A KNY Siblings Angst/Tragedy Zine

R16+ for potential graphic depictions of violence

Current Phase: ZINE COMPLETED! THank you so much everyone!

Hello! ... and welcome to 「Bound by Blood 」 , a digital, for-profit, Kimetsu no Yaiba zine centered upon angst and the sibling relationships shared by various characters. The focus of this zine is to highlight the beautiful familial bonds that tie them together and the tragedies they've had to overcome. Therefore, only characters that are brothers and sisters will be featured, as the zine is meant to encapsulate these specific ties. Though the theme implied by the title does allude to blood relationships, the title also serves as a metaphor for the kinship cultivated by the tragic bloodshed these characters witness and experience together throughout the story. Please be forewarned that the zine will include manga only characters as well as spoilers.

The characters that will be featured in this zine are as follows:
Tanjiro, Nezuko, Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru, & Rokuta (The Kamados)
Kyojuro & Senjuro (The Rengokus)
Giyuu & Tsutako (The Tomiokas)
Kanae, Shinobu, & Kanao (The Kochou Siblings)
Sanemi & Genya (The Shinazugawa Siblings)
Muichiro & Yuichiro (The Tokito Siblings)
Kiriya, Hinaki, Nichika, Kanata, & Kuina (The Ubuyashiki Siblings)
Yoriichi & Michikatsu/Kokushibo (The Tsugikuni Siblings)
Daki/Ume & Gyutaro (The Red Light District Arc Demon Moon Siblings)
Rui & his Spider Demon Siblings

We want this zine to focus on canon-based sibling relationships.Therefore, we are only including siblings that are confirmed through canon. In other words, we will refrain from including any characters whose relationships have the potential to be interpreted as anything other than siblings. For example, while many people may believe Sabito and Makomo or Zenitsu and Kaigaku could be considered siblings, there are many others who believe they could be shipped romantically or viewed as friends. Because their roles are widely debated and they are also not confirmed to be siblings through canon, we feel they do not fit our theme or requirements as a canon based siblings zine. If you are wondering why Kanao and Rui qualify on our list, it is because canon confirms that the roles these characters play in the story are clearly that of siblings and that—canonically speaking—these relationships do not have the potential to be interpreted in any other way outside of siblings.

We realize that sibling bonds come in all different forms—all of which are equally worth celebrating—and our intention is not to take away from that fact. We could have chosen to focus our zine on any one of these types of bonds—such as adoptive bonds, found family, or blood ties. We chose a combination of canonically confirmed blood ties and adoptive bonds in order to give our zine a particular focus. While we love the ideas of found family, or fan theories of who could potentially be viewed as siblings, those are not the relationships we'll be exploring in this particular zine.

Rating

The zine is intended to be SFW. Due to the nature of the siblings theme, there will obviously not be any shipping or romantic relationships depicted, therefore, sexual content is completely out of the question and will not have any place in this particular zine.

That being said, the complementary theme of the zine is horror/angst. The zine will contain potentially graphic or gory illustrations and/or written descriptions of tragedy and bloodshed that may prove alarming or triggering for some viewers and readers. Thus, we have rated this zine R16+ and will be sure to place warnings where needed to ensure that audiences are safe and trigger-free. However, no one is required to include blood or gore into their piece. There are a number of ways to illustrate and write for the theme. If an artist or writer would rather focus their piece on sorrow, loss, or another related emotion, without the use of gore, they are more than welcome to do so.

Contact

Have questions? We would love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us via any of the platforms below!

FAQ

What is the theme of this zine?
This zine is centered upon horror/angst and the sibling relationships shared by various characters. The focus of this zine is to highlight the beautiful familial bonds that tie them together and the tragedies they've had to overcome. Therefore, only characters that are brothers and sisters will be featured, as the zine is meant to encapsulate these specific ties. Though the theme implied by the title does allude to blood relations, we will make an exception for Kanao Tsuyuri as a younger sister to Kanae and Shinobu Kochou. The title also serves as a metaphor for the kinship cultivated by the tragic bloodshed these characters witness and experience together throughout the story. Please be forewarned that the zine will include manga only characters as well as spoilers.

Will there be ships?
No, this is a sibling themed zine, so no ships will be allowed.

Is this zine for profit or for charity?
The zine will be for-profit.

Is this zine physical, digital, or both?
This will be a digital only zine, released as a PDF with digital merch.

