itch.io

good good, my email has been somewhat flooded with job search-adjacent notifications so just wanted to make sure the ol’ mailchimp is delivering the mail correctly 

not sure if you got the update material but I sent out the current draft of the playtest

This is great. I noticed that the button to view for me was (Z) rather than (A) but that might be because I am on a Mac

greetings. Well as I am sure some people here can relate I am an illustrator and graphic designer. I specialize in horror illustration but I am flexible when it comes to style. I can do color but my specialty is creating black and white illustrations.

I also have experience with Graphic Design and book layout, particularly in relation to printing.

if you are interested i recommend emailing me 

https://jonzye.myportfolio.com/

I do apologize for the delay. I am pretty much done with the playtest version and my hope was to do one more playtest with an in person group before I send out playtest copies to people who have signed up but getting people together is unsurprisingly a challenge but I’ll probably go ahead and make the playtest copy available in a couple of weeks if not sooner

One of my favorite things to collect for mothership has been the diegetic zines I’ve found that I can use as hooks in themselves that I can somehow weave into weird little tangents for players to go off on.this in particular tickles that part of my mind that used to record fake little radio shows that are lingering somewhere on my hard drive and YouTube somewhere

It was a fun exercise to see what I could do with just the stuff that I found on sites with royalty free artwork and photos i've taken / art I've done in the past. 

One thing that I had in mind has been recent conversations I had about TTRPG artists claiming to have "No Choice" but to use generative artwork because if they don't they won't have art for their book and while some of the art that I used was art I made in the past, most of what I used is photographs I've taken with my phone and public domain images. Like the image of the ruined building, the insect and the weird floating creature were all photos I took in the past. One was a warehouse that burned down in my neigborhood, one of them was a picture of a butterfly I took with a clip on macro lense with my iphone at disney world. The shadowy figure was a mannequin that was backlit behind frosted glass that we had at my old job. the image of the creature behind the gate with a bunch of discarded mannequins was an Image I took near a mall because... for some reason there was a bunch of mannequins just discarded at the time.

Either way it was fun to make something horrifying again. I've been doing stuff for the anime waifu zine for so long that I was missing doing something scary so thank you for doing the jam so I had a reason to make something like this.

I'm on the board

admittedly this zine doesn’t have a troika background… but I was considering putting a volume 1 on this because I am considering doing one for skate wizards and the vanilla game as well as some RPGs that has come out since I started this thing. 

this was actually the first game supplement I ever made which is a little monster maker where you build demons out of random parts and they just… they look great I think

includes a downtime mechanic that involves decorating your character’s bedroom. Here’s a little video about the idea

this little thing is fun and I really like the style. 

Well since I got a ways to go for this zine I submitted a fee preview of some of my pages in progress. The final zine will have some changes and I'll apply those changes to the preview but yah. Hopefully my pain will end.

I think before the deadline I'm going to provide a preview of the zine with 2 of the completed backgrounds as well as the rules outlining apartment living and saving the other backgrounds, NPCs and the adventure for the final zine. 

In addition to a PDF, the final version will have an Epub version which so far has been a little janky. needless to say I haven't had time to do proofreading myself but I got a friend who offered me to do some proofreading so there's that.

I figured out what I am doing for the final part. I'd still like to figure out some good random tables for this zine because I love me some good random tables, but as far as the dungeon I am doing an abandoned water park filled with ghosts and yokai.

Why a waterpark?.... i mean you got to have a swimsuit episode. 

The waterpark is a condemned water park inspired by places like the defunct Action Park disney's Blizzard Beach and the bugs life area that used to be in california adventure. It's a bug themed water park where you can be a bug filled with dilapidated animatronic bug mascots that work the badly aging and dangerous attractions. The park is set to be condemned and rebuilt into a safer and saner experience but the construction crew refuses to go in due to all the drowned ghosts, the overzealous mascots and a gang of plucky and delinquent teenaged kappa that have turned the few accessible parts of the park into their home base.

So far I have a handful of locations as well as 4 factions with conflicting interests. This is the first time I'm making a dungeon with factions in mind so it's been giving me some good ideas.

also it means not necessarily worrying about arbitrary deadlines.

I think it's still valuable enough to get started on something rather than worry about some arbitrary deadline. I have been working on this zine for a year and I have come to realize that no amount of "setting aside time" for it will ever guarantee that said time comes uninterrupted so it's best just to work on it and either just do whatever work I can whenever I have time or just.... make time.

and trust me I know that making time is easier said than done... I think the people who say that usually don't get that making time means that you have to tell someone that you have to make less time for them which is hard when the thing you're making time for is a personal project. Like it's easy to justify time when it has to do with "Work" or "family" but when it comes to doing something that's mostly for you like making something, it both comes with that weird feeling that you're somehow being selfish and if you're surrounded by people who don't really believe in the idea that your time belongs to you it's just.... hard...

