#This is my first time ever contributing to a zine!

[solstrix]

I am so pleased and excited to announce that I got to contribute to this year's edition of the Window to Worlds zine, "an art zine series showcasing original worlds, characters and stories." This piece will be featuring characters from my upcoming webcomic, Anastasia and Simon!

Keep an eye out for the zine's release on @windowtoworlds to see everyone's amazing contributions!

[valoisfulcanellideux]

Almost there!

(Of course this is the one I'm going to reblog. What did you expect? xD)

-3

[spiritshaydra]

AWWWWWWW YEEEAAAAAH BABYYYY!!

I CAN FINALLY POST MY PIECE FOR @bulkheadzine (pspsppspss you can find it here :)c )

Show everyone who contributed to this some love!

This is my first time joining a zine EVER and I wanna say that I had an absolute BLAST working on this project and that it was an honor to join. Honestly I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to actually pull this piece off because the last time I’ve drawn and completed a large art piece with more than two characters was a competition traditional art project from early 2020. 💀 which is,,, wild to think about.

This painting was so pOWERFUL that when I was halfway through rendering Bulkhead, my iPad started crashing 😀 so I had to spend two hours offloading art files out of fear that the file to this would get corrupted. So. That was fun.

Approximate Time Taken: 23hrs 9min

Total Brush Strokes Made: 19,974

Art Program: Procreate

Closeups down below!

[windydrawallday]

Roll a DICE to the RESCUE!

My (first) double-page contribution to @turbofox-zines 's TF Fanzine/Art Anthology: the RBA Zine, in all its glory!

Well, here is upscaled thrice so, I suggest everyone check the full monster of a piece by [Downloading it here] the whole booklet because there's so much precious art and writing (we even got a special guest story!) that deserves the support.

This illustration is extra special to me because it marks my first time working on a double page instead of my usual one-page piece. It's the first time I let my Graphic Designer knowledge take credit for the lettering, text, and graphic components to make this a full-functional board game (it works beautifully printed in an A3!).

The admins even let me contribute with the little character graphics to decorate the zine pages, something I was delighted about ♥

Now, as always I'll share my art process under the cut because a lot was going out during the journey to make this piece look as professional as you see it now. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did, thank you to all for the support ✨

I confess: I never EVER before illustrated a whole map in this art style x'D So I was glad this show already had shots from different perspectives of its setting. Still, not every place was visually consistent so this map is more of an approximation than a loyal representation of the canon.

I think the hardest part is to make something that looks good both with an without the board game path.

... I confess too that even if I'm obsessed to make things follow a certain logic, I struggled a ton with the perspective 💥

YEAH, IT MADE ME USE BLOCKS TO UNDERSTAND IT AAA

It was worth the effort: look at how it works printed! And this is without an illustration-suited paper.

OH! Before I go: this too marks my first time drawing the vehicle mode for TFs... THE TINNIEST VEHICLES EVER, you can download their respective files on the Merch Part of the Zine too!

They are so bite-sized, luff them!!!

[ascendancyzine]

Contributor Spotlight: Furiosophie!

ARTIST AND WRITER

Name: Furiosophie Tumblr: @furiosophie AO3: furiosophie twt: furiosophie

I watched star wars on a tiny flickering tv back when I was nine, immediately proceeded to write my first-ever fic instead of doing homework, now i'm here.

Favorite Ascendancy character? Lamiov & Bakif, but honestly also very fond of Samakro and ofc Borika <3

Favorite Star Wars book / tv show / movie? book: thrawn (2017), chaos rising show: rebels, andor movie: return of the jedi

Why (or what) are you contributing to the zine? i've always wanted to participate in a zine and the thought of getting to fill out more of the world zahn build in the ascendancy trilogy finally made me take the plunge! very excited to explore that part of the sw galaxy with so many lovely people :)

Fun Fact: the thrawn (2017) audiobook has somehow made it into my bedtime routine so i've probably "read" it about 20+ times by now 💀

[personne-writes]

A ROTTMNT contribution to the Turtles Together zine

Alternate realities

----- I'm very proud to present to you my poem for the @turtlestogetherzine! The physical copies have already all been sold in leftover sales, but you can still buy the digital bundle here if you'd like. I'd recommand reading it on AO3, but if you'd rather stay here, be my guest! -----

Four brothers hang out under the clouded moon, Basking in New York City’s noises and light. They talk and they laugh on a roof out of sight; It’s too late for duty – and for sleep, too soon. They may be teenagers but at their center Lay powers and forces that never tire,  Sparks of energy, everlasting fire –  Often at the service of quips and banter.  The Blue one gushes about a job well done, The smile of the Red one is nothing but proud, The Orange one wonders silly things out loud Of which Purple knows much, yet kindly says none. “If everything changed,” Orange suddenly asks,  “In another life, or place, or world, or time Would we keep our colors? Would we still wear masks? Would we still be ninja turtles fighting crime?” Red and Blue whistle and start theorizing Orange happily helps their ideas fuse But Purple falls silent. His pulse is rising.  Science is calling. Who is he to refuse?

Between dearest walls, he retreats with his tools In one hand a pen, in the other a cup Both needed for work – he doesn't make the rules. Hours become days, still the math won't add up. As he struggles hard to make equations fit Something starts nudging at the back of his mind.  He is close – to what? He cannot quite name it Then, in a split second, dimensions unbind. 

