were more likely to die and be buried at sea which aligns with Izzy’s belief that the only retirement pirates get is death.

There’s a popular headcanon in the OFMD fandom that Izzy is a trans man, Con never stops showing his support for the trans community and trans fans whether he’s calling for people to vote out the transphobic Tories, wearing trans pride T-shirts to conventions or affirming fans gender identity.

[hotdiggitydollie]

So proud to contribute these two pieces to @izzyhandszines supporting Mermaids UK.

[ayashitetsuko]

Izzy the Hierophant: The Major Arcana that reminds us to get back to work

As a tarot student, I am fascinated by the interpretations made by fellow tarot enthusiasts in the Our Flag Means Death (OFMD) fandom, on which Major Arcana card best represents Izzy Hands. Popular fanmade decks such as The Cat Bandit Tarot by artist Jennie Planet see him as The Devil—a force that keeps the lovers apart—and Judgement—beating Ed down when he was already at his worst. Valid as they are, these interpretations see Izzy as a negative influence, but I like to offer an alternative take. 

I see Izzy’s energy and role in the canon (and eventually, in my personal life as the viewer) as the Hierophant. An energy often found uninspiring, but when used correctly, it can help people make their dreams come true. 

In her book The Holistic Tarot (2015, North Atlantic Books), tarot master Benebell Wen uses Tradition, Conventionalism, and Institutionalism as the keywords that explain the Hierophant card.

“The Hierophant is a holy man, an important figure in his society … People rely on him to be a channel between heaven and earth. In a reading, the card typically indicates a desire to follow conventions and norms, a traditionalist—one who holds traditional values,�� she writes. 

The Hierophant is often seen as the card that calls for querents to be conservative. Instead of thinking outside the box, it expects them to open the manuals and follow the instructions. When discussing making our dreams come true, the Hierophant energy is often seen as an obstacle—curbing creativity and exploration in favour of traditions. 

We did see these traits displayed by Izzy in various scenes, such as in Episode 4 when he demanded Ed to come up with a defensive plan after they noticed a Spanish ship coming their way or when he threatened to blackmail Lucius for … you know what he did.

While these scenes might cement Izzy’s role in the story as the Bad Guy, his role is also a reminder of the importance of maintaining a structure—even on a pirate ship. Because this structure, no matter how dull it is, enables us to function and create the impact we want in our personal and professional lives.

The Hierophant energy

The Hierophant card is known for having a restrictive–perhaps even oppressive–energy. In my early days as a tarot student, I tended to roll my eyes whenever it showed up. It was not the kind of nuance I wanted as a young person. But eventually, I learned how the Hierophant energy could positively impact one’s life when used wisely. Instead of preventing progress, it can help with it. 

As someone who works in the tech startup community, I regularly meet people driven to succeed. Buzzwords such as “innovation” and “disruption” are being thrown around lightly; everybody wants to be the next big thing that changes the world. Big ideas, even the most unrealistic ones, are cherished and encouraged.

But people are being brought back to Earth rather quickly in this industry. There are even statistics to prove it: Up to 95 per cent of startups fail simply because they cannot find product-market fit, according to various sources. In layman’s terms, they create products and services that nobody needs. This is why startups are commonly advised to implement rigorous market research and product testing to prove that their ideas work; to have the discipline to do more than just talk.

On an individual level, the Hierophant energy is one I tap into to achieve my goals. To be productive, I need to run my days smoothly. This means clearing my housekeeping tasks before leaving home, logging off social media during work hours, and ensuring I eat my vegetables to stay healthy. They are boring AF, but they provide me with a structure to keep the machine well-oiled.

When I look back on my life, all the times I managed to achieve and create something good for myself (and hopefully others) are when I stopped daydreaming and started implementing the Hierophant energy into my daily life. While it is important to explore new ideas, all of them will be pointless without the structure that ensures it is being developed properly. 

Now, back to Izzy

One might see Izzy as a traditional pirate who is resistant to change. I mean, what the fuck is even a retirement? It does not exist in this line of work. 

This context places Izzy as a counter to Stede Bonnet’s “fresh, groundbreaking” ideas about piracy. It is easy to see Izzy and his beliefs as outdated and needing disruption. But we must remember that piracy is a dangerous business. While pirates generally entered the business with a ready-to-die mindset, a structure that allows the crew to be functional and prepared to handle risks should be appreciated instead of being seen as a threat. 

