To Boldly GTFO

Hi there, welcome to the Deep Space Halloween Zine information zone Mark II, where I try to give all the pertinent information about the second edition of the zine in one handy post.

Please read this entire post in its entirety before starting to make anything for this zine!

If you have any questions, feel free to send an ask! I will be happy to answer any questions you have. :)

Submission Rules

Fandom

This is a Deep Space Nine zine, so please make sure your submissions focus on Deep Space Nine and its characters. However, characters from other trek shows are welcome as "guest stars" in your works.

Post/Pre-Canon works are welcome so long as they focus primarily on characters from the show (including side characters)

Theme

This zine will be (very loosely) Halloween themed! The works can be about halloween itself, or they can be spooky, or even just fall themed. This is a very, very loose theme, so don't stress out too much about it!

Format and Cost

This zine will be released digitally and be completely free on the Deep Space Halloween Zine itch.io page (where you can also download the first issue of the zine, wink wink)

Acceptable Mediums

Fanfiction (up to 5000 words)

Fan art

Comics (up to 4 pages)

Photo Manips/Collages

Poetry/Original Song Lyrics

(Photos of) sculptures, dioramas, cake art

Basically if it can be put on a piece of paper, it can be eligible!

Zine Cover

If you would like to submit a cover for this zine, please do!

If you submit a cover, it must include the name of the zine (Deep Space Halloween Zine) the issue number (Issue 2) and the year (2026). It should not include signatures or watermarks (credit will of course be listed inside the zine itself).

Covers can be your own art, or can be a photo manipulation.

In the case that multiple covers are submitted, all covers that don't make it to, well, the cover, will be featured as full pages at the end of the zine as "alternate covers," like collected editions of comics do!

Qualifications

You do not need to be an experienced artist/writer/cake decorator/whatever to contribute to this zine!

In fact, beginners are both welcome and encouraged to participate!

Rating

To keep this zine friendly for everyone, we will not be accepting explicit content.

Please keep your works to a rating of Teen+ or lower, or PG-13.

Since this is a Halloween themed zine, blood and gore is allowed, as long as it fits a PG-13 rating (use your favourite search engine to find a list of PG-13 horror movies if you need a reference point).

Ships

You can feature ships in your work, or no ships at all if that's more your style.

Ships between minors and adults should be avoided.

AI Generated Work

AI generated work is strictly not allowed.

Don't do it. I will know. And I will find you.

Exclusivity

All works submitted must not have already been posted elsewhere.

All works submitted should remain unposted until the zine is released on Halloween, after which you are allowed to share your work on Tumblr/AO3/Wherever.

Deadlines

Submissions are due on 30 September 2026!

The zine will be released on 31 October 2026!

Submitting Works

Please email your submissions to [email protected] using the form linked below.

Submissions that do not include a filled out form will not be accepted.

Art/Collages/Photos should be in png or jpeg format. Zine pages will be 2550(W)x3300(H)px. Your image does not need to match these proportions, but please make sure that your image can be scaled to fit within these boundaries.

Written works should be submitted as a PDF.

Submission Form:

It’s Cold Mr. Spock <3.

——

Spock: Captain, why are you still in bed? You are due on the bridge soon

Kirk: i’ve had it Mr. Spock<3! It’s TOO COLD. i’m not leaving my blanket until this damn life support system is FIXED!!

Kirk: I mean, how long does it take to repair a thermal unit! We’re in space for pete’s sake!

Kirk: I mean seriously! We can put a man on Qo’noS, but we can’t keep him warm while doing it?

Kirk: I think that Starfleet just wants us to SUFFER. They have NO idea what it’s like out here!

Kirk: sometimes I think we should just BLOW UP THE SUN! Then maybe they’d start showing a little empathy!

Spock: Captain, we are not going to blow up the sun

Kirk: I know Mr. Spock<3, it’s just an expression.

Kirk: my point is that we deserve some semblance of human comfort! Aren’t we living breathing people with basic inalienable rights and needs?

Spock: yes Captain, I agree, you are definitely a person

Kirk: thank you Mr. Spock<3

Spock: Of course Jim<3

Sulu: so where to Captain?

Kirk: I DON’T KNOW, PLEASE! JUST SOME PLACE WARM!

——

People kept getting at my insta stories with comments about Vulcan physiology, so I made a follow up comic.

It’s Cold Mr. Spock<3 (addendum)

Kirk: hey, what gives Mr. Spock<3? Isn’t your home planet covered in volcanoes?! Why aren’t you cold?

Spock: on the contrary, Wilkins are particularly sensitive to cold. However, mental discipline allows us to endure many discomforts.

Kirk: WAIT! So you actually ARE cold! Mr. Spock<3!!!

Uhura: poor baby!

Chekhov: VAT?

Sulu: AWW! SPOCK!

Kirk: do not fret, sweet Mr. Spock <3? I will keep you warm

Spock: Captain pls. That is hardl-

Everyone: well I’ll keep you warm spock you are important to us

Spock: w-who is steering the ship?

Sulu: o shi-

[ID: A comic with the above dialogue. Spock walks in to find a Jim who is entirely bundled in a blanket and furiously protesting the cold. He picks up the still-bundled Jim with an unimpressed sigh and carries him to the bridge, where everyone else is also revealed to be bundled up tightly.