It feels like his thoughts Are now being shared.   He tries to reach out. Perhaps, if he dared –   

Contact. Confusion. New realities. Alternate versions. Other families.

He sees things that he doesn't remember Unknown memories blending together.

Echoes of voices, Tales ancient and new All of them are his; All of them are true.

His instincts kick in The gears start to spin Narrowing on – There! The thing they all share –

Struggle. Everywhere. Missions, miseries Mortal ennemies Pressure and anger Menace and danger

Every version of him Every version of them They all stand. They all bite. They all dread and they all fight.

And Purple flinches. Can this be their essence? Responsability over insouciance Honor and duty against opposition Sacrifice for all without recognition?

No. That can't be it. This isn't who they are, Their fate can't be written with tears shed so far. In his heart, he knows there must be something more; With a switch, e feels it, pulising at the core.

The bad and the good things flow from the same source And he shifts and pushes to swim up its course. It all comes from a place of fondness and care The urge to take risks, to protect and repair The sense of justice and the dedication All boundless affection in demonstration.

The feeling is strong. As he follows its trace, The fragments of truth at once click into place. There, clear as day, is the universal law: Accross dimensions, the Turtles don't withdraw.

Lightheaded, Purple comes back to his senses. His lab feels too small; he needs wider spaces. He goes to the kitchen – the pizza smells nice Watches his brothers fight over the last slice Leans in the doorway and finds himself staring. His soul is catching up; his heart is flaring.

The familiar shouts of loss and victory Help him se the fabric of reality. No matter the world, no matter the plots twists In every timeline, his family exists.

The rift between their universes is crossed; Everywhere, there are green heroes in the night There are masks and colors even when all's lost There are sparks and fire ever shining bright

Faith stronger than doubt, Trust louder than fear Hope warmer than drought Love closer than near.

------

Thanks for reading! This was my first experience being in a fanzine and I must say it was quite the first time. I'm still astonished at the sheer quality of each and every contribution, but also at the professionalism and efficiency of the mods, not to mention everyone's enthusiasm through the whole project! All my thanks again to the Turtles Together zine team for letting me in and my regards to all my fellow contributors out there, keep being awesome guys <3

[sky-kiss]

Orin: Test of Faith

A/n: Hello, all! This was my contribution to the @bg3womenswrongs zine! Preorders are closed, but I believe you can still make a donation if you'd like access. Otherwise, the zine will be posted for free March 8th! Shoutout to my buddy, @simplysolo, who did some stellar art for my silly little ficlet. Go check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~