Either way you just have to make time. Even if occasionally that means wrestling your time away from people who think they're entitled to all of your unaccounted time. even if they'll make you feel guilty about it.

I think instead of being too wordy I am going to introduce the characters like this

I realized that part of the zine started becoming a criticism of moe culture and I had to walk myself back a bit and say “no this isn’t necessary, just because you’re writing cosmic horror doesn’t mean you need a disclaimer reminding people that HP lovecraft was racist…”

Posted this in the Troika discord but some things relating to the Troika zine I'm working on.

I am finally fleshing out the mechanics of my "Shared Apartment Living" section of the slice of life "TTRPGS as anthropomorphic character backgrounds" zine I've been threatening to make for the past year and I may need some feedback as though I am comfortably familiar with troika's rules, I've yet to play. so there are some things I may need some outside opinions on.

First thing, though the currency of Troika isn't set in stone as far as value, I currently have a 1 bedroom apartment listed as 100 SP a month with 25 SP for each additional room, and leaving the value of furnishings up to the GMs and Players.

The other thing I was not sure of is that part of the purpose of the room is that using one's room for resting (stamina and luck recovery) has a bonus dependent on the furnishings, Stamina being tied to the bed and Luck being tied to decorations respectively (Each decoration providing 1 to luck recovery). I was wondering if I should mention or at least suggest a cap for a maximum recovery for either as decorations can be numerous and in-theory, whatever a PC uses to sleep/rest in can be as amazing quality as desired.

I think my interest with this idea started with the fact that my parents actually met at the now defunct Al’s bar. Also a place I used to go closed, most recently the California Institute of Abnormal Arts which it’s claim to fame was having a small, Ripley’s Believe it or Not  sponsored sideshow which included the mummified remains of a clown in full regalia.

maybe make it compatible with Hell Night but also usable for other TTRPGs that can conceivably take place in LA like…. Vampire the masquerade. 

so I don’t think I am going to be able to finish a new zine before the end of this thing, but I do want to finish the zine I’ve been working on for the past year.

either way I think I kind of want to do some brainstorming some ideas here and possibly get some feedback. 

The zine I’m almost done with is a zine for troika that includes 6 backgrounds, 3 monsters, a mechanic for shared housing including a sheet for furnishings your character’s bedroom and maybe some random tables if I can think of some tables that fit the theme. 

As for a new zine I have a couple of ideas I’m thinking about but here’s the short list

• A zine critical about AI generative image and writing. Might be beating a dead horse but something I don’t see a lot of people talking about is how the people who employ artists and writers will inevitably use it as leverage to undervalue their work even if it’s undeniable that ai generative text can’t completely cut out the need for artists. I’m hesitant because it’s a research heavy subject and I don’t know if I want to commit to that right now.
• A stream of consciousness collage and illustration kind of thing in an effort to use up some of my art supplies and magazines. Minimal thought, just slapping a bunch of shit on paper and then scanning the result. The theme coming out organically. Obviously no time on research and bonus for being able to use my hands but since it would require me to have time to sit at my desk I disturbed for hours at a time and i don’t really want to get into why I am doubtful I can get that.
• A zine about strange LA landmarks to use for ttrpgs. A collection of weirder LA landmarks with encounters to use for TTRPGs. Places like Clifton’s Cafeteria, Wats Tower, the velaslavasay panorama and the Brewery art colony. Alternatively something similar but using now defunct punk music venues such as Al’s Bar, the Masque,  The Smell, safari sams and the like. This seems the most likely tbh. Make it reminiscent of zines like Slash Magazine

I think you can play it with multiple people but I figured since it was straight forward enough to play with any number of people, this is what I came up with.

Now if any of you want to play this yourself you can play it as 1 encounter per level but you can always change things up. If you want to complicate the descent a little you can use one of the dungeon generators in this jam to create rooms and other encounters and if you play with multiple people, you can make it so the rewards can be shared amongst other players.... but if you want an idea of what the story can look like without any bells and whistles... well here we go

Cameron Richard was a carpenter. There were not many that knew his name and while he was skilled with his small carpenter's hammer in making sturdy ornate furniture, it was unsuited for combat. His only companion was his rat Ben, a sizabe rat that helped keep his workshop free from pests.

He knew he had to descend into the pit as the forests were stripped bare and there was no more wood for him to work with. There was nothing left for him but starvation and poverty. The only thing that could give him riches was to descend into the woeful pit and dredge up whatever he could find. People seemed to find what they most desire in that pit, though it's hard to tell if these rumors are true as few ever return.

