#fanzines about identity

[fanzines]

Beautiful mini zines about identity, dinosaurs, hair loss, trans sex and more by zinester / artist shortsplit. Buy them here. Or buy digital versions here.

#zines #zine #fanzines #fanzine #zines about dinosaurs #zines about hair loss #zines about identity #zines about trans sex #fanzines about dinosaurs #fanzines about hair loss #fanzines about trans sex #fanzines about identity #Beautiful mini zines about identity #dinosaurs #hair loss #shortsplit #mini zines #minizines

[morningstarzine]

Morning Star Mod Applications are Open!

Morning Star Zine is looking for moderators! If you're interested in helping produce a MCYT fanzine celebrating Minecraft creators of marginalised gender identity or experience, consider applying using the form linked below.

> FORM LINK <

We are specifically looking to fill the following positions:

Editing Mod: Layout experience in a suitable software (Indesign, for example) & capable of assembling all the zine elements into the end result.

Art mod: ability to give constructive criticism and help contributors with their piece, ability to create art pieces for the zine (for example, promo art, spot illustrations within the zine, etc.)

Writing mod: ability to give constructive criticism and help contributors with their piece, ability to write for the zine (for example, social media posts, foreword& conclusion, …)

Finance Mod: Experience with print on demand, order fulfillment and/or physical zine distribution. (Added disclaimer that we aren't sure yet if we will do a physical print of the zine as well, so taking on a finance mod isn't guaranteed)

We are also very interested in having members who are knowledgeable about different CCs and sides of MCYT than the current mod team is, such as QSMP, DSMP, standalone streamers/youtubers... As it stand, mods are mostly familiar with Hermitcraft and the Life series.

The form will close on March 17th at Noon GMT; the applications results will be sent out sometime during the following week.

FAQ · MOD INTROS · TWITTER

[ID: A stylised drawing of IvoryCello from the torso up, holding a sword and wearing knight's armor. She is overlayed onto glowing constellation of stars, against a dark sky background. Text shaded like gold reads ‘Morning Star’ and below, in a bigger size, ‘Moderator Applications Open Now' End ID.]

#mcyt #mcyt fandom zine #mcyt fanzine #fanzine #ivorycello #ivorycello fanart #hermitcraft #qsmp #dsmp #empires smp #pirates smp

[ampreh]

[TRF] Norma II

• Related to this : The Rust Factory - Norma (<- comics)

• Related to this : The Rust Factory - Norma (<- comics) I had SO much fun doing the vintage style of flash backs and imagination: I would have kicked myself for ignoring this very impactful style for its time.

Audrey pic: Context - Extract from the 2022 RP "It was the story of a corporate that had made a great scientific revolutionary invention! It was called D-Sire, a simple, medicated, fabulous everyday object that people couldn't live without. But during the process of improving the product, which was intended to target wider markets to make more profit, the D-Sire had unfortunately gone awry, causing a great catastrophe unparalleled among mankind. All cities had been wiped off the map, leaving only willless mutant humans and animals. The heroine had to flee her city, survive and fight her way back to the creator of the D-sire, who had abandoned his company and changed his identity. Coal was terrified of this cheap soap opera with its terrible special effects made of modelling clay and the saturated offbeat sound of the black-and-white picture on the small TV screen." A more than obvious reference to the AU Truffula Flu. And a huge reference to @audtreegrace, @miru667 's character. So of course, I don't have all the context since it's a vast AU with lots and lots of details, but I've got enough of a basis for my friends to recognize and that's good enough for me :> Nathan has already confused Audrey Grace with Audrey, the actress from their series HAHA. Alas, the Audrey and Ted of his world won't be born for several years. He didn't find the actress, but he did find a good friend with whom to talk for hours about anything and everything ♥

Norma Bellini pic: Well, Norma pin-up, because why not! In vintage calendar mode, because I love vintage aesthetics. And yes, those are the right dates I went to check on good old calendars haha. At first I wanted to do it in a swimsuit, but then I preferred the picnic. I love picnics.

Too big to fail pic: I had to do it! Of course I had to! The only time I've redone such an iconic portrait was for the first version of Cashtea-ler in the Let It Flow fanzine, in 2022 (I should do a new one with his new head). Nathan Cole (@1940s-onceler | @nalak-bel 's), in black and white in his best soot-colored suit!

Compilation : Just Normaler, to appreciate Normaler. On a more serious note, I like the idea that Nathan was guided throughout his first times by ladies, and not the reverse. I love this not-so-little whining man.

#The Rust Factory #Normaler #OC Coal #1940sler #40sler #Norma Bellini #Norma #oc #ocrp #original character #oc art #roleplay #Doodle #digital #doodle #Truffula Flu #the greedler #the onceler #the lorax #the once ler #onceler #once ler #fandom #lorax #greedler #greed ler #onceler fandom #lorax fandom #black and white #art

[rosieblogstuff]

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

44 😲 in my main AO3 account. 2 others in my older account = 46!

I didn't realize I had that many things!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

270,883

3. What fandoms do you write for?

All 44 of those works in my main AO3 are MacGyver 2016. One is a crossover with The Rookie. The other two at Star Trek TOS and Star Wars fics.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Table + Flashlight + IEDs

Mac + (Wilderness + Training + Survival) + Jack

Lost Causes

Lake + Stick + Fever

4 Times the LAPD Didn’t Pull Jack Over + 1 Time They Did 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! I often respond to a chapter's comments when I post the next chapter of a longfic. And sometimes I just space on it and respond a year later when I notice I failed to respond.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh definitely my X-ray + Penny flashfic, Bad Penny. Most of the comments are variations on HOW DARE YOU!!!

