#thank you for everyone in the zine for all the artworks and the quality of the merch

[spacetofv]

finally got my hands on the @sonicshadowzine package!! i adore it so much!! thank you ❤️❤️

[dragonageannual]

Production & Shipping Update

As the time approaches that we would usually begin shipping orders, we have an update to share. After an extremely poor customer service experience with our manufacturer, the order of our physical calendars arrived late, suffered crush damage during shipping, and had a stapling variance that resulted in a binding off-set. We are committed to providing as high a quality product as possible and the resulting damage is not acceptable by our project's standards.

We have arranged for the calendars to be re-printed. We are making every effort to have orders delivered ASAP, however the manufacturing issue and re-print have caused a delay. Non-US orders for the zine only will be shipped without delay. All US orders will be held until the calendars are reprinted to avoid incurring additional shipping fees.

At this time, we have in hand our mini zine and all other physical merchandise. They look fantastic and we are excited to get them out for everyone to appreciate! Unfortunately, in the interest of ensuring timely delivery of orders, the calendar must be re-printed without a pre-punched hole for hanging. However, the artwork and text layout were done with the intention of a hole and there is space for you to punch your own if you wish to do so.

REMINDER: You must provide a shipping address on itch.io for us to fulfill your order. We are missing about 20 addresses - please follow the steps on our website here to make sure you provided an address.

We will post additional production and shipping updates across our social media accounts and newsletter as more information is available. Thank you all for your understanding and support as we work to get the Annual out to each of you in the highest quality we can!

[samwinchesterzine2023]

So Get This : A Sam Winchester Zine is now live!

Over 100 pages of Sam focused fanworks created by 17 authors and artists , Featuring front cover art by @walechu and back cover art by @inlustwithsammy

Available to download in epub and pdf formats . Please be on the look out in case of minor updates to these soon .

The zine is free to download. Please consider donating to a charity that promotes learning in honor of Sam .

For example:

All fanworks can now be added to ao3 using the zine collection https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SoGetThisSamZine/profile

Thank you to everyone involved especially @fictionallemons and @gayasfspn for their help putting the zine together

Happy Supernatural and first appearance of Sam Winchester day !

Please enjoy the zine all about Sam and his story!

Updated 9/14: There was an error where one of the artworks was not in optimally formatted that has now been fixed . If you would like  the fixed version please download the files labeled: 

So-Get-This-Print fixed.pdf

So-Get-This-Zine fixed.epub]

A updated color pdf will be available soon

Apologies to the artist effected.

Updated: 9/22 Last update ! All updated/fixed versions of the zine are now available.

[nieded]

Writing in 2024

Every year, I try and do a blog post about the things I've written in 2024, how I felt about it all, and if I learned anything. This year, it really didn't feel like I had done a lot until I went back and looked at my AO3. Then I realized I had actually written a ton, a whopping 80,000 words worth.

So beneath the cut, I'll break this down into three categories: Zines, #RR, and FTH.

Zines

Some of these fics I wrote in 2023, but I didn't post them until 2024 due to exclusivity rules, but I'll include them in this list. After the rush of Season 2, I signed up for as many zines as possible. I had the fever, and the only cure was more zines! I also had some insane executive functioning fairy (who would abandon me by summer), who inspired me to write, edit, and submit everything on time. Wild.

Wartime Correspondence, 1.5k, Teen, for Pin Me Up Vol. 2 - featuring pin-up Aziraphale!

In Good Faith, 1.7k ,Teen, for Twin Passions: A Bildad Zine - a missing scene from Job

The Thing With Feathers, 2.6k, Gen, for In Love With My Car Vol. 2 - a fic about reconciling post-S2 ft. wonderful artwork by Cat_Clawz

Best In Show, 1.4k Gen, for It Began In A Garden - where an angel and a demon enjoy retirement in the South Downs, ft incredible artwork by eglantine-c

and my favorite because Warlock lives forever rent free in my head

Falling Upwards, 2.1k, Gen, for Above Below and the Common Ground - an epistolary fic about Warlock and Crowley reuniting post-S2.

#RAINBOWROAD

Simultaneously, I was posting the final installment of #RR, 0-60 in 3.5, 49k, Teen.

I had intended to end the series with Fools Rush In, so I treat all of this as bonus content. Think of it like DVD extras. There's a very loose plot. It's basically me shitposting right up until the end. I had so much fun sharing this with everyone!

I also need to shout out @literarion, who just finished posting the #RR podfic. She has been working on it for over a year, and posting literally took all year from January to December. She never said it, but I did worry she wanted to murder me when I said I had written another part.

Lit, in my opinion, is the shining example of the talent, creativity, and generosity in the Good Omens fandom. The fact that she creates these podfics that are so high quality and makes fic accessible for more people is really fucking cool. It was also incredible for me to hear my words sound like sports broadcasts and TV interviews.

I've written a lot about how overwhelmed I get when I think about all the people who have contributed to the #RR universe, but I do want to say it again. Thank you.

Fandom Trumps Hate

Then, right around the time I wrapped up all the zines and #RR, I signed up for Fandom Trumps Hate. This was my first year doing it, and it was such a fun experience! I am floored by the generosity of people. It was also incredible to take direct prompts and brainstorm ideas with everyone. None of the final products were at all like I imagined in the beginning, but I think that goes to show the liquid nature of writing sometimes.

That said, when I started FTH, I was coming off the high of finishing all these other projects and feeling extremely productive. This summer, however, I was hit with the most severe, longest bout of depression I've experienced. I came off of several medications. My dog got cancer. Every ounce of energy I had I channeled into existing. I would have given anything to have the ability to write, but I couldn't.

Just when I finally got my feet under myself, I was offered a promotion. It was October. My boss took me out for coffee one random Monday and offered me a position I had been applying for, for years. I was excited and also stressed out because I knew I would be taking on a lot of responsibility at a time when my life felt very tenuous, but it was also an oportunity I could not miss.

FTH was heavy on my mind. In true ADHD fashion, the stress of starting a new job kicked my butt into gear. I had been slowly plugging along on all the fics over the summer but ended up reworking every single one of them. And each fic was wildly different from the other.

This also gave me the opportunity to explore a couple of ideas I had turning over in my brain for quite some time.

Let it run, 7.6k, Explicit, for Ambra - body shop/mechanic AU. Ambra wanted something hyper specific, and y'all know I love infodumping about cars. This was a really fun way to show the mundane side of cars because truthfully, I do tire writing about Ferraris and McLarens. This is so closely aligned to the life I live.

We know what we are but not what we may be, 5.3k Gen, for lynn99999 - an outsider POV fic from the perspective of Lesley, the International Express Man, who has to deliver a message to Heaven. Man, admittedly, this was both the hardest and easiest fic to write. The prompt was about a lost package inspired by lynn99999 #RR's books getting lost in the mail. I had so many ideas that I had started and scrapped, but once I landed on the final premise, I had the rough draft done in two days. Humans interacting with the Ineffables is my favorite canon trope.

