A Franziska von Karma Investigations Zine
᯽ current status: interest check OPEN! ᯽
❖ About
᯽ About
This project is an upcoming, unofficial fanzine focused on Franziska von Karma as the lead of her own investigations and adventures, in a similar style to the Ace Attorney Investigations / Gyakuten Kenji official games!The zine will have a loose theme around Franziska's growth through time, covering different eras throughout her investigative career.
᯽ Zine Specs
This will be a for-charity, physical, and SFW fanzine with merchandise. The number of total contributors, including guests, will be determined following our interest check. Please see the Application Guidelines section for more information.All contributors will receive a full digital bundle, including the zine and all digital merchandise. If funds allow, contributors may receive a copy of the physical zine and merch for free; otherwise, contributors will have the opportunity to purchase these items at production cost. All final profits from the zine will be donated to a charity that is to be determined after our interest check!
❖ Mod Team
Ciel | Head, Organization, Art
they/them
Experience:
• Witch Hat Atelier Spellbook (Art)
• Ace Assistants! (General)
• Thousand Year Memories (Art)
• + more!᯽ Guilty for loving too much a certain blue-haired woman with steel eyes and an iron will. Bound to serve my sentence by dedicating a full zine to her (σ̴̶̷̤ ω σ̴̶̷̤)⟡
Téa | Head, Production, US Shipping
they/them
Experience:
• Ipse Facto (Head, Organization, Socials, Shipping)
• Iustitia (Socials, Shipping)
• Labyrinthia (Solo, All Roles)
• + more!᯽ Merch hoarder and proud plushmaya owner. sometimes i draw and sometimes i write but mostly i just try to get people to play professor layton vs. phoenix wright: ace attorney (2012)
Khai | Graphics
she/they
Experience:
• TV Time! (Graphics)
• Synergy Surge (Graphics)
• Piano e Forte (Art, Graphics)
• Transition & Turnabout (Art, Graphics)᯽ hi, i’m khai, i like to draw and cry! franziska herself has tasked me to capture her beautiful visage upon threat of grievous bodily harm but whatever makes my princess happy
Quo | Formatting
she/her
Experience:
• Dungeon Meshi Cookbook (Head, Graphics, Formatting)
• Ipse Facto (Graphics, Formatting)
• Lavender Blue (Art, Formatting)
• + more!᯽ Graphic designer by day, illustration and zine enthusiast by night.
PM | Socials, Art
they/voi
Experience:
• Transition & Turnabout (Head, Art, Socials, Finance)
• Guilty as Charged (Art, Socials)
• Ace Assistants! (Art)
• + more!᯽ My lawyer has advised me against calling myself "whipped" in Prosecutor von Karma's presence, but I want it on the record that as far as I'm concerned, she can do anything she's ever wanted forever.
Vyn | Writing
she/her
Experience:
• Wings of Desire: A Farcille Zine (Head, Writing)
• Lawfully Wedded: An Ace Attorney Wedding Zine (Head)
• The Art of (Dis)Repair: A NSFW Franmaya Zine (Socials, General)
• + more!᯽ Hi, I'm Vyn! Ever since Franziska burst into tears on my screen like a sad wet kitten at the end of JFA, she has been my number one blorbo forever and ever. She's the reason I fell so deeply into Ace Attorney fandom, so I'm so excited to see everyone else explore her as a character too!
Cam | Finance, EU Shipping
any
Experience:
• Ace Assistants (Head, Finance, Shipping)
• Revenge Served Cold (Finance, Shipping)
• Tides: The Katara Zine (Finance, Shipping)
• + more!᯽ Hi, I'm Cam and I will be in Ace Attorney women zines forever and ever. Can't wait to get my grubby hands on Franziska merch ^.^
❖ Zine Schedule
| event | date |
|---|---|
| Zine Launch | July.01.2026 |
| Interest Check Open | August.01.2026 |
| Interest Check Close | August.31.2026 |
| Contributor Applications Open | September.16.2026 |
| Contributor Applications Close | October.16.2026 |
| Contributor Results | November.01.2026 |
| Pitches Due | November.11.2026 |
| Check-In | December.13.2026 |
| Check-In | January.24.2027 |
| Check-In | February.21.2027 |
| Final Submissions | March.31.2027 |
| Preorders Open | April.15.2027 |
| Preorders Close | May.20.2027 |
❖ Info Doc
◆ Contributor Information ◆
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Contributor Guidelines
᯽ Main Theme Focus
All zine content will center around Franziska von Karma participating in or leading some part of an investigation. We love Franziska's prodigious prosecutorial abilities, but this zine is meant to go beyond what we see in canon!The zine will also have a loose theme around Franziska's growth through time, covering different eras throughout her investigative career.Other characters may be featured, so long as Franziska is still the central focus. Her relationships (of many different varieties) are a great topic to explore, but the focus should still be on her.