There are a couple other flashfics with pretty ambiguous endings, too.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's a hard one. Most of my fics have a happy or at least comforty ending. Maybe... uhh.... Electricity + Combustion ? which I literally labeled "whump with a fluffy ending". I also have two Jack Lives fics so that's always a happy situation at the end...

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't. A few weird comments but I mostly scratch my head and ignore them. Anybody who hates on my fics will be getting a very long and nasty reply, followed by their comment being deleted.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope, no smutty fanfics here. I did have a romance I posted for another fandom awhile back (and never finished), and I've written fade-to-black stuff in my orig fic novels.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Just one! My Macgyver 2016+The Rookie cops-vs-spies crossover, in which some LAPD officers keep coming across a black GTO involved in shenangains around LA: 4 Times the LAPD Didn’t Pull Jack Over + 1 Time They Did

It's probably the funniest thing I've ever written, and the ending is one of my very favorites. Also possibly the only gen fic ever posted in The Rookie fandom, although I don't look over there much.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. Somebody stole all my completed fics from FF.net last year. There was a big Tumblr post about some site full of stolen fics, and sure enough, there mine were. I asked to have them remove, got not reply. I haven't posted anything to FF.net since then.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, but not for a long time. I used to frequently co-write fics in my first fandom.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I'm going to go with Washington State Ferry M/V Wenatchee. Who doesn't love a good ferry boat? It's an irconic style, fun if you're walking on, handy if you need to drive on, saves you hours of driving around Puget Sound by land. Also just a very nice-looking ship.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Ugh, wow. I have a couple dozen things I kinda like but might never finish. My favorite, and least likely because I've made the least progress on it, is a MacGyver fic about Patti having plotted out her revenge better, and tring to fuck over the team by having listed Jack as her replacement... which of course gives him access to high-level secrets like Oversight's identity. Much drama ensues.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Ramping a story up. Characters. Make a story fully story-shaped.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Endings. 😫

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Hmmm I don't think I've ever needed to. Like most things in writing, I'm not against it in theory, but it can be done well or badly.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Anne McCaffrey's Pern, back in the paper fanzine days. Prior to joining AO3 in like 2019, I had 0 fanfics posted on the internet but a few in zines listed on Ebay. 😂

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

This is IMPOSSIBLE to answer. I could answer it differently every day for the next couple weeks. Anything I already mentions plus a couple more!

#ask games #asks answered #fanfiction #macgyver 2016

[foreteller-ava]

Flying Free

AO3 | FFN

Summary: NiGHTS has finally escaped Wizeman's grasp. Now they just need to find somewhere to stay.

A/N: Written for the NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams 15th Anniversary Fanzine.

NiGHTS approached the fountain in the middle of the forest, unable to stop themself from looking over their shoulder for signs that they were followed.

Running away from Reala, from Wizeman, from everything and everyone they had ever known, it had been something even just weeks ago they’d have never been able to imagine. It hurt of course, running from your family always would. But without the pressure to steal Ideya, to terrorize the children who found their way in the realm of Nightmare, they felt an unfamiliar lightness in their heart. They felt free.

A laugh bubbled up from within NiGHTS as they began looping in the sky, reveling in the feeling of joy for the first time since they’d been given their task. “I never have to go back.”

“Well, I hope that means you’re not making your home here then.” The sound of a voice behind them stopped NiGHTS’s victory celebration. They turned around, seeing an unfamiliar brown owl. He was an odd sight, nothing like the denizens of Nightmare that they had spent their entire life with. “Nightmarens aren’t welcome on this side of the world of dreams.”

NiGHTS flew down towards the owl, getting close to his face as they examined him with interest. “What is the meaning of this!?” the owl asked, flapping his wings in front of him to move backwards so as to put some space between himself and them.

NiGHTS pulled back. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen anything like you before.” 

The owl frowned, but seemed relieved that NiGHTS pulled back. “Let’s hope you don’t, your presence here is a danger to all the Nightopians who call this place home.”

NiGHTS didn’t think they were a danger; they were pretty sure their decision to betray Wizeman would’ve made that clear. Then again, the owl probably didn’t realize that. “I’m NiGHTS. What about you?”

“What?” the owl seemed taken aback, so NiGHTS tried again.

“Your name, if we’re going to become friends, it’s only right that I have something to call you, right?” They stuck out their hand, hoping the owl might take it as a peace offering, and a step towards friendship.

Instead, the owl was incensed. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, Nightmaren, but it won’t work on me. I won’t let you try anything foolish.”

“I’m not trying to play anything.” NiGHTS insisted. “I’m really not here to hurt anybody. I don’t understand why you can’t believe that.”

“Why I can’t believe that?” the owl scoffed. “I’ve seen hundreds of visitors come here, their Ideya stolen from them by Nightmarens who love nothing more than to terrorize the Nightopians who try to find a safe haven here. Why should I believe you when you say you’re different, when you wear the mask that marks you as one of Wizeman’s goons.”

NiGHTS stopped, unsure what to say of that as they reached towards their face, feeling the heavy weight of the mask. They had forgotten all about their Persona in their desperation to escape, but now that they heard the owl point it out, they understood his wariness. There was no reason for him to believe that they were any different from any other Nightmaren when they still wore the pledge to their former master on their face.