Might have gone, but what for?, 5k, Explicit, for joyeousness - a 1941 fic. Hey, do you want something sad??? Many years ago, I decided I would only write happy endings (and happy endings *wink wink wink*) even though I love writing angst. So for that reason, I think this story is incomplete because it ends on an unresolved note. After S2, I had this idea churning in my brain on repeat. When I ran it by joyeousness, and they gave me the green light, I was excited to get it down in words. And yep, it ended up being as brutal as I imagined.

Under Pressure, 6.5k, Teen, for She_Jedi - in which Remy (from SDU) and Warlock (from Ground Control) meet. Let's be real. I know it says this is a gift for She_Jedi, but they really did me a favor by letting me write this. Originally, they wanted a continuation of Ground Control, and I had been sitting on this idea of having Remy, an OC from another Good Omens fic I wrote, meet Warlock. I wrote these two series around the same time, and clearly I was going through something since I wrote so much about fucking postgraduate education. I was in my pre-F1 / post-grad-school-traumatized-professional phase. So it was really fun to revisit this when both Remy and Warlock were a little older. I mean, yeah, writing is just one big projection, and I'm staring in the mirror.

2025

My goal next year is honestly to read more. I usually do a companion post with all the fic I've read through the year, and I rarely read anything in 2024. I hate that. A lot. So if you have a fic you desperately want to share, please reblog or drop a comment!

I also potentially have a silly little #RR fic in the pipeline. Maybe.

[alternazine]

Time for our first "Questions and Answers" session!

I, Rebi, will be your guide. You are in good hands! Here, us scientists will resolve all doubts. Remember you can ask us anything via our Curious Cat, Twitters DMs, Tumblr ask-me-anything or email. Now, let's begin! . . .

«The following questions belong to our: INTEREST CHECK.» 1.- "What is this even about?"  R = 'Utopia of Yesterday' is a free zine dedicated to Alterna, the setting of Splatoon 3's Hero Mode. Our contributors will work on an assigned kettle for their zine assignment, which can be an art work or a piece of writing. 2.- "Would a portfolio be absolutely necessary to join as an artist of any kind?" + "Are there any requirements/expectations when presenting our portfolio?"  R = Per our guidelines, a linkable and viewable portfolio is needed for our contributor applications. It can be done in any way you like and contain how many pieces you want that show us your work! Your portfolio doesn't need to have Splatoon samples but it is encouraged. As well, we expect to see 1 background example. Portfolios with NSFW, suggestive illustrations or (heavy) gore won't be accepted nor taken into consideration, ending in an instant rejection for the applicant. 3.- "What does it mean exactly to be a supporter and what do they do?"  R = A supporter is a person who supports yet does not contribute to the zine as an artist or writer would do! They normally share the zine's posts, talk about it with their friends, or maybe even just follow us. These are just some ways of being a supporter! 4.- "What's a Spot Piece?"  R = A "spot piece" is a small artwork dedicated to fill the empty space and complement the bigger picture of the zine's layout and design, usually found alongside the writing. 5.- "Is there a consistent theme or set of characters artists can draw or is it more customizable?"  R = It is more customizable! In 'Utopia of Yesterday' we allow our contributors to draw/write about any set of characters, be it sea creatures as inklings or maybe even humans long ago when they lived, as long as it is in the setting of their assigned kettle/site. 6.- "r u guys gonna have mod applications tee hee"  R = No, we will not. The current staff team is able to take care of all needed areas. Thank you for the interest! 7.- "If someone did get suggested [for Guest Artist], would the team ask if they're interested directly or leave it up to fate and hope they apply?" R = Something like that! Once we decide who to invite to participate in the zine based on the suggestions given in the Interest Check, we reach out to them via the zine social media! It's up to them if they accept our invitation or not. ----- «The following questions belong to our: CURIOUS CAT.» 1.- "Are there any zines formatted by a host that I can see? Although they have been involved in many zines, I can't see any projects that are finished and show me the quality of formatting that this zine will have. Sorry if this sounds rude!! but I am genuinely curious TT" R = Tari, one of the hosts and our formatting mod, has been mainly involved in zines as a contributor. Most of their formatting work is personal/private, but there will soon be a public example! This Monday 29th, the zine Classified Love will be released to the public freely. It is a project about love made with love. We highly recommend you to go check it out and support everyone's hard work! 

. . . This has been all for today. We thank you all for the constant interest and support. Now, I must go back to the lab... Please stay on the lookout for our next "QnA" session! See ya~ « Art by @calatarii. Graphics by @rebiisea. All rights reserved. » « Information Hub: https://alternazine.carrd.co/ »

[d2artevents]

Great zine! But is it supposed to be so pixelated? Or is it just me?

Thank you for the kind words! We're so happy and proud of the work the community has put into it.

And about the pixelating preview, that may be espcially harsh in some devices. It should get better if you download the file, however, it is true that in order for the PDF to work and stay light for people with compromised internet connections, we've exported it at 4K but 72DPI.

Some of our artists have Glazed their pieces, which automatically sets the protected artwork down to 72, so we have to make the rest follow the same requirement (otherwise the format would be all over the place). This is also done to avoid any third party from potentially stealing the high quality files of the artworks for any unsolicited use.

We'll keep an eye on any alternatives to improve the experience for everyone with online and file previews. For now, we suggest you keep an eye on the tag to see everyone's posts :)

Thank you for your question!

[meldoesthedraw]

Scooter: We're taking this old church & turnin' it into a coffee house! ☕

Janice: Yeah, with real good music & organic refreshments~ 🎶

Teeth: Boy, it'll be so fine & laid-back and *mellow & profitable*!💸

[-- The Muppet Movie (1979)]

At long last, I'm excited to share my FULL piece for 'Behind the Mayhem Fanzine'!!!🥰 A callback of sorts to the very first Muppet film where Kermit and Fozzie run into the band at that old church; I always wanted their coffee shop to be a real place! (maybe even as another lil eatery destination in the Disney parks, like Rizzo's pizza place? get on it, theme park designers!)

anyhow, I picture this (ha) as being their commemorative Opening Day snapshot!! so proud of these groovy new business owners! B]

---

But yes!! All that aside, I am EXTREMELY thankful to be able to say that the 'Behind the Mayhem' fanzine is now in it's Production Period. Imagine! In just a couple months or so, all of the amazing artwork created by fellow artists and muppet fans who helped make this project a reality, will be printed, in physical form, along with our lovely merch. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported this zine!!💕 I'm so, so excited to see this project through to completion~ 🤩

👉 One Last Note!!! If you missed pre-orders, but are still interested in a high quality *DIGITAL PDF COPY* of 'Behind the Mayhem' fanzine, we have re-opened for a second wave! You can still place an order HERE from Dec 1st - 15th.

[pandiongames]

Hello all! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

First, a big thanks to everyone who has followed us on this Dungeon Year Design Journal journey. As of this writing, the free digital version has been downloaded 2,700 times and people are starting to post pictures of their journals printed off in their three ring binder. It is so exciting to see what you’re all making - keep them coming!

We are excited to announce that we will launch a crowdfunding campaign on January 3rd, 2023 to get the journals printed!

And today we finalized the details to offer the journals worldwide.

The digital version will remain free, but we wanted to get physical journals in the hands of those who want them. They will be wire-o bound so they lay flat. Inside is 70lb uncoated paper for a solid feel that won’t let ink or colors bleed through to the other side.