Orin: Test of Faith

~~~~~~~~~~

Silence.  

The world does no more than blink at her bloodkin's passing. Orin takes a degree of savage delight in this—oh, Bhaah's beloved, Bhaal's heir, the favorite and the first…but their Dread Father does nothing to stop her blade from sinking into their stupid skull, scrambling gray matter. Bhaal says nothing, even as his flaming eyes stare down upon them, a glorious and grotesque tableau upon his altar. 

Orin casts her sibling down. Bhaal's faithful—even the Deathstalkers—fall in line behind her without a word. Myrkul's corpse-general says nothing. Bane's little lordling shrugs. "One murderer is as good as another. So long as you continue to play your part." She searches Gortash's face and finds…

…nothing. 

It is a song with no grand crescendo, a mummur’s play with no climax. Life goes on as ever, and the victory tastes hollow on her tongue.

She makes her sacrifices to Bhaal during the witching hours of the night as is her custom. When she returns to the temple a charged quality hangs in the air, bright and violent, threatening to burst into something savage, but the release never comes. No Deathstalker moves to stop her. The Lord of Murder's holy symbol sleeps, lifeless stone devoid of his energy or blood.

He had always welcomed them home. 

A familiar voice trills through her skull, unbidden, unwelcome.

Oh, little Orin. Father never saw you. 

Lies. She shunts the voice from her mind and buries herself in her work. Under her bloodkin's rule, the Lord of Slaughter's flock had grown ugly and weak—it was a knife held with a steady and calculating hand, passionless. Orin would rectify this. Bhaal's faithful would no longer offer him one murder-tribute every ten-day. A corpse every evening, yes, yes—that would sate his appetites for a time. Baldur's Grave’s gutters would run with the blood of the faithless, nourishing his flock. 

A few of her kin's more loyal supplicants protest—it will draw the guard’s attention, they say. It will anger the little tyrant. Orin makes them the first of the temple's offerings. None of the other sheep wag their tongues. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Orin prowls. She hunts. 

She rarely sleeps.

To sleep is to dream. And her bloodkin is never far, lingering on the edge of Orin's psyche. She has gutted them half a dozen times, painting her dreamscape red with their blood and flesh, but they always crawl back. Orin tries to pull free, but they are the pinnacle of Bhaal's work, and he has stitched their souls together with his very essence. 

In her dreams, Father laughs at her efforts. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It is mentioned nowhere in Bhaal’s teachings, but Orin considers it gospel: there is a moment, poised on the knife’s edge, just between life and death, more beautiful than any other. A rapturous and bloody sense of exultation always fills her as recognition dawns on her prey’s face. Death comes for them on crimson wings, the lash of Bhaal unerring. 

She collects these moments like a dragon adding to its hoard.  For a scant few seconds, she feels the diaphanous threads stitching her to the Lord of Murder pull taut. He sees her. His pleasure sings through her marrow, heady, sweet, leaving the taste of blood thick in her mouth.

It is a night like any other, and Orin prepares to make her tribute. She steps from the shadows as smoothly as any child of the night, catching her prey’s shoulder and clucking her tongue. Surprise flits across their features as she steps close, near enough to feel the rasp of their breath on her skin. Their right hand comes up but makes no move to push her away. The fool only brushes the curve of her hip, almost gentle, stupid and surprised, seeking to stabilize her. 

“Poor lost thing.” She presses closer, tracing the line of their cheek with her nose. She drags the tip of crimson mischief along their belly, shallow enough to bleed them, just shy of spilling their sticky-sweet entrails. Orin smiles and searches their eyes, expecting sickly sweet fear. 

She cuts, cuts, cuts, rends flesh from bone, strips ribbons of flesh from their arm to tie them as a gift to her sire…but their eyes are no more than empty sockets, and the ecstasy never comes. 

Her brow furrows. 

Perhaps Father’s busy, sister. Go on, perhaps if you make a bigger mess…

She snarls. The voice is wrong. She is Chosen. She is loved. She has been the Lord of Murder’s true legacy since she was eight. She will not be questioned. 

Her prey drags ragged breaths into its lungs, lifting its head from a mess of gore. Orin feels something like fear clutching at her heart for the briefest moment. She has lived this moment once before. She triumphed. Her bloodkin’s ghost stares up at her, mouth twisting in a horrific parody of a grin.

Then it should be no struggle to do it again. Kill, sister. It’s your only talent.

Orin stays her blade.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Squeal.” 

Orin’s voice reverberates off the cave walls, no longer sing-song, no more play— the words are rasping things, breath torn from a slit throat. “Pride is it? It holds your tongue.” Bhaal’s Chosen closes the distance between her and her prey in a single fluid movement—a painter’s smear of color, white and red, breaking the monotonous cave-black. Orin clutches their jaw. Muscles twitch under the strength of her grip and she feels the bones shift with agonizing slowness.

But oh, oh, they remain frustratingly still. 

Her prey makes no sound, not even as she pries their jaws open to catch their tongue between her thumb and forefinger. “I should tear it out by the root.” Orin digs the tip of her nail into the muscle, savage triumph flooding her, blood and the tell-tale tang of iron scenting the air…

…they do not flinch. They stare back at her with all too familiar eyes, the weight of their stare making her feel small and wanting to shift back. A ghost— yes, that is what kneels in front of her, the skin flayed from its arms, bloodied and unbroken—her slaughterkin’s ghost.

You thought yourself rid of me? Little Orin. She watches their lips form the words, but they never come; vocal cords cut like puppet strings. No hate in their eyes as their hand settles over hers, driving the knife deeper into the flesh of their cheek. No hate, only…

…pity.

The changeling pushes them away, snarling. Almost absently, she wipes her hands on the chitinous fabric of her armor. Her skin itches in the places where she’s touched the creature. They continue to stare. 

Why haven’t you put out their eyes, sweet sister? 

She raises her knife…and hesitates.

Father’s sheep are beginning to whisper amongst themselves. Orin has gone soft, they say. The younger of Bhaal’s prodigy has proven an unfit successor, they murmur, eyes darting back and forth as if to catch a glimpse of her shadow. She entertains herself with this new toy and cannot make. her. sacrifice. 

