So... today is the day the fanzine gets submissions from its teams. I've talked with a few people, and I know as of a few days ago some teams are at least partially done.

Well, that's alright. So long as you have a script ready, or character/background designs, or some thumbnails/quick outline sketch pages, or actual complete pages --turn them in now!

I'd like to get all the scripts at least turned in today, so people who are watching the fanzine will have some idea of the comics y'all are working on. I know I set a pretty tight deadline, especially for people who are still in school (I think that's, like... all of you...), so I must apologize for pushing for such a quick deadline. >_>; I hope it served to get all of you motivated to do as much as possible as quickly as possible--and don't worry, I'll still be pushing you guys to turn in every page ASAP! *snaps fingers* Sorry I wasn't really around recently--I was pretty sick. v_v; (I'm still pretty sick. )

Okay, then... calling all scripts! And thumbnails, if you have them. and , I know you guys have five pages done... I'd like to submit them now!

As to actual submission process? Please post everything in your own galleries, and then Note me with the links. We're all about sharing and spreading the glory. ^^

READY? SET... SUBMIT!

*slithers back into shadows to await submissions*

After everything that happened at Ba Sing Se at the end of second season, we're left with characters torn by the effects of treason, betrayal, guilt, jealousy, hatred, and fear. The characters of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Iroh, Azula and others have changed significantly in our eyes. Now more than ever, they have our sympathy... our disappointment... our hatred.

There is no more promising place for this fanzine to start than this. Especially since season 3 of Avatar won't be airing for a while. Now we can speculate as to what will happen, in this series of short comics that our writers and artists will collaborate on together to produce.

Yes. That's right. I hope everyone will agree on this. (I haven't been able to get in contact with everyone to ask people's opinions.) I was struggling for a while deciding whether or not to let everyone just do their own thing, comic-wise, but I think it's best that we start on the right foot (that is, together, in the same direction, down the same starting path), and not only that, but show how much we understand about this show at the same time.

So far I have only talked with about her comic. We discussed where our starting point would be. It helped me realize that truly the best--most exciting--most promising place to start this fanzine is with tales of the aftermath of Ba Sing Se. Every comic focusing on one character and how they were effected by the events of the end of the second season. It doesn't have to be directly after. (Not every story from gAang has to take place during the ride -somewhere- on Appa's back, fleeing Ba Sing Se.) I think a given period of a month after Ba Sing Se is fine. The Aang gang can have travelled to several towns by that point, and every character can have an environment and situation best suited to show how they're holding up after Ba Sing Se.

So here's what I've got so far. Some artists aren't paired up with writers because we don't have enough writers to spare. I hope these pairings fit all right with everyone.


Toph
(script)
(art)



Longshot
(script)
(art)



Katara
(script)
(art)



Aang
EDIT: + (script) (Welcome to the team, ~zewisher!
(art)



Zuko
(script and art)




I'll need to discuss the direction and plot of every short comic with everyone. I've already talked with , so she's ready to go. I need to make sure that this plan is OK with everyone, too. If this doesn't suit your taste, you can message me here and let me know what you *would* like to do in this fanzine, and I'll consider that. has talked with me and we've decided on a certain direction that this fanzine might take, and that'll take effect once this project, tentatively titled Tales of the Aftermath (if you can come up with a better overarching title, please let me know ), is complete.

If you want to wait this particular project out, that's fine. Let me know. Formulate your own ideas and Note them to me. I will take every idea into consideration. This fanzine is, so far, for the deviants, by the deviants.

We have no artists/writers solely interested in doing Sokka yet. If there are any new artists or writers who haven't spoken up yet, but who have joined the Bending Arts Fanzine community, please don't be afraid to reply and claim him. He is, after all, such an important character in Avatar. I will probably go and seek artists to help out with this project, as well. I think it would be amazing if we could have a short comic for every important character in Avatar.

EDIT: One mooooore thing. We should have these comics updated into this fanzine by... February 10th. This is the deadline I'm giving everyone. TWENTY OR SO PAGES PER COMIC BY FEBRUARY 10TH. *ducks sharp objects* xD




--------------------




Both and have told me (separately) that they think it's a good idea to have every Artist and Writer draw themselves as a Bender of some sort, wielding their medium as their weapon. (So if you're an artist, you're holding a pen or pencil, and if you're a Writer, you're holding a notebook... you can be more creative than that though... ) If everyone could then please draw themselves (writers can either draw themselves or ask an artist to draw them if they'd like ), color it and leave a white background, then update the deviation into their own gallery and Note me with the link to the self-portrait, I will then put everyone together into a cute montage, and there! we will have our first Bending Arts Fanzine team. Please do this ASAP. I will be hounding people for self portraits when two weeks have passed and I haven't seen anything from them. ^^





--------------------





One last thing, has thought up a story idea based in the world of Avatar. It's set 200 years from the current time and events. I would like people to read the outline she Emailed me (directly copy-pasted here) and tell me what you think. Possible future comic idea? (We might build this fanzine up so we can have a few going at the same time.)

