Final Fantasy VII
Trans Zine
Second sales open November 26, 2021.
Charity fan project focusing on transgender & nonbinary headcanons of FF7 characters. Proceeds to benefit the Transgender Law Center.
» All orders have shipped! If you have received your order, please fill out our Customer Survey at the link below. If you have any questions or problems with your order, email us with your order number and how we can help!
Contact Email: [email protected]
FAQ
When will you be shipping packages?
UPDATE: Packages finished shipping in October 2021! Second sales / leftover sales are slated to open some time in November or December, once all packages have arrived at their destinations.
Previous Response: We are already in the process of ordering merch and test copies of the zines. Shipping will begin once all merch items are in-hand. Due to some of our merch being produced overseas, we can't put a specific date on it quite yet, but our goal is August 2021. We'll post production updates on our Twitter!
I have a question / concern about xyz.
Feel free to contact us without judgment. Communication is something a lot of fandom projects seem to lack, and we'd like to be as transparent as possible. Don't hesitate to ask.
What info still needs to be decided?
» We are on track!
Will the zine be SFW or NSFW?
The results of our interest check for this question are as follows:
» 86.9% run both versions
» 13.1% run a SFW zine only
There will be two zines (one SFW, one NSFW). We are currently working out a schedule to see the best way to stagger the two.
The main "hub" for the zines will be the same (@FF7TransZine), but when it comes time for contributor spotlights and previews, the NSFW zine post to its own Twitter account (@NSFW_FF7Trans) for that. We'll figure out how best to divvy everything up when we get a little further into the process.
The two zines will have seperate Discord servers for contributors.
What are the zines called? How was it decided?
Submissions from the interest check were voted on in two polls on our Twitter. SFW Title Poll & NSFW Title Poll
The SFW Zine:
Limit BREAK! The FF7 Trans Zine
The NSFW Zine:
Honeybee: A NSFW FF7 Trans Zine
How will the zine be released? What are the specs?
Per the interest check, we will be having both a physical and digital release, with optional merch. This will be a charity project, with proceeds to benefit the Transgender Law Center, as decided via public poll.
Planned Specs: A5, Perfect Bound, 300 DPI CMYK.
At the moment, we think we're going to have a few zine bundle options (including the zine by itself) and also some of the merch available as add-ons in the shop. The digital version will have digital merch options as well.
We'll be exploring the options between Storenvy and BigCartel, and considering Gumroad for digital release.
Do you need to be trans to participate?
Nope, but we are focusing on amplifying trans, nonbinary, metagender, gnc, and queer creators. We will not require any applicant to disclose their identity to us if they are not comfortable doing so.
Also, you don't need to believe your trans headcanon to be backed up by anything or to have had it for a long time, you can just like the idea and do it for fun.
Are the mods trans?
× UPDATE: Our team are all trans, nonbinary, or otherwise genderqueer. We have taken steps to make sure that we have a variety of voices and identies represented on our team.
Can mods also be contributors?
Yes, they can.
Do mods need to fill out the contributor apps?
Nope! We'll get any info we need from you directly if you are on the mod team, since you'll have submitted your portfolio on the mod app.
Do you need experience to be a mod?
You don't need to have been a mod of a zine project to apply, but we ask that Discord and Tumblr mods are familiar with the platforms even if it is unrelated to a zine.
Content FAQ
What is the makeup of this zine going to be?
The results of our interest check for this question are as follows:
» 70.5% an even mix of art and writing.
» 26.2% primarily art / images.
» 3.3% primarily writing / fic.
We won't be able to really make a call on how many contributors and pieces we plan to have until we see how many applications we get, so we will update this section as soon as we have a good grasp on who wants to contribute and what they would like to submit.
Will non-sexual nudity be included in the SFW zine?
The results of our poll indicated that the majority of you approved of having either chest-only or full body non-sexual nudity in the SFW zine.
Under MPAA guidelines, non-sexual nudity is considered to be acceptable in PG content. Additionally, artistic non-sexual nudity has been historically included in content available to all-ages, such as the inclusion of anatomically correct versions of Birth of Venus and David in Animal Crossing. Per these guidelines, we will be allowing submissions of full-body content in our zine. Content warnings will be included in the beginning pages of the zine for any content that someone may wish to avoid.