The chambers near the surface were not too dangerous. His rat ate the carcases of the spiders ad the bats and grew larger, more aggressive. His hammer grew heavy with the blood of the monsters he slew. Even the name of cameron began to echo in the chambers as whispers of the triumphs of this meger carpenter rose back to the surface like the bubbling scum rising in broth... Though it was with the serpent he faced his first crushing defeat. 

It was humiliating, where the shambling creatures that shifted in the upper levels seemed to pop like ripe fruit at the fall of his hammer, the serpent played with him, hurling insults belittling his name, until his name carried no weight. Word had spread that against the serpent he flailed against the feted floor of the serpent's lair like a salmon. Many began calling him Salmon Richard behind his back. It was no matter... he still had ben and his hammer.

He continued to descend, breaking the fingers of the many hands and Ben chasing away the many phantoms that accosted them both. It was the cave of teeth that took richard's hammer. Smashing against them chipped away at it until all that was left was the wood handle, It was his father's hammer, his father who taught him how to cut and join and saw and nail. He began to wonder what it was that he hoped to find in this place. He could have just moved to a place where wood was plentiful, to a place where he could continue to craft wood in peace. Was he unsatisfied with that life? all he had left was ben. Ben who had grown much larger now the size of a mastiff. 

He then descended one final hole that led to the deepest chambers of the pit, a deep blackness darker than his cellar during a starless night. It was warm and wet, all he could hear was the breathing and the sounds of massive eyelids opening and closing as wet tears dripped from the walls. There was nothing here but hunger and madness. in the teeth there was silver and gold that one could scrape off... was it even worth it at this point. But it was not just the hunger of the massive maw that he heard.

He had hardly noticed it at first but a hot wetness poured down his leg. Richard looked down and saw that a piece of his thigh was replaced with a waterfall of red. Seeing it now the wires that filled his brain with searing hot pain made contact causing him to fall to the floor, his screams echoing against the walls of gold and enamel. How had he not noticed what Ben had become, this creature was no longer his friend, the teeth grew through his skull piercing his brain. A wave of saliva and blood sloshed from his mouth as he scurried towards Richard. The one thing he had left, Ben needed him one last time. His size made his hunger grew and there was no more meat to feast upon, save richard. 

The last thing Richard said, as ben's dislocated jaw wrapped around his shivering body, the only words he managed to leak into that horrible chamber was "I want to go home"...

I just play tested this solo.

Cameron Richard was a carpenter. There were not many that knew his name and while he was skilled with his small carpenter's hammer in making sturdy ornate furniture, it was unsuited for combat. His only companion was his rat Ben, a sizabe rat that helped keep his workshop free from pests.

He knew he had to descend into the pit as the forests were stripped bare and there was no more wood for him to work with. There was nothing left for him but starvation and poverty. The only thing that could give him riches was to descend into the woeful pit and dredge up whatever he could find. People seemed to find what they most desire in that pit, though it's hard to tell if these rumors are true as few ever return.

The chambers near the surface were not too dangerous. His rat ate the carcases of the spiders ad the bats and grew larger, more aggressive. His hammer grew heavy with the blood of the monsters he slew. Even the name of cameron began to echo in the chambers as whispers of the triumphs of this meger carpenter rose back to the surface like the bubbling scum rising in broth... Though it was with the serpent he faced his first crushing defeat. 

It was humiliating, where the shambling creatures that shifted in the upper levels seemed to pop like ripe fruit at the fall of his hammer, the serpent played with him, hurling insults belittling his name, until his name carried no weight. Word had spread that against the serpent he flailed against the feted floor of the serpent's lair like a salmon. Many began calling him Salmon Richard behind his back. It was no matter... he still had ben and his hammer.

He continued to descend, breaking the fingers of the many hands and Ben chasing away the many phantoms that accosted them both. It was the cave of teeth that took richard's hammer. Smashing against them chipped away at it until all that was left was the wood handle, It was his father's hammer, his father who taught him how to cut and join and saw and nail. He began to wonder what it was that he hoped to find in this place. He could have just moved to a place where wood was plentiful, to a place where he could continue to craft wood in peace. Was he unsatisfied with that life? all he had left was ben. Ben who had grown much larger now the size of a mastiff. 

He then descended one final hole that led to the deepest chambers of the pit, a deep blackness darker than his cellar during a starless night. It was warm and wet, all he could hear was the breathing and the sounds of massive eyelids opening and closing as wet tears dripped from the walls. There was nothing here but hunger and madness. in the teeth there was silver and gold that one could scrape off... was it even worth it at this point. But it was not just the hunger of the massive maw that he heard.