Butcher them—it is not the flock’s place to question you. The voice—the ghost— in her head, coldly calculated and entirely sure of itself, broaches no argument. Cut off the head now. Make an example of them. Your violence can have a meaning beyond sating your own appetites. 

Orin bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood. “Half a world away, mind full of holes, and still you think to order us?”  

Her prey says nothing. All is silence in the emptiness of her chambers, still draped in her sibling’s trappings. Everything is…

…Dead,  Orin thinks, but the thought brings no comfort. Death is not Father Bhaal’s domain. Death is Myrkul’s crypt. Death is a cage, not violence and color, and…

...control yourself, slaughterkin, whispered in a lower voice, and she’d never once managed to place the meaning behind the shift. As if her kin—Bhaal’s beloved—meant to keep secrets from their Dread Father. 

Orin frowns, squaring her jaw and shoulders. The coolness of the cave-air licks at her skin, contrasting the slippery warmth of the blood splattered across her hands, and she welcomes it as one of the surface sheep might the sea-breeze. She wraps herself in the familiar trappings of these chambers, gathers the thick air into her lungs, heavy with iron and rot. Control, yes. She grasps for it and manages to sink her finger deep enough to catch hold. 

If this ghost is the last trace…be rid of it. 

Cast aside the final vestigial trace of her past and throw herself into the future, untethered…

…only Father’s voice to guide you. 

The changeling cocks her head to the side. Something twinges in the back of her head and deep in her chest. Her prey stares, bloodied and bruised—a far cry from her bloodkin’s savagery. It’s the subtler notes. It’s the defiance in their stare, the regality with which they hold themself. It dares her to act. 

Her slaughterkin looked much the same at the end of things—no surprise, only defiance, only pity. 

She has no need for it. Orin is the last, the favorite, the true inheritor of their sire’s glory—that truth sings through her sinews and echoes in the hollow places beneath her rib cage. It is written in blood. She is Orin, Lash of Bhaal. 

She will not yield to this ghost, and she will not break. 

Orin plucks up her knife from the temple floor. Kill the ghost, kill it, and be free; kill it, kill it. 

She feels something like fingers slipping through hers, interweaving their touch. Another hand settles on her shoulder, clutching hard enough to bruise the flesh and pushing her forward. The stench of blood fills the air, surging until her nostrils are full of it. Bhaal is here, watching, bound up with her, in her. 

Father Bhaal sees her.

[anderstrevelyan]

2024 Fic Writing Round-Up

Sliding one of these in before the end of the year! Thank you so much to everyone who’s read or shared or supported anything I've been up to!

words posted: 27,330

additional words written: at least another 20,000! My first thought was that the posted number was low, compared to my 40-50ish in each of the two years before—but that’s just a consequence of waiting to finish a project before starting to post it, huh.

fandoms: Entirely Baldur’s Gate this year

highest kudos: Haunted One and Pallor Mortis coming in at an exact tie.

highest hit oneshot: Another win for Pallor Mortis!

new things I tried:

The above-mentioned was the first purely smut, rated-E oneshot I’ve ever posted (I’ve written pieces of plenty that will never see the light of day while getting my footing, but that feels new!)

I tried fully finishing a multi-chapter project before beginning to post it for the first time, and holy hell I’m a convert

I also contributed to a zine for the first time, which I’m really excited about (having now dipped my toe into exchanges, prompt weeks, and a zine I’ve learned I love doing events but my capacity for them is pretty low—I’m too slow and steady a writer, really. One or two a year seems to work for me)

fic I spent the most time on: I wonder if the answer is really the things you haven’t read yet (hello, my entire fall of agonizing), but otherwise it’s Haunted One, which makes sense as the most ambitious thing I did. I just did most of that work in the fall of last year. :)

fic I spent the least time on: From conception to finished it was Cipher, a little piece I did for Gortash Week (in one night)

favorite thing I wrote: The final chapter of Haunted One remains possibly my favourite bit of fic I’ve written, my most re-read bit of my own work, and the gold standard for how much I want newer things to gel for me. So, uh, that.

favorite thing(s) I read: NeverwinterThistle’s Storm Warning absolutely blew me away (and I’ve been craving re-reading it). I also really loved @bharv’s work (don’t make me pick a favourite!) (okay, maybe The Diamond)

writing goals for 2025: I’ve been trying to ease myself back into writing a bit each day (200 on a bad day, 400 or more on a better one), so I’d love to keep that going.

Posting-wise, I’m hoping to get my second Valas novella (what I’ve been calling "untitled multi-chapter project") out in the first month or two. We’ll see what happens from there. (My Ettvard Needle and Shadowheart/Valas projects: I'm eyeing you.)

new works in 2024:

Haunted One, a four-part Dark Urge origin story (for the son of Gorion’s Ward)

Some more durgetash: Pallor Mortis, Something Monstrous: An Empirical Study of the Bhaalspawn Mind, and Cipher

Her Undoing, a Viconia DeVir backstory

and A Certain Cunning, a bit of young Gortash in the hells

[reimenaashelyee]

Creator's Guide to Comics Devices: November 2023 Update

The first newsletter since launch came out a few days ago! It summarises all the updates I've made in November, which includes 2 (!) new devices, a sub-device, and other site changes.

Subscribe to the newsletter to get these updates direct to your email.

New Devices:

Aside

A short comment that sits outside of a balloon or character that is not perceived by anyone except the comment maker and the reader. An aside may come from the author, usually placed outside of the panel or near the edges. (Page with examples)

Topper

A secondary row of panels or single panel that goes 'on top' of the main comic. They are typically removable and non-essential, and usually contain the comic's title. (Page with examples)

Sub-device

Markers in Code Switch

Languages are assigned flags, pictographs or other iconographic symbols. (Page with examples)

News from the Curator and Site Changelog