We are keeping the campaign low risk, so no stretch goals, but we are offering two journal formats: The full-sized journal and a condensed weekly journal.

We will make an announcement here when the campaign launches, but we also recommend signing up on the campaign page to make sure you get all the updates we post there.

Check out the Campaign!

Recently, we stumbled upon a Dungeon23 Helper Project on itchio by Hexed Press, and we think it’s really cool, so definitely check it out.

What’s next after the Journal?

The Dungeon Year Design Journal is our first steps into crowdfunding, but it was also a surprise project for us. We have two other projects in the works as we speak:

In February, we are partnering with Milk Toast Studio to launch a crowdfunding campaign as part of Zine Month to make letterpressed GMless player aid cards. A high-quality pack of 12 cards that helps players drive the story in GMless games such as Wanderhome, Sleepaway, and even Banda’s Grove. We are finalizing the artwork for the cards now and can’t wait to start showing off more details.

Then, we are still working on getting final touches on Banda’s Grove complete, including building a legacy campaign book that can sit in the middle of your table. This supplement can house all the details of your adventures in the Grove all in one place that everyone contributes to - a living legacy of the adventures you have together. We are targeting a launch in April/May.

With Banda’s Grove, we are also doing our own Dungeon Year project! A Mega Grove: A massive convergence of campgrounds from across the universe. 52 planar fragments, each with 7 unique details: encounters, NPCs, buildings, creatures, and more. We will release the Mega Grove slowly over time for free. If you’d like to help us make the Mega Grove, or just watch its creation first hand, join our discord server where we’ll work with the community to bring it to life.

We wish you all a happy New Year, and thanks again for all your support!

[freyjawriter24]

My copy of the @unleashthechaoszine arrived!!! Look at all this awesome merch!!!

It's so cool to have my writing in an actual printed zine! Look at it here, expertly positioned next to @waldos-art's brilliant artwork!

(If you want to read my fic in full, it's now on AO3 here: Moving the Markers.)

And as a bonus, here's my name in the zine:

This is so cool!!! Thank you so much to the mods for making this such a brilliant experience, and for designing a truly awesome zine.

And thank you to everyone else who contributed to the zine, too - all of your art and writing has made this such a quality collection, and it's fantastic to be included among you.

[calicorn]

My experience with WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans as an artist.

This in regards to the Act 6/7 Tarot Project, which occurred from 2017 to 2018. I also want to thank @aryll for the chance to participate in such a project, and thank you for doing what you could with the group and what occurred. I realize this is a few years late, however, but it’s been bothering me ever since it occurred, and I only chose to speak my mind about it. But to summarize, the project started out as unofficial, however we were approached by FFBF in February of 2018. They were willing to sell the deck as official merchandise on their store. I have my own opinions on the company, as it’s known they underpay artists severely for their work despite selling most items for extremely high prices. A similar payment issue occurred with the Official Homestuck Zine, and one of the artists of the Tarot Project posted this in the comments:     “Can relate OP. I did work for the new tarot deck (using my throwaway account for that reason lol) but we aren’t being paid at all. No money. The only compensation we are getting is a free deck and an exclusive enamel pin which is pennies compared to what they��ll be making off us. One might argue that the project wasn’t supposed to be printed so I should be grateful it’s even happening but I expected a big company like WLF to y’know, pay artists... The only reason I agreed to letting them use my art was to get a free deck. I also honestly dislike WLF’s artist compensation policy. My art has been selected from the Fan Forge before and the idea of being able to sell my HS art was so appealing, but the execution is so poor. They don’t pay us until we sell $100 worth of shirts, but that is so difficult in a market that is so oversaturated. I wish they like, cycled designs in and out. Instead, they just keep adding more and more designs, drowning out old ones and just flooding the entire market. Plus, they get to withhold money from artists until every hundred-dollar mark. I can’t imagine how much they’ve made off of small time artists that get their design accepted and sell maybe 3 shirts since it happens so often.” So. What exactly happened? I’ll explain under the cut given there’s a decent amount to go through. Though to summarize; WeLoveFine/ForFansByFans is an extremely egregious company that does not value their artists whatsoever and will do what they can to pay them as little as possible. Please support said artists on sites that actually do give them fair pay, or support them via commissions.

There were a few bumps during the tarot project, though overall it went extremely smoothly and we released our art to the Tumblr blog. FFBF approached us during this time, and we were all given the option to agree to continue working or the project or decline. However, this is what was an important piece to the initial email sent out by the Tarot Project team;      • Each participating artist will get a full finalized copy of the deck, COMPLETELY free. This includes packaging and free shipping of the deck.      • Each participating artist will get an enamel pin commemorating the project, EXCLUSIVE to the artists of this project only, with a custom design as chosen/designed by us. What will most likely occur is that everyone who wishes to submit a design for the pin can do so, and as a group, we will vote on which one we would like to submit as our final design choice!     • Each participating artist will receive FULL COMMISSION on any further usage of their artwork by What Pumpkin or For Fans By Fans. For example, if they release a mini-print, wallet, etc. with your design on it, you will be paid in commission for the usage of your work. (If you have ANY questions about how this would work, please don’t hesitate to ask and I will hook you up ASAP with a For fans By Fans representative who can go over the details with you further.)     • Each participating artist will have a window in which they will be able to make updates or revisions to their illustration(s) before the project is released. This means that if something is bugging you about your work, or you feel that it does not reflect your current level of skill, you will be allowed to resubmit a new version before the project officially goes up as merchandise! So, the majority of us agreed to continue forward with the project and retouch our cards. From there, things continued, and we were emailed by a FFBF representative on occasion to discuss how the process went, as well as various other things that required discussion, plus asked to assist in the promotion of the 4/13/18 celebration on their website. This is where the issues began and would continue through the entire project, with it still being seen post-release of the cards. We were sent an email in April of 2018 requiring information to be provided in the  accompanying booklet of the deck, as well as being asked to answer various interview questions that would be posted to FFBF’s Tumblr, and most importantly; the Commission Agreement form. So what did it entail? This was the form I was sent. My interview was never posted. I have looked multiple times and never seen evidence it ever was, either. And this was also included in the email;    • We are going to be hosting a pre-order bonus promotion surrounding the new tarot set, starting 413. Anyone who pre-orders the set will be entered into a drawing to win a commissioned art piece from a random artist who worked on the tarot. You will be paid by us, FFBF, for this commission work in the amount of $50.  So we had to draw more art with a very close deadline date to obtain a payment  for art we had already created, both of which should have easily been worth more than $50 total. I signed without thinking, which looking back on, was incredibly idiotic, despite my own worries over the fact that even at the time, $50 did not seem like a lot. Progress continued. An exclusive pin was designed and created for the artists, though the production and delivery dates would be delayed to September of 2018. During this time, we were also invited to join FFBF’s Discord server as well, which I am still in, though am not active in. And eventually, we were provided a Commission Schedule. I do not know if I’m missing an email between the enamel pin shipment and this schedule post, however I cannot find any trace of it. This is the Commission Schedule email, and what it consists of. Of course I found it strange, because looking at the schedule, I could never find any sign of myself having been added. Obviously I should have replied then and there due to that, but I didn’t, and that is my own fault. But that rolled into October of 2018, when I did finally email back and asked about why I hadn’t been added. I was sent back this; “Hi Calicorn! I’m sorry I misinterpreted your response as not wanting to proceed:“3)  I am completely willing to sign up for being one of the artists for the commission raffle event, though I must say $50 would be underpaying considering most artists’ base prices for commissions tend to be $50 or more.” Then I sent “If you do not want to be part of the give-away, that’s totally ok. We are offering $50 for these commissions but if that price is not within your comfort, there’s no pressure!” You never came back with anything so I didn’t want to proceed since it seemed like you were uncomfortable with the amount we were offering – I’m really sorry if I misunderstood! The giveaway is actually over I’m sorry to say but I appreciate you following up about this. I wonder why the message went into spam.. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you Thanks!” And one of the most glaring issues popped up in October as well. When we finally received our decks in the mail, our project’s Discord group began to discuss the fact that our emails had been printed in the pamphlet without our permission. Mind you, this was also a project that included minors in it, and our emails had now been given away without our knowledge. Another issue with the pamphlets is the fact that FFBF had reused the same text from the Homestuck Kickstarter Tarot Deck, as seen on the New Booklet/Old Booklet, and here/here. FFBF then decided to remove the booklet from every outgoing tarot that gets ordered, with customers receiving a corrected digital PDF that was coordinated in its creation by Aryll. And apparently previous customers would receive this PDF via emails, as well as a link to download it on the product page. Thankfully FFBF seemed to have at least posted the PDF on the product page, however this seems extremely lazy compared to simply including the newly reprinted booklet. Though this may not be the last of issues, as I stumbled across the Amazon product page for our tarot deck earlier before typing this all up. To say the least, it is extremely infuriating, especially given the quality of the cards and how many people of complained about them on both Amazon and FFBF’s websites. Of course we, the artists, were never alerted to this development, nor were we paid for such.