He had hardly noticed it at first but a hot wetness poured down his leg. Richard looked down and saw that a piece of his thigh was replaced with a waterfall of red. Seeing it now the wires that filled his brain with searing hot pain made contact causing him to fall to the floor, his screams echoing against the walls of gold and enamel. How had he not noticed what Ben had become, this creature was no longer his friend, the teeth grew through his skull piercing his brain. A wave of saliva and blood sloshed from his mouth as he scurried towards Richard. The one thing he had left, Ben needed him one last time. His size made his hunger grew and there was no more meat to feast upon, save richard. 

The last thing Richard said, as ben's dislocated jaw wrapped around his shivering body, the only words he managed to leak into that horrible chamber was "I wan to go home"...

I have another zine I'm working on for troika. Trying to avoid the temptation to keep adding more and more to the point where I just never finish the thing but every time I keep getting close I get another idea

Thank You.

I’m trying to figure out something else to work on as well but I’m kind of drawing a blank

I didn't in fact make a white hack waifu but I think I may make one as well to add as a bonus... though I could always save that for a sequel.

I'm finally trying to finish a Troika zine I've been working on for the past year. I got the majority of the art finished now I just need to add some rules for renting and decorating your own apartment to go with an apartment sheet I made for the thing and some background text... as for what the zine is about... well I'll just add the tweet that got me started on this thing

"Putting out a call for an artist BRAVE ENOUGH to turn indie ttrpgs into anime waifus. I want a White Hack waifu, a Lancer waifu, a Mothership waifu. I want them to live in the same AU city and have deep, interconnected lore"

greetings I am Jonesy. I do fine art, illustration and graphic design. I only recently been making TTRPG things but it provided me with an outlet for me to make stuff that I can actually print myself. I make a lot of wired paintings and illustrations both digitally and by hand. I love most music with a special love for punk, weird avant-garde shit and things like that. I also gravitate towards horror, especially surreal horror. Art wise I tend to favor surrealism, outsider art and lowbrow art so stuff like Robert Williams, Ed Roth, Camille Rose Garcia, etc.

I used to join in with art groups that gather and draw shit but haven’t done so since the pandemic. I figured this might be fun since I have a handful of zines that are mostly finished but I need to…. You know…. Finish. 

I’d like to do some more hand made stuff and maybe try my hand at doing some more comic related stuff

I am somewhat reminded of your other game "The Plant" in structure. I do appreciate that this little game gives a lot in what you can imagine without relying too much on explanation. Just the right balance of humor, horror and tragedy.

Was glad I saw this and just finished right before the deadline

Always a fan of business card sized things. Simple yet evocative. Also thank you for mentioning this in your blog it was helpful.

Ah yes. I had it on the main page but I will add it here as well. It is printed on the playmat though since it has the zine I made on it. thank you for reminding me

My favorite kind of Mothership zine has been the ones that can be used as in-world things that can be found in the world and explored that way. I also love your approach to the art and layout in all your stuff

I feel like this is somehow more relevant now than ever before in the light of everything happening... somehow

Well since this is the place for shameless self promotion I might as well.

So far I only have 2 DND adventures. One of which is technically system agnostic but the creatures all have analogs somewhere in 5E dnd.

The Executioner's Outhouse: This is a greeting card containing a one page dungeon and also the first physical product I have made. The digital only product is available here in itch but the physical version is available at spearwitch and at a local game store in burbank called Geeky Teas. A truly horrible adventure.

Below Zero: This was my attempt to blend Scifi and Fantasy tropes using The Thing as a loose interpretation. It contains a puzzle concept inspired from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and also fit's in a trifold pamphlet for easy printing. I recommend printing on Neon Green paper to irritate your eyes.

My page also has some other RPG stuff but they're either non-specific RPG supplements or a supplement i made for Mörk Borg if you're into that.

I can feel them

I mostly want to make sure that the issue isn't something on my end. Like I get it, a large influx of submissions can slow down the process significantly but since the only feedback I can get is searching my game myself it's hard to tell if the game still isn't indexed due to it being slowed down or if I am missing some obvious step along the way.

I can understand that things are slower than normal but I’m sure after 2, now 3 weeks of no indexing, and now a full week after my initial request for support on this matter hasn’t gotten a response you could forgive me for resorting for inquiring about the issue in the forum.

Either way just so I am clear the issue is just that the review que is very slow? And that if an issue is found after said issue I will be informed about it? I just want to make sure I have all my info since the last thing I want to do is find myself in a situation where a paid item I make can’t be indexed and I just assume it’s still in review limbo.

Either way I appreciate your patience and your response and I apologize if it sounds like I am being short. I can very much empathize with dealing with mitigating the expectation that the review process “takes about 24 hours”