#i love when zines just had whole pages dedicated to them having free time

[spirk-trek]

Counterpoint Fanzine | Kay Wells, 1989

[namingofcatszine]

Not sure how to say this, but this whole thing seems really sketchy. No one knows who you are or anything and now you're appointing yourself as some kind of leader? Think there are tons of contributors and older blogs that could be involved but you probably scared them away already. Yikes. Then to be pick and choosy? For what? Seems like a slap into the face to those that are not seen as important enough to you and the 'mods'.

Hi! Thanks for your concern!

To give a proper introduction to who I am and what I do, please refer to my instagram , my twitter, and my upcoming small business account . Here is my Tumblr, too. I made a recent post about my current fear of somehow "scaring people away". My name is Peach. I am 20 years old. I have been a fan of CATS since 2021, but I haven't exactly expressed my love for this musical to any social media due to personal embarrassment and fear. Ever since I saw it live for the first time in the Oasis of the Seas production last summer, I've grown back into this phase and this time, it's bigger than ever! I'm going to see the US Tour production in March of this year and I'm super excited!

The reason why I wanted to make this zine is because I haven't really seen a CATS zine being made! (I know there was one, but that was years ago). There's so many wonderful artists and fic writers that I have seen and I wanted to create a special zine dedicated to this musical that I have grown to love! I have experience in sourcing products, manufacturing my own stickers, I have even run a successful Kickstarter Campaign that raised over $25k to fund plushies that I have designed for another fandom I'm in! I am and have been the owner of several Discord servers in the past, moderating them and running them. I have also been in several Zine projects for different fandoms so far as well. (Matsuhana Calendar 2023, To Have You As a Partner Iwaoi Wedding Zine, and currently the Haikyuu Tarot Project Zine).

I have prepped all Mod forms, Contributor forms, schedule, Zine page layout, Zine Discord server, pitch sheets, and more ever since I came up with this idea literally three days ago.

I know I'm not known in this fandom, but if nobody else was going to do the hard work, who is? I'm not establishing myself as a leader, I'm just very experienced in organizing events and I know where to source my products. I, myself, am an artist, a merch designer, and a little bit of a fic writer. I'm a go-getter. Sorry if this seems leader-ish, but organizing projects such as these requires a leader and I'm stepping up to do so.

If you're concerned about me "scaring away" older accounts, I never had any intention of doing so. When the Interest Check forms were released, I had comments and concerns regarding "proshippers" which is why I addressed it in the first place. I don't like to leave people in the dark about topics but I regret addressing the problem because it led to so many other problems. I am also currently addressing the problem of having other creators "fear" this project because of what people spoke up about first.

If older blogs would love to be involved, then you're free to do so! I'm not stopping anybody. The Zine is for all artists and writers in the CATS fandom! I never said that anyone wasn't allowed in. I, Peach, am a very accepting person. I'm approachable too.

I have been a victim of being wrongly accused in past fandoms because I speak up against meaningless harassment and hate towards creators who have been wrongly accused of something they're not. I love to see fanart and I love to read fics. I would never want to exclude anybody who don't think they can join because of useless fandom discourse. This is a musical about singing and dancing cats haha.

By me being "picky and choosy", I'm not. This zine has room for 25 artists, 5 writers, 7 merch artists, 3 print artists, and 5 guest contributors (who have been recommended by the audience who have answered the form) because it is what I deem fitting for a fandom of this size, cost-wise, and also location-wise. This is the usual amount of contributors that most Zines have.

If there are anymore comments or concerns about me, Peach, then please DM me! Please don't forget to check my other socials too!

Also, if you'd like to read my Mod page on the Zine carrd, then please do so!

Lovely to meet you! And whoever wants to join the zine can join! It's not up to me, it's up to you!

[kidgezine]

FAQ

General Questions

Are these the same mods that did [insert failed zine here]? No. None of our mods have ever run a failed zine. Some of us have been contributors for them though so we know your pain. We are doing everything we can to be sure that doesn't happen to us. All our mods have access to the zine email and socials as well as contributor submissions so if one of us were to disappear the rest would be able to pull it together. Finances are being handled by our head mods (umbraja and kdxart) who are both professional graphic designers with experience in small business management and print publications. The rest of the mods are being given updates and could take over finances if the head mods were to die in a firey laptop explosion.