But overall, we were hardly paid for our time and effort during this project, which is a massive disappointment, but perhaps that much should have been expected from WeloveFine/ForFansByFans, who are notorious for underpaying artists and overpricing products. Their actions are inexcusable, and I am still both disappointed and furious with this company as a whole. But thank you for reading, and please spread the word, as I do not want FFBF’s actions to go unnoticed.

[akurokuzine]

An apology and an update

Hello everyone, we wanted to take a moment to address some public criticism we received regarding the final product of the physical zine. We figure this is also a good time to provide a much needed update. From the very start of zine production up until now, we have done our very best to make it clear that the end product delivered to you all is a 8.5x5.5" zine. Any assumptions or criticisms that all of the original artworks were shrunken down to accommodate a smaller-than-originally-planned product, and thus causing the images to suffer a reduction in resolution (resulting in blurriness and graininess of the images), are false. We believe the reason why this idea of shrunken images came about and was brought up was because of the pixelated fic titles present in the zine. The fic titles were an exporting error on our parts and we are incredibly sorry in not catching it before the mistake was allowed to go to print. We also apologize for not publicly addressing the issue sooner.

As for the other concerns about a reduced quality of the image - we took the criticism seriously and have reached out to the person who was upset with their quality of the zine and are now waiting to hear back with a response so we can check the quality of their copy and offer a replacement if the errors are substantial, as our buyers happiness is important to us.

In the meanwhile, we have examined our own copies of the zine, in particular the areas that were put under the microscope. We confirmed for ourselves that the areas in question re: blurriness and pixilation, are less than an inch big and would only be of concern under intense scrutiny. 

We don’t believe these areas in the images to be of concern as any graininess depicted in the images is texture created by the artists' brushes or the result of the physical act of printing ink onto paper in the printing process.  So we have come to the following conclusion: with the exception of the fic titles, the physical zine is free from formatting errors and should contain no other unexpected blurriness or pixilation.

However, even though we verified the quality of the final product with our copies, we do acknowledge that a certain -albeit unpredictable- margin of error is to be expected in the quality of the books when ordering such a large quantity as we did. 

We unreservedly apologize for the fic title errors, and any small glitches that might have happened to individual copies of the zine that weren’t caught in the quality control process. As a show of good faith we've decided to send out the digitized copy of the printed edition of our zine to our physical zine bundle buyers, free of charge. 

This PDF will only contain the same content seen in the physical zine and it will be different from the extended PDF edition of the zine. 

The Print Version PDFs will be sent out at the same time that the Extended Version PDFs will be emailed. We estimate the PDFs will be sent out at the end of the month as there are some last minute assets and content preparation in the works. However, we will keep you posted if this changes. 

Thank you to everyone for all of your support in our zine and we hope to have more news for you soon.

[catradorazine]

REBOUNDED BOOKS ARRIVED

It's been a long while since we had an email update, but finally, after waiting we have good news! The reprinted and rebounded covers of the 230 C-Grade copies we sent back to our Printing Manufacturer at the end of December 2019 has finally arrived to our Head Mods front door!  We're thankful that the books have made it safe and sound, after 1 box cost lost in transit and we had to sort that headache out.

As of right now, our Head Mod plans on doing a thorough quality check of the rebounded covers after her 9-5 work week, to make sure they are all ready for packaging to customers.  Something to note about the rebounded covers, because the contents inside the zine were fine (it was the covers that caused such serious issues) they had to reprint and then rebind the book back together, so these copies of the zine are slightly smaller than their original counterparts. But rest assured, the contents within are fine and there are no issues with fanfic reading or important aspects of artwork and content being cut out.

Our Head Mod will be getting started on the processing/packaging of the orders once a quality check is done, and our aim is to begin packaging this weekend. Over the next two - four weeks she will be shipping out all the orders, so keep an eye on your inbox for an email containing information on when yours was shipped as well as a tracking number. Because the shipping phase is going full force once packaging is done, we want to direct everyone to our TOS; any questions in regards to the fast inquiries on shipping can be found here. As always, we thank you all for your patience and support!! If you have any questions or concerns please email us or send us a DM.

[ourladyofomega]

Close to the end of the year, and also when the semester ended, I looked forward in selling my books after finals so that I would get money back. I’d get a friend together to take me to Tower Records in Huntington. In a matter of one hour, that money would be gone. Right now I’d be very excited about what I would find in those bins. But due to the pandemic it hasn’t been the case and the euphoria of being in a store, any store at midnight, has been absent. During the mid-00′s, Tower Records went under and currently co-opting the former Huntington location is a third-rate clothing store.

One day as I was driving to work, people stood on the sidewalks of Route 110 holding picket signs like it was the end of the world. First advertised on those signs were 10%-30% percent off all merchandise at Tower. When passers-by and sidewalk shoppers took a closer look, they ended up in shock as they realized that it was an end of an era of some sort. A few days later, the stakes went up. 40%-60% discounts finally garnered Tower’s final audience and rush of shoppers. The final swan song came when all merchandise was down to a whopping 70%-90% percent off. That was when they had their biggest ever turnout because no one wanted to pay full price for music. (Not then when downloading broke, and still not now.) Music collectors and fans were reluctant to buy any new release or any title that was full price. Now they all jumped at the opportunity to clean out Tower’s shelves with a steal. Buyers hovered and tracked entire sections looking for that one shining crown jewel that made their lifetime.