They grabbed the corners of the Persona, gently removing it as they looked at the ornate golden design. Their fingers lightly traced around the large red gem in the center. This mask had defined their identity for so long, and now they were considering getting rid of it after so long. “I had forgotten I was wearing it, I didn’t mean to cause you any worries.”

“You forgot?” The owl remained skeptical, but NiGHTS was not one to be deterred.

They nodded in response. “I was trying to escape from them.”

“Why would a first level Nightmaren be trying to escape from other Nightmarens?”

So their true nature wasn’t as easily hidden as they’d assumed, that was good to know. “Because I don’t want to chase down Visitors for their Ideya anymore. We can’t help what we’re created as, but that doesn’t mean it has to define our actions.” NiGHTS was a Nightmaren, created by Wizeman, but it didn’t mean they had to steal Ideya, not if they didn’t want to. Not if it wasn’t who they wanted to be. “I was tired of hurting people, so I decided to leave.”

“Wizeman doesn’t take betrayal lightly,” the owl noted. “You’ll never be able to return to the life you once had.”

“I know. I knew the moment I left that things wouldn’t be the same.” They could still picture Reala’s expression as they’d told him that they were planning on leaving, that they couldn’t stand stealing Ideya and being under Wizeman’s thumb. They could still feel the chains that Wizeman had tried to throw them in when they’d left, the phantoms of shackles they’d only just managed to avoid.

Wizeman would never let them be free if he had anything to say about it, and they weren’t about to let him take them back either. 

They looked at the owl, remembering their determination to escape. “But I would rather be on the run the rest of my life than spend another day as Wizeman’s tool.”

The owl finally relaxed, their conviction convincing him of their intentions at long last. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Does that mean I can stay?” NiGHTS asked, perking up.

The owl chuckled. “Against my better judgment, yes. The Dream Gate is perhaps the only place that Wizeman and his Nightmarens have yet to truly ever invade. It might be the only place that you’ll ever be safe.”

NiGHTS doubted that, but said nothing, choosing to go along with it if it meant the owl was comfortable with their presence. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“I would expect nothing less. One action against the Nightopians who spend their time here, or the visitors for that matter, and I’ll be sure that you never set foot here again.”

NiGHTS smiled. That would be an easy task, they were tired of hurting others, and had no intention to do so again. “I’ll even help you protect them.”

“When another visitor comes through, I’ll hold you to that.” The owl extended a wing. “I believe you asked for my name earlier. It’s Owl.”

“Owl.” NiGHTS grabbed Owl’s wing and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Owl.”

Owl ended the handshake first with a hoot. “Now, NiGHTS, was it? If you want to settle in at the Dream Gate, you’d best follow along. There’s not a lot to see, but it’s important that when a Visitor arrives, you don’t get lost. Not if you’re going to help them.”

“I’ve got it!” NiGHTS held back a laugh. They would try their best to make a good impression on any Visitors that showed up, but it was still odd. A Nightmaren doing their best to avoid scaring the Visitors they’d meet while trying to impress them, what a novelty.

A Nightmaren defecting from Wizeman. That was a novelty as well.

“Oh, and one more thing. I’d get rid of that mask as well. Anything that marks you as one of Wizeman’s soldiers would never go over well among the Nightopians. Not if you want them to stop fearing you.”

“Right, of course.” NiGHTS looked at the Persona in their hand. It would be easy to just throw it away, to pretend that they had never been a part of Wizeman’s army, to give up that final part tying them to their past.

But that was the problem, in a way. It wasn’t just a mask tying them to Wizeman, it was a mask tying them to the other Nightmarens, to the ones they had considered friends and family, like Jackle and Reala. Getting rid of it would acknowledge that there would be no going back, though they weren’t sure there would be an option to go back regardless. Even if Reala managed to help them escape punishment, there was only one path left for NiGHTS: the one that would allow for Wizeman’s defeat at once, to free the Night Dimension and all Visitors from his grasp.

That was something to contend with another day. They returned the mask to their pocket and smiled. “Sorry for the hold up, let’s go!”

One day, NiGHTS would be willing to give up their Persona for good, to separate themself once and for all.

But for now, that didn’t matter.

Right now, they’d made their first non-Nightmaren friend, and for once, their future looked bright.

#nights #nights journey of dreams #Owl (NiGHTS) #Heather Writes

[thranduil-aran-edhil]

Recently I finished reading and annotating Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (1992) by Henry Jenkins. It was a wonderful experience and very emotional too. Jenkins is a true fan and an academic, one of the first too, as he essentially founded the subject of Fan Studies. It's a beautiful time capsule as well. And I wanted to share my favorite passage. I think it shows how a lot has changed technologically, but not in essence. At its core, fandom is still the same old fandom.