This is especially more relevant in a situation where a leader struggles to function properly. Ed is a smart and gifted captain, but his short attention span and mood swings have made it hard for him to function on some days and for the crew to maintain their trust in him. His wit may have allowed them to survive another day, but will it be sustainable without a system to ensure that? What happens when he is having his moment? At the very least, they would need a plan.

This is a calling for us to look into our own lives and see: In which area do we need a first mate to yell and remind us to focus?

--

This article was first published in Above All Else: An Appreciation of Izzy Hands, a zine dedicated to Con O'Neill's Izzy Hands from Our Flag Means Death.

[steddyhandszine]

🦄 PREORDERS ♠ OPEN 🐙

Preorders are now open for our OFMD Steddyhands (Stede/Ed/Izzy) zine! We have a fantastic zine full of amazing art and fic, as well as a bunch of great merch!

What you can get:

Zine: Physical Zine - $19 Digital Zine - $9 Merch: Pin - $12 Charm - $10 Die-cut Stickers (2) - $5 Postcards (2) - $4 Washi Tape - $5 Bundles: Full Bundle - $39 Merch Bundle - $29 This zine contains mature content and you must be 18+ to purchase. By purchasing this zine, you acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or older.

Preorders will be open Jan 20 - Feb 29. All proceeds will be donated to Point of Pride, an international charity focused on providing trans healthcare.

GET YOUR HANDS STEADIED HERE

[neunhofferart]

"Do you wanna do something weird?"

Surprise, the full piece is a couple's outfit swap (with a bonus Izzy haha)!

This was done for @theartoffxckeryzine charity zine. I'm so proud of how much the zine has raised for so far!

You can still get your own copy until the 31st of December through their page, so grab it while you can!

[inventinglove]

It's here! Inventing Love - an Edizzy Zine ✨

Donate to the Palestinian Relief Funds linked on edizzyzine.carrd.co, forward your receipt to inventinglove@gmail.com and get some gorgeous Edizzy in your inbox 💜🖤

*contains SFW, NSFW & dead dove pieces. Mind the tags!

We're on sale until September 1st, so grab your copy through the month of August.

If you have already send your receipt, the zine should be in your inbox.

If you buy and not get the copy within 72 hours, please reach out again!

[beyondtheboundaryzine]

OUT NOW!!

It's here! Beyond the Boundary: a Speculative Fiction OFMD Zine.

The zine is available to download on Ao3

And on itch.io

So sit back, relax, and let our wonderful writers and artists take you somewhere… fantastic.

[rimbaudofficial]

prior to s2, I wanted to do a zine on Izzy Hands and fans' experiences of gender (with Izzy, in relation to Izzy, because of Izzy...)

here is a highly scientific poll to see if that would work in the nearish future, even though s2 happened.

[ilikepears85]

Another zine art piece for the Izzy Hands lives zine. 🦄 mixed media acrylic paint and collage on canvas.

You can get a copy of the zine here https://izzyhandsliveszine.carrd.co

[sungmee]

hey hey, stizzy nation, this is the last day to purchase the stizzy zine! there's lots of great art (i have two pieces in this zine) and fic and merch available for preorder! don't miss out, there's some great stuff, stede and izzy can tell you~

get your stizzy goods here

[ren-nolasco]

DIGITAL COPIES of "We Could be Family", an Our Flag Means Death zine are now available!!

This is my first ever solo zine, and a record of how important this crew was, IS, to me 🏴‍☠️ 38 pages of gay pirates.

Digital copies on BIG CARTEL | Physical copies at MY SHOP

[steddyhandszine]

🦄LEFTOVER🐙 SALES♠ OPEN🏴‍☠️

Miss out on preorders for our OFMD Steddyhands zine? We've still got limited quantities of all our physical products, as well as the digital zine available once more!

Physical zines are available in A, B, or C-grade; B and C-grade have minor damage to the covers.

And all merch items are still available individually!

Get your steddyhands goods while supplies last!

[inventinglove]

Sales close today! email your receipt in the next 24h to get your copy!

[beyondtheboundaryzine]

✨ Contributor spotlight! ✨

Check out a snippet of the piece that @erostheartist created!

[rimbaudofficial]

also share the email and concept as widely as you like!

hey if you’d like to contribute to a zine about Izzy Hands and gender (contributors of all genders welcome), email izzyhandsgender@gmail.com

doesn’t need to be a finished product — an idea or two works!