Are these the same mods that did last year's Kidge Zine? Yes. Most of us anyway. We lost a few but also added some new faces and learned a whole lot - mostly about the horrors of shipping and taxes. We did a good job last year and hope to do even better this time around! We've also padded our schedule so there shouldn't be as many delays.

I'm so excited - when will the zine come out? As of right now we are shooting for a delivery date of early June, 2020. We may have an early (kickstart) round of preorders in the new year (with Valentines Day merch) for those who are super dedicated to getting this thing made but that's not set in stone. We may modify the schedule if we fall behind or need to take more orders to reach our stretch goals. See our Tentative Schedule for more information.

OMG I NEED this, how can I help make this zine a thing? The best thing anyone can do is reblog our posts to help get the word out. If you want to do more you could make a money donation to help cover costs (and enter to win a Limited Edition Bundle). Just buy Pidge some coffee on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/kidgezine.

Zines are usually self-financing so why are you talking about money donations? Because it lets those of us who have extra money subsidize the cost for those that can't afford it so we all get a better product. A self-financed publication has to price itself to cover the full cost of production but that severely limits the number of artists and writers we can put into it and what merch we can sell alongside it. Last year we had over 50 contributors create a 200 page full color book with lots of merch and priced it all considerably under cost so that our community could actually afford to buy it. We still lost money in the end but it was less than our finance officer had put aside to cover it and that is thanks to the many, wonderful people who were willing to kindly donate.

How do I go about donating to help cover costs? First, thank you so much for the willingness to help out. All you need to do is buy Pidge some coffee on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/kidgezine. This will also enter you for a chance to win a Limited Edition Bundle when the zine comes out.

Are profits from zine sales going to a charity of some kind? No. Unless you would consider next year's Kidge Zine a charity, then sure. Truth is we don't expect to make money. We hope it does better than last year so we don't end up covering a loss but we're pretty sure it's not going to profit. In the very unlikely event that we do turn a profit the funds will stay in the Kidge Zine account for use next year.

Contributor Questions

Will contributors be paid for their work on the zine? We would love to pay our contributors but, due to legal and logistical concerns, the staff voted that no one should get paid for this endeavor - not even the staff. We are giving contributors a free digital copy of the zine and a discount on buying the physical copy and merch. The discount amount will depend on stretch goals so we can't provide specifics at this time.

I want to give you content for this zine, how do I do that? Read over the Requirements and fill out the applications listed there.

What kind of content is allowed? We're pretty chill but we do have a few Requirements to follow. Check that link for specifics but the short of it is pretty much anything featuring Keith and Pidge in some sort of fantasy situation. It doesn't have to be romantic, AUs and canon are both allowed, so long as those two are together in some way. We're not even going to limit it to the usual digital art and narrative writing so if you want to do something unusual give it a try. We'll accept: cosplay photos, sculptures, journals, poetry, songs, schematics, editorials, things I can't even think of right now - pretty much anything Kidge related is welcome.

I want to write but English is not my first language, is that OK? Some of my favorite authors don't speak English at all and some of my favorite fanfics are written by people who only know it as a second or even third language. So long as you can get your writing translated to English our staff will work with you to get it polished and sounding natural. You just have to be willing to go through that editing process with us.

Will everyone who applies be accepted as a contributor? We're going to try and include everyone but since the zine is a print publication it's going to cost real money for every piece we include. If we get too many submissions and put all of them in the book it would end up costing too much for most of y'all to afford. Nobody wants that. So we might have to leave some things out of the book itself but will be more than happy to include any work that gets left out in the pdf version so long as it follows all the rules. This will allow us to produce a better product while not excluding anyone from participation.

