Endure, My Heart

WHAT IS THIS ZINE ABOUT? IS THERE A THEME TO IT?

This project is an original adventure zine inspired by video game styles about two characters going through the hero's journey. Each 'level' will be handled by a different writer, artist, or team. We plan to make this as collaborative as possible to create a comprehensive storyline that has been built by everyone contributing.

There is an overlying plot to ensure cohesion and consistency. The two main characters that will be focused on, Sylvie and Juno, are siblings who have been thrown across universes and must hop from universe to universe to make it home. What each universe is like is up to each contributor!

Both writers & artists are encouraged to play around with setting, be it time period or physical location, and what challenges your setting has to offer. They will be encouraged to create their stepping stone to the finish line - whether that be a strange merchant they must barter with or a complex riddle to solve or really anything you can think of.

WILL THIS ZINE BE FOR CHARITY OR FOR PROFIT?

We're currently hoping to split proceeds between charity & our contributors.

WHAT CHARITY WILL THE PROCEEDS BE DONATED TO?

Proceeds will be donated to AbleGamers!

WHAT IS ALLOWED? NSFW?

We’re keeping the content completely SFW.

CAN I APPLY FOR MORE THAN 1 ROLE?

You can apply for more than one, with the possibility of being accepted on for multiple positions.

HOW MANY CONTRIBUTORS WILL BE TAKEN ON?

We’re looking to have about 25 artists, 10 merch artists, and about 15 writers for this zine. All contributors will be required to join the zine team's discord server upon acceptance.

WILL CONTRIBUTORS BE GIVEN A FREE COPY OF THE ZINE?

At the very minimum, contributors will be guaranteed a free digital copy of the zine and all digital merch. Depending on sales numbers, we’re hoping to provide all contributors what they produced or a partial-to-full bundle. If we aren't able to fulfill this hope, then contributors will be able to purchase items at production cost.

IS THERE A MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ZINE?

Yes; because we'll be trying to compensate contributors, you must be at least 18 years old to apply.

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR CONTRIBUTORS?

You can find that here!

WHAT KIND OF MERCH IS TO BE EXPECTED?

Merch we’ll be looking at including are prints, stickers, pins, and phone wallpapers, but once we’re in communication with merch artists we’ll have solid plans.

WRITER SPECS

All contributors have a lot of liberty thanks to the nature of our plot, and so for writers, what you can expect to work on would be one of the following: a solo written level, with a maximum of 7 pages; a more narrowed written piece such as a textbook excerpt or background of towns/NPCs that expands world-building; a collaborative comic piece with two artists that portrays a level visually, about 4-8 pages or so; or a Create Your Own Adventure style piece that gives readers a more versatile and inclusive opportunity to engage with the plot. Of course, you can always bring your own idea if it's something you're more enthusiastic than any of these suggestions.

For application portfolios, we're asking for 3 pieces of work: 2 pieces under 1k and 1 piece under 3k. These can be excerpts of longer works, we just really want to get a feel for your writing style and narrative voice. Original work is preferred, but fanfiction is also acceptable.

ARTIST SPECS

Artists, like writers, have a lot of liberty with the pieces you can expect to contribute to the zine. Some examples would be: a solo comic piece that portrays a level visually, about 3-5 pages or so; a collaborative comic piece with a writer and another artist (one for line work, the other for coloring), about 4-8 pages or so; solo art pieces that can either stand alone, such as an advertisement or magazine or newspaper for a town or establishment that expands world-building, or a piece that accompanies a writer's level; or the wraparound cover of the zine itself. As always, you are more than welcome to bring your own ideas to the table if it excites you more than the suggested pieces.

For application portfolios, we're asking for 3 pieces of art in the style you'll most likely be using for your contribution to this project, as well as a larger portfolio with a range of work. We'd love to see pieces that are character-focused, but they are not required. We're looking for a variety of styles; no style is too unconventional or out there for us.

MERCH SPECS

Merch artists have the most liberty of the contributors when it comes to concept. You will of course need to match levels in some capacity and stick to the vibes set throughout the plot, but that's really your only limitation. The merch pieces you will be expected to design include: a sticker (required); your choice between a print, an enamel pin, phone/desktop wallpapers, and emojis; and one additional piece of your choosing. Please bring any and everything you have to the table for this. We've heard ideas like music soundtrack and a playable level, which would be absolutely mind-blowing. We're open to any ideas you could have.

For application portfolios, we're asking for a link to a portfolio of your art. If you've designed merch in the past, we want to see that for sure, but if you haven't, no sweat. We just want to see your art style and get a sense of what it could bring to our merch team.