Thanks everyone!



First, this is not happening during Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko etc time. This story is happening like 200 years after Aang’s story so nothing to do with it, except there’s an avatar and it’s the same world, though it is is slightly different because so much time has past.


Characters (for now …)


Selika :

She’s 20 and she’s a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe (or the Northern, anyway it’s the biggest one, where was Yue)

She’s a very good waterbender. I mean she’s not a Mary-Sue, but she’s been trained. So she’s proficient at her bending, and she can also heal, though she’s not that good at it, nobody’s perfect.

Selika is strong minded, calm and intelligent. She wouldn’t do anything reckless and she’s really patient too. She’s also protective and she’s afraid of high.


Because of her qualities, like her diplomacy and patience, she has earned a good job for her tribe. She represents the Southern (ot Northern, once I’ll be able to tell XD) Tribe as an embassador in Bah-Sing-She, capital of the Earth Kingdom. So she spends most of her time there. Plus she has become best friend with the EK princess whom name I do not know for now


Anyway, she’s back from a trip to her water tribe when she meets the new avatar in Bah-Sing-She. He’s been sent here to learn Earthbending (obviously XD).


Now here’s the thing why I’ve been litteraly haunted by this idea of a new crew ( I mean half of my sketchbook is full of those drawings about this story XD) Selika falls in love with the Avatar. ( and NO this is not the main theme, it’s just the reason I started a story, being such a shojo freack XD)

And her nice bestfriend of princess decided that she, Selika, would teach the avatar waterbending. Be happy XD


Avatar (unnamed for now)

He’s 22 and he’s a firebender, well basically because now he’s learning earthbending and waterbending… huhu…

So he’s obviously from the Fire Nation (duh) and he’s a royal musician’s son (her mother). So once the Royal family discovered he was the avatar, well the priests actually, they decided to get him a proper education and then send him where he could learn the other elementbending for the best. So there he goes to the EK to learn Earthbending.

There he meets Selika and well he kinda sorta falls in love too… But soon he’s frustrated because she’s so professional she wouldn’t let her feelings interfere with his learning so she’s distant and well he thinks she doesn’t care… huhu

Anyway, our new avatar is pretty calm, he enjoy simple things but you really don’t want him to get mad at you… I mean he’s not short tempered but he doesn’t like being underestimated and insulted. This also works for his friends. Don’t be mean with any of them in front of him you’d be soooooo wrecked after that XD.


Earth Kingdom Princess:

She’s 20, like Selika. She’s well mannered and looks the perfect princess. Polite, calm, etc… But truth is she’s a brat when she feels like it. And she loves gossips. So when Selika’s here, she keeps asking her what has happened in her tribe and she tells her everything she know (and she DO knows loooots of things she shouldn’t) about almost everyone in EK. Oh, and did I mention she loves interfering in others affairs… Like she’s the one who asked her father to let Selika teach the Avatar because she knew the water girl would be sooo embarrassed… anyway… She wouldn’t appear too long since all the EK part would be the 1st 2 or 3 chapters I think.

After that, I would have to go straight to the main plot.

And there is my problem, I’m still thinking about it. So I’ thinking about 2 things:


Our avatar needs an airbending teacher and NO they haven’t disappeared XD.
A conflict would explain the presence of the Avatar but which one? Shall I say Selika failed her embassador mission and created a war between her tribes and the EK? Of course she wouldn’t be the TRUE guilt…
OR should I go with our avatar quest to find an airbending teacher. But then again, why would there be an avatar if everything’s ok? Is the fact that airbenders are difficult to find and as such, a cause of a sort of world’s unbalance, a good reason?


So, if you like the idea of having two stories, would you like brainstorming about this one with me? LOL












And that's all for now. Thank you for your story/comic idea!

Beware my fellow deviants, I am coming after each and every one of you VERY soon!



REMINDER: 20 OR SO PAGES PER COMIC BY FEBRUARY 10TH. Wheeeee...

Alright people. Here's the lowdown.

Because a new deviant seems to be joining the club every day, and because an odd number of writers and artists would like to jump in right away, here's what I propose we do.