How will contributors be chosen? Our staff will use the samples provided in your application to judge your average quality of work so be sure to give us good examples. We will be looking at your work only, not your popularity or participation in the fandom, so don't worry if you're new to the ship or just don't know anyone. Some of our staff don't know many people and our production designer hasn't even seen the show (she just does very good work). Art will be judged on overall aesthetic, perspective/proportions appropriate for the style, composition/balance, and technique. Writing will be judged on overall readability, characterization, plot, style, and flow. We will not judge grammar because we want to include non-native English speakers. Just be ready for an editing process where we'll help you get the grammar fixed before publication.

When will I know if I'm accepted as a contributor? Acceptance emails will be sent out November 1st. Everyone should get an email so if you don't get yours then ask a mod to see what's up. We had trouble with emails getting lost in junk filters last year so be sure to check for that.

Do you have a deadline for submissions? We have multiple deadlines to keep y'all on track but the finished work should be turned in by February 15th. See the Tentative Schedule for more information.

Is this canon only or are AUs allowed? We're not gonna limit setting so canon or any other universe is allowed. Have fun with it.

What if I don't want to write/draw something Fantasy themed? Fantasy is such a broad theme that we are going to be strict about it this time but we're certain y'all will be able to find something you like that fits. Pretty much anything that's not limited by real world physics is, technically, Fantasy. So canon universe is Fantasy. So are superheroes, any sort of mythology, folklore, most horror, sci-fi, steam punk, supernatural, occult, and way too much else for me to list.

[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. ^^

[telltalemag-blog]

A Nasty Woman’s Survival Guide

"I can either keep getting drunk and telling my friends about these awful things that happened to me, or I can talk to a professional person about this. That’s why I went to Rape Crisis. And from there, maybe six months into that, that’s when I started thinking about writing it. I thought:

“Okay. I know what happened, I know how I feel about it, I’m angry about it, and I want to talk about it.”

Mel Reeve is a writer and archivist living in Glasgow. In addition to self-publishing her writing in zines, she has been published on multiple websites and online publications, as well as in the hit book of essays, Nasty Women by 404Ink. She is also part of The Respite Room, an online collective dedicated to addressing mental health issues in a safe space. When Mel submitted three poems for our third issue, we knew we had to hear more.

Nasty Women: A commercially and critically important independent project collating voices from women all over the world. Together, they sum up what it means to be a woman in 2017. To say the book has been a success would be an understatement. I mean, Margaret Atwood read it. And loved it. And tweeted about it. Could you imagine? Margaret knew and we knew that this needed to be talked about; these experiences that seep into Mel’s poems like coffee spilling over a page, that have given her a voice on a worldwide level. An experience which impacts so many people in different ways around the world. It’s fucking important. Many of us are angry, we all should be. So let’s talk about it.

“I am a survivor of rape and emotional abuse, I do not fit into the ‘right’ definition of someone who has been raped. I was drunk, I told him I loved him, I hid my tears, I told him it was okay afterwards, I didn’t call the police...Now that I am free from him and starting to understand my pain, I refuse to be hurt in a way that is easy to look at for the convenience of others.”

The opening sentences of Mel’s essay, “The Nastiness of Survival,” instantly sets her tone. She is a nasty woman, speaking out when we are told it is polite to shut up, using her voice to fight the normalization of sexual abuse as well as question how we as a society expect a survivor to be.

With abuse, for these purposes employed as an umbrella term to include everything from rape to emotional abuse, our society has created a well-structured narrative arc, in which we place our victims.

The victim is hurt, experiences a period of grieving and struggle, and emerges on the other side stronger for it. Some may even call it a ‘learning experience.’ One particular narrative is that of revenge. The victim is able to get pay back and right the wrongs of their past. This is something Mel discusses in her essay. When we ask if these revenge fantasies have disappeared, she laughs.

Mel: Not at all. It gets easier, but that can be quite a consuming thing because it feels like that should happen, that’s what the narrative is supposed to be in a lot of these stories – mostly fiction – where someone goes through something really hard and then by the end of it she gets her revenge, and it’s hard to accept that that might never happen.

Emma: Then I feel like the narrative can also be that she’s stronger and better than that and doesn’t care anymore, when really you’re allowed to be angry.

