⭐️ ZINE UPDATE + MOD STATEMENT! ⭐️
We have some new updates & a statement from our shipping mod below! Check out THIS post for new product pictures and please read the statement below! For questions; Feel free to DM or use the Tumblr ask function anytime!
This is Bear, the finances and shipping mod for Astralis: A Klapollo AU Zine. First, thank you all
on behalf of the mod team for your patience during this unexpectedly lengthy production
process.
In an effort to be more transparent with our progress, I wanted to speak directly to you
all, the supporters of our zine.
Shortly after beginning this project, we hit some roadblocks that were difficult to navigate,
especially for me as a new mod. While I handle high level secure financial transactions, record
keeping, ordering from vendors, and budget management at my day-to-day job, zine production
ended up presenting a completely new set of challenges. Worse, tariffs and other foreign
policies in the United States strained the Zine’s ability to accurately estimate both production
costs and shipping timelines from overseas manufacturers. On top of this, life circumstances for
multiple moderators seemed to get in the way at every turn.
I know that these delays have been frustrating, we did not anticipate or want this to happen,
either.
With this, we do have some good news to share!
The last of our merch items were delivered yesterday, meaning that bundles are beginning to be
put together. The only physical item we’re waiting for is the zine book itself. Unfortunately, the
working file for the zine book had been corrupted when our graphics mod’s laptop bricked. It
took a new laptop and a few trips to a well-known computer store’s IT helpdesk for document
recovery to get the file back. We were able to recover an earlier version & all assets needed to
complete the zine. We are very close to sending the file off for the final print.*
We will be sharing more frequent updates once I start to pack orders. The production phase is
almost over! The work our contributors have put into this project is incredible. None of what you
will receive could have been possible without them. From engaging artwork and fics to stunning
merchandise, I am so excited for you to get to hold the final product.
Our social media mod, Mike, has been at the forefront of answering your questions and posting
on behalf of the mod team. While he has been doing a great job, I am also happy to answer
questions directed towards me. Please know that I am committed to seeing this zine through to
the end. You all will be the first to know when bundles have been shipped!
*A note from Graphics Mod, Kitsch: To give a little more context, I was unaware that Mac &
Windows files do not mesh. So when my awful Macbook bricked & I replaced it with a Windows
computer, the file ended up unusable. The external hard drive I purchased to transfer files went
through several rounds of reformatting. After this, it took time to hunt down all my fonts, other assets, and to find all I needed to rebuild the zine without starting completely from scratch. This
is why the zine is our final item to print. We are working as fast as we can to cross the finish line, thank you once again for your patience.
