"As Night Falls"
A Port Mafia Zine
The harbingers of the night are always watching.Welcome to the Bungou Stray Dogs fan-made digital zine project "As Night Falls" featuring the ever-mysterious Port Mafia.
We hope you enjoy your stay.PHASE 05: CREATION PERIOD 🌙
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Guidelines
General Information
• Our zine project composition will comprise of 35 participants in total:
- 15 artists
- 15 writers
- 5 merch artists
We will also allow cosplayers to apply in our zine, alloting an additional 2 slots for a final count of 37 if any are interested.• Due to the potential of exclusivity, pinch-hitter submissions will be open throughout the entire zine process.• Pinch-hitters are essentially "back-up" writers and artists who are okay with being contacted in the event that a contributer leaves the program and opens up a spot in their wake.• Pinch-hitters will be shown what content/character(s) we are lacking for our zine and be allowed to choose from any of the available options OR the option that the previous contributor had before leaving the program (not the idea -- the character(s) they had reserved).• During application for contributor spots, you will have the chance to submit 3-5 rough pitches featuring a Port Mafia character. Each pitch should feature a different character as we will be assigning you a character that you have picked with your rough pitch.• A rough pitch is described as a short summary in 50-100 words what your general idea is for a character, as the summary itself is not binding during application. Your summary will be more fleshed out during the official pitch submission stage if you are accepted.• Characters will be assigned in your acceptance response. They will typically be binding unless two contributors wish to switch or if there are unclaimed characters that a contributor would rather create for instead. Please be aware of that when applying and submitting your rough pitches.• There will be a maximum of two contributors (an artist and a writer) per character. Please keep this in-mind during the application process. You may be accepted with your third or fourth choice, so please only submit rough pitches for characters you are willing to commit to creating for.• Merch artists, due to the nature of merch and dependent on the merch item(s) they create, may be allowed to create for a fully-claimed character. Icon packs, for example, will have 2-4 pieces in it.• BEAST characters will count as their own separate characters (so, for example, BEAST!Dazai is in a separate category than canon!Dazai). This means that they do not count for each other's "quota".• This quota is to ensure that our zine is varied, as we do not want to have an unequal amount of works attributed to three or four characters when there are over twenty Port Mafia characters in total.
Conduct
• This zine is meant to be inclusive to all adult Bungou Stray Dogs fans, and thus we have enacted a simple anti-harassment clause that covers anyone affiliated with this zine project.
• Harassment of other members of this zine project will not be tolerated.
• Our moderator team takes accusations and formal evidence of harassment very seriously. If a zine affiliate is found to have harassed another zine affiliate, then the offending affiliate will be removed from the event. A replacement for their role in the zine will be found.
• Adversely, if evidence is found to have been faked, edited or if the accuser is found to have lied to our mod team, the accuser will be removed and a replacement for their role in the zine will be found.
Content
• The content strictly forbidden from being depicted in our zine is as follows (for both international and personal reasons):
-Loli/Shota Content
-Work depicting minor/adult sexual and/or romantic relationships.
-Work explicitly depicting non-consensual sexual themes.
-Current real-world mass tragedies.
• Contributors who have created work of this nature outside of this zine will not be penalized nor will they be turned away from creating in this space.
• Dead Dove content is allowed for the NSFW/DD side zine if there is enough interest in these categories from our contributors. It is not mandatory to contribute to a DD/NSFW side zine: our main zine will be strictly SFW and SFW-adjacent (with Mafia-heavy violence as a general warning).
• NSFW (Not Safe For Work) content is defined as content that is heavily associated with things not suitable for viewing at a place of employment, such as heavy nudity, sexual themes, heavy profanity, and pornographic content.
• Dead Dove content is a warning tag on works that can be considered reprehensible. Not all Dead Dove works are considered reprehensible, and some are simply heavy topics (ex: eating disorders). The tag states that "this work is exactly what it was tagged as".
• Dead Dove content will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to be sure that it meets our overall guidelines should there be a NSFW/DD side-zine.
• All content in this zine will be tagged by page in the work and/or a general disclaimer at the beginning of our zine for safety reasons. Dead Dove and NSFW work will be in a separate zine outside of the SFW (main) zine for the same reason with its own set of warnings. Please be aware of that when you decide upon your pitches!
