The Bastard Kitchen

Cooking evil food since 2026 !

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Our Projects

Passion Potluck

A not-for-profit, free indie magazine centring original works of transgressive fiction. Seeking new contributors—more info here!

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Coming Summer 2027.

Passion Potluck

A seasonal magazine. Releases four times a year, on the 15th of March, June, September, and December.
ㅤ

Passion Potluck is a not-for-profit, indie publication centring original works of transgressive fiction and art. While this, naturally, is a place for the strange and perverse (not necessarily sexual!), transgressive fiction encompasses many things—BDSM and queer romance has as much of a place as dead doves do at our table! Read co-founder mihlen’s essay “On Defining Transgressive Fiction” here.It is not required for submissions to be new, nor exclusive. Please feel free to submit existing works, even if they’ve already been published somewhere else! (As long as that’s all right with previous publishers—use discretion.) To take a look at all the issues we’ve published so far, see our releases page!

Passion Potluck is released as two PDFs:

  1. the single-page-scroll digital edition, where works are submitted and published in RGB as-is, and

  2. the two-page spread DIY edition, a CMYK variant with extra graphics for home printing.

Both versions are 8.5in × 11in (letter) at 300 dpi, as we expect most contributors to be from the United States or Canada based on the team’s existing audience. If it turns out more than half of our contributors are outside of North America, we will switch to A4 and millimetres for convenience! All editions of Passion Potluck free to read.The magazine is divided into three sections:

  1. Standalones, for self-enclosed original works that require no context to enjoy

  2. Serials, for works continuing or building on submissions from previous issues

  3. Community Talk, a space where contributors can give art advice as well as submit essays and articles (e.g. reviews, fandom journalism, etc)—one talk slot per person per issue, so if you have many things to say, come back next quarter!

More sections, such as activities (e.g. colouring pages, open collabs, meme templates, etc) may be included in future issues, if there is interest. If you’d like to submit something of that nature, please feel free to reach out at [email protected] to discuss!

Submissions broadly cap at one work per person per section in each Passion Potluck issue. In theory, this means it is possible for a single creator to publish a standalone, a serial chapter, and an essay in the same release, but it is strongly recommended to pad out future releases instead!Since Passion Potluck is primarily a digital magazine, individual issues do not have a page limit; printing costs and logistics will be left up to the discretion of individuals seeking to DIY their own copies!

For Cover Art

  • Submissions must have a page size of 8.5in × 11in at 300 dpi

  • Submissions must be food- or cooking-themed in some way

  • Further, as Passion Potluck is a seasonal magazine, it is optional but encouraged to give covers a seasonal flair, reflecting the quarter of publication—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—in either hemisphere

  • Must be inexplicit—minor injuries or “candy gore” and pinups, at most

  • Due on the 1st of March, June, September, or December to give editors and artists 2 weeks for potential revisions

Art is only necessary for the front cover of the issue; the back and inner covers will either be an edited version of the cover or left blank, as shown above. That said, if desired, cover artists are allowed to design their own back and inner covers!

For Comics

Submissions must be no longer than 25 pages with a page size of 8.5in × 11in at 300 dpi. Greater resolutions are allowed, but will be scaled down by the editing team. You may optionally leave 0.75in of space at the top and bottom edges—or, alternatively, 0.5in to the left and right edges—of your spreads to show the header and page number when compiled in the magazine. Examples of this are shown to the right (below on mobile).You may submit chapter-by-chapter serials, to be published in chronological order with each subsequent Passion Potluck release. However, if you would like to start a serial, please have at least three issue’s worth of material up front, so your story doesn’t fall off after only one chapter!

  • An exception to the three-issue rule exists for stories that conclude in two parts, which can still be submitted as serials

  • Interconnected stories within the same universe or sharing the same cast can be submitted as either standalones or serials at the contributor’s discretion

  • Serial contributors are allowed to take breaks after their initial three submissions (i.e. you don’t have to update continuously every quarter after the first three!)

