Riverside Wonders is a Touhou charity zine with a focus on celebrating Palestinian nature and culture!
100% of zine profits will be donated to Care for Gaza (after offering a free copy of the zine to all contributors, if sales permit).

Guidelines & About the Zine

Riverside Wonders is a Touhou charity zine with a focus on celebrating Palestinian nature and culture, as a form of protest via celebration, and to share Palestine's beauty and strength with the world! Not every piece in the zine is Palestine-related, but a good majority of it is. The zine has a combination of art, fics, and some miscellaneous other mediums!Money from pre-orders will cover manufacturing and shipping costs, as well as providing a free copy of the zine to each contributor if enough sales are made. After that, 100% of remaining profits will be donated to Care for Gaza!More info is available on our FAQ page.Contributor applications are now closed! The rest of this page now functions as a reference for our contributors. Thank you to all who applied!

Rules For All Contributors

  • Be kind and respectful to all your fellow participants and mods.

  • All participants will be required to join our contributor-only Discord server, with the exception of certain anonymous cases.

  • Contributor production period starts on June 22nd, and final submissions are due on September 28th, with several check-in periods in between. All contributors are required to commit to these deadlines. Read more about check-in dates and expectations in our schedule. Check-in expectations can be flexible if progress is still evident.

  • In general we will try to be flexible when life happens. We are willing to provide extensions of up to 1-2 weeks on check-in or final deadlines, but you must request your extension at least 24 hours before the check-in or due date. You can communicate with the mods for greater extensions for outlying scenarios.

  • You're allowed to apply for multiple roles using multiple forms, and may be accepted for multiple! In which case you'll be able to specify whether you would like to accept multiple or not.

  • For those with safety concerns regarding joining a pro-Palestine organization, applicants can join anonymously. More details in this question in our FAQ.

  • Any form of bigotry (racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) will not be tolerated.

  • Support of Zionism or other mistreatment towards Palestine and its people will also not be tolerated.

  • Reminder: Zionism is not the same as Judaism. Antisemitism towards Jewish people will not be tolerated either.

  • Please don't attempt to start or join any political debates in the zine chats.

  • Submissions should be limited to canon Touhou Project characters (no OC’s, characters from fan content, etc.). Putting spins on official characters, like LGBT headcanons or darker skin tones, is totally fine!

  • Submissions can optionally include tasteful Palestine-related themes or elements, and a Palestinian member of our zine team will be helping oversee this. References, examples, and other help will be available from the mod team for creators who want to try it! Your submission should not include anything conflict-oriented or otherwise provocative.

  • Regardless of whether you include these themes, our mod team may require you to make changes if something in your work is deemed potentially insensitive or not appropriate in the context of this zine.

  • Ships that include problematic content like incest, pedophilia, etc. are not allowed. Some ships may need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the mods.

  • All submissions must be SFW and overall not too suggestive, and moderators have the right to request changes in this area.

  • Submissions must be created entirely within the zine’s work period.

  • AI-generated content (writing or art) is not permitted.

  • Don’t share your full piece before the zine is released or you otherwise get our approval. Sharing things like heavily-cropped previews or cropped WIPs are okay.

Rules For Artists

  • Digital art is the standard, but traditional art is also allowed if it can be scanned in cleanly.

  • Entries can either be a single or double page (spread) illustration, or a comic spanning between one and four pages.

  • For single or double spread illustrations, you must be able to create a fully-rendered piece with a background by yourself for your entry.

  • For comics, you must be able to create a fully-rendered comic that's either monochrome or full color, but in either case should look clean and polished.

  • If you have a formatting idea for your comic that deviates from the consecutive single-page format, feel free to run it by the mods once you're on the Discord server.

  • Specs for single-page entries (or comic pages): 6" x 9", CMYK, 300dpi, JPEG

  • Specs for double-spread entries: 11.5" x 9", CMYK, 300dpi, JPEG

  • More resources to help you with formatting your submission for physical print will be provided in our Discord server.

Rules For Writers

  • Writers should be able to write fluently in English with proper spelling and grammar.

  • Writers should be able to portray the characters they're writing for to a reasonably accurate degree.

  • Fanfics and poetry are both permitted.

  • Fics must be between 500 and 2000 words long.

  • Poems must be between 12 and 28 lines.

Rules For Merch Artists

  • Merch artists will design 1, 2, or more merch items for the zine.

  • Merch artists are not responsible for manufacturing their goods for teh zine.

  • Merch artists can also apply to create stretch goal merch that will only be finished and manufactured if a prerequisite number of pre-orders is reached.

  • If the goal for a stretch goal piece is reached, the artist will have to work past the normal zine production period to finish their work.

Rules For Special Creators

  • Special creator apps are for anyone wishing to contribute in a medium that wasn't listed above, such as cosplay, music, fangames, etc.

  • Rules for special creations will likely vary depending on what they are, but some creations may not be a full-page image and instead be a collage, or link to scan, etc., in which case a page to help present the piece in print would have to be designed. This can be done either yourself or with the help of the mods / other contributors!