Niamh: There shouldn’t be a narrative at all, it should just be that everyone has had a different experience. You mentioned this in your essay and I think it’s important to bring up, that a lot of people have had these experiences but didn’t at first realise that what has happened to them was actually abuse.

Mel: Yeah, there was a time that I didn’t know and people find that really hard because it makes them question the legitimacy of what you’re saying. “I’d know if that happened to me, how could you not know?” But if you haven’t been in that situation, you don’t know.

That’s where the lasting trope of the “strong woman” makes its sweeping return, an idea which over time has crafted an uneasy and unwelcome bond with feminism. “A strong feminist stands up for yourself. A strong feminist knows how to say no.”

Mel: The “just say no” education isn’t necessarily helpful, nor is having polite conversation about it. Consent education is good and useful, but I also think it suggests that it is an accident, just a misunderstanding. It’s not. It’s a malicious, conscious decision that people make and they do it because they want to do it, and it is a result of culture and society and that makes it easier, but it’s not an accident.

I saw some graffiti in a toilet yesterday and it said “Consent is sexy!” “Sex without consent sucks!” and I was like, has anyone got a pen? I need to make an amendment here. Sex without consent is rape!

Rape Culture comes to mind, a term internet anti-feminists love to mock. In making light of a serious issue, what nay-sayers are doing is minimizing a survivor’s experience. How ironic, then, that the same people to claim a rape culture doesn’t exist, or that saying no is easy, or that rapists don’t look like the people they know, are often quick to apologize after being called out and having their views questioned. One of our editors was once part of a large group chat where three men were complaining about a woman suggesting that the university's union impose a compulsory consent class during freshers week. They claimed it was insulting to assume that men didn’t understand consent. When she questioned their beliefs, however, they instantly changed their tune, backtracking and minimizing what they had said. Deep down inside, they know that their behaviour is wrong. It’s frighteningly easy for them to hide this truth from themselves.

Mel: I think a way to improve this sort of consent education is to make people aware, make them [rapists, abusers] aware that we know what you’re doing and this is what’s going to happen to you. There’s a quote saying it has to be as abhorrent to people as cannibalism. It has to be that deeply ingrained that this is wrong. I actually had a fight, a verbal fight, with someone who is friends with my abusive ex. He was saying, “Oh, you guys had kind of a rough breakup” and I said “No, that’s not what this is about. This is about someone who did something illegal.” As soon as I said that he was like “oh, shit.” Because they just don’t think about it like that.

Which leads us to how the Nasty Women essay began in the first place.

Mel: I think the essay came from the anger of when I told people in Glasgow and they were just like, "no, he didn’t do this," and when I moved here I lost quite a lot of friends, actually.

It felt a bit like I was telling people off in the essay. I guess those conversations are difficult to have directly because people don’t want to hear about it, don��t want to know about it. That was the nice thing about the format, that I was able to yell above everyone else.

The commitment to silence and denial seen by both the greater public and those close to us is shocking. Scrolling through Twitter recently, you will have seen memes about R. Kelly’s sexual abuse scandal, read jokes directed towards the young female victims, and we’re sure you wouldn’t have to listen too closely to catch snippets of “Ignition” remixed in some club this weekend. In a recent Fader article, Aimee Cliff wrote something that struck us as very true:

“Watching these stories drift away over and over again sends out a message to women everywhere: our suffering is less important than the reputations and profit of powerful men. That’s the message sent by Sony’s complicit support of R. Kelly, and by Casey Affleck winning his Oscar, and by Johnny Depp being given a platform at Glastonbury festival this year. That’s what I feel when I read that Kesha is still fighting to be released from contractual obligations to her alleged rapist.”

And it doesn’t start and stop with powerful men only; time and time again we find victims are forced to explain themselves to the people meant to be their close friends, those you trust to stand by your side.

Mel: I think people immediately start rationalising it. “Oh, it was your boyfriend, that’s different,” or “I’ve met him! He’s fine.” That’s going back to what we can do, we need to instill this culture where if someone tells you what someone has done to them and you become aware of that, you listen and believe them and take action.