I'm delighted over how well-received the library has been -- thank you to everyone who has shared, commented and provided feedback! I really appreciate the enthusiasm and generosity. <3 As a comics creator taking my first formal steps into the arena of comics studies, there is still a lot to do and to read for the library. Even with 63 devices catalogued, it's only still the beginning! 

From the Interwebs

‘The Creator’s Guide to Comics Devices’ Is the First of Its Kind, an Incredible Resource for Comics Creators & Readers Alike (The Mary Sue, Joan Zahra Dark) Lovely roundup from my fellow Cartoonist Cooperative co-founder Joan setting the historical context for Comics Devices and why an accessible resource is like this is due.  

Kibbles n Bits (Comics Beat, Heidi MacDonald) An enthusiastic feature of the library in Heidi's roundup.

Shout Outs

Thank you to Ritesh, Tan Juan Gee, Samantha Philipps, Blue Dellinquanti, Ted Anderson and Hannah Pallister for their contributions. (I really need to get that credits/curator's notes page set up. That's this month's to-do) Once again, thank you to the Sequential Artists Workshop Teaching Fellowship for supporting the development of the library this month.

Updates to the Site (Nov 2023)

Added the Store page and dedicated a subsection for it on the homepage, if only to direct people to the already-existing zine that’s currently distributed by Sequential Artists Workshop and myself. I might use that page to hold things like signing up for workshops and panels if they ever happen. Added the Newsletter page so it’s easier to link to across the site and elsewhere. Opened up the page that displays all the devices on one page. Added ‘Contribution’ ‘Newsletter’ ‘All Devices’ to the sidebar. Fixed the 404 page. It suggests the Site Map for advice. Finally opened the Links page! Check out all the resources in there! Thank you to folks who have submitted feedback/contribution! I have added new example pages for Harmonious Juxtaposition/Time & Space/Pictorial Lettering/Colour Coding and a longer definition for Map Panel. Added two new devices – Aside and Topper. Added ‘Markers’ and ‘Balloon Styles’ as a subdevice to Code Switch. Finally set up the Gallery page: this is where comics pages featuring the relevant device will be catalogued. Now for the slow work of filling up the galleries…..

New in Store: The Comics Devices Quick Reference Zine Before the website launched, I produced this zine as a promotional thing + quick reference. This is a 12-page zine showcasing the devices in this library as of 2023 (not including the Topper and Aside). Perfect for students, teachers and anyone who needs a quick, in-person reference if there's no wi-fi available. Sequential Artists Workshop is selling copies for North Americans in their online store. Folks in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia can directly contact me to get a copy. An ebook version is on the way. I will announce it via newsletter.

[dcafanzine]

Hi everyone! We’re super excited to start introducing our contributors! Let’s let them introduce themselves!

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Hellooo! My name is Meg (@ayyyimmaninja), and I am one of the page artists for the Backstage Pass zine! While I have done other nonprofit projects before in the past, this will be my first ever zine and I'm so excited to work with so many amazing artists!!

I had been somewhat familiar with the Daycare Attendant character from watching YouTube playthroughs but my hyperfixation didn't start until around January 2023 after a big scare regarding a family member. After watching loads of fan content about them I was immediately hooked and took great comfort in them, and it wasn't long before I started making fanart of my own and coming up with stories that some of you might be familiar with. I love these silly jester blorbos so much, they have my whole heart!

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Heyo! I'm KayCee (@craykaycee)! I'm contributing as a spot artist for both the main and bonus zines as well as a page artist for the bonus zine ^-^ !!! I've never done a zine before, but it's been super exciting! The DCA has intrigued me from the *moment* they had their transformation scene (so dramatic! but also UHM COOL?? :D), but it really jumpstarted with seeing others depict them as unsettling n' creepy AND soft n' caring :]c. Shenanigans and many *many* artworks and fic ensued! Drawing them in that uncanny valley (close to "biblically accurate") has been my favorite, especially with the ability to shift one small detail and change the mood so much!!

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Hi, I'm Lyna. I'm a page artist for the main zine. I did participate previously in a DCA project but this is my first time participating in a zine (nervous, honestly). Been into fnaf since the second game release, dropped after pizzeria simulator and came back with security beach. The DCA changed my brain chemistry twice with their voices and silly animations, from the moment I saw Sun's first appearance in game and then Moon's. It grew more when I started drawing them non stop, and there was no going back from that point. My longest hyperfixation to date with 2 and a half years! They are my first comfort characters.

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[rainbow-cheshire]

☆∂ʀ ᴄʀιтιᴄαℓ ∂ιᴄє! zιηє☆ (my contributions to @drcriticaldicezine !)

first zine i got into that actually came out🥹and it's doing absolutely amazing! i will be forever grateful with working with these people, i've been sort of witnessing everything since the beginning and oh my god i am just. extremely proud of this project, i think i finished this in december 2023 so the art style is a bit different compared to what i do now but i still think it's a decent piece! also i am never going to forget the moment when i sent out kiyo's design and someone told me it's so kiyo shaped LIKE THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST COMPLIMENT I'LL EVER GET🥺🥺🥺 and i wrote a fic for the first time even though it's super short so yea! this project is a lot of fun, thank you so much for having me i'm so happy i get to work with so many amazing people, please go download the zine and check out everyone else's work (especially if you love fics! we have so many it's insane and we actually managed to feature almost the entire danganronpa cast)

💙if you are planning to repost my drawings/edits, etc either ask for permission in the comments/private message me, or mention my username in the caption AND tag me, or else i will ask you to remove the post for stealing thank you💙

[userparamore]

I get that you don’t like Taylor but can you not see paramores growth as band because of the eras tour they seem so happy to be on that stage every night be grateful for that