• Any and all AI-generated content (including ChatGPT and generative AI art) is strictly prohibited from being affiliated with this zine project in any way. If any zine affiliate has been found to use it in their works, even outside of the zine, they will be removed from the event pending investigation into the matter.
Requirements
General Requirements
• Be age 18 or older at the time of application. No exceptions. If you are found to have lied about your age, you will be blacklisted from this project and any subsequent projects thereafter.
• A Discord account is required. This will be where we primarily communicate for zine creation and production. Please be able to check it at least once a day so you do not miss anything.
• All created works must be original. Works should be created from scratch and/or never have been posted before.
• Please do not post WIPs of your work for this zine until we as a team have decided to do so!
Writers
Prose:
• A completed work of Fanfiction that spans anywhere between 2,000 - 4,000 words in total featuring a Port Mafia member as its central character.
• Please do not exceed 5,000 words. We will review this limit on a case-by-case basis, but please be aware of the word count when you are creating.
Poetry:
• Three separate poems centralizing a Port Mafia character. Three stanzas each with no less than eight lines in each stanza.
Letters:
• 2,000 word limit for each letter.
• You may write two letters (back-and-forth between your assigned Port Mafia member and another character, for example).
Artists
• A completed artwork in your style (preferrably colored in some manner) on a size A4 or A3 canvas that features a Port Mafia member as its central character.
• Your work may be easier to consume through any zine medium if the canvas is vertical, though you may create a horizontal piece at your own discretion.
Merch Artists
• Create at least one marketable item to complement the zine project.
Examples:
• Profile Pictures/Icons: 2000 x 2000 px (High Res to be scaled down) - (2 minimum)
• Desktop backgrounds: 1920 x 1080 px (Originally drawn at print quality and able to be scaled down for desktop usage).
• Phone backgrounds: 1413 x 2935 px
• Banner: 2048 x 1152 px
• Emoji/Emotes: 128 x 128 px - (4 minimum)
• Digital Stickers: 320 x 320 px - (4 minimum)
• Printable merchandise (such as stationary, dress-up dolls, bookmarks, etc) sizes will vary depending on the product.
Cosplayers
• A completed shoot with at least ten different pictures and poses submitted. Be sure that you are dressed as your interpretation of your assigned Port Mafia character.
• You may have another friend in your shoot as another character (with their credit and social media given to us). This character should be a Bungou Stray Dogs character, though it does not need to be a Port Mafia character.
• Because of this medium, this shoot should have no NSFW content in it. Suggestive content (as long as all clothes are on and no obscene gestures are made) is okay.
FAQ
Q: "Are submissions including ships allowed?"
A: Yes, ship submissions are allowed as long as the central character in your work is a Port Mafia member! However, if multiple same-pairing ships are submitted, there will be balancing on the mod's part to favor the diversity of the zine. Please prepare more than one pitch that you are willing to fall back on in case you are approached to use a new idea!
Q: "A friend and I are willing to collaborate together on dual pieces (a corresponding art piece and fanfiction). Are we allowed to put this in our application?"
A: Yes, you are allowed to corroborate! Keep in-mind that due to the nature of the zine and the quota for characters may not make a pairing possible.
Q: "Is this zine 'proship friendly'?
A: Due to misuse of the term, it will be referred to as 'anti-harassment' in our guidelines.
Anyone over the age of 18 at the time of applications opening will be considered as a contributor for this zine, but our guidelines strictly forbid harassment and certain content within the zine itself.
If a contributor is uncomfortable with another contributor because of the content they have created outside of the zine, they are free to open their spot to a pinch-hitter at any time in the process.
Harassment claims brought to our mod team will be investigated. If our team finds that a contributor has been harassed for their content by another contributor, the offending contributor will be asked to leave the event effective immediately and a pinch-hitter will be contacted to fill their space.
Q: "Can I apply for more than one role (ex: as an artist AND a merch artist)?"
A: We will be considering this on a case-by-case basis, but we would prefer that each contributor only applies for one role to open as many spaces for others as possible!
Q: "Can I create a work for both zines (the SFW zine and the NSFW/DD zine?)"