It’s difficult because there are some arguments for not just cutting these people out, but I really believe that what happened to me would not have happened to me or would have ended sooner if the people around that person had behaved differently, because I would have noticed that something was wrong. Afterwards they were all like “Aw yeah he’s rubbish, god his poor ex-girlfriends” and I just thought, nobody else is holding him to account except the people they aren’t listening to.

And when you do hold him to account, you become a crazy lying bitch. There’s this really powerful image of the crazy ex-girlfriend who’s just trying to screw you over. The person who is saying what happened gets forgotten, and I guess that’s part of what the issue was for me. I said these things and they’ve all gone “you’re a crazy bitch” and I’m still here and I’m still saying it, and my experiences carry on. I’m still dealing with this and will be forever, because that’s how bad it is. 

The trope of the psycho ex-girlfriend is dangerously prevalent within our society, where women are often portrayed as mystifying creatures, prone to possessing a whole spectrum of emotions (who knew?). Not forgetting the psychotic outbursts and (prepare yourself for this one, guys, because it’s a real shocker) - periods!! It is of course just one large conspiracy agreed upon by women to emotionally confuse men. This notion is only perpetuated by the media. A quick google search reveals “27 Guys Share The Most Insane ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Stories You’ve Ever Heard.” which yes, of course includes the story of an ex-girlfriend who lied about being raped. Now, we aren’t saying that in this case that wasn’t true - no evidence is given either way. However, pages such as these only place the idea into people’s minds - if one “psycho ex-girlfriend” lies about sexual abuse, it must be a common occurrence.

Mel: I think to know that you can have someone that’s not going to question anything is really important.

Whenever someone reaches out to Mel on Twitter, asking for help from a similar abusive situation, the first place she’ll point them to is such a place: Rape Crisis.

It’s an amazing supportive place to be, they have candles and tea and give you tissues when you cry and laugh when you make jokes about your horrible experiences. You can talk about all this very complicated stuff that comes out of trauma and you might be afraid to say to just a normal therapist or psychiatrist, because here’s someone who understands the very specific kind of trauma. I’m so grateful for that. I hope I win the lottery so I can give them a lot of money.

There isn’t a resolute end to trauma; it lives with you and manifests itself in different ways throughout different points of your life. Often it manifests through mental health struggles, another topic Mel is vocal about. Having a place where you can speak out and take in the experiences of others – learn, find solace or common ground – is important. That’s where The Respite Room comes in, a project Mel is part of with several other women, created by Halina Rifai with the aim to create a healthy and informative online space, something more relevant than ever with the internet and social media sometimes being triggers for mental health struggles, or at the least liable for providing faulty information.

Mel: I remember when I was younger reading things on Tumblr telling me “if you don’t like something, you don’t have to do it.” But I do actually have to pay my rent! I don’t like it, but I do have to pay it.

Anyone with teen years spent on Tumblr will remember questionable posts like this, or even outright vicious blogs such as ones promoting anorexia or glorifying self harm. An online resource with an empathetic, useful and positive angle on mental health rather than one that romanticizes it or gives problematic “advice” is a commodity the internet needs more of.

Mel: The first podcast [for The Respite Room] has been recorded. We spoke about and shared our experiences, and hopefully it will be a regular thing. At the moment we’re doing blog posts and inviting people to write about stuff, with lots of exciting stuff coming up. I think it’s important when writing about mental health not to just to talk about depression and anxiety, I think there’s still a lot to be said about those things, but I think there are also mental illnesses that are still more stigmatized than others, for example BPD. I think it’s important to talk about that as well.

We’re not professionals, but we have our experiences we want to share, and I think the ultimate goal is to have physical meetings with people. I’m really keen at some point to hopefully do art classes which will be a nice space that’s very aware of things that are helpful if you have anxiety, making it clear that if you want to come by yourself people will talk to you, but not if you don’t want us to (laughs), making it a very comfortable and enjoyable space. And if you want to talk about your mental health out of that, then that’s a good thing as well.