As a music fan for years, I couldn’t begin to tell you how much Tower shaped my taste in music and style. Unlike FYE and Sam Goody, Tower was the one commercial music chain that had a lot of artists and titles that no other commercial store had. Think of what was the Port Jefferson Music Den (closed in 2002) where they were the one underground record store that had everything other stores didn’t even come close to carry. I remember summertimes visiting the Massapequa location picking up rare CD singles and imports as well as other rare hard-to-find and ahead-of-release-date CD’s and artists I picked up such as Autechre’s LP5 (1999) and EC8OR’s World Beaters (1998).

And being a fan of print media and graphic design, I also bought stacks of magazines every week. The magazine selection in Huntington was unrivaled, measuring at least several rows of 60-70 feet of anything and everything you could think of: Industrial Nation, Punk Planet, The Wire, Disruptiv, Mass Appeal, Mean, Vice, YRB, and art design magazines like LoDown, as well as hardcore zines Short Fast Loud!, Maximum Rock And Roll, Under The Volcano and other cult magazines I happened to be lucky to pick up (Lisa Carver’s Rollerderby, anyone?). Every month went at least $60.00-$70.00 total on magazines alone.

Yet towards the end of Tower’s presence I didn’t pick up on music as much because just like other buyers, I had to stand back at the higher-than-usual prices for releases. Compared to discount chains like Best Buy and other record stores, it wasn’t unusual to find a new release with no-frills to be priced at $19.99 or even $21.99. DVDs I noticed were priced at times to be five dollars higher than their competitors. Maybe some shoppers felt the same sentiment as I did.

Not only that, the forces of internet piracy and MP3 downloading of recent years proved to be too dominant and powerful to be stopped, and is currently but begrudgingly co-existing with other existing record stores this day and age. Consumers then re-routed the system right to their own bedrooms with no price to pay for their music. These factors, plus incurring debt that led the chain to bankruptcy proved to be too much for them.

Without Tower Records, it was less convenient for me to pick up whatever artist or movie title I wanted right away right after work. When Tower closed down it took a bite out of some of the physical record collecting I had. Yet, only they could have given me these experiences: no more magazines letting me know what the latest art direction was or who was in the spotlight. No more frantically walking around with a huge stack of everything and more in my hands still looking for one more CD. No more back room full of posters, sheet music, jazz, classical, hip-hop, techno, and soul. No more silly Hollywood memorabilia and comic-book fantasy merchandise. No more video games, no more characters hanging out in the store wearing goth, back-pack indie, or hardcore.

No more attitudes from the employees who treated customers like nothing because they felt like it. That was really the only problem I had with Tower Records, mostly in Huntington. The cashiers pointed people out with a huff and puff because they were given more than enough change or money, or how they rang up a transaction without even making an emotion or saying a word. Some stuck female cashiers had that flat out know-it-all act for no apparent reason. Sometimes I even renounced the shop because of its sometimes poor service, but that was not the case in the end as the attitude did improve, thank you.

And no more of where I had my first date with my Peruvian then-girlfriend. I would never forget wandering in that Huntington store looking for the next purchase when she walked in, greeting each other with open arms. We left when a thunderstorm knocked the power out but we returned after dinner and had a fun time, the first of many for months to come. This was also where I met a pretty pale Irish ginger who I later met again into at community college the following year.

What is now left of the record store scene on Long Island? A few of them which existed when Tower crumbled are still around (Cheapo’s, Looney Tunes, Infinity Records) and even new ones popped up (High Fidelity and Record Reserve to naming two). Some opened and either re-located (Record Stop) or said good-bye by the time you read this (Permanent Records and Vinyl Paradise). The majority of shops in total are still around because internet opinion made their case about the lack of quality, esthetics, art, and ritual of having the physical thing that you don’t get from digital or streaming; and the classic ritual and synesthesia of experiencing a record store and handling the format makes the case of cherishing these shops. On the online circuit, some titles are now being released in very limited quantity, mainly in the low thousands or even in the mere hundreds. It’s a huge drop-off from what the millions in print runs used to be. Naming your own price for digital downloads, streaming, or even buying from the label or artist directly is the way to go nowadays.

With my radio show, Omega WUSB, I do most of my music testing at home. My habits have been ruined by MP3s and streams as acquiring music is of very low cost and extremely ubiquitous. After all that, it hasn’t stopped me from going to record stores or celebrating Record Store Day to find breaks, samples, or dollar music to win it all. Yes, I still very much prefer to go out of town to buy music with my money which I support the artists and shops I like. Even to this day, I’ll be very happy spending $200.00-$250.00 on music just to have the artwork, colors, lyrics, pictures, ink, liner notes, credits, barcodes, and the entire release itself, because later on I will turn a profit in style points as time goes by, just like when people are hoarding and sharing their vinyl and cassette collections now.

That November was my last visit to Tower Records ever, a few months after getting a substantial check from a near-fatal car accident. Acquired would be some titles that made my pre-Omega shows and would be part of some personal seasonal mixtapes. Prices were 40% off on music and that was when I decided to go and treat myself. There comes a time when you just can’t wait and risk a good sale on music before they’re gone forever. The total spent on my last ever visit there was $200.00 on music and the Andy Warhol book at $75.00, originally $125.00 (have you ever carried a book so massive and so heavy?) I took my bags worth of music and magazines with me to the trunk of my car, never to return to the Tower Records experience again.

On another note, I’m still friends with M-Ro to this day, a former manager there. He moved on to become a lead of Hicksville’s Utopia further west before becoming a ticket broker at an independent movie house. He once had a show on WUSB and was a major figurehead and darling of the Long Island punk scene. You might also know his brother J-Ro, a master archivist who still has his own show with us and is known as a major record collector by practically everyone on the island.

[composereggwrites]

Imprint Zine: New Creators’ Spotlight

This is my full article for the twewy @imprintzine!!! There’s still digital copies available of the full zine, and some merch left too!!! It was a blast to write and work with the other participants!

If you like this and wanna chat with me about it hit me up here or in my twewy discord!!!

Ao3

NEW CREATORS SPOTLIGHT

Hello again readers, and welcome to this month’s New Creator Spotlight! We find up-and-coming artists of all types to highlight! From fashion, music, and art, we know how to find the hidden talent in Shibuya and illuminate them all for you to see!

Mr. Mew Creations

First up is Mr. Mew Creations, a new fashion brand led by the fabulous Eri and Shiki Misaki. This duo has taken the fashion scene by storm with their innovative ideas and inspiring designs. From dresses to bright three-piece suits, these two push the boundaries of how we define outfits.

The star of their debut collection is a marvelous dress suit! It’s a dress, and a suit, combined into one! The top half is styled as a silken tuxedo jacket in bold fuchsia, with a pale lavender undershirt and iridescent pearl buttons. The bottom half, however, is a skirt designed to evoke the image of an elegant ball gown. The slip is comfortable enough to wear all day, while providing a backing to the outermost layer, which is a cascade of feathers dyed a stunning cobalt blue.

They have a myriad of other pieces in this lineup, going beyond the binary while staying fashionable and comfortable. From a simple purple shirt with embroidered orange foxes along the hem, to a yellow sweater with a detailed pink squirrel on the front, there’s a wide variety to choose from!