A: You can! However, if you are having trouble meeting deadlines, you may be asked to choose one over the other to prevent delaying final submissions. As a reminder, the secondary NSFW/DD zine will only go forward if there is enough contributor interest to warrant a secondary zine.
Q: "As a contributor, what do I get out of this?"
A: Each contributor will get their own copy of the zine (both the SFW and NSFW/DD zines if desired). You will also earn experience, a new portfolio addition, and hopefully a few new fandom connections as well :)
Ready to apply?
Moderators
Mel || they/love
Head Moderator / Social Media Manager / Cosplay Moderator
Artist Credit: Prompto on Twitter/X
Hi, I'm Mel and I'm a 27 year-old fanwriter for Bungou Stray Dogs! I'm so happy to be able to move forward with this project! I love the Port Mafia and I have always wanted to see a project like this come to life!
Nikki || she/her
Graphic Design Moderator
Hey y'all. I'm Nikki, occasional artist and writer, lover of BSD theories and analyses. You may catch me passionately rambling about character design and scene composition. This is my first time working on a zine, and how fitting it is one dedicated to Port Mafia as many of my BSD faves are part of that family such as Chuuya, Kouyou, and Verlaine. I will do my best to help the Zine be a fun, successful project and can't wait to see all the creative works!
Ami || she/her
Discord Moderator
Hi guys! I’m Ami, if we’ve not met before I’m so pleased to meet you! I love bsd and like nothing more than to read, write and share all of the amazing works this fandom has to offer. I’m delighted to be a part of this project!
Pumpkin || they/them
Discord Moderator
hello i’m pumpkin. i’m both a funny artist guy and now a dabbler in fanfic writing. im excited to be apart of a zine from the inside and can’t wait to see everyone’s piece.also i’m normal about dazai and atsushi. ask me about my atsu collection 🫡💜
Lev || he/they
Conflict Resolution Moderator
Artist Credit: @NocturneGarden on Twitter/X
Hello everyone! I’m Lev, and while I’m primarily an editor, I also write and cosplay from time-to-time! I’m so excited to be part of this project, and I can’t wait to see everyone’s creations.
Vanta || they/he/she
Merch Moderator / Formatting Moderator
hiya! i’m vanta. primarily, i am a digital illustrator, but i also love self published media in general so im very honored to be your formatting & merch mod!
bsd has been a great source of inspiration for me as an artist & storyteller and my favorite character is none other than dazai. can’t wait to see what situations we will put him & other mafioso in ~
Monkey/Mon || she/they
Writer Moderator
Hello! My name is monkey (mon for short is ok too~)! I'm a big fan of bsd and love writing about fictional characters. I'm super happy to be a part of this project and can't wait to work on it with everyone!
Lemon || it/he
Art Moderator
Hi! My name’s Lemon, or Lem for short!! I live for art, and am so honoured to be working as the Art Mod for As Night Falls! I love BSD (naturally), Houseki No Kuni, Ancient Magus’ Bride, Apothecary Diaries, DanDaDan, and so many more anime and manga! So happy to be working with you guys!!
Contributors
Main Zine
(SFW)
Front Page Illustrator:
| Cosplayers | Merch Artists | Page Artists | Writers |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Side-Zine
(NSFW / Dead Dove)
Front Page Illustrator:
| Merch Artists | Page Artists | Writers |
|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | TBA |
Applications
Contributor Applications
*You may apply to more than one if you are capable, but please be aware you will likely only be accepted into one position.Application Period:
December 15th 11:59 AM EST - January 4th 11:59 PM EST
Zine Schedule
*All dates are subject to change!
| Phase | Projected Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Interest Check | November 22nd - December 4th |
| Contributor Applications | December 15th - January 4th |
| Acceptance Emails | January 25th |
| Pitch Submissions | January 25th - February 1st |
| Check-In #1 Due Date | March 6th - March 13th |
| Check-In #2 Due Date | April 6th - April 13th |
| Check-In #3 Due Date | May 6th - May 13th |
| Check-In #4 Due Date | June 6th |
| Beta / Editing Period | June 6th - June 20th |
| Final Submissions | June 25th |
| Production Period | June 25th - TBA |
| Final Release | TBD |