Never Turn Back Zine
A Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) fanzine celebrating the game and its many branching paths.
About
Never Turn Back is the title of a song from Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). Not to be confused with the character, the zine aims to celebrate the edgy, gun-swinging game starring that infamous Sonic lookalike.The zine will include art, comics, and prose. Contributors will be able to apply for illustration, comic art, or writing.All proceeds made with this zine will be donated to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). ISTSS aims to expand the knowledge of PTSD and other traumatic stress disorders.
Learn more at https://istss.org/home.
Mods
Head ModShadowiie (aka Vio) they/them
Vio has been in the Sonic fandom for about 2 years now, with their favorite characters being Shadow, Sonic, and Eggman. They are a self-taught digital illustrator with experience in writing and design.
Social Media ModKingprinceleo (aka Leo) they/them
Leo has been managing social media accounts for three and a half years now. Their favorite characters are Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails, and they are a comic artist and illustrator.
Writing ModIronic-The-Hedgehog (aka Ironic) he/him
Ironic has been writing for over 20 years now. His favorite characters include Sonic, Shadow, and Tails.
FAQ
Will there be a zine Discord server?
Yes, there will be a mandatory discord server for all contributors for communication purposes.
Will there be physical copies of the zine?
The zine will be digital only, hosted on itch.io when finished. As such, there will be no additional merchandise to purchase.
What is the topic of the zine, is there an aditional theme?
This zine is inspired by the 2005 game Shadow the Hedgehog, released on Gamecube, Xbox, and Playstation 2. Following a nonlinear format, the story and ending changes depending on the player’s actions. The game is broadly split into six routes: True Hero, Semi Hero, Neutral, Semi Dark, True Dark, and Last Story.Through exploring Shadow's thoughts and actions as the information he’s given is changed, as well as examining his ambiguously gray morality and choices, the zine aims to tackle wider ideas of PTSD, memory, and identity.Each contributor is expected to theme their piece around one of these six pathways:
| True Hero: | Shadow chooses to follow Sonic, eventually going to the Black Comet to finish off the rest of the Black Arms. He will either team up with Sonic to defeat Black Doom, fulfilling his promise to Maria, or turn on Sonic at the last minute to prove he is the most powerful hedgehog in the world. |
| Semi Hero: | Shadow chooses to help the Chaotix, leading him to search for the main computer room aboard the ARK. He will either decide that, because he alone was responsible for the tragedy on the ARK, he should never have been born, or collect the last chaos emerald and vow to spend the rest of his life protecting the empty Space Colony. |
| Neutral: | Shadow chooses to collect the emeralds for his own sake, and finds himself teaming up with Omega to destroy Eggman’s secret base. He discovers that he is an android copy of the original Shadow, and either decides to take over Eggman’s empire and make robots rule the planet, or decides he will use the emeralds to become more powerful than the original Shadow. Both paths end with him striking down Eggman. |
| Semi Dark: | Shadow chooses to follow Black Doom, defending the Black Comet from invading GUN soldiers (and Knuckles). He will either strike down Eggman, choosing to believe only in himself and live for himself, or he will defeat Sonic and become Black Doom’s minion, assisting the Black Arms conquer the Earth. |
| True Dark: | Shadow chooses to follow Black Doom, steadily wiping out all of GUN. In the end, he will either betray Black Doom at the last minute and vow to conquer the universe, or he will fight against Sonic one last time, preparing to destroy the planet with the emeralds he collected. |
| Last Story: | The true ending of the game. Before Shadow is able to use the collected chaos emeralds for himself, Black Doom steals them and warps the Black Comet to the surface of the Earth. Nerve gas emitted from the planet paralyzes the entire cast before they can react. Only Shadow is able to resist the paralysis, and so he transforms into Super Shadow to defeat Devil Doom and save the Earth. Shadow chooses to let go of his past, no longer bound or controlled by anyone else. |
What is and is not allowed in your zine?
The zine is expected to have a “Teen” rating. While serious and mature topics are allowed (and encouraged due to the nature of this game), excessive gore, NSFW, drug and alcohol use are not allowed. Mild gore, gun violence, and excessive swearing are allowed.Due to the Teen rating of the zine, zine applicants are required to be 13+ to participate.Furthermore, as this zine is a celebration of the game itself, shipping and romantic content will not be allowed. Subtextual romantic feelings (think the blushing in Sonic X) or coding is fine, but the zine itself will not be including any explicit romantic pairings.Continuity is taken solely from the games.
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Mild Gore (blood and injury) | Excessive Gore (guts all over the place) |
| Guns and Violence (shooting, implied cannibalism) | NSFW |
| Excessive swearing (Shadow can say damn, hell, etc.) | Drug and Alcohol use |
| Romantic coding (blushing, an unspoken bond between bros) | Shipping or romantic content (kissing, hand holding, dating) |
| Game Continuity | TV Shows, Comics, etc. Continuity |
Any already known zine specs?
Page artists: A4 (2894 x 4093 px) paper with at least 300 dpiSpread artists: 5788 x 4093 px (two A4 pages combined) with at least 300 dpiComic artists: 1-4 pages of A4 (2894 x 4093 px) paper with at least 300 dpiProse Writers: Around 2000 words or less
Applications will start on January 4 if the interest check gets enough responses.Applications last from January 4 to February 4.If you have any questions not covered by the FAQ, shoot us an ask through tumblr, twitter, or email.
Schedule
Interest Check - Dec 10 - Dec 30
Applications Open - Jan 4 - Feb 4
Acceptance Emails sent out - Feb 19 - Feb 26Pitches Due - Mar 18
1st Draft (sketch or outline done) - April 29
2nd Draft (50%-75% finished) - June 7
Final Pieces Due - July 10PDF Sales - September 15 - January 15
Final Donation - January