  • Likewise, check-in expectations/dates may differ for the same reasons, which the mods will help you work out based on your creative process.

  • Our decision for which special creators end up accepted may be influenced partly by idea(s) pitched, to justify their inclusion in this otherwise art and writing centric zine.

FAQ

Jump to:
Zine Content and Theming
Mods and Contributors
Bundles, Purchases, and Shipping
Older Contribution Questions
If you have any questions we don't answer here, feel free to contact us!Zine Content and Theming:What's the theme of this zine? Just Touhou? Or Palestine too?
For the most part, both! While the entire zine is Touhou-themed, most submissions include some Palestinian symbols or references as well! A handful are simply Touhou-related with no extra theming though. It was up to our contributors individually and what they wanted to make! With some guidance from the mod team to enforce variety. The Palestine content ranges from direct cultural references and imagery to more subtle elements like fauna and flora native to Palestine. During production, our mod team gathered up a collection of Palestinian resources and references to give our contributors plenty of inspiration to take from. It's a labor of love from many Touhou creators who don't want Palestine to be silenced!Will I still be able to enjoy the zine without knowing a lot about Palestine?
The themes are mostly visual elements and not necessary to enjoy the works, but we'll also help you understand them! The beginning of our zine has a few pages with explanations and infographics explaining the themes, nature+cultural elements, etc. that appear in it. It's an all-in-one package where you can learn while enjoying tons of art and fics!What are the works in the zine like? Are they just art?
Nope, we have fics too, and more! The zine has around 60 pages of submissions: mostly artwork, with a few fics, a multi-page comic, a playable fangame, and a couple other surprises we'll let you experience for yourself! Some digital works have preview pages in the zine itself with QR code links to download the piece DRM-free!Does the zine have merch? Is the merch Palestine-related too?
We offer both digital and physical merch in our bundles. Just like the zine itself, all the merch is of Touhou characters, and most of them have Palestinian themes integrated as well! There's a good mix of subtle Palestine themes like flowers and nature, more direct themes like flag colors and slogans, and merch pieces that are just Touhou characters. All of the merch is created by our contributors just for this zine, and we've tried to include something for everyone!Where do the zine's earnings go? Does it all go to charity?
After taking out the costs required to manufacture and ship everything to our buyers, our next goal is to provide free zines or bundles to our contributors, if sales permit us to do so without compromising too much of our earnings. Whatever we don't offer for free, contributors will be able to buy at a discounted price of just the shipping + production costs. All remaining profits will be donated to Care for Gaza to help Palestinian families in need!

Mods and Contributors:Who's on the mod team for this zine?
Our mod team has its own dedicated page right here. Be aware that some mods have chosen to stay anonymous at the time of writing this.Is there a list of contributors?
As a safety precaution, the zine's contributor list won't be publicly listed in full until after the zine itself is ready to ship out. If you want to see a good chunk of them though, check out our socials! We frequently post spotlights and previews from contributors who've opted in.Is the mod team Palestinian? Do you have a sensitivity reader?
Most of the mods aren't Palestinian themselves, but one of our mods, MG, is Palestinian and acts as our sensitivity reader. Part of their job is to communicate with us constantly to make sure everything we do stays respectful to Palestinian culture!

Bundles, Purchases, and ShippingWhat's included with the zine?
We offer both digital and physical packages. The digital ones come with a PDF of the zine and digital merch, which are included in all physical bundles as well. And the physical bundles all come with physical merch! You can check out our storefront for all the bundle options and price tiers. Our biggest bundle has everything we offer and comes with a big haul of amazing merch that we couldn't possibly cover here! We have lots of different buying options our merch a la carte for buying individual merch goods, and a digital-only bundle if you can't buy physical!How do stretch goals work?
As we sell more physical zines, we unlock stretch goals! When we reach one, anyone who purchased a bundle that qualifies for it will receive that product for free! See the products on our store page for info on what bundles will include what stretch goals. When a stretch goal is hit, that item is also added to a la carte if you want to buy it individually. The only exception is the final stretch goal, which is a modification to add some shiny gold foil over the border design on every printed copy of our zine!When will my zine ship out?
Shipments are estimated to start within 2-4 months of pre-orders closing. We can't give an exact prediction, but we'll be keeping you guys in the loop as things progress!When do digital goods get sent out?
The digital zine and digital rewards will be sent out around when we begin shipping. This includes digital content like the fangame and other such works, so you'll have to wait just a bit to get your hands on your goodies. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't release a digital copy of the zine early because we're still working on test prints and other finalizations. We appreciate your patience!Where do you ship to?
We offer shipments both to the US and internationally! Unfortunately, we cannot ship to the EU at this time, due to recent regulation changes. We're looking into a way to fix this, but we're super sorry for the inconvenience! The only other exception is countries currently facing USPS suspensions. You can check here to see if your country is impacted. If any other shipping issues arise after purchasing that prevent us from shipping to you, you'll receive a full refund for your order. None of this applies to digital orders, which are always accepted!Where does the zine ship from?
All shipments are from the US. We charge shipping fees during checkout that vary depending on your location.What if my address changes before the zine ships out?
If you need to change your address, please contact us via email! We'll be keeping everyone who purchases updated via social media and email on when shipments begin.Do you offer refunds? What happens if my package gets lost?
We offer full refunds on physical bundles if you cancel your purchase before your order ships out. If your order gets lost during shipping, we'll assist however we can, including sending a replacement if necessary (or offering a refund, depending on item availability).
Some countries will require you to pick up your package from the post office. We will not refund shipping cost if you don't pick it up or if you deny the package, and you will need to pay to have it shipped again, or get your order refunded.