We sat down with the girls for an interview in their studio to talk about their threads, and they had a lot to say!

Thank you for interviewing with us. Could you both introduce yourselves for our readers?

Eri: Yeah sure! Thank you for interviewing us! I’m Eri, the lead designer of our two-person team, Mr. Mew Creations! I do most of the conceptual work, putting ideas down on paper and seeing where that gets us. Shiki definitely helps with that, but her talent shines in, well-- She can tell you!

Shiki: Hah, yeah! I’m Shiki Misaki! I’m the seamstress, so I made all the outfits you can see here in our workspace! Taking what Eri gives me, I bring our ideas to life! We’re both good in each other’s field, but together it feels like we’re unstoppable. She’s handed me some amazing designs to work with, and some I never thought I’d be able to turn into reality. The star of our show, the dress, was one of those. It almost ended up in the trash on more than one occasion, actually. We had to completely redesign it multiple times because we’re both perfectionists, and because someone sees the laws of physics as a challenge to beat. Eri likes to see how far we can push things past their limits, but we work best together because I can reel her back in if it goes too far.

We’re glad you two make such a good team! What led you to make the half-dress, half-suit outfit?

Eri: We wanted to design something that ignored gender norms. Something that defied them, without defaulting to a vaguely-masculine, androgynous look. The fact that clothing is gendered is ridiculous, and there’s this idea that men’s clothing is the default when you want a “gender neutral” item. We decided to go in the opposite direction, and add as much gender as we could, without being limited to one gender.

Shiki: It, like most of our line, is inspired by one of our friends. This dress was originally designed for him, before we decided to use it as part of our lineup. Gender is weird, and the society we live in makes navigating it more confusing than it needs to be. To be able to wear what you want, without worrying about the perception others have of you, without worrying about the way you’ll be labeled? That’s the ideal we strive for, and we hope our work can make a difference.

You said your friends inspired your line. What can you tell us about your creative choices?

Eri: Our friends are unique individuals, and we are too, so we know how to take a look at what people want, and what they need. Not everyone has the perfect model body. Not everyone wants to wear the high-fashion bling, or keep up with all the latest trends. The trick is to find what people want to wear, and design that, instead of chasing what’s trendy. If it’s stylish, people will want it, but it has to look nice and fit right.

Shiki: Just because something is comfortable, doesn’t mean it can’t have style. People are going to notice if you’re not at ease in the clothes you wear, and that unease ruins otherwise perfect appearances. We custom make everything here, and as the seamstress it’s my job to take what Eri gives me for the design and bring it to life. Doing that, while taking sensory issues into account, and ensuring nothing irritates the person who will be wearing it, is of the utmost importance.

Can you tell us a bit about  yourselves and your brand? How you got started, or where your mascot came from?

Shiki: Oh! Our mascot, Mr. Mew, was the first thing I ever made. I still have the original, and I carry him around with me. My quality of work has improved a lot, but he’s a big comfort item. He helps me face all the big scary monsters of the world, and I want him to be there to help others too.

Eri: We met when we were younger, back in middle school. I’ve always been good at making friends, but Shiki was a lot more shy then. Actually, we got in an argument, once when we were 15. I was so worried, I thought I was going to lose my best friend forever over a misunderstanding. Thankfully, we worked it all out, and here we are now! She’s a wonderful seamstress, and all of our friends are so supportive, so it’s nice. I don’t think we’d be where we are today without each other, and the help of everyone in our lives.

 It’s clear that these girls put lots of effort and dedication into what they do!

These girls offer more than some great threads! The namesake of their brand, Mr. Mew, is an adorable cat, and you can get merchandise of him too! Show off your love by picking up one of their plushies, cat ear headbands, and more!

Check out their full line at https://MrMewCreations.Com

 Neku Sakuraba

The artist of the month is none other than Neku Sakuraba! If you’ve taken a walk around Shibuya, you’ve already seen his stuff! This graffiti expert has been gaining a name for himself with stunning displays of color and intricate designs. If you frequent 104 or Molco, you’ll have seen his stylish bold lines on ads for some of the stores!

He first started making waves in the art world last December, when he put up a mural in the Miyashita Park Underpass. Dubbed Hachiko’s Guardian Angel by the public, it features a glowing figure standing over Hachiko, with white feathery wings stretched out over Shibuya’s night-time skyline. There are people at the base of the statue, and musical notes fill the outer space. We reached out to Sakuraba himself for commentary, and managed to secure an interview in his studio!

The space was big, half-finished paintings and sketches scattered across the room. Cans of spray-paint, colored pencils, and charcoal were everywhere. Interestingly, we also spotted a couple Mr. Mew plushies laying around. A second guest, a friend of Sakuraba’s who insisted on being called Joshua, was also in the studio.

But without further ado, the interview:

Thanks for welcoming us to your studio! Can you give us an introduction?

Neku: Right, hi, thanks for interviewing me. I’m Neku Sakuraba. Music geek, CAT fanboy, unwilling follower of fashion trends. That one over there [he gestures toward his friend] is Joshua. Please ignore everything he says. He decided to be here for “moral support,” but I think he just wants to tease me.

[Joshua, at this, gasped, and said, “I would never!” but as requested, his further commentary has been cut from the interview.]

Got it! What inspired you to start making art?

Neku: I’ve always been a doodler. My mom has artwork from back when I was six. The big moment of inspiration for me, when I went, I want to do this, was when I saw CATs art. Looking up at the mural in Udagawa for the first time, back when I was ten, I felt a spark, and I haven’t let go of that feeling since. It’s been rough, I’ve struggled with mental health issues, but art has always been a solace in the dark. I never thought I’d make it this far, or get as much recognition as I have. It’s amazing, and wonderful, and terrifying all at once.

You first got popular because of the mural you put up last December, in the Miyashita Park Underpass. Can you tell us anything about it?

Neku: Oh, yeah! It was the first mural I’d ever done, and I drew a lot of inspiration from Shibuya. In my head, I’ve nicknamed it Shibuya’s Composition. The piece is loosely based off a dream, if I’m being honest. The glowing white figure in the center, with the wings, is meant to be a guardian of Shibuya. Someone who helps the city grow. Meanwhile, the people at Hachiko are waiting for their friend to show, but he can’t, because he’s watching from above, protecting them from afar.

Fascinating! Do you feel like there’s a story you can make from that, one you might tell in the future?

Neku: I don’t think this is ever going to be a story or comic, unfortunately. It’s more of a personal piece. A few years ago, I only had one friend, my first friend, but I lost him. When he died, I isolated myself, and it took a lot from some special people to draw me out of that shell. Even now, I wish I could see him again, and the idea of him still being out there, watching over me and my new friends, comforts me when I miss him the most. I guess I’m like Hachiko, waiting for a dead person to come home.

I’m sorry for your loss. Can you tell us anything about your other artwork?

Neku: I do a lot of graffiti-style works. There’s no other big murals out there by me yet, but I’m working on a few designs right now. People have commissioned me to do stuff ranging from tattoo designs to album covers and store promotions. One of my favorite things to do when I make art, though, is to take the mundane and re-imagine it as something mystical. Why can’t you make foxes purple? Who says there isn’t danger lurking in the shadows? What’s stopping me from adding fire and lightning as weapons, from creating fantastical fights?