There will be a seperate WIP channel on the contributor servers for these pieces, not because there's anything wrong with them, but to help out any users that may be checking the server in mixed company or at work.
Will there be shipping content in the zine?
The results of the interest check for this question are as follows:
» 75.4% Yes
» 19.7% Maybe
» 4.8% No
» 0.1% Other ("It depends on the ship")
In our mod and contributor applications, we will include a question regarding shipping content, but considering most characters in FF7 are adults, we do not anticipate needing to exclude many, if any, that are pitched for the zine.
Later in production, we will be in talks with everyone regarding how to organize the zine to make it easiest to skip over content you are not interested in.
Can we include shipping content of a trans character with a cis one?
Yes you can!
As long as there's no indication on the piece that would invalidate the trans person's identity (i.e. indicating a cis male character is gay when shipping them with a trans woman), then this is totally fine.
Can we include GNC, questioning, and/or genderqueer headcanons?
Sure, we don't see why not.
We wanted to make a fun analogy here but couldn't come up with one, so please enjoy this ASMR video of a cat eating corn on the cob.
Can we submit AU / Alternate Universe Content?
Yes! Try to make sure there's enough context to understand what the AU is if needed, but apart from that go wild.
Can submissions be based on the Compilation rather than the Remake?
Yeah!
Can we include Intersex headcanons?
× UPDATE: we have decided to not include intersex headcanons during this project, as the two project leads are not part of that community.
We will gladly assist intersex members of the FF7 community if they would like to pursue a similar project at a later date.
What about gender speculative fiction / fantasy represetation?
This question is referring to fictional or highly uncommon sexual characteristics and body configurations that are not representative of actual intersex conditions, such as a/b/o.
× UPDATE: The short answer is yes, but we are keeping that content in the NSFW version of the zine for the time being.
We're in favor of these speculative fantasies, as those kinds of explorations can be extremely important to explorations of gender and sexuality. It's important to us that this content is explicitly NOT labeled as intersex, as it is not representative of actual intersex conditions or their community. We really love the terms "gender speculative" or "gender fantasy" and require the content use a similar label.
Will there be multiple interpretations of a character allowed in the zine? (ie one person doing a piece for trans fem Cloud, another with a nonbinary Cloud)
Yes! We'd love to see multiple different headcanons! It's so great to see even in just the interest check how many ways people read them, and we want to represent that.
Since Cloud and Sephiroth are the most popular characters to hc as trans, we will likely limit the number of pieces for them specifically, so that we can hopefully see a broad range of characters and identities represented.
What would a submission look like?
× UPDATE: we were asked to clarify this bit! There's no way to "look trans", so many of the pieces won't seem to have anything to do with being trans, and that's fine too! We're exploring ideas on how to write on the page what the headcanon is in some way that is non-intrusive to the pieces.
So there aren't really rules. We'd like to show off a variety of trans bodies (because we have countless flavors of bodies), states of transition or non-transition with a positive vibe overall. We want to highlight a variety of identities too!
Your piece doesn't need to be directly or visibly depicting any sort of trans issues, passing, or transitioning, but for some suggestions feel free to consider any of these ideas: characters in binders, with tucking or packing materials or chest pieces, taking HRT, doing makeup, trying on clothing, wearing pronoun pins, attending Pride, surgical scars.
We will be accepting art, writing, renders, and potentially cosplay.
If there is a NSFW version of the zine, we will not include NSFW content of characters that are canonically minors, and will be keeping an open dialogue with contributors to create delicious spicy trans content.
× UPDATE: our initial wording was interpreted as implying kink would be excluded from the NSFW zine, but kink is absolutely welcome.
Are there guidelines for the zine regarding content?
» This zine will be focusing on trans and nonbinary headcanons of Final Fantasy VII characters. Content should be based on some such headcanon.
» The piece should be original and created for the zine, and kept confidential until previews are allowed to be shared. After sales close, your pieces are yours to post in their entirety, add to portfolios, or use however you like.
» We will not be including any NSFW or genital depictions of "animal" characters such as Nanaki / Red XIII and Cait Sith, but other content and headcanons of them are fine.