"Four Quantum Leap fans gather every few weeks in a Madison, Wisconsin apartment to write. The women spread out across the living room, each with their own typewriter or laptop, each working diligently on their own stories about Al and Sam. Two sit at the dining room table, a third sprawls on the floor, a fourth balances her computer on the coffee table. The clatter of the keyboards and the sounds of a filktape are interrupted periodically by conversation. Linda wants to insure that nothing in the program contradicts her speculations about Sam’s past. Mary has introduced a Southern character and consults Georgia-born Signe for advice about her background. Kate reviews her notes on Riptide, having spent the week rewatching favorite scenes so that she can create a “crossover” story which speculates that Sam may have known Murray during his years at MIT. Mary scrutinizes her collection of “telepics” (photographs shot from the television image), trying to find the right words to capture the suggestion of a smile that flits across his face. Signe writes her own explanation for how Sam met Al and the events that brought them together on the Quantum Leap project. Kate passes around a letter she has received commenting on her recently published fanzine; the letter includes praise for Signe’s entry, only the second fan story she has published and her first in this particular “universe.” Each of the group members offers supportive comments on a scene Linda has just finished, all independently expressing glee over a particularly telling line. As the day wears on, writing gives way to conversation, dinner, and the viewing of fan videos (including one that Mary made a few weeks before).

For the fan observer, there would be nothing particularly remarkable about this encounter. I have spent similar afternoons with other groups of fans, collating and binding zines, telling stories, and debating the backgrounds of favorite characters. This same group of women had come together earlier in the week to show me videotapes of several Quantum Leap episodes and to offer me some background on the program and the fan traditions that surround it. For the “mundane” observer, what is perhaps most striking about this scene is the ease and fluidity with which these fans move from watching a television program to engaging in alternative forms of cultural production: the women are all writing their own stories; Kate edits and publishes her own zines she prints on a photocopy machine she keeps in a spare bedroom and the group helps to assemble them for distribution. Linda and Kate are also fan artists who exhibit and sell their work at conventions; Mary is venturing into fan video making and gives other fans tips on how to shoot better telepics. Almost as striking is how writing becomes a social activity for these fans, functioning simultaneously as a form of personal expression and as a source of collective identity (part of what it means to them to be a “fan”). Each of them has something potentially interesting to contribute; the group encourages them to develop their talents fully, taking pride in their accomplishments, be they long-time fan writers and editors like Kate or relative novices like Signe."

(Jenkins, 1992)

#henry jenkins #fandom #fanfiction #meta

[popculturelib]

Fanzine Friday #5: "The First 7-inch Was Better:" How I Became an Ex-Punk (2008) by Nia. From our website:

Activist Nia Diaspora [aka Nia King] writes about her disillusionment with the punk scene and her subsequent embrace of the queer community. She writes about issues of exclusion and competition, particularly in terms of her mixed race, pansexual identity. As a Boston local, she writes about the Boston University bioterrorism lab, red/black anarcho-syndicates and anarcho-punks, Food Not Bombs, and several East Coast punk bands including Witchhunt and Choking Victim. Describing crusty punk activities and fashion like dumpster diving, piercing, train hopping, dreadlocks, and not showering, King is critical of the movement and gives options to others mired in what she sees as a white, misogynist, homophobic culture.

In addition to the 18-page zine, our collection has a two-sided paper asking questions for activists to consider when making their "scene" inclusive and intersectional. A transcript of the included pages is below the read more.

The Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL), founded in 1969, is the most comprehensive archive of its kind in the United States.  Our focus and mission is to acquire and preserve research materials on American Popular Culture (post 1876) for curricular and research use. Visit our website at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/pcl.html.

Transcript:

I went to a punk show last night to pick up some zines from a friend. He asked if I intended to stay, and I replied jokingly, "Naw, I'm don't (sic) think I'm tough enough to roll with the punks anymore."

"Why?" his friend, standing with us, asked. "What to you think is going to happen?"

I was fifteen when punk first drew me in. Like many punks, I grew up in the suburbs, a middle-class, white, homophobic, predominantly Irish Catholic town outside Boston. I knew that I was different, but at the time I didn't attribute it to being queer or mixed race, I just knew that I didn't fit in.

After trying for years to be accepted and failing, I began asserting my difference by sewing patches on my clothing, dying my hair and expressing [next page] distain for those who conformed to the dominant culture, who thought they were better than me.

I probably wouldn't have stayed a punk if it was all about fashion or proving I was different, but I found community through the music scene. When I turned 16, I started making trips to Boston by myself, and made a lot of friends who were punks. I felt like I had more in common with them than the kids I went to school with. They were against the war, which meant a lot at the time. I'd put up fliers for anti-war rallies in my school only to have them ripped down. The "alternative" kids at school (read: wore a lot of black and smoked a lot of pot) I played hackey-sack with became openly racist when the war with Afghanistan became imminent. The [next page] school friends I had (who did not claim to be alternative) were people I had compatible personalities with, but we didn't share common values.

The kids from Boston spay on by the rules of conformity and I wanted to emulate them because of it. I went to the shows they went to even though I didn't like all of the bands. I spent nearly every weekend of my sophomore year watching them get drunk, snort pills and play with knives at the Fens even though I was straight-edge and put off by the nihilistic lifestyle. These were the kids I seemed to have the most in common with when I was 16.

Then I transferred to a progressive (queer-friendly, with a socially conscious student body) private high school. It was like this alternate [next page] universe where people were appreciated for their interests and quirks rather than ostracized for caring about issues. My closest friend there was an anarchist and he converted me quickly. "The abolition of hierarchy" in my mind translated to the abolition of racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, so I dove head first into the philosophy and organizing. We organizes an anarchist student group, which quickly became the biggest student group on campus. We organized teach-ins on the Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA), trips to anti-war protests, social justice discussions and joined other anarchist groups off campus. I believed so fully that punk and anarchism (closely links in these activist circles) were the [end of text].

