Preorders are open May 10th—June 11th
We can't wait to share our work with you!
Hyrule is full of unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions. There are battles and histories we’ve heard of but have never witnessed. Places that have been described, but not seen; heroes and villains alike whose deeds live on through folktale and bardsong, oft fading into obscurity while other legends take their place.
..But what if we could bring those stories to life?
Hyrule Apocrypha is a fic-centric zine focusing on these lost tales of Hyrule. From forgotten mythology to unexplored history, this zine intends to expand on canon lore and fill in the blanks with interpretations of how certain events may have come to pass. Writers and artists will collaborate in the storytelling process, culminating in an anthology that looks, reads, and feels like a real history book in the Zelda universe!
Zine Overview
This is a fic-centric Zelda zine! We can’t have a lost history book without lorekeepers, so this zine will place more of a focus on writing. Written pieces can include anything from detailed histories to poetry to firsthand accounts.
Each written piece will have one cover illustration and be accompanied by several spot illustrations. Writers and artists are encouraged to collaborate on their ideas, with both given equal weight in the brainstorming process as they craft the lore together: artists won’t have to be assigned to a writer who already has a fic planned, and writers won’t need to write a fic around an artist’s pre-existing idea.
Creators will get paired based on topic pitches. These aren’t detailed descriptions of what you intend to make, but rather a short description explaining what part of Hyrule’s history you’d like to explore. For example, two creators might decide to explore the Interloper War and brainstorm from there.
The collaboration aspect might not stop at writers and artists. If there is enough interest for musicians, they would be encouraged to collaborate with poets to create ballads, coming up with words and music together.
If you don’t have a pitch of your own, worry not—there will be a list of topics to spark some inspiration.
Other than illustrations accompanying fics, we’re considering having some artists create full page artwork like maps, tapestries, historical paintings, stained glass windows, and other pieces as section breaks.
As for merch, we’re currently considering wallpapers, emotes, stickers, charms, standees, bookmarks, erasers, and potentially a music album! For stretch goals, we’re considering pencil cases, sticky notes, and notebooks.
We might also offer a companion wip PDF. All of the merch options depend on what you ask for in the interest check!
Contributor Requirements
Artists
Page Artists are responsible for creating full-page artworks for the zine, which will fall into one of two categories:
Full-page “cover” artwork accompanying written works. These will illustrate the most important elements of the fic and will be brainstormed in collaboration with a writer and, in some cases, a separate spot artist (see below).
Artwork that tells a story in and of itself. Examples include tapestries, stained glass windows, wall carvings, maps, manuscripts, historical paintings, and portraits. These types of illustrations will serve as section breaks for the zine, which will be broken up based on topic and/or era.
Spot Artists are responsible for smaller illustrations that accompany the written work in the zine. The number of illustrations will depend on the length and type of written work. Types of illustrations may also vary; spot artists could illustrate a scene from the fic, a significant character, or even depict a historical artifact relevant to the story.
We are currently planning for spot artists to be their own category of contributor. Depending on our interest check responses, the number of applicants, and the desired illustration styles/various other needs of each fic, page artists may be asked to fulfill spot illustration responsibilities as well.
Writers
Fic Writers will be tasked with writing the stories and historical accounts in the zine. These writings can be long or short fics. Examples might include history book chapters, letters, or passed-down legends. The writing style required will depend on the type of piece chosen. Estimated word count requirements will be determined following the results of the interest check.Poets will tell the legends through verse, and the tone of the poem will depend on the topic. Structurally, poems must have a consistent form and rhyming scheme. Unusual rhyming schemes or structures are welcome, but free verse will not be allowed, as this would not fit the historical theme of the zine. Poets may be asked or expected to collaborate with musicians if enough interest is expressed.
Merch Artists
Merch Artists will be responsible for creating artwork for merch designs according to item specifications. Merch items should focus on canon characters; OCs must be in the background if their inclusion is desired. There will be both digital and physical merch, and the types of items will depend on what is most requested in the interest check.
Other Creators
Depending on the feedback received during our interest check, we are also considering including musicians, cosplayers, 3D sculptors, chefs, and more in Hyrule Apocrypha. If you’d like to see any of these or even other kinds of creators, let us know! We’ll include more details when contributor applications open.
Schedule
This schedule is subject to change.
| Preorders | May 10th–June 11th 2023 |
| Shipping | August 2023 |
| Leftover Sales | September 2023 |
Meet the Mods
Copicdragon — Head Mod & Organization
Hey, I'm copicdragon. I've been a Zelda fan as long as I can remember, and I'm excited to explore the story further through this zine! Recently I've been a general/organizational mod for Age of Calamity and Homemade in Hyrule, and a graphics/socials mod for Sunflower. I've also been a mod and artist contributor for a handful of others over the last few years, I believe this is probably around my 11th zine in total.
I'm glad to see a writer-focused zine, I don't see those too often. Writers need more attention! I can't wait to see the finished result.
▴ Twitter: @Copicdragon
▴ Instagram: @copicdragonThirteenthHr — Co-Writing Mod
A slow but consistent writer who waits a long time to post her fics. Lover of mangoes. Wants Nintendo to directly inject BotW2 into her veins.
I've written for three Zelda zines (Fated, Goddess Reborn, and Age of Calamity) and a few others, and I ran a Pokémon zine (Your Journey Awaits!) that taught me a lot about the behind-the-scenes for projects like these. So I'm super excited to bring my experiences to a fic-centric Zelda zine!