» Characters who are canonically minors will not be included in the NSFW zine. Examples include Yuffie, Denzel, Chadley, Marlene, Kyrie, etc.
» Depictions of dark-skinned characters [in art and writing pieces] must be dark-skinned. This includes Barret, Rude, and Ms. Folia, as a few examples. Cosplayers should not alter their skin tone to portray POC characters.
As of right now there are no other explicit guidelines.
Application FAQ
How do applications work in regards to headcanons?
In the application, there will be a space for you to include a few "pitches" of what you'd like to create. These aren't locked in, but it gives us an idea of what people are interested in contributing to the zine and lets us balance out representation of different characters.
Can we submit more than one piece?
If there is interest, we may allow two pieces or a two-page spread for contributors. More info will be included on the application.
Does my portfolio need to have FF7 and/or trans pieces?
Nope! It helps, but it's not required. What your portfolio should have is an easy way to view your work. If you're using Twitter, make sure you have an easy to view media tab or a Twitter moment linking to your artwork, for example.
Can I apply in multiple categories? (i.e. both as a Writer and Artist)
Yes you can!
When we are selecting contributors, they will be selected for one "category", but you can throw your hat into anything you'd like to be considered for.
The exception to this is for merch, where you can be on the merch team and also contribute to the main zine as a writer/artist/cosplayer/etc.
Can I apply to both versions of the zine?
Yes again!
And being in one doesn't take away your ability to be in the other, you can get accepted for one or for both.
You need to be 18 or older at time of application to apply for the NSFW zine as a contributor.
Are there specific guidelines for cosplayers?
» You do not have to have the cosplay before applying, but should have the financial and / or physical means to get it.
» We would prefer that cosplayers are trans / nonbinary / genderqueer to participate in this zine, as it gets into pretty murky water VERY fast to "dress up" as a marginalized identity that you are not a part of.
» If you are not POC, please DO NOT alter your skin tone with makeup or editing to represent a POC character.
» If you are under the age of 18, we will not allow submissions of nudity (including masc-presenting shirtlessness), even non-sexual nudity. This is for legal and ethical reasons.
» If you have a photographer you plan to work with, that you get written permission to submit their photos to the zine. In the US, where the zine is based, copyright automatically lies with the photographer unless released in writing to another party. For NSFW submissions, the photographer must also be over the age of 18.
» If you are the photographer applying on your own, we require consent and participation from the cosplayer you are working with.
Are there specific guidelines for render artists?
We ask that you are prepared with credits for models or other elements to be included in the credits of the zine if appropriate.
Will popularity / follower count be a factor in apps?
Apps will be judged mainly on your portfolio and your pitch, not your follow count. LGBT+ creators, especially BIPOC, tend to be less favored by the Algorithms regardless of their content quality, so follower counts are by no means an indication of skill.
Will creators / fans of "problematic" content be screened?
× UPDATE 1: after discussions with both mods and community members, we've clarified this answer.
× UPDATE 2: we have expanded our guidelines to include a few intersectional stances, rather than focusing exclusively on transphobia. We have also created a page addressing this question in detail. We have also changed the word "problematic" to "fandom" in our short answer.
Short Answer:
We will NOT be screening applicants for fandom content.
The screening process will be reserved for an intersectional list of stances, which are listed in detail on our Guidelines page. Please see that page for more detailed information about our planned approach to applications.
We are in control of the content of our own zine, but not the content that other people create and consume in their own time.
Trans, intersex, and other LGBT+ headcanons have often been considered problematic on their own, which in our opinion makes the concept of problematic content vague and generally used to invalidate and harm LGBT+ people, neurodiverse people, and POC. This zine came about partially from the mods being told that having trans headcanons was inappropriate.
An open dialogue is always the goal.
What does this zine represent? Why make it?
Transphobia is so rampant in both the real world and fandom spaces right now, and we thought it was more important than ever to create a space for people to speak out against bigotry, and to feel safe expressing fun takes on characters we love.
For an updated list of our "stances", please view our Guidelines page.