If there is one idea that pushes its way to the forefront of our discussion with Mel it is this - that if and when a person is ready to talk, it is our responsibility to hear them. Our attitudes towards mental health, trauma, and abuse can help to educate and to promote understanding of ourselves and others. To feel understood during mentally difficult and often confusing times can make everything feel just that little more manageable. Our attitudes towards sexual abuse victims can change the way in which society as a whole treats the abuser. Knowing that there are serious consequences for rape and abuse, both legally and socially, may deter people from choosing to commit this crime in future, while also paving the way for better victim support. Whether it be through an online platform, a counselor’s office, or an after party at 4 am, the way in which we choose to respond makes all the difference.

Thank you, Mel, for being part of our voice.

[abqzfexhibitors]

ABQZF7 Interview: Amy Louise Bogen

WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR ZINE?

 Amy Louise Bogen ("AmyLou") zine: Lost Projects Zine

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE ZINES YOU'LL BE TABLING AT ABQZF7! 

WHY DID YOU CREATE THEM? WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT?

I am tabling the first 3 issues of Lost Projects Zine and issue #4 will be debuting at this fest! Lost Projects is a community “tell-all” perzine rag! A safe place to tell your woes to and let ‘em go, this zine is dedicated to lost projects and the art of staying found… I have started, created, and never finished SOO many projects (zines included) over the years that I started this zine to exorcise all of those past projects, get me working on new stuff and inspire others to do the same.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING/WRITING ZINES? HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?

Zines and I have had an on again off again relationship since we met and fell in love at first sight. I had read about them in my beloved “Sassy” magazine, and ordered some “Deep Girl” comics promptly after reading a review on its glossy pages. I wrote my first zine in the mid-1990’s- the 2000’s but only recently began publishing, this past year again. I have made many comics and zines over the years… “YUM!,” “Lunatics, Idiots, and Women,” and now “Lost Projects”…

WHAT MAKES A ZINE A ZINE TO YOU? DEFINE "ZINE," IN YOUR WAY.

I’m really into the physical existence of the printing itself, being a paper hound. I’m into color, texture, ink…I also am attracted to the size of the “average/ 5.5x 8.5” zine. It just fits. (When I was a kid, before I could even write I would craft duplicate copies of Readers Digest and National Geographic���s, on the same size paper.) The D.I.Y. ethos is a real draw for me. There is something about a matte page as opposed to a glossy one (even though there are exceptions to “rules.”) I don't run ads in my zines, its "ALL ME" (save for the fantastic floating ½ dozen or so awesome artistic and literary contributors from the community featured in each issue.)

HOW DO ZINES CONTRIBUTE TO LITERARY CULTURE? 

I am just now getting around to publishing in my thirties. There were a lot of things that I let keep me from writing, even though I knew at a very early age that it was for me. Things like class, access to education, mental health and more. There are so many people connected now, world over via the medium of zines that you cannot deny its rightful place within the literary community. Zines are literary. Saying this certainly broadens the definition of the word by including/ showcasing/ celebrating/ highlighting/ exploring those marginalized voices not present in the (white/male/norm) literary past!

DO YOU HAVE A ZINE CRUSH?! IF SO, ARE YOU WILLING TO REVEAL THE OBJECT OF YOUR ZINE AFFECTION? 

In high-school I had a crush on a person that crafted zines, a rarity in my small mid-western suburban town. These days I am most impressed with craft-person-ship of many zines. I get crushes on zinesters font choice, paper weight choice and a creative layouts. I don't crush like back in high-school, yet sometimes feel "crushed" when folks still need to be told what a zine is.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT MAKING ZINES? WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE MOST FRUSTRATING ABOUT THE PROCESS? 

I love the whole process… writing, illustrating, editing are some of the best parts. I’d also add community to that list of favorite parts of the process… folks who come thru and submit or share. The costs to print can frustrate… (Underemployed full-time student here.) Sometimes at the printer shop, a new or differently skilled employee can turn a 20 min job into a 2 hour sweat-fest… protip: Always finish/print early as to avoid this happening!

HOW HAVE ZINES HELPED YOU GROW AS AN ARTIST/WRITER/MUSICIAN/THINKER/MAKER? 

