About

What is the Acorn & Arkenstone zine?

Acorn & Arkenstone is a fan zine centered around the pairing of Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins, also known as "Bagginshield" or "Thilbo", from The Hobbit.

This project has the objective to renew the love for this lovely ship and reunite current and old fans.

It will include content from both canonverse and alternate universes of the contributors' choice.

FAQ

Will other ships be allowed?

Other background ships are fine, provided the main focus is on Thorin and Bilbo. This may be more difficult to accomplish with the art. If you have specific questions, you can leave a message on one of our social media sites.

Will this zine be SFW or NSFW?

The zine will be 100% SFW, which means no sexual content or gore, and only canon-typical violence. Some blood will be allowed.

Which format will be the zine?

Following the interest check, we decide to make the zine only digital. The digital merch will be available too.

Will the zine be for profit or for charity?

Since we decide it will be a free zine with digital merch, there will be no financial consideration.

How many contributors will be selected?

The goal is to have 30 artists, 30 writers and 5 digital merch artists to be part of the zine.

Will moderators be able to apply as a contributor?

Yes, as it is a digital zine, but they will have to apply like the rest of the applicants.

Will applicants be able to apply for more than one position?
The applicants will be able to apply for more than one position, but they will only be selected for one.

Where can the schedule be found?

The schedule can be found below!

What are the requirements for the contributor applications?

The requirements can be found here


Schedule

Mod Applications: 1st March - 1st April
Email sent: 8th April - 10th April
Contributor Applications: 24th April - 24th May
Email sent: 31th May - 2nd June
First Check-In: 14th - 16th July
Second Check-In: 14th - 16th August
Third Check-In: 14th - 16th September
Final Submissions: 30th September - 2nd October
Start of Beta-Reading/ Editing: 30th September
Release: 28th November

Moderators

Sarah - Head, organizer, social media mod

• Co-head, and social media mod Iron Wall (Dateko zine)
• General mod for Distortion (Shigaraki zine)
• Intern for Quirk no Jutsu (Naruto x BNHAcrossover zine)
• Intern for Symbol of Fear (All for One zine)


CosmicFunk - Graphics/ layout mod

• Graphics and Layout mod for The Strange & Unusual Project (A Beetlejuice Zine)
• Formatting and Layout mod for Spoils of War (An Ares Zine)
• Formatting and Layout mod for Crystal Shards (A Noctis Zine)


Morimaitar - Writer mod

• Contributor for the Jason Todd Zine
• Contributor for Bats & Beasts (A Batfamily Halloween Zine)
• Co-Mod of Romin Week (Roman/Robin fan week)
• Head Mod of Jaydick Week (Jason/Dick fan week)


Ghostly - Art liaison

• Contributor for The Left 4 Dead zine


Amirah - Intern Mod

• Contributor for many zines as writer for New Year New Hope, When Stars Align, and Kitchen Hero

Contributors

The Acorn & Arkenstone Mod Team is proud to present you the line-up of the incredible and talented contributors who prepare magnificent pieces!

Contributors Requirements

The Contributor Applications is open until the April 24th. Make sure to read the requirements correctly!

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General Application Requirements for everyone

— Present each of your best pieces with a singular functional link in the form.
— There will be a possibility to share additional works through the portfolio option.
— Please make sure the links are working and are accessible by anyone on the mod team. Any link that is not accessible will have their application voided.
— NSFW samples are okay, but we would prefer SFW pieces. NSFW samples must be tagged as much.
— We ask that applicants under the age of 18 do not submit NSFW works as example pieces.

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Writer Requirements

3 of your best-written pieces.
Each sample must be 1.5k minimum - 3k maximum words.
— A portion of a longer chapter may be submitted, either as an excerpt in the shared document, or by clearly denoting which portion should be read (i.e., specific chapter of a multi/m-chapter fic or starting/ending sentence).
— It can either be a published or unpublished piece.
— NOTE: We would prefer that one piece be complete, or as close to complete as possible if the full story is not in the word count required for the samples. Be mindful that the maximum word count will be 4k for the zine piece.

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Writing Criteria

Good pacing, flow, and storyline.
Works should move smoothly between plot points and draw the reader into the world you’re building. What drives the story? What makes it unique and interesting?

Characterization.
Readers should recognize the actions, personality, and motivations of in-story characters. If characters are placed in a different world or with a different set of values, how well-rounded are these traits? Is the reader able to agree and see your writing as true to the character?

Voice and styling.
Writing should showcase your passion and/or the passion of your characters and/or narrators. Is there a point of view or opinion that readers will lean into? How does your story evoke emotion for your characters, and in turn, your readers?

Grammar, spelling, and formatting.
Writing for the zine will be proofread and edited, but your work should be self-edited so that readers are able to easily follow along with your piece.

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Artist Requirements

5 of your best pieces representing your art style.
— At least 2 of these pieces should be in full color with a background (not just flat colors or sketches).
— Traditional art is acceptable, as long as it is scanned or photographed with good quality.
— Comics are acceptable, but with a maximum of 4 panels.

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Art Criteria

Good knowledge of anatomy, color, lighting, composition, perspective, and form.
All of these fundamentals help build works that are eye-catching, cohesive and aesthetically pleasing.

Consistent style.
Artists are encouraged to showcase their varied styles and approaches to work! However, your application should allow us to evaluate your work and form an expectation of what style your piece will bring to the zine. Whether your art style(s) is realistic, cartoony, or experimental, does your artwork demonstrate a willingness to add your own touch and explore your creativity?

Ability to finish full pieces.
Finished compositions and background work are crucial to display the worlds and/or environments in which your characters are placed.

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Merchandise Artist Requirements

3 of your best pieces representing your art style.
— Merch artwork is preferred, but not required.

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Merchandise Criteria

Good knowledge of concept, colors, lines, and composition.
All of these fundamentals help build works that are eye-catching for the merch vibe overall.

Consistent style.
Merchandise artists are encouraged to showcase their varied styles and approaches to work! However, your application should allow us to evaluate your work and form an expectation of what style your merchandise will bring to the zine. Whether your art style(s) is realistic, cartoony, or experimental, does your artwork demonstrate a willingness to add your own touch and explore your creativity?

Ability to finish full pieces.
Clean lines and attention to detail are crucial to bring a special shine to small scale charms, prints, bookmarks, and other merchandise.

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We're excited to see your applications, which you can complete via the links below!
Thank you for your support and interest! Let’s this project an unforgettable journey!

Contact

You can follow us, ask questions, or leave comments on one of our social medias!