᯽ Etiquette Policy
The zine will not accept creators who have previously made works with offensive themes such as homophobia, transphobia, racism, or misogyny. These themes are strictly banned within the zine. Any use of generative AI is also not permitted. Contributors found to break any of these guidelines will be immediately rejected or removed from the zine.
᯽ Contributor Minimum Age
The minimum age for contributors to the zine is 18+ by the time of results being sent out.
᯽ Original Work Requirements
All zine contents must be original and created for this project alone. Works that have been previously created and/or published for any other reason will not be accepted. Additionally, the use of any generative AI at any point in the process is strictly prohibited.
᯽ Communication Platform
All internal zine communication will be conducted via Discord. All contributors are required to join the server in order to participate.
᯽ Zine Content is Confidential
Contributors may not share in-progress work, illustrations, or writings publicly while the zine is still in progress. This includes streaming any work on your piece for the zine. Please refrain from posting or spoiling anything from the zine's contents itself— contributors will be given instructions at a later date about how to preview their works during preorders.All pieces are released to contributors following the end of leftover sales, where you may post, sell, or otherwise do with your work what you wish.
᯽ Deadline Extensions and Dropouts
If at any point contributors need an extension on any deadlines, they must let the mod team know as soon as possible! Extensions will be available at all check-ins upon request, but are not automatically applied without prior notice from contributors.The same goes if anyone should find themselves needing to drop out of the zine; please contact a mod immediately before leaving the server.
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Contributor Responsibilities
᯽ Page Artists
Page artists will each be responsible for creating one page, spread, or comic of 1—4 pages, complete with a background. All submissions must be made in CMYK and 300 DPI.There will be limited opportunities for page artists to claim spreads or multi-page comics.
᯽ Spot Artists
Spot artists are required to collaborate with a writer and will each be responsible for creating 2+ illustrations to pair with their assigned written piece. The number of illustrations may depend on concept and the expected scale of the artwork on a page. All submissions must be made in CMYK and 300 DPI.The Formatting Mod will provide suggested thematic options for spot artists to start off with, but specifications will vary based on the artist's ideas or adjustments based on provided options. Ideas should remain relevant to the zine's theme—such as leaning into investigative aspects. All ideas must be passed through the Formatting Mod for approval.◆ Spot artists are expected to be active in communicating with their assigned writer.
᯽ Merch Artists
Each merch artist will be assigned to create two to three merch items, with the exact kind of merchandise included in the zine dependent on interest check results. All merch artists will be guaranteed to design at least one physical item in the full base bundle. Specifications will vary based on the artist's assigned merch items.◆ Digital merch may include phone and computer backgrounds, social media icons or banners, and Discord emotes. All digital merchandise must be made in RGB and 300 DPI.◆ Physical merch may include die-cut stickers, sticker sheets, acrylic charms, enamel pins, prints, bookmarks, and more. All physical merchandise must be made in CMYK and 300 DPI using the specified templates.
᯽ Fic Writers
Writers will submit one complete written piece with a tentative maximum word count of 2,000—2,500 words. Each piece will be beta read by the writing mod before the final check-in, and feedback will be given throughout the production process.◆ Writers are expected to be active in communicating with their assigned spot artist.
❖ Info Doc
◆ Application Information ◆
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General Application Guidelines
᯽ Application Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated on a blind basis, meaning the name and social media handles you submitted in your application will be hidden during evaluations to allow an equal footing. Applicants will be evaluated on their technical skill, not their social media presence and activity.Any other references for your identity within your samples or portfolio, including names, signatures, and watermarks, are up to your personal comfort, and how anonymous you'd like to remain. If this information is included, it will have no impact on your application review.
᯽ Link Accessibility
All applicants will be required to submit a portfolio of your work, with writers also requiring three preliminary samples in addition.