[printed questions - all in lowercase]

check yrself! (sic)

these questions are intended to start conversation and help you identify ways your scene may be alienating and problematic. it is by no means comprehensive.

is the activism you partake in led by those most impacted by issues you are organizing around? are you organizing on someone else's behalf uninformed by their true needs and experience?

do you favor high risk tactics which leave less privileged folks vulnerable to arrest, deportation and police brutality? did they consciously choose this risk, or did you expose them to it? do you have a plan or a legal fund to help take care of them and their families or dependents if they are detained?

do you believe your organizing tactics are the "right" ones? do these tactics contribute to long term systemic change? are they effective, or do you do them because they allow you to feel like you are doing something / prove you care about the issues despite their ineffectiveness?

[next page]

do you see your lifestyle politics (veganism, dumpster diving) as revolutionary? as doing enough? do you think not eating meat or not driving a car makes you a better activist than those who do?

can you see how the amount of privilege you have may effect your ability to live in a way consistent with your politics?

can you see how adopting the kind of lifestyle politics that are prevalent in anarcho-punk scenes might alienate somebody from their culture of origin? can you understand why people of color, queers and transfolks may be less willing to give up these connections/communities?

do you ever introduce yourself to new people at shows and parties to try and make them feel welcome?

are people of color's, queers' and women's contributions to the scene/movement as values as other people's? do they mostly get stuck doing behind the scenes grunt work? do other people take credit for their work and ideas?

#bgsu #fanzine friday #pride month #nia king #zines

[angstics]

i come to you about this because i feel you have some of the best takes on here: do you feel like we'll ever reach a point in time where gerard's apparent gender neutrality as well as gender nonconformity will be seen and appreciated for what it is and left at that? because personally i feel like he could come out with a label tomorrow and people would still find ways to bicker about it (the discourse going on just a few days ago 😭)

We are witnessing an interesting social phenomenon as a result of the internet and new queer acceptance. We’re honestly already at that point. Publicly, most of gerard’s fans know he’s gnc, celebrate his expression + experiences, and leave alone the identity part. In private, however, i know speculation is less restricted. As queer people, we think we recognize our people. Call it flagging, call it gaydar, whatever. This has forever been a part of gayhood. But no one, barring the intention of outing someone, would they bring it up in a publicized forum (maybe fanzines? not sure). There is a misunderstanding that talking online means you’re in private and can say whatever you want without consequence. Pre-internet, regular gay people could talk about whoever they wanted with little impact on the straight world. Who cared what gay people thought. Only tabloids and famous people were able to out / “accuse” someone in the sphere of mass media. It was scandalous, unserious, almost funny.

Then boom, internet, boom, social queer acceptance, boom, out queer celebrities. The dynamic has shifted but people still treat it like it’s 1949 and you’re calling that cary grant fellar from the crossdressing comedy a part of the family. We are on a public, recorded, popular form of communication. Our posts are essentially mass media. One may influence thousands of people without any limit. And since fandom is a large, self-righteous queer enclave, mass media queer truthing is suddenly taken seriously. It can become popular discourse. Like it has with that heartstopper kid and taylor swift, where they plainly addressed it. Like it is right now on mcr tumblr to a smaller degree. You cant go “im just a little guy saying what i think!!!” when people have been talking about this nonstop for several days. You have influence. You have a voice. You are mass media. And people can criticize mass media. Especially when they think youre doing something morally wrong. People are inclined to publicly punish deviance in order to discourage it. Call that mechanical solidarity. Lol, my sociology 101 exam is next week

All this to say … i think cary grant was gay. I read a gossip book where the interviewer unsuccessfully tried to get him to talk about it and it made me feel dirty. It isnt the same as talking about My Favorite Wife with your friends.

#theres also the lack of universal queer understanding and terminology #which i think is suuuuch a huge part of all this #i also think a huge unsaid part of all this is personal grievances #ask

[gratisdiamanten]

Omgg you are the most dedicated f1 scholar 🤯🤯 how do you know that tree so far back, you are absolutely 💯

Me and my girlfriend are two sick peas in the freak pod! I have autism. She found the family tree by literally googling. Jos is fun to pick apart from like, a research/archival standpoint bc there's less to go on than with Max, and there's that divide he straddles between analog and digital media. It feels like a treasure hunt! We rooted through Dutch Devil fanzine listings on eBay and got a lot of photos and information from the previews alone:) I have some more insane lore I haven't even gotten into yet that finally helped me shape a thesis on why Max is the way he is.

It's great how much is absolutely open access and public, largely posted BY the Verstappens or the fan club from the 90s-00s. There's some scrapbooking from that time that my girlfriend found on Instagram. I learned a lot by combing through verstappen.nl and by reading comments on Dutch-language articles in other publications (which is how I learned that a lot of Dutch people see Jos in the framework of him being a Limburger, therefore coarse/rural/poor...he is aware of these things and has said he "did pretty good for a hick" which is my best translation). I also know a decent amount of Dutch and have learned a lot from Dutch-only interviews Jos has given (some good Limburgs publications which don't use subtitles) so I've also learned a lot about the family identities and language use (Jos speaks some Limburgish, a separate regional language which he refers to as "dialect". It's like his language 1.5, learned it alongside Dutch but never was fluent. Max doesn't speak more than a couple of words and has no attachment to the region).