Another big source of inspiration is Shibuya. I’ve grown up in this city, it’s my home. If I can look around and see things others don’t? Then I can put that down on paper. Whether it’s as simple as catching the neon lights illuminating the Scramble, or the leaves falling around Hachiko, I can see that, pull it apart, and let my imagination run wild.

That’s pretty cool. You mentioned doing album artwork earlier, so can you tell us what it was like to design the cover for the latest album by The Albatross?

Neku: It was fun! I can’t tell you anything about them, obviously, but it came as a shock when they asked me if I could take on this project. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. But what I can say, without getting myself vaporized on the spot, is that it was enjoyable, and they’re fun to work with. Even if they’re kinda a priss. The amount of artistic freedom I had was nice, and I think we collaborate well together. So there might be more partnership between us in the future, but nothing’s certain yet.

Wonderful! With that, one last question: what motivates you to create?

Neku: Art has always been an escape for me. It can be pretty, or loud. It can shout your thoughts from the rooftops or disguise them under the rustling of leaves in the wind. You can influence others with it, if you’re lucky. I create art for myself, first and foremost. But if I can provide a glimpse into my own secret garden, and let others see pieces of who I am in my work? Then I’m glad. I want to share it. I want to make my mark on the world, and provide others with the escape I once sought.

 This up-and-coming young artist is going to be a big name someday! With his talent, dedication, and heart, Neku Sakuraba might just be the next CAT!

If you want to support him, you can find information about him, his store, and his commission prices at https://nekusakuraba.com

 The Albatross

Our final creator of the month, someone a bit less new, but never interviewed, is The Albatross! Their first album, Noise, featured CAT artwork on the cover: an albatross in flight, with TV static cutting through the image. These two are a mysterious duo, but The Albatross takes the title of most elusive. Despite gaining fame from fans latching onto CAT art, The Albatross has never given the public a single word.

Until now, that is! With their second album, Pulse, set to release in a couple of weeks, they have consented to an interview for the first time!

The album artwork was done by Neku Sakuraba, and it features a feathered white wing, sprouting from the right-hand side of the image. Some of the lower feathers have been replaced with graffiti-like designs.

As for the music itself, their first album featured orchestral tracks, heavy on the violin, alongside electro-punk tunes! Some were instrumental, while others had lyrics. Pulse is looking to be the same style, but rather than the dark themes of Noise, it contains brighter, more hopeful songs.

We went through a lot of paperwork, involving multiple non-disclosure agreements, and the interview took place over a call while they utilized a voice changer, but it was worth it! And we’re happy to share what we’ve learned with you!

Thank you for choosing to have your first interview ever be with us! Can you give us an introduction? Nothing too personal is required!

Albatross: You were the only ones I felt were trustworthy, and the only ones completely willing to honor my anonymity. Also, a friend may have bribed me into it with promises of ramen. As for introductions… I am The Albatross, composer of music, avid Tin Pin fan, and a nerd when it comes to all things Shibuyan. History, culture, the trends. I thrive off her, it’s like the city’s got a pulse that matches my heartbeat.

Shibuya is amazing, we agree. Can you tell us why you chose your alias?

Albatross: There’s a lot of symbolism in the albatross. The bird can be a sign of good luck for sailors, historically. In the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, though, one of the sailors kills an albatross, and thus it becomes a curse. He bears the burden as the other sailors hang the bird around his neck, reminding him of how he’s doomed them all. I’ll let fans keep speculating on why I picked it, though. I can’t give away all my secrets here.

Of course. We wouldn’t want you to spoil all the fun! How do you make your music?

Albatross: It’s amazing what you can do with technology! I know how to play the violin and piano, so any parts in my songs with those are actually me playing, but for the rest I use a few different music programs! For vocals, I outsource it to Shibuyan singers, but all lyrics are still written by me. In the end, I weave everything together, and finagle it so it fits.

Sounds like a lot of work. Where do you get your inspiration for it all?

Albatross: From Shibuya! This city has a life of her own. Feet tapping against pavement, voices reaching through the air, all the beeps and honks and the myriad of noises that resound in every corner; it all creates a rhythm, it creates music. Sometimes I’ll sit and let it all wash over me. The city holds so much, a million stories fighting for attention. They echo in my head, begging to be told, so I write them. I turn them into music in the hopes of expressing their messages for everyone to hear.

The tone between your first and second album has changed a lot, from what the previews are showing. Is there a reason for this?

Albatross: Yeah. I’m going to be blunt. When I wrote and released my first album, I was suicidal. Completely isolated from the rest of humanity, with no friends or good experiences to fall back on for comfort. My only outlet was music, and because I was so depressed and misanthropic, my work reflected this. I saw the world as poisoned, felt like people would never change, and thought my existence contributed to the negativity.

But now? I have friends. Someone entered my life, not quite of their own free will, but they stuck around. They dragged me into the sun, undoing all my self-sabotaging attempts, and they helped me grow. Helped me learn to see the good in humanity again. Shibuya is full of life, full of creativity, of people trying to do their best and help others. I wasn’t able to see it before, vision clouded with my own preconceived notions, but they… Removed the tinted glasses from my face, so to speak. And this is why my new album is more hopeful and lighthearted.

You mentioned mental health, just now. Are you able to elaborate on any of that?

Albatross: Mhm, I can. It’s not pleasant, but… Mental health isn’t talked about enough, even though it impacts so many people. I’ve had depression for years now. I still do. Some friends and a few bonding experiences doesn’t magically cure everything. There is no magic cure. What helps is finding people you can rely on when things get tough. If I lock myself in my apartment, I used to hide away for weeks. Now, though? One of them comes knocking after a few days, with ramen and orders to shower. Sometimes it can feel like you’re going to shatter into a million pieces. But instead of falling apart in secret and cutting myself on the shards of glass, I have people who hold me as I break, minimize the damage, and help me piece myself back together.

Recovery is not a straight line, and there’s no end to the winding trail you take. What’s important is having friends there with you. People who help you stand up when you stumble, who help you make camp when you need to rest. Find someone who makes you feel safe enough to fall apart. Someone who can be there to pick up the broken shards, and help you create something new and beautiful with the pieces.

 The Albatross is still a mystery to us all, but hopefully their words and music have reached those of you who need to hear them!

They don’t have an official website, but you can find The Albatross on your preferred music streaming service, or head to a local music shop to pick up their stuff! Don’t forget to pre-order their newest album, Pulse, and if you haven’t grabbed Noise yet, be sure to snag that too!

And that’s all for our New Creators Spotlight this month! Be sure to get next month’s issue for all our latest stories, and to discover the up-and-coming talents of Shibuya!

[dishonoredandpreyzine]

4/ so hum yeah, i guess i just wanted to know if you handled these at all or if they came straight from manufacturing? because if they did, there's nothing you could have done and i guess i already feel dumb for telling you all this because it's not your fault but i'm just disappointed and it feels wrong of me, i don't know. alright, i hope you have a good day!

hello! i received my package a couple of weeks ago and since then i've been struggling with deciding to contact you about this or not, because i feel petty but at the same time, i can't get over my disappointment. first of all, the zine is wonderful, the quality is really good and it has some of my favourite artists of all time in there. of course like with any zine, there's a couple of pieces i don't like, but it's a gamble and that just comes with the way zines work. 1/?