◆ Please ensure that these three files are your absolute best in representing your skill and style, and that, if using a portfolio site, you link to the main folder that contains your samples as opposed to a subfolder.If you are hosting your application materials on a sharing site like Google Drive, please ensure that all of them are unlocked and accessible so that anyone with the link may view.
◆ A simple way to check is to open them in an incognito tab or other browser.
◆ Any links that have expired, including Discord links, files that have been deleted or improperly linked, etc., will not be reviewed.If we are unable to access your materials, the mod team will not be responsible for contacting you, and will regrettably have to reject your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure all files provided are accessible to the mod team.You may not use social media links for your samples or portfolio, including, but not limited to: Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, AO3. Due to our blind-basis-evaluation guidelines above, social media links will not be reviewed and will result in a rejected application.
◆ Please host all samples and portfolios on an accessible file-sharing service, presentation, or personal website.
᯽ Pinch Hitter Positions
For those who are not initially accepted into the zine, in the event that a contributor drops out of the project, you may be contacted to fill their role as a pinch hitter.
◆ Please note that this is not a guaranteed position, and there is a chance that you may not be contacted at all.By marking yourself as willing to accept a pinch hitter position, you are accepting a reduced schedule with less turnaround before final deadlines. All pinch hitters will be provided at least one month to complete their pieces.
᯽ Portfolio Allowed Content
Previous works featuring Franziska von Karma or otherwise Ace Attorney content are encouraged, but not required to apply.All content submitted as part of your samples and portfolio should be safe for work. Canon-typical depictions of violence, as well as artistic and nonsexual nudity may be permitted, but you may not include any sexual or suggestive content.
◆ Applicants will be asked to provide any relevant content warnings.
◆ Failing to follow these guidelines might get a strike or rejection of your application, depending on the mods. We'd prefer see content warnings over possibly insignificant details rather than triggering content going unlabelled entirely.For artists, if your pieces contain triggering topics like drug use, blood/gore, animal cruelty, sexual assault, or other significant levels of violence, etc., please note this in your application.
For writers, please put any potential trigger warnings at the beginning of your pieces.
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Application Requirements
◆ All applicants should name their files for best or otherwise preferred viewing order, especially for portfolios containing ten or more pieces. Pick what represents you best, but please submit complete works only, not work-in-progress images or files.◆ Page, spot, and merch artists should make sure that their samples are sufficiently high-resolution, and for those submitting traditional artwork, scanned versions are strongly preferred. It is your responsibility to ensure traditional artwork is properly cropped and lit.
᯽ Page Artists
Page artist applicants will be required to upload a portfolio of 7–15 works that they feel represent their best work and abilities as an artist. When reviewing a page artist portfolio, we will be looking at composition, storytelling, style, colors, anatomy and backgrounds. More specifically:
Compelling composition and storytelling, pleasing use of color and values, and a strong understanding of anatomy and perspective.
Character-driven artwork, with at least one piece showing a full-body.
Pieces that show character interactions, with each other and/or their environment, characterization, and anatomy of characters with varying body types.
At least five pieces should include environmental backgrounds, as you will be required to produce a complete work with characters in a background setting for the zine.
◇ Flat colors, graphic design elements, and photographs will not be considered as backgrounds for your portfolio.
Applicants wishing to create comics should submit comic samples in the style they intend to use for the zine. On top of the above, we'll also look at the following:
Clear and compelling visual narration.
Speech balloon placement and text readability.
Ability to convey a short, comprehensive story within 1-4 pages.
᯽ Spot Artists
Spot artist applicants will be required to upload a portfolio of 7–15 works that they feel represent their best work and abilities as an artist. When reviewing a spot artist portfolio, we will be looking at composition, storytelling, style, colors, anatomy, and understanding of negative space. More specifically:
Compelling composition and storytelling, pleasing use of color and values, and a strong understanding of anatomy and perspective.
Character-driven artwork, with at least one piece showing a full-body.
Pieces that show design of and interaction with props, as spot artists may be requested to draw case-relevant evidence items.
Pieces that show character interactions, with each other and/or their environment, characterization, and anatomy of characters with varying body types.
Pieces with collage-like elements are encouraged.
At least two pieces should include environmental backgrounds, as spot art may contain some background or setting elements.
◇ Flat colors, graphic design elements, and photographs will not be considered as backgrounds for your portfolio.