#asks #anon #it's just FUN and INTERESTING #and a way for us to flex our Investigative Skills #jv

[zine-garden]

Prompts

Prompts will be scheduled at random throughout the month, respond to them in anyway you feel like! These are just suggestions, as long as you are somehow celebrating zines, you can participate.

A good number of these prompts are from the Stolen Sharpie Revolution site which is run by Alex Wrekk.

🌷 Stolen Sharpie Revolution IZM suggested prompts (Last updated 2021)

Questions

What is a zine? Come up with a definition in your own words.

Tell me about your first zine? Or most memorable zine?

How did you learn about zines? How did you get into zine culture? If you’re new to zines, what about zines or zine making is appealing to you?

Tell me about your creative process?

Have you ever been to a zine fair (online or in person?) Tell me about it!

How do you sort and categorize your zines?

Why do you love zines?

Have you ever learned something from a zine? If so, what did you learn?

Show some love, tell me about a favourite zine creator?

What is something that is technically not a zine (if you are a purist), but definitely could be a zine…? Tell me why this counts as a zine! Example: Video game pamphlets are info/instructional zines; my personal tumblr… is just like a web perzine…

PROMPTS

Not posed as questions, but you are encouraged to create submissions! (So I can see them. I want to see them !!!)

For zine makers

Organize your zine library, post a shelfie!

I miss going to zine fairs so much! Show me your table set up! (Recent or old)

Do you sell your zines in a shop? Post a link!

Tell me about a zine fair you really loved tabling at!

Please show off your zines this month <333 I love you!

Communities and research

Zine Pride! Explore LGBTQIA+ zines! Buy, share, and read zines by people of marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities. Check out the Queer Zine Archive Project! (from SSR)

AmeriZine Day! Explore marginalized voices in the Americas. Buy, share, and read zines about racial justice and zines written by BIPOC (Black Indigenous and People of Color) from the Americas.

Need a place to start? Check out Brown Recluse Zine Distro (from SSR)

Discover DIY publishing and small press communities from outside of North America. If you are from outside of North America, show some love and tell me about your local OR your country’s zine/indie publishing scene!

Indigenous AmeriZines! Explore Indigenous zine makers in the americas! Buy, share, and read zines about Indigenous issues (by Indigenous people) or work by Indigenous people in general in the western world!

Check out Voices: Indigenous Women on the Front Lines Speak, and Jenna Rose Sands Broken Pencil Article: Jenna Rose Sands’ zine philosophy: Rage and Resilience Speak Truth to Colonialism

Indigenous Zines outside of the Americas - This probably overlaps with zines from outside of North America since that is where like most of the Indigenous world exists, but humour me!

Revolutionary Zines - Explore Revolutionary Zines and Revolutionary Zine History

Disability Pride! Buy, share, and read zines by disabled people or centring disability in some way. If you have a digital zine or comic, write full image descriptions for your work! Share the web accessible version with us!

Access either IRL or digital archives and tell me about a cool zine you found!

Reading and sharing prompts

Read a zine from the 90s.

Read a zine from the 80s or earlier.

Read a zine from each of these categories this month: Comic Zine, Fanzine Info Zine, Political Zine, Perzine.

Read a zine from outside of North America.

Show me or tell me about a zine that brings you comfort!

Check out Youtube channels, Tiktoks, and other social media dedicated to zines.

Hey Gamers! Play something from a TTRPG zine

Make an info zine or fanzine, for a piece of media that does not exist

Recipe zine!! Make something from a zine

Have fun!

#zines #international zine month #prompts #update

[trainsinanime]

For the ask game: Do you think RL railway enthusiasts are comparable to internet fandom?

Yeah absolutely. Now, it's not identical to say an anime or French TV show fandom, it has its own expressions and experiences and industry behind it; it's comparable to internet fandom in the same way that sports or car enthusiasts are comparable to internet fandom. Very different, and yet very much the same.

Railway enthusiasts have their own unofficial fan lingo. If I talk about a shed, a Ludmilla, a Quietschie (squeaky), a Hamster, Taurus, Ferkeltaxi (piglet cab), Swiss crocodile, or similar, those are all trains and many rail fans will know exactly which ones I mean (I have all of those on my model railroad, except for a "shed" because those are just ugly).

Rail fans also have fan art, most famously in the form of model railroads which can be anything from fun toys to intricate pieces of artistic expression, but also drawings, paintings, classical music (thanks Arthur Honegger) and so on. Train photography is also a huge field. I used to do lots of that.

And these subcultures intersect, but aren't identical. There are plenty of model railroaders who don't care about actual railroads at all, and vice versa. In model railroading, it's also divided by which scale or scales you have. I use N gauge, the smallest practical one (Z heads you know I'm right), and someone who models European 0 gauge - I really have almost no point of contact with them. Let alone American O gauge (yes, one's the number, the other is the letter), with their Lionel and third rail, that's a part of the hobby that is a complete mystery to me.

You also absolutely get big fan events. I sat out the ones in Friedrichshafen and Leipzig, but I was at the one in Göppingen this year, which was simultaneously massive and one of the smaller ones I've seen. It's not the same as a "fandom con", there is nobody there cosplaying a Czech freight car (well, except for me), and there are no autograph sessions for famous creators (except for Hagen von Ortloff sometimes), but you do see (invited) clubs bring their model railroads. There are also a lot of shops around for model railroad stuff and railroad memorabilia. My personal favorite: The bin at the Lemke stand. I got some really fun stuff there, including e.g. the Quietschie.