This zine will include nonbinary headcanons and will exclude contributors who do not consider nonbinary identities to be valid. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Sex is not binary, and to say otherwise is unsupported by science. "Transgender" is defined as identifying as a gender other than the one assigned to you at birth, and does not require the diagnosis of gender dysphoria or medical transition. Pronouns can be seperate from gender. Truscum / transmedicalists will be excluded from contributing to this zine.
Our Stance
What does this zine represent?
The following are the intersectional stances of this zine's creators. By applying to this zine we ask that you look over this list. If you have additional intersectional issues that you have concerns about that you would like us to consider, feel free to contact us.
» Trans men are men / Trans women are women.
» Nonbinary identities are valid.
» Pronouns are a personal decision and are not always indicative of gender.
» You do not need dysphoria and/or medical transition to be trans.
» Intersex people are real and valid.
» Cosmetic surgery on intersex infants needs to be stopped.
» Systemic oppression and systemic racism are real and serious issues.
» Asexual / Aromantic people are LGBT+ simply by being Ace and/or Aro.
» Bisexuality and Pansexuality are both valid and do not cancel each other out.
» Bisexuality intrinsically includes trans people.
» You are not an ally unless you also support the neurodiverse, POC, and disabled members of the community.
Applicant Screening
What will be the process for screening applicants regarding "problematic" content?
After discussions with several members of the community from a variety of opinions, we have decided that it is important to address this topic in full. There will never be an answer that will make everyone happy, but we hope that at we can at least make our decision make sense.
We are always on the side of open dialogue, so don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We also are completely understanding if you are not comfortable with our decision for your own reasons.
Our "short answer":
» No applicant will be automatically disqualified from the zine for fandom content. We WILL be reaching out to applicants if we have concerns, and using our best judgement as transparently as possible for all parties involved.
The following is important to us during applications:
» NSFW accounts should be clearly labeled in the display name and/or bio.
» We will contact applicants regarding content sexualizing / shipping real people, i.e. actors rather than their characters.
» We will not be screening for shipping or kink content.
» We will be using our best judgement on content depicting minors.¹
Our "long answer":
We are not comfortable making a flat moral judgement on the consumption of fictional content, as to do so fairly would require asking intimate questions that we do not feel it is our right to ask.
Many survivors of trauma as well as others will use fiction as a safe exploration of morally objectionable content (such as abuse, incest, and assault). As trans people experience very high rates of assault, invalidation, shaming, and violence, we do not feel it is appropriate to ask questions regarding potential trauma history, participation in kink culture, or sexual preferences for the purposes of screening. On the flipside, we also don’t feel it’s fair to exclude people from the zine for not wanting to disclose those personal details to us. We can control our own space (the content of our zine and what topics are allowed on the creator servers) and not the spaces of others.
Much of the content that is considered taboo in fandom is content that pop culture media actively creates, and would be considered acceptable in a big-budget production yet not when explored by smaller creators. Fandom as a whole fawns over fictional serial killers, cannibals, sadists, war criminals, abusers, etc when they come from media companies, but not when those ideas are explored in fandom created work.
Trans, intersex, and other LGBT+ headcanons have often been considered problematic on their own, which in our opinion makes the concept of problematic content vague and generally used to invalidate and harm LGBT+ people, people living with trauma, neurodiverse people, and POC. We want to address concerns without falling into that.
¹On the “pedophilia” topic, which was mentioned specifically, we honestly will just be using our best judgement on a case-by-case basis and hope that we do the right thing. Of course pedophilia is wrong, and the difficulty arises when the definitions of it vary across time and cultures which makes it a more complicated issue than a simple binary.
It’s not particularly common with FF7, where most characters are adults, but there’s a difficulty when it comes to underage characters, especially in Eastern media (where characters are made to look like adults and slapped with a random high school age for the setting or marketability). Then throw in cultural differences or the age of the content leads to the text explicitly sexualize or endorse a relationship that is otherwise not gucci. This is also without addressing CSA survivors who explore that content as part of their healing process.
We can only do our best, be transparent, and communicate with you.
There obviously will not be an answer that will make even the majority of people happy, and I hope that our explanation makes some sense.
Note: We have seen referrals to “grooming” in reference to this content, and could not find any clear information on that, if anyone has any sources for discussion on that topic then we would be willing to read them.
An open dialogue is always the goal.