Older Contribution Questions:How does anonymous contribution work?
We know it can be scary to openly support this issue online, and we won’t judge for that here! The contribution forms have questions at the very end regarding whether you’d like to remain anonymous and, if so, to what degree. Possible levels of anonymity range from simply not being credited in the final zine, to using a Discord alt in our server, to communicating solely with the content supervision mods privately the entire time. All the same rules will apply to anonymous contributors, and we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop on everything going on. One thing to keep in mind is that it may still be difficult to disguise your art or writing style to not be recognized, which we sadly can’t do much about.How can I join this zine?
Check out our about page for contribution guidelines, and our applications section to apply yourself! We wish you the best of luck.Does the zine have a theme? Do submissions have to be Palestine-related?
The only required theme for the zine is Touhou itself. However, as a secondary theme, you're allowed to incorporate Palestinian references, symbols, imagery, etc. into your works if you choose (with mod approval for your final pitch). The mod team is happy to share examples and help contributors form their ideas if they choose to include Palestine themes!What size and page count will the zine be?
The zine will be a half-letter 8.5" x 5.5" size. The page count isn't fully determined yet and may sway depending on the application turnout, but somewhere around 30-60 pages is our most likely goal!Is Touhou knowledge required to participate?
We'd consider it a very strong soft requirement, but it depends. One one hand, there’s so much Touhou canon out there that having to know most of the lore just to draw a couple characters you like for charity is a little excessive, but on the other hand if you’re trying to come up with your pitch and the mods need to help you contextualize several different Touhou characters one-by-one, that’s obviously going to slow us down a lot. If you feel a little iffy on your knowledge of the franchise, that's ok! Just be sure to take some initiative and research as needed. Writing, when compared to art, will likely have a higher demand for canon knowledge or research.
For applying mods: The answer to this question depends almost entirely on your job(s) as a mod. Some roles won't really need any Touhou knowledge at all and some are deeply rooted in it.Do I need to know a lot about Palestine/politics to participate?
Only enough to know you want to support the cause. Generally speaking, we'd expect our contributors to agree with our support for Palestine and rejection of Israel's mistreatment of it, but beyond that we don’t need you to prove anything as long as you follow our rules.
However, it's always important that you conduct yourself well in regards to talking and learning about it, both in and out of the context of our zine. If you're not sure it's your place to speak up or assert something, opt to listen instead, and in general act with humility when discussing.Are AU’s allowed?
For the most part, AU's are disallowed beyond just basic changes like derivative designs (ex: Palestine-themed Touhou characters)

Schedule

May 11 - Mod applications open
(10 days)May 21 - Mod applications closed
(4 days)May 25 - Mods selected
(1 week)June 1 - Contributor applications open
(14 days)June 15 - Contributor applications closed
(7 days)June 22 - Contributors selected, work period begins!
(2 weeks)July 6 - Check-in 1 (proposal / concept; physical work like a rough sketch or outline, etc., is optional, but your idea must be finalized and mod-approved)
(6 weeks)August 17 - Check-in 2 (rough draft / sketch; you must have done physical work on your submission at this point, with notable progress such as linework, some paragraphs written, etc.)
(5 weeks)September 28 - Final check-in (nearly-complete work, final feedback; at this point your work should be nearing completion and mostly in need of polish, proper formatting, and/or any other tweaks required for mod approval)
(7 weeks)November 30 - Final submission deadline (have your final mod-approved piece uploaded and formatted for the zine!)January 17 - Previews and bundle reveals begin.February 14 - Pre-orders open!March 21 - Pre-orders close!Spring-Summer 2025 - Bundles shipped out!Exact shipment dates from here are tentative. Digital pre-orders will be sent around the same time physical

Contact Us

If you have questions about the zine, check out our FAQ first. If you can't find your question there, you can reach us via email at [email protected] or via Tumblr ask (non-anon only).

Apply for the Zine!

Applications are now closed! The rest of this page will remain intact only as legacy info. Thank you to everyone who applied or showed support!Thank you so much for your interest in applying! You'll find all the links you need to get started below.Applying for multiple roles is allowed, and you can be accepted for multiple roles. If that happens, you will get the chance to decide whether you want to take on multiple or just one.If you have any questions before contributing, check if it's answered in our FAQ, otherwise contact us if needed!

🍉 Signup Links 🍉

Contribution Guidelines (Read this first!)
Production Schedule and Check-InsArtist Application
Writer Application
Merch Artist Application
Special Creator (Cosplay, Music, Fangames, etc.) Application