Art, Articles For Issue 1: Checking In

It's a good call to get out in front of things. We all really really like to talk on the forums, but we need ownership to get things in shape for articles. Perhaps if I open the editorial list for everyone to see and add the list on the sidebar to get people's focus on getting the articles to show there? We get everyone in the rythmn of getting work into the article queue... then we're home free. Just gotta get the habit built.

Ideally if the author can get the piece into the queue there's a section to be filled out specifically for art requests. That will go into a list where artists can select one to fill out and upload an image to go with it. (If the zine articles are to go online, eventually that image will need to be associated with the article so it'll display.)

Otherwise, you'll probably need to figure out what pieces are coming and request them directly. You want:

300dpi - so that a PDF will print the image correctly.
You'll mostly want to work with quarter pages to half pages.
They need to be jpg, png, bmp, or psd. Gif's have some translation issues for PDF generation.

You will want to confirm artistic permission, an upload system like we want to if we can get the articles into the queue would include that automatically. Otherwise, you want to get it in an email / aim or something. We're working under a permission license ourselves, so we don't need to ensure that the artist is doing anything but giving us explicit permission for this use. There's no need to match licenses with CC or something like that since that's not what we're under ourselves.

Remind artists that permission for us to use is just that *and only that* - they retain rights to the work otherwise, aka prints, etc etc. For some reason in my experience artists have a lot of misinformation directed at them re: what a license actually is and does. I've had to explain what Creative Commons actually means almost every single time, much less what 'with permission' means. Giving someone a license is *not* the same thing as work-for-hire for a company where the artist loses all rights.

Which yes, implies we need to get more editors. Editors shouldn't approve until something is ready - like really ready - to be published.

I updated the art queue instructions.

Hey! What do we have in mind cover-wise?

I'm getting Justin, another artist I know, to do a Lady of Pain illustration for me, because I know it is going to look amazing in his vector style and I want it on my wall. His deviantART is http://chasejc.deviantart.com

Anyway, if he's down with it, and can get it done by the end of November, do you guys want to use this picture for the cover of the first issue, when it exists?

I know it may be weird to approve or disapprove of using an illustration that doesn't exist as the cover, but you can kind of get a feel for his style from the other stuff on his deviantART.

A stockpile definitely couldn't hurt! There's plenty of Planescape art floating around on the internet. You/I/someone could try sending messages on deviantART to some of the people who have submitted to the PS group, asking them if they'd mind us using one of their pieces (credited, ofc) in an issue.

Justin's work - yeah, it's flipping awesome. He does it in Illustrator, too, dude's ridiculous. I don't think the format'll be an issue at all, even if the print dimensions are different it can just be cropped at whatever size looks most attractive. I'll ask him what he thinks about using the illustration for the mag cover and we'll work out dimensions (what dimensions would be best, Clueless? 4 1/4 x 11, with some space at the top for the masthead?). He has some fancy graphics design degree, so I'm sure we can all work something out that functions and looks fantastic.

I agree, it is a good place to draw some attention and, hopefully, art from. I don't think it matters much who posts, I have "contributor" access to it (moderator, basically), which means I can make posts to the group journal. That particular convenience may make it easier for me to do the posting.

While I have already posted a journal about the fanzine, that was a couple weeks ago when we were still figuring out if we even wanted to do one. Now that we have an idea of the articles we're doing, another journal probably couldn't hurt.

Soooo I'll post one. :>

Switching covers is a good idea, I think.

We should probably try to maintain some consistency with interior art though, either all black and white or all colour. It might be weird to switch between them? Or maybe that's just me.

Also, dhrr, I forgot to post another journal entry on the dA group! Doing that now. Blarg.

I just want to say, a list of Specific requests of each article would be really nice.

I can't draw. Is there a way for me to see what's going on art-wise without my volunteering to be an artist?

I'm not seeing it. What should I be looking for?

I think I'm just reading the wording in the link too literally. Heh.

I have the Pathfinder version of Prisine in the editor's queue now. There are a couple of things I'm not 100% decided on though, so if anyone wants to read and comment that would be fabulous.

/content/prisine-pathfinder-rpg-conversion

The main gray area at the moment relates to the issue of faction abilities. I'm not sure which feat is best, when using faction abilities as feats (either illusion perception or power of denial from PSCS, but ? between them. I'd ordinarily jump to Power of Imagination for any and all Signers, but idk about Prisine... she was so much of a thug). And, what other systems should be included/proposed as options for 3.5/PF?

Is the 4e cosmology really something we want to touch? We're doing a Planescape fanzine, shouldn't we stick to the Planescape setting?

I mean, the 4e cosmology involves no blood war, succubi as devils, and cats marrying dogs. God knows what else, CG and LE aren't even alignments. I don't play 4e, but if I did, I don't think I'd use the 4e cosmology with it.

We may have Pathfinder stats and numbers, but we're not including anything from the Pathfinder cosmology, nor would I suggest we do, unless we wanted to make a feature on incorporating Golarion and the Pathfinder gods into Planescape -- where their divine realms are, who they have for allies amongs other pantheons, and their place in the cosmic game. But even that would be, at best, a how to guide on stripping the Pathfinder cosmology from the Pathfinder setting.

It's difficult to say what is actually the best approach, but I'd probably stick to the Great Wheel cosmology. I don't think there's anything wrong with adapting and making changes to it, or including fanon, but I'm not sure that including stuff for different settings entirely should be our thing.

Planesape may be kind of a niche setting, but if we're a niche fanzine for a niche community, we should probably cater to said niche?

I'll ask around and see if anyone in my grasp has an adequate handle on 4e, too. I may be able to find someone to at least tell me what to do.

I'll say that my stat conversions for the Kamerel as monsters are done now, in both Pathfinder and 4e stats. If there's an article to go with them.