Will the zine be SFW or NSFW?
The zine is intended to be SFW. Due to the nature of the siblings theme, there will obviously not be any shipping or romantic relationships depicted, therefore, sexual content is completely out of the question and will not have any place in this particular zine.
That being said, the complementary theme of the zine is horror/angst. The zine will contain potentially graphic or gory illustrations and/or written descriptions of tragedy and bloodshed that may prove alarming or triggering for some viewers and readers. Thus, we have rated this zine R16+ and will be sure to place warnings where needed to ensure that audiences are safe and trigger-free. However, no one is required to include blood or gore into their piece. There are a number of ways to illustrate and write for the theme. If an artist or writer would rather focus their piece on sorrow, loss, or another related emotion, without the use of gore, they are more than welcome to do so.

How many contributors will be accepted?
As of right now, we plan to accept roughly 15 artists, 3 merch artists, and 5 writers and are inviting around 12 guest artists/merch artists. These numbers are not absolute and may be subject to change.

Can contributors collaborate?
Yes, artists and writers can absolutely collaborate. In fact, it is highly encouraged!

Can I apply for more than one position?
You certainly may, but you will only be picked for one!

Will contributors get a free copy?
Yes, a free PDF copy will be given to all contributors along with their share of the profits.

Is traditional art accepted?
Sure! As long as you can scan your art in high quality/300 DPI.

What are the guidelines for depicting manga-only characters?
All characters, up to the latest chapters, can appear. Please be forewarned that aside from manga only characters, this zine will include spoilers as well.

Will contributors be picked based on follower count other than the usual skill - style - etc ?
Nope! Not at all. We will be selecting contributors based on their skills. For writers: we are looking for solid grammar, punctuation and spelling, good characterizations, and well-crafted narratives. For artists: we will evaluate the anatomy and proportions, the use of colors and light, backgrounds, and the overall atmosphere of the piece. We encourage all creators, big or small, to apply!

Will you be sending out rejection emails?
Absolutely! We believe everyone is entitled to one.

→ If you do not see your question, please don't hesitate to send it to any one of our social media accounts and we'll be more than happy to answer it for you! ←

Guidelines

Application Guidelines for Artists/Merch Artists:

  • 3 samples representative of the style you wish to use for your zine piece(s)

  • All samples must be SFW.

  • Link to an easily viewable portfolio containing completed artwork (no sketches/personal posts)

  • At least 3 pieces with detailed backgrounds (no plain, solid colors, or gradients will count)

  • At least 1 sample must showcase a Kimetsu no Yaiba character(s)

  • For Merch Artists please include at least one merch item sample.

  • All samples and portfolios must be provided as LINKS

  • Portfolios can be social media accounts (insta/tumblr/etc.), carrds, personal websites, and so on, so long as the link takes us directly to the art page and the pages include only completed artworks with NO personal posts or WIPs.

  • If you are using google drive links/folders, please make sure sharing is turned ON.

Application Guidelines for Writers:

  • 3 samples representative of the writing style you wish to use for your zine piece(s)

  • All samples must be SFW.

  • Link to an easily viewable portfolio containing completed work (no incomplete/personal posts)

  • At least 1 sample must incorporate a Kimetsu no Yaiba character(s).

  • The word count for each sample can be anywhere be between 2k and 5k words and must not exceed 5k. If you would like to share longer pieces, you may use an excerpt from that piece that does not exceed the 5k word limit.

  • At least 1 of your samples should be a COMPLETE work.

  • All samples and portfolios must be provided as LINKS

  • Portfolios can be social media accounts (tumblr/AO3), carrds, personal websites, and so on, so long as the link takes us directly to the written piece and the pages include only completed works with NO personal posts.

  • If you are using google drive links/folders/google docs, please make sure sharing is turned ON.

Rules & Requirements

  • We will not be accepting any artists or writers who are racist, sexist, LGBTQIA+phobic and/or those who portray incest, pedophilia, or non-con.

  • Participants are required to have a Discord account for communication.

  • Please be respectful to your fellow contributors and mods. If you have any issues with a participant of the zine, please do not hesitate to reach out to a mod.

  • If you need to drop out of the zine for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible! Unexpected events may happen and we totally understand!

  • If you fail to answer our inquiries several times, you will be dropped from the zine.

Mods