first of all i don't really understand why you're coming for me over post that isn't even mine. second of all i'm allowed to be a fan of a band and be critical of them at the same time, and i've expressed my disappointment over this since the tour was announced. i'm not gonna beat a dead horse and bring up why i'm critical of this tour again in this answer, but the act of them being on this tour really says a lot about them for me in a negative way, and i think it's hypocritical of them after preaching about sustainability and equal rights for all.

paramore is also not some small indie band no one has heard of. they've been doing this for 20 years, they've sold out big venues, played madison square garden multiple times, they played their biggest show ever on the this is why aus&nz tour with 26,283 tickets sold in sydney. multiple of their biggest songs on spotify is close to a billion streams and they have 21 million monthly listeners. all this growth they've done, they've done on their own- sure it's nice that more people discover them, but they didn't need this tour to be successful. they already were.

also for me personally, this tour leaves a bad taste in my mouth. i come from a country where if i'm lucky they tour once every album cycle. i've been lucky to see them 2 times and the last time was in 2017. they played a festival so i didn't get to see a full set. they've been to my country four times total and 1 concert wasn't a festival. the eras tour didn't have a show in my country, and i wasn't about to fight swifties for tickets that are extremely expensive. in the end my friend ended up having a spare ticket to one of the vienna shows bc the person they were originally gonna go with ended up not being able to go, and i was asked if i wanted to go. me and this friend first became friends bc we both liked paramore, and they've never been able to see them live. travelling to vienna to have that experience together, i would sit through 3h of taylor swift for. i spent close to 2000 dollars on the whole trip including the ticket, for it to end up being cancelled. very happy we didn't die, but it still sucked to have spent all that money and the not be able to go. especially since this would've been my friend's first paramore live experience.

i'm happy they're having fun playing their greatest hits for 3 months. i'm happy for my mutuals who's been able to go and have had a good time. the money they earn will probably go to their new label, and hopefully we won't have to wait 5 years for new music. but don't tell me to be grateful.

i try my best to make this community a welcoming space. i try my best to contribute with gifs and edits, and post news when there are news. i've hosted countdown events, i've hosted/made zines, i've hosted gif challenges. i want to do all these things bc it's fun to be part of this community and i love the friends i've made here. but i can still do all those things, and not have to kiss paramore's ass. i can still express myself and speak on the things i don't agree with bc it's my blog. we've had "debates" in my inbox before, people have expressed their opinions on paramore before, and it's always respectful which i appreciate. we as a community can disagree on things and still be a community.

[he6o]

My contribution to the @iqlucis digital add-on, which is now available for purchase again at our international store (iqniflheim.bigcartel.com).

This is the cropped version of the desktop wallpaper version I included in the bundle, and is quite possibly the most time consuming piece of art I’ve ever done. I had a lot of setbacks - repainting the left side background 4 times, for one…and some upsetting family stuff going on in the background, so this is a month overdue from when it should have been finished. But now it’s done I can get back to working on Caelum Zine! ❤️

I used the outfit I designed for the IQ keychain, and sometime later in the year I’d like to do a matching nighttime version with the bros walking through insomnia at the end of the game, but let’s see how I do getting everything else finished first!

[lazywitchling]

Alright, here we go. My review for The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft by Fire Lyte

Final rating: ??/10 - it broke my numbers system.

TL;DR - I like the book. I'm angry at the author. It's great for new practitioners. If you're going to get it, please get it from the Spiral House Shop, get Alex Wrekk's two witchcraft zines to go with it, and go look at/reblog/contribute to the original Dabbler's Week project.

(Also I think this is the longest review I've written yet. I'm sorry.)

This book is very good. I'm mad about that. The author is an excellent writer. I'm mad about that. I want to dislike this book but I can't, and I'm mad about that.

So let's get into the breakdown of why.

First up, a housekeeping thing: "Fire Lyte" is a pen name that I don't believe the author uses anymore, so I will be referring to him as Don Martin, the name he is using on his current projects. I know he's on TikTok, formerly of Inciting a Riot podcast, now of Head on Fire podcast.

Second, some links relevant to the review-which-is-actually-just-a-rant:

The breakdown of things I found that were taken uncredited from Tumblr

I COULD be making this up and reading it in bad faith, but this bit about 'heteronormative marriage' has my alarm bells ringing

Why I hate the title of this book

The original Dabbler's Week project links

Anyway.

I picked this book up specifically because of the title. It's been 3 years since it was published, so it took me a while, but I remember looking at that title when it was first out and thinking "Hey... the timing of this... did this person just wholesale lift the 'Dabbler' idea from Tumblr?"

The answer is: Yes, probably!

(He also summarized the Malachite Dick post from February 2020, but he actually credited Tumblr along with relevant usernames, so that's good and also made me laugh.)

But... yeah. The fact that he's crediting Tumblr from something that specifically happened in February 2020, when the original Dabbler's Week was from late January 2020 and seems to have inspired his whole book? Don, would it have killed you to mention ANYTHING about that project and the people involved?

He's very big on talking about following trails of information, listening to podcasts, listening to the podcasts of people talked about on those podcasts, reading books talked about on those podcast, and so on. But if he doesn't start off by saying "Dabbler's Week was a project issued by asksecularwitch on Tumblr", then how is anyone supposed to follow THAT chain of information, hmm? If his whole advice on finding good witchcraft resources is to follow the chain of people who are sharing information from each other, but he makes no mention of where he got the whole idea for his book, then what?