Compared to internet fandoms, the whole thing tends to skew older; the median rail fan is a retired white man. There are also more classic infrastructures, like official clubs with official meeting hours and so on. Not really my style, to be honest, but it exists. It's also a field where classic printed publications still hold a lot of sway, some aimed at fans of the real thing, some aimed at model railroaders, some at both, some at specific sections of any of these groups.

That being said, there is also a huge internet component. I'm not really active there, because e.g. the Drehscheibe-Online forum is incredibly interesting but also every other thread devolves into a flame war immediately. But it is a huge thing.

Rail fan culture doesn't necessarily look like the thing that came out of Star Trek fanzines to bulletin boards to eventually Tumblr pipeline, it has its own distinct history and expressions. But at the end of the day it is the same thing: We narrativise the things we're interested in, and we identify with them, and we seek others who we can share that with. And that sparks creativity, and it sparks people who try to make money off of it, and it absolutely sparks flame wars and people identifying with certain teams and so on. It's fun!

#trains #railroads #fandom #rail fan #does this answer the question? I feel like I've just been rambling #no current plans to buy a shed but if Kato re-releases theirs in the red crossrail livery I might start to wonder

[scumbag-monthly]

LOOK OUT! CLIFF!!!!

Yes, we're afraid so: Scumbag Monthly is ending! After three years of flicking the Vs (and a fair few lentils) from every page, doling out advice (medical, poetical, astrological, and romantic...al), and behaving like a right load of soppy girlies over this crazy show we all love so much, the scumbag staff are calling it a day. As we've already mentioned, Issue #25 will be coming to you on 1st March 2023, our three year anniversary.

But what about you? You bunch of bastards? What about the kids? Well, if you count yourself a really crawly bumlick SM fan, we've got something that might soften the fall at the bottom of the cliff: Goodbye Goody Bags!

Up to 25 scumbags will be able to claim a Scumbag Monthly goody bag to say goodbye to our fanzine! These goodie bags will contain:

*A set of 6 SM badges, featuring @xgardensinspace's bloody brilliant character portraits (as seen in our zines)

*A mini poster of 1 of the 25 exemplary covers

*A personalised student identity card for Scumbag College

*A thank you for supporting SM from 1 of the 4 young ones... Or maybe someone else...

Pretty bloody brilliant stuff, eh? All we're asking in return is that you pay the postage, which we've broken down into regions (if your region isn't here, let us know):

UK - £1.05

Europe - €3.67 (equiv. £3.25)

USA - $5.15 (equiv. £4.20)

Canada -$6.90 (equiv. £4.20)

Australia - $7.40 (equiv. £4.20)

If you're interested, DM @neil-neil-orange-peel to bagsy a bag. Once they're gone, they're gone! The bags will be posted in March.

***Now is also the moment, if you'd be so kind, to write in and tell us what you've enjoyed about Scumbag Monthly. Did you have a favourite page or issue? If you've contributed, did you have fun? How did you find out about us? Let us know in the replies to this post, via our ask box (Mayall Box), or via email ([email protected]). We'd love to hear what SM has meant to people. ❤️***

#scumbag monthly #the young ones #tyo #calling all scumbags #fanzine #goodies

[realgiallogirl]

The Legacy of Meadham Kirchhoff

by Genesis G-A

Known for their outrageous interloping of romanticism and rebellion, Meadham Kirchoff had become an iconic brand in the early to mid-2000s. The brand was founded by designers Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchoff, both graduates from Central Saint Martins, which gained fame through its extravagant expression of whimsicality. An interview by Glamcult with Kirchoff verbalizes how he designs from instinct in a state of “aborted happiness,” and both feel the fashion industry is “based on a repetition of ideas, often aimed at product placement.”

Their inspirations ranging from Victorian dolls to Courtney Love lookalikes in the SS 2012 show, the duo expressed a fresh approach to fashion which became one of the signatures of their brand identity.

Each show transported you into a carefully crafted almost theatrical performance with scent, visuals, light, and music accompanying. Their rebellious spirit brought new design innovation through patchwork dresses in velvet and leather, stacked glittering platform shoes, and a runway decorated with what looked like blood-dipped tampons. Each piece in their collection was carefully made through tailoring research and using techniques such as Elizabethan lacework. The handwork which came in forms of hand embroidery showed in garments in almost all seasons, and detailed construction of each piece became a standard for the brand

Although their womenswear lines achieved most of the media attention, their menswear emerged as out of the ordinary on the London scene. The collections set the direction of modern-day menswear, anticipating the arrival of gender-fluid casting and boy-meets-girl styling. One of their final shows, SS 15, was reclaimed as a celebration of different bodies, genders, and races. The use of rubber, chiffon, color, and layered drapery was an ode to the liberation they stand for. They were chosen as LVMH Young Fashion Designers but weren’t included as finalists so in their show notes they elaborated, “Fuck LVMH corporate fashion,” which is admirable considering the nature of the fashion industry, LVMH, and celebrity culture. As a Dazed article states, “Because fashion doesn’t just have to be about seasonal trends; it can, at its best, be a broader reflection of society, and like riot grrl, BodyMap, Westwood, and Leigh Bowery before them, Meadham Kirchhoff is making clothes for the people they love: the dykes, fags, slappers, and freaks.”

