Welcome to Piano e Forte: A Gavin Brothers Zine!

This zine is strictly SFW.

All contributors must be 16+. Moderators must be 18+. Underage applicants may apply only if they will be within the age requirements by the time applications close.

Page art will be submitted in A5, RGB color, minimum of 300 DPI.

Merch art sizing will vary, submitted in RGB color, minimum of 300 DPI.

Written work will be submitted as a titled document of 1.5k – 2k words.

Contributors will consist of 25 page artists, including 1 cover artist, 5 merch artists, and 5 writers.

Moderators must be 18 or older. Contributors must be 16 or older.

Discriminatory behavior, including but not limited to racism and whitewashing, homophobia and transphobia, and sexism will not be tolerated. You will be removed or rejected from the project without hesitation.

Absolutely no NSFW content is permitted in this project— Samples, portfolios, or any communication within the server may not include NSFW content.

All final pieces must be created originally for this project and within the project’s timeline.

Contributors may not share their work with those outside of the project— all work must remain within the zine server until the project’s official release. The mod team will notify all contributors when they are free to share.

Generative AI will not be tolerated in any capacity.

Contributors are required to join the zine’s Discord server, where all communication during the project timeframe will take place. You must submit your required check-ins and other requirements in the server in a timely manner, or contact the mod team ASAP if you need an extension or must leave the project.

Ace Attorney-levels of violence and gore are permitted.

Ships are permitted at the mods’ discretion. No pedophilia, incest, attorney x assistant will be permitted in applications or in the zine.

AUs are permitted at the mods’ discretion. The characters and familial relationship of the Gavin brothers may not be changed beyond recognizability.

Page artists will be expected to create one page, spread, or comic of 1–4 pages focusing on one or both of the Gavin brothers. Pieces must be fully rendered with a background, in RGB and 300 DPI in A5 format.

Traditional artists will be expected to scan or photograph their pieces in high quality and correct specifications. No shadows, glares, or irregular lighting and cropping will be permitted.

Merch artists will be expected to create two digital or physical merch items assigned by the mods, focusing on one or both of the Gavin brothers. Pieces must be fully colored, except for coloring pages, submitted in RGB and 300 DPI in sizing format that will vary on your assigned item.

Writers will be expected to create one fully-contained fiction work of 1.5k to 2k words focusing on one or both of the Gavin brothers. Any writers creating short form content may be required to make multiple pieces in accordance to the zine’s word count. Pieces must be titled and submitted as a document.

Applicants must be 16+ or have turned by the time applications close.

Samples and portfolios may not contain NSFW content. Samples of gore and violence are permitted; contributors may be required to provide content warnings as needed.

All applicants must provide at least 1 sample or portfolio piece depicting one or both of the Gavin brothers.

While you may submit sample links via social media [ex. Instagram, Tumblr, DeviantArt, and AO3], please use a curated portfolio via personal websites, documents or presentations, or file-sharing services. Please do not simply provide your social media account as a portfolio.

Please do not submit any attachments via Discord links, as they will expire after 24 hours.

All links to your samples and portfolio must be accessible to the mod team. For those using Google Drive, Docs, or Slides, please ensure that your links are set to anyone with the link may view. Please note: other file-sharing services may also need these permissions, or may only be accessible with an account— it is the contributor’s responsibility to ensure the team can access their work.

Failure to follow any guidelines may result in immediate rejection, so please be warned.

Page artist applications will require 3 completed artworks as samples of your work, with your portfolio as supplementary content.

Portfolios must contain 10–20 of your best and complete works, and at least 1 must contain a scenic background [not including flat colors, gradients, or photographs]. Your portfolio may include your samples.

Applications will be judged based on composition, backgrounds, anatomy, color, and lighting.

Merch artist applications will require 3 completed artworks as samples of your work, with your portfolio as supplementary content.

Portfolios must contain 10–20 of your best and complete works, and at least 1 must be a merchandise sample or in the intended style for your applied merchandise. Your portfolio may include your samples.

Samples including previous merchandise designs are encouraged, by not required, to apply.

Applications will be judged based on style and stylization, design, anatomy, and color.

Writer applications will require 3 written works as samples of your work, with your portfolio as supplementary content. Samples must not be longer than 3k words in length.

Portfolios must contain 5–15 of your best and complete works that are at least 1k words in length, and at least 1 must be a fully complete and self-contained oneshot. Excerpts are permitted. Your portfolio may include your samples.

For those desiring to create alternate forms of writing, samples including this style are encouraged, but not required, to apply.

Applications will be judged based on narrative execution, pacing, characterization, grammar, and clarity.

What is a zine?

A zine is an independently published magazine, either digital or physical, that may contain art, writing, and/or merchandise relating to an overall prompt or theme! This zine in particular will be focusing on Klavier and Kristoph Gavin as individual and intertwined characters, released as a digital PDF with art, writing, and merchandise included. Depending on interest, it may receive a physical production with physical merchandise.

What counts as a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of 10–20 of your best complete works. You may use file-sharing services like Google Drive or Dropbox, a presentation file, a personal website, etc., but all submissions must be completely accessible to mod team. While you may submit sample links via social media [ex. Instagram, Tumblr, DeviantArt, and AO3], please do not use them for your portfolio. Discord links are not permissible for either samples or portfolios.

Is there an age minimum for applicants?

Moderator applicants must be 18+. Contributor applicants must be 16+. Underage applicants may apply only if they will be within the age requirements by the time applications close.

Can I apply for multiple roles?

Yes, of course! Please feel free to apply anywhere you like! However, please note: while moderator applicants may fulfill multiple roles, contributor applicants will only be accepted for one role to provide as many opportunities for everyone as possible.

Can mods contribute to the zine?

Yes! Any moderators interested in contributing to the zine in any capacity may do so without needing to apply. Contributing moderators will not take away from the number of spots available for contributor applications.

Do I need previous zine experience to apply?

Finance and formatting applicants will require previous zine experience in their applied roles, as zine-related expertise in these areas is crucial for this project. However, for all other areas, anyone and everyone is more than welcome, regardless of your previous zine experiences! Though previous participation is always a plus, we will be judging applicants based on their creative skills shown through their samples and portfolios.

Will I be told if my application is rejected?

Yes, absolutely. All applicants will be contacted with their results, whether accepted or not— we have no intention of leaving anyone in the dark about their position. If, for any reason, you do not receive an email when results are sent, please contact the team immediately.

Do I need to include both Gavins in my piece?

No! While this zine is intended to celebrate these two characters and their connection, contributors are more than welcome to choose only one to focus on.

Can I include other characters in my piece?

Yes, so long as one or both of the Gavin brothers is the primary focus.

Can I include ships in my piece?

Yes, at mod discretion. If your piece is centered around a ship as the main focus, it must include one of the Gavins, though minor or background ships may feature any characters. Pedophilia, incest, and attorney x assistant are not permitted in the zine.

Can I include AUs in my piece?

Yes, at mod discretion. You must maintain a familial relationship between the Gavins, and their characters must remain recognizable, both in terms of appearance and general personality, but contributors are welcome to discuss any canon-divergent ideas with the mod team as needed.

How will contributors be compensated?

As a non-profit digital zine, contributors will receive the full bundle of the zine, with the PDF copy and all digital merchandise. Should the zine receive a physical print, contributors will have the opportunity to purchase any and all physical products at production cost, or for free, if profits allow.