Side rant: I'm real tired of how Tumblr information is simultaneously treated as too shitty to ever bother reading or mentioning, but good enough to screenshot, repost on other sites, recite word-for-word on tiktok, and apparently write a book about.

ANYWAY. I'm angry about it. I'm gonna be angry about it. Here, please look at these links to the shenanigans that began the original Dabbler's Week, because Don certainly won't tell you about this part.

Anyway.

Some bad things:

I mean, the plagiarism. I keep hesitating to use the word 'plagiarism', because to me that seems like wholesale lifting entire works and slapping your name on them, when all Don did was fail to credit a few Tumblr users he quoted. But then again, if I did that on a research paper in college, it would be called plagiarism, so.

This book is in fact not a great guide for 'dabblers'. The point of Dabbler's Week was that if someone didn't know if they wanted to commit to witchcraft but wanted to fuck around with casting some spells for a week to try it out, there were week-long guides on things someone could do to try that. This book is not for fucking around with magic, it's for people who are already sure that they want to make this a thing in their lives. It handles some heavier topics (e.g. vetting mentors and not getting sucked into a cult) that are very very important for someone who is BEGINNING, but may be too much for someone who just says one day "lol I think I'll cast a spell for fun". A far more accurate title would have been "The Beginner's Guide to Witchcraft", but then he'd lose that punchy and marketable and googleable term 'dabbler'. (Yes, I'm going to be petty about this.)

"Wow Jes, it sounds like you really hated this book."

NO I DIDN'T, AND I'M SO MAD ABOUT THAT!

Some good things:

The author has a writing style that I enjoyed very much. This is a personal preference, but I like when books are either written so that the author is fully invisible (Bree Landwalker's books do this wonderfully), or the author is fully visible, like they're sitting at the table having a conversation with you (Kelly-Ann Maddox's 'Rebel Witch' comes to mind, as does Alex Wrekk's 'Brainscan 33: DIY Witchery'). Don Martin is the table conversation kind. That makes this book very easy to read, while also getting information across in an easily-understood sort of way.

This book fills a very necessary gap in modern witching books. It talks about the online community of witches, and a lot of the pitfalls that have come along with the bonuses of having so much witchcraft available at our social-media connected fingertips.

He gets very in depth with things like cultural appropriation. That's something that you can find in a lot of modern witch books, but Don actually spends the time breaking the concept down and explaining WHY it's harmful, HOW it affects people, and quotes people from the affected minority groups. I have seen the appropriation topic come up in a lot of the witch books I've read, but Don is the one who has covered the topic the best, imo.

He spends time on topics that I myself would have been dismissive of. The example that comes to mind is the chapter 'Can I Make Sh*t Up?' My knee jerk reaction was "Yes, you can make your own spells, you don't need to get someone else's permission. Next question." But Don goes through the full breakdown of yes you can make up your own spells, yes you can make your own correspondences, but no that doesn't mean you can just throw a water soluble crystal in your water bottle because you think it's good for cleansing.

Actually on that topic, he covers a lot of the why not just the what. It's not just 'appropriation is bad', it's 'and here's why'. It's not just 'research your herbs', it's 'here's some examples of things that can and have gone wrong.'

SPELL CANVASES! There are 11 'spell canvases' in this book, and they're pretty much all just kids/teens science experiments (e.g. dissolving an egg shell in vinegar, lighting a tea bag on fire so it flies, and using food dye to color a white flower). He does not give intentions for these spells, but gives a spell technique and then some examples of how you could apply your own purpose/intention to it as needed. It's actually pretty smart, and now I wish there was more stuff like this.

He actually explains what UPG means. Man, 'UPG' is one of those things that I keep seeing as a 'I don't know what that means and I'm to afraid to ask' blog post. When someone pops into the witchy social media circles, we can throw the term 'UPG' around as if everyone knows what it means, and forget to actually explain that it's Unverified Personal Gnosis and what that means. Don's got us covered. Good on you, Don.

The one throwaway line about why you don't have to buy fancy witch things. Tucked away in chapter 12 is this almost nothing-sentence mentioning why you shouldn't be "going broke hoping to buy your way into 'effective' magic" (pg. 161). I have seen, reblogged, probably written posts about 'No you don't need the fancy tools! You can just use whatever! But you CAN buy them if you want, you just don't NEED them.' And we've all seen those around, right? But damn, if Don didn't just get to the heart of it. You can't buy your way into skill. YES, Don, THAT!! THANK YOU.

Alright. I'm running out of words. This isn't a review, it's a rant. Holy shit. Let me shut up with a TL;DR

Almost without doubt, Don liked Tumblr's idea enough to write a book about it, but failed to give credit. But he's an excellent writer and covers a lot of topics that are not often written about in printed books, and to get those blogosphere-ideas onto bookshelves is invaluable. This is a good book for beginners starting out in witchcraft, but not for dabblers who just want to screw around with some spells. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Is it ethical to buy a book when the author gets royalties but the bloggers he got the idea from do not? I don't know. I can't tell you that. You'll have to weigh all this against your own moral compass and decide for yourself. My recommendation is that if you're going to buy it, please buy it from the Spiral House Shop, because if Don Martin's going to get paid for this book, Alex Wrekk should too. Buy Alex's zines. Reblog Sec's posts. Links are up at the top.

[tomato-bird-art]

SF ZINEFEST 2024! Some pictures from the San Francisco Zinefest last week! I had a wonderful time, and it was SUPER busy! thanks everyone who swung by to pick up prints and zines from me, I really appreciate it. It was really heartening to see people enjoy my art and remember me from over the years—I’ve had a very busy year and not as much time to “be an artist” as I’d like, so it was very invigorating to be around other queer artists again in a dedicated and enthusiastic space. When online a lot, you tend to forget how it is to be around art in person, and this was a great reminder of it—also every year, I’m always excited to see the beautiful outfits and fashion of the attendees! Someday I’ll dress up more special, but alas it’s just work and apron for me XD