The brand met its demise when most of their clothes they were making weren’t sellable; the market was too niche, and production costs of garments became too high. While it was believed for Meadham Kirchoff as a whole for their clothes to be either too expensive or costume-like, critics praised them, and many designers looked at them as an inspiration. As a Dazed Article states, “They were showing detailed lace on par and on time with the wonders that Alexander McQueen was showing on its runway. Some have even likened the brand’s jackets—particularly from years ago—as foreshadowing those that made Christophe Decarnin a star at Balmain.”

Most of the brand’s pieces have been long lost, as the archive was taken by their landlord and sold in 2015, leaving only pictures and memories of what once was. Since the brand shut down, the duo has gone on separate paths. Meadham launched a new label called Blue Roses, and Kirchoff has become a stylist and menswear consultant. While Meadham Kirchoff could not have survived in the corporate fashion world, they live on as a martyr of sorts through their fun, cheeky, whimsical yet rebellious spirit, which inspires the future of the industry and may even have been ahead of its time.

References:

#fashion blog #blog #meadham kirchhoff #fashion week #london #fashion design #fashion designer #runway fashion #runway

[storybookprincess]

fandom never changes & i explored a rare book collection to prove it

okay, so i’m on a little trip this weekend, and of course did what any reasonable person would do with some free time out of town: found out that the local university has a special collection of fanzines from the 70s & 80s & reserved several boxes of these archived zines to look at under the guise of “independent research”

but i figure i should at least do the bare minimum as a “researcher” and share my findings with the internet. and the conclusion i’ve drawn from about two hours of pursuing zines is that fandom has been basically the exact same place since the dawn of time

the moral panic about dark and violent content, for example, is perennial

included in this same interview was the all too familiar argument: “putting viewers in the perspective of/sympathizing with villains is NOT ALLOWED”

but even topics that seem very recent/modern have apparently been argued about for decades, such as american-izing non american works/characters/canons

BUT IT GETS EVER BETTER, because besides actual genuine topics of discussion & debate, good old fashioned fandom beef has remained largely identical, except that you had to publish your response to a callout post in a zine instead of posting it on twitter or whatever

(the fact that this ends with the equivalent of ‘STOP posting public callouts PLS lets discuss this via dms” is the icing on the cake)

and of course, plagiarism has always been one of the absolute unforgivable sins of fandom, to the point that this zine had a section dedicated to identifying & drawing attention to instances of it

it sounds silly to say that i had a blast this afternoon hanging out in the university library’s special collections, but it makes sense when you realize that flipping through these zines was pretty much the same experience as scrolling through tumblr, give or take a meme or two

#liv speaks #my stuff #fandom meta

[losttalestronzine]

Hi,

first off, I absolutely love the idea of a Tron fanzine specifically about the gaps in the story (on one hand because there are quite a few, and on the other because I love it when fans fill these gaps with their own imagination, bringing unseen events "onto the screen").

I'd love to support you, but I'd like to know: Is there going to be any Tron: Identity content?

The reason I'm asking is because I actually still have to play Tron: Identity (I'm planning to do so soon, just need to get things in order with my new computer), and since I've managed to avoid spoilers for almost a year, getting myself spoiled now would be kind of embarrassing. xD

I did the complete "pre-education" though, including Tron: Evolution, Tron: Uprising and even Tron: Betrayal. (All so I'm as best prepared as I possibly can be once I finally start with Tron: Identity.)

Hello! All of the work contributed to this zine was completed before the release of TRON: Identity, so the zine does not include any spoilers for the game.

#faq

[wandersongzine]

Some information about the zine! Text only below:

What is Wandersong?

Wandersong is a videogame created by Greg Lobanov in 2018 where you play as a funny little bard accompanied by their witchy best friend, Miriam! It's a wonderful game about the true meaning of identity. The purpose of this zine is to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the games release.

What is a "fanzine"?

A fanzine is a book (either physically, digitally, or both!) made by fans for the purpose of expressing their love of the media in question through art, writings, comics and other means

What will be in this fanzine?

This zine will feature various forms of art. It intends to show off the love and care the fans still have for this game. This zine and is intended to be a celebration and fun collaborative project between the Wandersong fandom.

Who is running the zine?

I am Rae, also known as @artsycatnip on twitter and @artseniccatnip on tumblr, and I will be the main point person/coordinator for this zine. I'm a graphic designer who graduated from the New York City College of Technology and previously worked at PEN America as a communications coordinator as well as other positions. This has been a passion project stewing in my head for almost an entire year, and I'm glad to finally be making way towards it!

How will the Zine be presented?

There will be a digital and physical version of the zine along with merch tiers, where artists will be placed regarding digital only vs physical will depend on the number of applications received

How will you pay for the zine costs?

Primarily we hope to cover production costs through selling the zine but if that can't happen please rest assured that no money will come from contributor pockets. I am taking full financial responsibility for the zine and the production costs, especially if unexpected costs arise, I will have costs/invoices/receipts readily available for contributors to see as this is a collaborative project!

How will you choose who is in the zine?

I've included in the application a place to link art/a portfolio. There are multiple categories to choose from with options to pick which is your most favorite to your least favorite

Can those under 18 apply?

Everyone is welcome to apply, but preferably people who are able to receive compensation for their work in some way are preferred, you must also be able to receive mail in order to mail the final zine to you! Please don't let it discourage you from applying, my DM's are open for any and all questions/concerned related to applying or the zine in general.

#wandersong #wandersong zine #text post #long post #is it technically a text post there's pictures too whatever