Each artist will pick ONE existing character from the world of Avatar and illustrate a side chapter on him/her. Kind of like that one episode that featured the main characters in their own little story. Each short comic should ideally be around 10-15 pages in length... but if you can argue for a shorter or longer side comic, please let me know first. Oh and, some people will choose the same character, so list your TOP THREE character choices here and hopefully we can get you a character you really want to work on.

Black and white or in color, it's up to you, but I'd like to have something turned in within the next two weeks. I'd really like to update this fanzine with more than just journals... ahaha...

Anyway, this plan should keep us busy (and most of us happy), we'll be able to submit something soon, and it'll give time for the writers and artists to get together online and really talk about the main storyline. I have a few people who have given me their AIM screennames, but it seems others can't access it or are unwilling to d/l it (which I can understand perfectly well). Perhaps we should try Skype? Anyone have suggestions? Some kind of chat program that everyone can use easily?

Alright, so. Everyone understand so far? Basically artists will have more of the spotlight right now, since we'll be writing up AND drawing a short comic AND collaborating with writers on the main comic idea. However writers will have just as much pressure because they'll be working on the long-term project (we'll need the first few chapters ASAP). Once we're done discussing the plot for the main comic, I'll be assigning writers with chapters to work on, which should hopefully be in around two weeks, and once each writer is done with his/her chapter, we'll have their teams really begin the down and dirty work.

Umm... I've given myself temporary Editor status, just to get this thing up and running, but I'll be observing how the hardest working + most loyal ATLA fanzine deviants work (I swear I'm not trying to sound arrogant, just fair!), and then giving more free reign to those people.



SO!

CHOOSE!

YOUR!

ATLA!

CHARACTER!

(remember, list three!)



SAGYO HAJIME! (begin work!)

So, it seems most people liked the 1b idea (one big storyline, people working together). Well, let's test this out. We have a team already lined up.

We're going to do a short comic exercising our skills. This'll help us get used to each other, as well as the idea. I suspect that once we get more people interested in helping out, we'll rotate teams and team members until everyone's comfortable with their team. ^_^

Does everyone here have AIM? We should utilize their wonderful chatroom tool and... well, brainstorm on the first comic (what it'll be about, what characters will be on it, how long it'll be exactly, what kind of deadline we're going to give ourselves, etc. etc...).

If it's alright with you guys, PM me your screennames and I'll set up a time and date so that we can all meet up. :3

So.

will script the comic out.
and can draw characters and backgrounds.
can color and letter.
will edit the script.
,, and , I haven't really heard what you guys would like to do, so right now I'm gonna say, "Critique!!!", but if you guys would like to join the team in one way or other, lemme know ASAP so I can include you.

Alright guys, this is it! Right now the most important thing is to PM me with your AIM screennames and also let me know if this team setup works for you or not. Lemme know 'cause if it doesn't I can always rearrange (no hassle, and I won't tell anyone the reasons).

LET'S DO IT! xD

Alright my fellow Avatar fans, currently BendingArtsFanzine is not a subscribed dA user (that'll be remedied quickly, no worries); however, because of that, I have no way of putting up a poll at the moment. I hope every one of you will read this through and give me your input, though. It is seriously appreciated.




SEEKING:

-writers

-comic artists

-background artists

-screentone artists



OUR PURPOSE: To combine our artistic abilities and love for Avatar: The Last Airbender and make a rockin' online fan comic. Fanart and fanfiction will also be featured here, but the star attraction will be the comic!



[This is where I'll be asking you for your input... ]

SHOULD WE:

1)

a) Work on one main storyline, cut it up into different chapters, and have one artist per chapter?

b) Work on one main storyline, cut it up into different chapters, and have a team (pencil, ink, tone, background art) per chapter?

OR

2) Let each artist/team do their own art and story?

*If 1) is chosen, we'll see about enlisting the help of a writer or writers who can come up with a nice long story our comic artists can work on. :>

*If 2) is chosen, I think a page a week at the very least isn't too demanding. (I think deadlines are good to have.)




We're going to hold monthly feature art contests. If we go the more-than-one-comic route, we're probably going to do something related to the comic readers vote on for that month.


We need a fanart ASAP to feature for this fanzine's main page. Something that has the words "Bending Arts Fanzine" in it, has at least Aang (yes, Aang!) and whoever (or whatever) else from the world of Avatar. It can be amazing or it can be cute or it can be amazingly cute, whatever you like. Probably for this first one I'll choose the fanart that'll be featured. Hope that's alright with you peeps!

We'll also need an icon. :> (Gosh I feel so demanding, haha...)



Mmk, I hope I've addressed most of the important points. If I've forgotten anything, please let me know! Thanks, my friends!