Writing, curating, editing, and crafting zines in this day and age has forced me to engage with the mediums of this era (computers n’ whatnot.) My glue-sticks and typewriter collection see less of me than in yesteryears, but in a society that values time n’ money, this slow crafter is appreciative of the ease of many new technologies. It also encourages me to participate in making community. I have grown more serious about my art/ writing/music/thinking/making since I have returned to zine craftivism…serious in that I am more obsessed and active than in ever! Making zines have forced me to be less fearful of making and sharing. I sort of love the personal feel of the medium of the zine, its like showing someone your underwear drawer, your closet, your chewed gum collection or something equally personal. When someone says they like/ or have read my zine, suddenly I am aware that my obsession is on display... but not in that tired social media overwhelming sort of way. Its like “oh, hi, you see me, you sat and listened to my stories for 15 minutes now tell me one of your stories, please!”

HOW MANY ZINES ARE IN YOUR COLLECTION AND WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES? 

200+ I don't buy as much as I would like to… many of my original zines were traded and handed out free. $5-20 zines keep me from buying, I prefer trades! I am one who considers many independently published items to be zines. ie:) I have a stack of 1970’s feminist lit mags. Some old Zap! comics for the R. Crumb. I have scrappy punk rock/ riot grrl Xeroxed zines, with typos galore! I really love those 1990’s zines... Comics by Ariel Bordeaux and obsession zines like Craphound or Thrift Score. Zines of this modern era have evolved so much and so many voices are heard by them... It is overwhelming to say favorite. I do hope to "claim" a modern favorite. Lets trade? Maybe its your zine!?

WHAT KIND OF ZINE DO YOU WANT TO WRITE/CREATE THAT YOU HAVEN'T EXPLORED YET? (TOPIC, FORMAT, STYLE, ETC.)

I have found that I am much more into writing/ illustrating comics than I had first thought I was. I love folks whose work is interactive and I strive for such notions in my own makings. I have a few projects on the back burners. I am a proud “slow crafter!” You'll have to wait and see.

Thanks, Amy Lou! 

Instagram: lostprojectszine Facebook: Lost Projects Zine Lost Projects is sold @ Wasted In Zine Distro in Phoenix

[pklawry]

PEP160 Reflective Log

Did I struggle with this module? Very much so. Will I make my own pages for fun? You bet your arse I will.

If I had to say which spread was the most difficult but rewarding to make, it would be the geek-cave story I did for Star Wars Insider. This really tested the limited skills I’d plucked from our InDesign sessions, mainly making the square for the headline. This was by far my favourite layout to create, mainly because there were so many elements and shapes that came into it, like the Imperial vector I used behind some of the text to add definition and something extra to the page. I tried to follow their deign layout, but each page is very different, and I could really work out which section of the magazine it would go as a rough idea of layout, so I pulled bits of deign from a couple spaces in the print. The hardest part of the page was the headline; I wanted the first page to be a full-page photo, but it was too busy to have a naked text overlay. I first tried to make a square with two diagonally opposite corners chopped off, but after discovering it isn’t as simple as drawing the lines up and then grouping them together to make one shape, no matter how frustrated I got, I decided to just create two identical rectangles and lay them on-top of each other to create a gradient effect. Putting plain text on the orange gradient didn’t really look right so I added a drop shadow to add depth, as I thought the page looked very flat.

My second publication was Local Wolves that write stories on up and coming young adults in the creative and visual arts industry. Maia Pavey was my subject, also my SDA subject, that I photographed and interviewed who is an illustrator from Bexleyheath in London. I immediately took a liking to Local Wolves when I discovered them on Issuu because they take photos of the person, instead of only including the persons work in the article - it’s like a journal of faces in the creative industry, instead of a catalogue of work, and I haven’t really seen this on the market, especially as an in-print magazine. I loved the fact I could include so many of my images, and that I could report on the person, instead of using one portrait of the person, and the rest being scans of their work. One of my favourite parts was interviewing and asking questions, being able to put her thoughts into this, instead of it being my opinion of her and her work. The illustration wasn’t really a part of it, it was getting to know her thoughts on the visual arts industry and how she thought that really made it for me.