2/ oh i ordered the dishonored zine, btw. so yeah, the zine is really cool. now my issues are that the items in my package arrived in poor condition. the mat finish over the zine caught all the bumbs and scratches from handling and the ride to get here, so it's all damaged and yeah, scratched mostly, with a few bumps like if someone had pressed their nails or a blunt object in it. the corners are damaged as well as the spine                      

3/ the merch, unfortunately, suffered the same fate, worst of all the charms. they're so scratched the designs are basically ruined, the edges aren't finished/sanded so they peel off a bit. i'm not a fan of the artwork on the stickers, print and badges but that's my own fault so i absolutely can't complain about them. the stickers and print are of great quality, no issues here, but the badges are damaged as well            

Hiya! First of all, thanks so much for purchasing the zine! The issue with charms can be sorted immediately - there’s a protective film on both sides that has to be removed. If you can’t see it, there are a lot of tutorials online with pictures.

All the items in the pack were in good condition when we arrived and when they were sent off - any damage will have been a result of the postal service, as we don’t have any control over what happens to the package once it leaves our hands at the post office.

Also, while everyone has their owns tastes and preferences in art, you’ve stated that you can’t complain about pieces that you don’t like, and yet you brought it up twice. If you accept that it’s the nature of zines, please don’t bring it up again, all of our artists worked hard to bring this project together!

[clarinemarelika]

Project 3

Zine Question and Answer

I had just finished doing further research about my topic and the questions that I have to answers for my zine. After more thoughts, I decided to change one question to allow a variation in the interview questions. Below are the questions and answers that made it to the final design in my zine.

Q1. First of all, Where and when did you come from?

Well first of all, we weren’t invented yet back then. We only came to this world only recently in 1980s. For us, we were first introduced to the society by the name of AARON. We existed because a group of computer engineer designed a paint program for a digital artist name Harold Cohen. However, this first digital paintbrush isn’t exactly what you readers think it is. It is not the same of how we do and look like now. It was first designed as a machine that will create large drawing on sheets of paper. It was not until 10 years later in 1990 when the digital paintbrush we all know (US, THE TWINS!) were introduced and released for everyone to use. Thanks to the technology that keeps on developing, artists now have the freedom to freely create their artwork anywhere they like.

As for the other paintbrushes,

I asked around and this is a summary of what they told me. The first ever paintbrushes that was first recorded in history dates back to 300 BC in the Qin Dynasty in China. Invented by Meng Tian, the original paintbrush was originally designed for caligraphy and writing with ink and was made with materials such as bamboo and fur of animals’ hair. It was not until the 1930s that paintbrush made its first debut in the Western culture, thanks to a Tuscan painter names Cennino Cennini. The history of paintbrush didn’t stop there, after it was first introduced, each country had its own materials to make the paintbrush with. For example, in Egypt, they use macerated weed fibre, in East Asia, they use feathers and in Europe and America, they use animal’s hair. Paintbrushes were developed throughout history to what we know and have now.

Q2. How has the art and design industry evolve?

As someone who witness and heard of the stories of how art and design has developed, I can say that there are major changes that can be seen throughout history. One reason being the development of new materials and equipment that allows artists to be able to express themselves more freely through art. This development leads you, to us! Digital paintbrushes! However, aside from that, the visual and meaning of each art that were made throughout history have also evolved ever since. If we look at the Palaeolithic era, we can see how your ancestors mostly drew things such as animals that are being hunted and also the human form itself. Same goes with another different era, take Ancient era for an example (3500 BC), they mostly draw things that are heavily influenced by law practices and religion of the country. Whereas now, the century we live in, people are now in the phase of contemporary art, where they focuses on modernism and the innovative way to represent and express art. In conclusion, each era that is recorded in history has its own individual job in creating the art industry unique and to what we know and see today. The way people think and express themselves adapt and evolve through what their current situtaion is like.

Q3. It seems like you as an object are involved with so many different fields from design to makeup. If you hadn’t been invented, What would the design world would look like?

Well if you want the obvious answer, the design world would have to stuck with using their hand or other alternatives materials such as a stick to create artwork. The paintings that were made by historical artists like the Monalisa, that was made by Leonardo Da Vinci or The Old Guitarist that was made by Pablo Picasso wouldn’t have existed in this world  if paintbrush isn’t a thing for people to use.

If you look back about 40,000 years ago, you would know that our ancestors, or  yours to be exact, they used stick and their own fingers as a way to express their feeling and message through art. And may I add that they didn’t even use canvas to paint on. They painted in a cave! They had to poke and dab each holes and lines that they wanted to make to create their artwork. In addition to that, they had other material alernatives, such as horse hairbrushes and blowing the paints using bone marrows to resemble airbrushes. Although brushes was known as one of the option of materials that they used,  the quality of the brushes might not be as nice as what we have now and if it wasn’t made as an option, people who used to do cave painting can only use the other materials that they had.

How about us, the digital art brushes? Well, the designers before the 1980s survived without us! They used pencil and traditional art objects and material to create their design. Can’t you imagine your life without us? It would be  so much harder for the designers to survive in the design world.

Q4. I know that you’ve been used by historically famous artists like Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci and many more inspirational artists. How does it  feel like to be apart of inspirational artists’ journey in the design/art industry?

Well, my sister and I obviously weren’t invented during that period where historical artists create a change for the society’s perspectives of art and design. We are however, involved with the design and artwork that are made in this century after we were invented and it  makes us feel very honored to be apart of that process. I did asked our paintbrush ancestors or siblings as they liked us to hear us call them, and in summary, they said that they feel popular knowing that they’re involved in something that shape the history. They did say that the best part of being involved as a part of history is knowing different techniques each artists use. Each historical significant artitsts uses their own techiques to make their own artwork unique and resemble their own personality. For example, the techniques that is used by Van Gogh. Van Gogh uses bright and vibrant colours to apply his unique technique to each of his artwork. He used a flat brush that was loaded with two different thick paint colours on each sides of the brush to create the effect of having two colours side by side.

Q5. As a design object that is used by designers and artists throughout the world, from beginner to professional, you as an equipment for are constantly being used and bought. The prices aren’t always cheap either, What Influence do you have in the day to day life that allows some people to spend some money to be able to use you in their career?

I guess the more simple and straightforward answer is how they say the more expensive we are the better quality we tend to be. I guess that’s the main reason why many people would spend quite a bit money as an investment for art. For example, cheap art materials such s clay and paint, their durability might not be as long as products with a higher and more expensive prizes. Therefore buying materials that are cheap might be a waste of money since the durability is not a long time for other people from other future generations to be able to see your artwork throughout history. Aside from that, us as an art equipment , we have our own purpose and usage that allows us to differs from one another. Take us as an example, the both of us can’t quite resemble what one another do. One of us are meant for digital drawing in drawing apps whereas my twin is meant to edit and trace objects in Adobe apps. Due to our own individual role that helps artists to be a designer or a better artists, people tend to invest to reach the result they wanted.