▴ Twitter: @ThirteenthHr
▴ Tumblr: @thirteenthhr
▴ Ao3: ThirteenthHrSoleil — Co-Writing Mod
Hi! I’m Soleil! I’m a ludomusicologist (VGM scholar), fic author and hobbyist artist. I’ve contributed my writing to several zines, including the Zelink Zine (2019), the Promare 80's Zine, and Your Journey Awaits! A Pokemon Zine. I also participated in Linktober’s Zelda Creator Con 2022 as a featured panelist. Ever since I played A Link to the Past, I fell in love with the music and lore of the Zelda series, and it became my favorite game series of all time. I love worldbuilding in my fics, and that’s why I came up with this zine! I wanted to give other creators in the community an opportunity to use their imagination to fill in the unwritten pages of Hyrule’s history. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!
▴ Twitter: @skywardstruck
▴ Instagram: @tomefaired
▴ Ao3: tomefairedVal — Art Mod
Hello, hello! l'm Val and I'm helping out as the art mod for this zine. I grew up with the Legend of Zelda series and it's partly the reason as to why I started drawing and immersed myself into game development.
Currently, I'm the one behind the Zelda Bulletin Twitter page, which promotes zines and similar projects! In the past, I organized a Persona Secret Santa Exchange and was an intern art mod for Future Saviors: A Fire Emblem Awakening Zine. I've also contributed as a page artist for Sanguine Songbird, Seal the Darkness, Tales From Hyrule, Goddess Reborn, and more! It's an incredible honor to be a part of this zine and I'm looking forward to everyone's creations!
▴ Twitter: @valviiche
▴ Instagram: @valviicheMouse — Graphics
▴ Twitter: @thismousedraws
▴ Instagram: @thismousedrawsRachel — Layout
Hi everyone! I’m Rachel (or Rach), and Hyrule Apocrypha is actually my first-ever fanzine as a mod! I’m an active member of the LoZ Twitter fanbase, as well as having served as a moderator in several community Discord servers. While it’s embarrassing to say that joining Zeldatwt last summer was my first time being in a fandom, it’s also—so far!—been the best time, and I’m very excited to be a part of a community project as cool as this one.
When I’m not on Twitter screaming about Zelink, I am a professional illustrator with a focus in narrative illustration, print layout design, and children’s book publishing. My previous experience includes work done for magazine startups, self-published authors, and indie tabletop RPGs, so while a fanzine is a new experience, I am confident that I have the necessary skills to make this zine a success for the ages.
▴ Twitter: @rachelsandene / @bisexualkorok
▴ Instagram: @rachelsandeneKsenija — Graphics & Layout Assistant
Hello, I’m ksenija and I’m a design assistant for the zine! Fun fact: Hyrule Apocrypha is the first ever fanzine I’m participating in! I’ve been a fan of the Legend of Zelda series for many many years—there’s nothing like the atmosphere and the history of Hyrule, so as soon as I started my first game (which was The Minish Cap) I knew right away that I would be a forever fan of the series.
When I’m not playing video games, I’m a professional illustrator and comic book artist. Along with that, I’m a big fan of Medieval Art and its symbolism, which is reflected in my work. Even though this is my first fanzine, I have previously published numerous comics zines (including some of my own) and assisted self-published authors and illustrators as both a layout designer and assistant!
▴ Twitter: @ksenijahoshi
▴ Instagram: @ksenijahoshi.illustration
▴ Carrd: ksenijahoshiMai — Finance & Production
Hi, I'm Mai! I do math and manage item production. I've been the finance mod for a handful of zines, mostly in the One Piece fandom (Romance Dawn, Supernovas, and PinOP are three projects I've been in and which are completed already). I'll do my best to make sure we have the most beautiful book and merch possible. As a bit of a writer myself, a writing-focused project is very much my cup of tea.Misery — Shipping
▴ Twitter: @Bringmemisery
▴ Ao3: Bringmemisery
▴ Carrd: BringmemiseryVForce — Social Media
I'm VForce, I have a great passion for the Legend of Zelda games and the lore involving them. Hyrule Apocrypha is one of my first zines as a Social Media mod. I'm excited to see what everyone creates!
▴ Instagram: @VForce_8
▴ Twitter: @vforce_8
FAQ
Will Hyrule Apocrypha be free, for profit, or for charity?
▴ Hyrule Apocrypha will be a charity zine! We aren’t sure about what charity we’re choosing yet, but keeping with the theme of a history book, we’re considering literacy charities. Feel free to give your suggestions in the interest check!Are OCs allowed in the zine?
▴ This zine is OC-friendly! However, we encourage you to take a practical approach to OC inclusion. Think about what you’d like to explore in the lore first, then decide what OCs will be needed based on the pitch. Additionally, they should not be the sole focus of your piece; canon characters should still play a role.
▴ Canon characters should also remain the focus of merch designs rather than OCs. If the design includes OCs, they must be in the background.What types of creators are being considered for the zine?
▴ This zine will have writers and poets (of course), artists, and merch artists. Other creators such as musicians, cosplayers, 3D sculptors, chefs, and more might also be included depending on the interest check.What kind of content won’t be allowed in the zine?
▴ This zine will not allow any NSFW content, including gore. Violence is okay, just make sure not to make it too graphic. We want to keep the zine rated T.
▴ Because potentially triggering topics like war may be included in this zine, we will include content warnings where needed.Will this zine have guests?
▴ We absolutely plan to include guests in this zine! Guests will be determined through a combination of the mods’ own preferences and the suggestions in the interest check.How will the Zelda canon be taken into consideration with this zine?
▴ This zine will be canon-compliant. This means that we won’t be writing anything that either has no basis in canon materials or outright contradicts canon. When submitting your concept for approval, it would be a good idea to mention or include the canon information you are referencing.
▴ “Canon” consists of the core games and potentially the Hyrule Warriors games and Cadence of Hyrule, though spin-offs will likely be considered as their own canon.
▴ Any alternate histories or alternate universes will not be included in this zine. If you’re ever unsure about anything, feel free to ask.