One of the main reasons I chose Kaleo Journal to write for was the fact I could really go to town with the design, as their layout is very free, and seems to change with every different article. The magazine really just celebrates diversity in the creative art scene, void of any discrimination or prejudice. The magazine is also quite small in terms of fame, and seems to have only started up a year ago by university students. Their theme in terms of features don’t seem to follow a specific pattern of interest – this is why I chose this publication, because this story doesn’t really fit into any specific magazine genre, making it difficult to find an in-print magazine that would run a story of a girl living on a canal boat selling clothes at a street market occasionally. I’m not overly happy with this spread, mainly because the styling looks very 2 dimensional and very naïve – but I followed the style of Kaleo’s current articles while still adding my own turn on it to making it different. This is probably my least favourite design for this reason.

My last article is on ancient trees for Gardens Illustrated. I really love the design of this magazine – its incredible simple, but very clean-cut, timeless and coherent. I thought this would work very well with the aesthetic of my photos, and the nature of the black and white images on white paper. This is probably my most farfetched spread because it isn’t really saying anything. I thought the images would look good as a publication, but there isn’t much to write on the subject, and I think this is where I realised I’d failed on that front. I took the photos on film because high contrast black and white film adds a whole lot of definition, which is what I want to pick up in the bark. At first I didn’t scan the film in at a high enough PPI to go across the third and fourth pages, so I rescanned at 720PPI which seems to have worked. I would definitely add context or narrow the field down if I were to redo this, like picking a specific county or place to photograph the tress, and the story of why the trees are so extraordinary must be able to hold up an entire article dedicate to them.

InDesign took a little time to get used to, but it was incredibly easy to get the hang of. I’m someone who religiously learns the key shortcuts for everything that I think I’ll ever use which was, in my opinion, a necessity for my experience with Id; you use maybe 4 separate tools just to put a photo in place. I’m definitely using a mouse next time I use Id, because I had a habit of unintentionally picking up text boxes and throwing them across the page, and moving photos in their photobox. How I didn’t flip the table and punch a wall through the process really surprises me. It was pretty hard to get all of the minor details right with each publication, like the font, spacing, and working out how many columns to use. I tried to get the basics correct, like using serif or sans serif font for titles and body text, and trying to get a similar type face with the.

If I could work for any of the publications, it would absolutely be Local Wolves. I love the ethos of the magazine, and the nature of the articles they write. I would also love the idea of meeting other people in the creative industry and getting to know their way of thinking, and learning other peoples’ point of view. This is why I am pitching my article on Maia Pavey to them, in the hopes of getting even a reply. One reason they might not pick it up is the fact I’ve included an illustration as a full page feature, which isn’t something they do. Another reason might be that she isn’t overly well-known, and doesn’t carry a large following on social media. The message she sends with her illustration might push it up, as she illustrates (in both terms) what they specialise in.

This module has been a very stressful one, but also one of the most rewarding. Skills are something that take time and practice, but this concentrated time on four publications has really developed what I first learnt in the in the Id sessions. I would definitely do this again, completely differently, but it’s something that I’ve really enjoyed playing around with. I would probably change the stories I did, especially the one about ancient trees, and I would expand the geek-cave one to look at multiple and write a rounded article on the artistry of them. I could also have written more of the articles instead of using text, I think that’s one of my biggest downfalls of this module. Most of the stories I did here were ideas that I’ve had for quite a long time but never gotten round to doing them – and I think is one other issue, that they weren’t thought of in the way of editorial magazine-spread-mindfulness, and more as long-form documentary or personal projects. The module has definitely kick started the want to start my own zine, or to be a regular submitter to one, but make my own pages. I used the 30 day free trial for Id on my PC, but I think I’ll definitely be buying it. Overall, 10/10 for software experience.

UPDATE: I did end up sending my pitch to Local Wolves in the end, I sent it to info@localwolves.com and press@localwolves.com to make sure they got it, and addressed it to Samai Kohm who’s the managing editor of the magazine, as I couldn’t find a picture or story editor. I haven’t had a response yet.