This cover is only a prototype and the actual one will probably differ in some ways
LORE: Year is 2554. It's been a while since the Western Civilization reached it's zenith and finally collapsed, back in 2012 as the Mayan Calendar had predicted. Climate catastrophe led to nuclear power plant breaches. The systematically bombing of not so secure warehouses and indiscriminated chemical warfare added to the mix. The earth was poisoned, the water was toxic. This, we know. What altered mankind forever is still speculated upon. Some say it was radioactivity, and that must have had a massive effect on everything for sure but, our research has shown a decisive agent of change that had remained hidden in time until now: a dna/rna mutagen that, accidentally combined with a fertility cure produced in Alaska, was the spark that set the house on fire. Close enough to the HAARP in Gakona, there was another research facility where an innovative program had been implemented with success: a fertility cure capable of turning any animal sperm into one compatible with the human ovum. Like a dormant virus, waiting for the subject to be inseminized. It had been experimented with, specifically with hornets. But it wasn't until it became contaminated by another agent that the climate crisis had secretly freed from the glaciers, that this miracle cure became a mutagen capable of turning the progeny of every affected human into a freak of nature.
What you need to know:
This magazine is part of a bigger story and therefore wants to function as a prop too - as if it were actually part of the fictional world where our comic "THE WASTIES" is happening. In that sense, we don't talk about the characters as if they were fictional, but that they are real people (some of them even write in the magazine and/or submit entries too!). Bit like LARPing or Welcome to Night Vale: the whole thing is fiction but we pretend is real. In that sense if you are providing with an artist bio, there are some elements that we can totally keep (like i.e. Wisconsin still exists), but others that we won't keep or use (some infos like your actual birthday, where did you go to college or anything like that).
Same goes for the entries: we are not taking any "meta" comments from the author on their character... if that makes it easier, the author should rather pretend to be their character (if that fits). Another format we welcome is customer reviews: writing about a character as if you visited their business and want to leave a review.
Feel free to go over your idea with us every step of the way so we can discuss the process and see how it best fits the magazine... We also suggest keeping watermarks & signatures to a minimum (either small or completely avoid them), because we are adding the author's name under every art piece and article or somewhere extra at the end if you are using a pseudonym.
FAQ
World-building is happening and our lore continues to grow. What we had was more than enough for working on our comic but, of course, collaborators wanna know everything. The questions BIG FART collaborators keep asking have put us to the task of expanding on THE WASTIES weird world further. Unfortunately, world building takes time. Thus, the best option is to tell us your specific idea and we will lighten up the darkened areas of the map around it for you.
What currency do they use?
The currency that most use is called Takakis and it's not that free at all: the production of money is monopolized by the Yucatech Enterprise, an armed paramilitary group that offers uninsured work in factories in exchange of cash. Pure trading is also a common thing.
Which places are important?
- Piranha Woods:
The Piranha Woods, gigantic forest area including marshes, swamps, enormous trees, mountains and strangely looking plants, fantasy-like, it's all there, you name it: all those mysteries and dark secrets waiting to be disentangled.
How did this place become the Piranha Woods? Spreading quite fast on top of that old world rot, new breeds of unknown vegetation quickly adjusted to the radiation, fertilized by the very thing that had killed their predecessors, their evolution boosted by this deadly glow. Stronger, more poisonous, kind of dangerous for everybody, very dangerous for humans, indeed. A new environment in which many other forms of new life also spawned, new species made the Piranha Woods their natural habitat.
Mutants gathered, choosing this place as their sanctuary after they had been outcasted from the human cities, making it their new home. Thus the first settlers named the yet unexplored dark green patch the "Piranha Woods", as an attempt to scare humans so that they might avoid their turf. And because, oh yes, of course, its waters are also inhabited by piranhas. Gigantic. Very big ones. With those very many, very sharp teeth, lots of them, stalking, waiting bloodthirsty for their prey to take a swim. So bring on your weaponized bikinis, if you dare to enter!
- Croatoan City
Main city is called Croatoan, a free city - meaning, no group or individual holds any power above its denizens. They are friendly, both mutants and humans alike. Wasteland and steppe. Convenience stores, hardware stores, workshops, even a drugstore that works as a sort of pharmacy. 2 hours away by car from where Lizardo and Greta live, an area called The Piranha Woods, very dangerous place !
- Yuca Town
Yuca Town is the most modernized city, every street and house has electricity, even the metro is accessible - specially if you are cargo. Yuca Town has strict rules and is administrated by Yucatech Enterprise. The only way you can afford living here is working for this guys. As you might expect, Takakis is the only allowed currency in Yuca Town so you better keep those bottle caps and pro-batteries away from sight, fremder, if you don't wanna get in trouble.
6 hours away by car from the Croatoan area.
Wanna know more? Get in touch!
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