᯽ Merch Artists
Merch artist applicants will be required to upload a portfolio of 7–15 works that they feel represent their best work and abilities as a merch designer. When reviewing a merch artist portfolio, we will be looking at design appeal, stylization, expressiveness, color, and feasibility within our intended merch line-up. Prior merch experience is always appreciated, but not required.
At least five character-focused pieces. These pieces should be representative of your current or intended merch style, skill, and design knowledge.
Styles or designs well-suited for a variety of merch.
Mockups are strongly recommended over production photos. Any photographs must be high-quality, with the merchandise design clearly legible.
Although prior merch experience is not required, samples that can feasibly translate to merchandise are encouraged.
If possible, please use diverse sample types of merch, and indicate in the file name what the design was intended for (i.e., FranziskaCharm, Miles_Standee, AAISticker, etc.).
᯽ Writers
Writer applicants will be required to submit three samples that they feel represent their best work and abilities as a writer. These works should not exceed 2.5k in length; excerpts from longer pieces are allowed, but should be indicated, and at least one piece should be a complete work within the word count. These works will be evaluated on the basis of:
Characterization: Creation and maintenance of a unique voice/personality for each present character.
Prose: Use of literary devices, tone, etc. to create a compelling reading experience.
Technical skill: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, tense, etc.
Narrative: Ability to form a complete piece, story, or scene within the word count.
Pieces featuring Franziska von Karma as a character are encouraged, but not required.You are welcome to include more samples as part of your portfolio, but please note that due to the time required to properly evaluate writing samples, it is possible that the mod team will not have time to read beyond your three main samples. With that in mind, please make sure that the main three samples submitted are your best work.
❖ Frequently Asked Questions
What is a zine?
In broad terms, a zine is a fan-made magazine featuring works made by contributors. Zines have a long and rich history, both in fandom (going back to things like science fiction and Star Trek zines) and outside of it (like punk and riot grrrl zines). A zine can be digital or physical, professionally printed or handmade; there is no one way to make a zine.
That being said, in online fandom spaces in today’s world, a zine often, and in this case, refers to a fan-made booklet full of both art and writing offerings from contributors, centered around a specific topic. The zine may be offered along with merchandise bundles as well.
Is this a for-profit or for-charity zine?
We are a for-charity zine! All proceeds will be donated towards a charity campaign which will be decided soon.
What are we allowed to include in potential pieces for the zine?
This zine aims for a broad representation of Franziska's growth throughout her career as an investigator specifically. If it involves Franziska leading in an investigative role, then it's on the table! This means that any planned content shouldn't focus on time spent in trial.
However, other than that, we're open to various genres, focuses, and time periods: for example, a fic might detail a young Franziska working with her brother to solve the case of her missing teddy bear, or a piece of art might show Ema and Franziska as adults working in the forensics lab together.
In general, the tone and content should be similar to the existing Ace Attorney Investigations games, which would allow for changes in time (like the "flashback" cases in the duology) and a wide cast of characters. We want to see the creativity of all of our contributors working together to create an amazing hypothetical career for Franziska!
Will the zine include spoilers for any Ace Attorney games?
Yes. The zine will include spoilers for every game Franziska appears in, including Justice for All, Trials and Tribulations, and the Investigations duology. We are also open to content from later Ace Attorney games being featured as a hypothetical part of Franziska's career, which may also include spoilers on a case-by-case basis.
Are AUs (alternate universes) allowed?
Not for this zine. Since we have a firm theme revolving around something that happens in canon, adding alternate universes would have the potential to muddy that focus.
Will OCs be allowed?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. While you may include original characters as minor and background roles, original characters will not be permitted as a major focus alongside Franziska. Please keep all relationship exploration between Franziska and other characters to those featured in canon.
Are ships allowed?
As the zine will be focusing on Franziska and her individual character and growth, we will not be featuring romantic pairings in any central role. However, implied ships may be permitted on a case-by-case basis.
Can I apply for multiple roles as a contributor?
You may apply to as many roles as your heart wishes, but you will be accepted for only one role.
Will this zine cost money to buy?
Yes, the zine will cost money when sold. However, keep in mind that it is a non-profit zine, and after production and properly compensating all contributors, all proceeds will be donated to charity.
I have a question that isn't shown here!
In that case, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or visit our Mond for anonymous asks— both linked with our social media below!