I also finally got to meet longtime mutual and incredible artist @megamoth in person, and got a copy of their Devilman zine series here I contributed to some years ago! Here’s a pic with a cool itabag as well.

This year, I debuted a few new works:

“Fujo X-Ray Visions”

is a collection of personal comics from the past year I’ve been posting here and on Patreon, mostly about trying to balance life as a cartoonist and as someone pursuing some new career experiences in the healthcare field. Like “Voids and Visions” before it, there’s a bunch of personal stuff and angsting along with regular goofiness.

It’s available now both as a physical zine, as well as a digital download!

“If All The World Were Mine!”

My collection of artwork and comics I’ve done for my medieval rpf side account, @angevinyaoiz over the past couple years. It’s a mix of some serious historical illustrations, goofy cartoons, and nsfw works. It’s probably one of the most “niche” things I’ve ever made or gotten into as of late, but I’m happy for the audience who has appreciated my work over the past several months. It’s available currently as a physical zine purchase on storenvy, and I’m planning on making an expanded digital zine version available later—fill out this form to be notified!

“Best Yaoi Movies of 20th Century Hollywood”

In this collaborative project I did with my friend @titilvating, in the style of classic cut and paste, copied zines, we offer our takes on 19 movies made before the year 2000. Many are acclaimed classics; some are underrated gems.  We made this zine to both introduce folks to the richness possibilities of classic movies; whether longtime cinephiles familiar with queer subtexts,  or young fujos looking for more material to sink their yaoifangs into.  Our sample size caters to our personal tastes rather than “good representation” and reflects a fraction what’s out there, with a focus on western US/European media, but hopefully can serve as a fun introduction and celebration. Old movies are a lotta fun, who would’ve thought?

It’s available now as a free digital download, but contact me if you’re interested in a physical edition as well!”

Other Works:

My print version of “The Sons of God” was very well received! I realized sometimes giving little titles to print pieces make for great conversation starters, and I got to chat a lot about my inspirations for the respective pieces. Grab a physical print here!

Ending Thoughts

Overall, I’m glad I got to meet lots of people this year and also pick up lots of zines! I didn’t have a chance to really browse this time around since it was so busy, but I got to trade a lot with folks and also pick up some cool zines and stickers myself.

For those who’d like to keep up with what I’m doing, follow me here, on Patreon, either as a member or free-follower, since I tend to post my sketches/WIPs there first. For me now, it’s back to the grind of school and also continuing creative projects. I have a lot of stuff I dream of doing, and it’s always a challenge to balance that with what needs to get done. If I learned anything from this event, it’s how valuable it is to connect with people in the real world art space (Something I always learn and forget like every few months.)…also, always bring water and snacks—can never be TOO prepared!

Wishing you all a good autumn,

-Allie

[project-pidw]

Hello everyone who's followed me here! The poll ended a while ago and it looks like people are interested in doing this so here's the blog where all further information about such a project will be placed!

Due to the fact that I've never run a fandom event before, this is going to take me quite a bit of time to organize, plus I've currently got a lot on my plate irl right now (such as writing and producing a musical from now until the end of the year which I am very hyped about but also I assume it's going to take up a lot of time) so bear with me as I organize my own thoughts before bringing more people on board

In short here's a generalized timeline for things off the top of my head (and is by no means all inclusive or a hard and fast timeline, this is just to give people general expectations)

Now (June 2024) - October 2024: Organizing all the feedback from the comments on the original post, coming up with organizational structures and outlining how many roles would be needed in order to put an event like this together

November 2024-December 2024: Mod applications and interest checks open

January 2025: Interest Check results are released and Mod application results are sent out

February 2025: Mods look over organizational structures, give feedback for how the event is organized, finish getting everything ready for people to contribute to the project

March 2025-April 2025: Sign ups are sent out for writers/artists/betas, distinguishing between people who would like to write pre-blackening arcs and post-blackening arcs (in my mind there would be an application process similar to that of a zine for writers and artists thay would like to create hard and fast canonically referenced events in PIDW but EVERYONE would be open to write general wife number whatever chapters OR Binghe gets massive power up chapters, for those that want to participate but don't wanna write smut, including people that don't sign up within the "event" time frame, allowing PIDW to be an ever changing living document that essentially never has to end however this system would remain open to changes depending on what people would like to see most)

May 2025: Results are sent out for people writing pre-blackening arcs and discord invites are sent out to all participants in the project

June 2025 - March 2026: Creation period, potentially longer or shorter depending on interest check results since the goal would be to create chapters with ridiculously long word counts for the sake of the bit

April 2026-???: Release of the project to ao3, with a new creator's work being posted each week at first and then speeding up to a daily reveal until all works are revealed in the collection, functioning similarly to a hypothetical Airplane's writing schedule

Once again this is all just... REALLY vauge outlines and the speculation of someone that has no idea how long it takes to put on an event like this, I would imagine that in actuality it would take much longer to do so, and life tends to interfere in things in mysterious ways so I would not be surprised if this does not end up accurate to the actual timeline, but just to give people a general idea of when a large scale project like this would be able to take place!