For Illustrations

Submissions must be no longer than 15 pages with a page size of 8.5in × 11in at 300 dpi. Greater resolutions are allowed, but will be scaled down by the editing team. You may optionally leave 0.75in of space at the top and bottom edges—or, alternatively, 0.5in to the left and right edges—of your spreads to show the header and page number when compiled in the magazine. Examples of this are shown to the left (below on mobile).As Passion Potluck strives to highlight contributors’ original characters, stories, and settings, illustrations must be presented in a narrative style, as if showing off a series pitch or themed artbook. Adding text-blurbs or vignettes for context and lore is highly encouraged.

In terms of layout, artists may do their own (examples: idolkilling, ramsauced) or give creative liberties to the PaPo team. In the case of the latter, images should be submitted individually and accompanying text should be submitted in its own document with labels to indicate the placement of illustrations. If choosing this option, please email your final submission one week early (see “Schedule” below) to ensure the team has enough time to format it. Examples of submission vs final can be seen below.

For Short Stories

Submissions must be no longer than 10,000 words or 25 pages (whichever comes first). Short stories may have accompanying illustrations, which contribute to the page count limit.You may submit chapter-by-chapter serials, to be published in chronological order with each subsequent Passion Potluck release. However, if you would like to start a serial, please have at least three issue’s worth of material up front, so your story doesn’t fall off after only one chapter!

  • An exception to the three-issue rule exists for stories that conclude in two parts, which can still be submitted as serials

  • Interconnected stories within the same universe or sharing the same cast can be submitted as either standalones or serials at the contributor’s discretion

  • Serial contributors are allowed to take breaks after their initial three submissions (i.e. you don’t have to update continuously every quarter after the first three!)

To test page count, set up a letter page in your word processor with these parameters:

  • Font: Literata, 12pt, 1.5 spaced (18pt), no space between paragraphs

  • Margins: 1in each side

  • First-line indent: 0.5in

All short stories will be proofread by the Passion Potluck team for spelling and grammar. As conventions vary by country, please specify which dialect of English you are using (e.g. British, Australian, American, etc). Constructive input will not be offered unless explicitly requested, in which case the Passion Potluck team will beta-read submitted works on a first-come, first-served basis. It is highly recommended you find your own beta first!

For Poetry

Submissions must be no longer than 15 pages. Poems may have accompanying illustrations, which will contribute to the page count limit. Collections of multiple poems are accepted.

  • Standard layout poems should be submitted either left or centre aligned, in a format that can be copy-pasted (e.g. Word doc); we will preserve the alignment of the work in the final print

  • If your work has an unusual layout, as may be the case for a shape poem or poems where spacing is fundamental to the work, please submit as a PDF

  • For any additional requests (e.g. about placement of the poem on the page, fonts, etc) please reach out to the team to discuss what is possible

  • For all poems, please ensure the standard font is sized at 12pt, with stylistically larger or smaller fonts working from that base

All poems will be proofread by the Passion Potluck team for spelling and grammar. As conventions vary by country, please specify which dialect of English you are using (e.g. British, Australian, American, etc). Constructive input will not be offered unless explicitly requested, in which case the Passion Potluck team will beta-read submitted works on a first-come, first-served basis. It is highly recommended you find your own beta first!

For Essays & Articles

Submissions must be no longer than 8,000 words or 20 pages (whichever comes first), excluding a bibliography (if one is present). Essays and articles may have accompanying illustrations or graphics, which contribute to the page count limit.The following definitions are used for the purposes of this anthology:

  • An essay is a work of creative non-fiction that showcases the subjective opinions and impressions of the writer

  • An article is a work of non-fiction, typically researched, that presents or discusses the facts on a specific topic and maintains a more objective point of view

As Passion Potluck is for fun, not a formal publication, and not held to the same rigor of such formal publications, we do allow some level of hybridising between these two categories. However, please note that such “bastardisation,” while welcome, may in some cases weaken your argument.If your work is a research article with citations, please provide a numbered list of works cited in order of appearance in the work. In the text of the article, please mark where each citation is applicable in footnote style (i.e. with bracketed numbers, [1], [2]).Please note that these essays and articles will NOT be fact-checked by the Bastard Kitchen at default, and contributors are fully responsible for the accuracy of their own work.All essays and articles must be standalone, without need for previous or future reading for comprehension.To test page count, set up a letter page in your word processor with these parameters:

  • Font: Reddit Sans, 11pt, 1.25 spaced, no space between paragraphs

  • Margins: 0.5in (right, left), 0.75in (top, bottom)

  • First-line indent: 0.5in

  • 2 columns

All essays and articles will be proofread by the Passion Potluck team for spelling and grammar. As conventions vary by country, please specify which dialect of English you are using (e.g. British, Australian, American, etc). Constructive input will not be offered unless explicitly requested, in which case the Passion Potluck team will beta-read submitted works on a first-come, first-served basis. It is highly recommended you find your own beta first!

For Mixed Media

If you’d like to submit a combination of the aforementioned formats (e.g. a mini-artbook with accompanying vignettes, comics, or poetry), feel free! In this case, your submission must be no longer than 25 pages. Please follow the above guidelines for formatting where applicable.

Because Passion Potluck is a community-oriented magazine, each contributor gets to talk a little bit about themselves and their works! For first-timers, here are the required questions:

  1. Who are you?

  2. What do you make?

  3. Why?

  4. How was your experience submitting to Passion Potluck for the first time?

  5. Are there any dishes from your culture or upbringing that are special to you?

Beyond that, you can select as many or as little questions you want from this list:

  1. What—or who—are your major inspirations?

  2. Any hobbies outside of creative work?

  3. When it comes to transgressive art, are there any works by other creators you’d recommend?

  4. What would you like to see more of in transgressive fiction or art?

  5. Where can we keep up with your works on SNS?

And up to three from this list, discussing your submitted work:

  1. What was your favourite part of this piece to work on?

  2. What part of this work are you proudest of?

  3. What do you consider the defining symbol, theme, or motif of this work?

  4. What part of this work gave you the most trouble?

  5. What do you hope the audience takes away from this work?

  6. Did you learn anything new in the process of creating this work?

  7. Is there anything you wanted to put into the work that you couldn't fit in?

  8. What inspired you to create this work?

  9. In what ways is this work transgressive to you?

  10. What comes next for you? OR Any ideas for future submissions?

Please keep your answers to each question under 100 words! If you have suggestions for more interview questions we can add, feel free to send them to [email protected]!

Please email [email protected] with…

  1. The work(s) you’d like to submit, formatted to the above specifications. Text is ideally sent as a DOCX file, but may be presented as a link to an online doc. Images must be sent as separate PNGs or JPGs. You may submit your works in a .zip folder

  2. Titles for each of your works

  3. The name you’d like to be credited as in the magazine

  4. Chef’s recommendations for submitted works—how would you like the audience to engage with your piece(es)? Your answer can be literal or abstract. Please keep this under 25 words!

  5. Allergy information for submitted works—i.e. any major content warnings. The Passion Potluck team reserves the right to add or remove CWs as we deem appropriate for the magazine’s overall tone

  6. A completed contributor interview

  7. Whether or not you’d like to join Passion Potluck’s optional Discord server

Example chef’s recommendations:

  • This dish is best enjoyed chilled, cracked with a spoon, on a hot or unseasonably warm day

  • This dish is best enjoyed with red wine and a cosy blanket, curled in bed

Example allergy information:

  • Graphic Depictions of Violence

  • Rape / Sexual Assault

  • Underage Sex

  • Major Character Death

  • Types of Abuse (e.g. Domestic Abuse)

  • Explicit or Implicit Sexual Content

NOTE: The PaPo team does not have access to Mac software and will not be able to open Mac-specific files.The creator interview, allergy information, and chef’s recommendations can all be typed directly in the email; we will format it into the magazine on our end. If you’d like to submit the text portion of the application as a separate doc, however, that is also fine. As a final reminder, submitted works do not have to be new, nor must they be exclusive to Passion Potluck—reformatting and reusing existent works is totally fine, as long as you retain the copyright!If you are an illustrator or mixed media artist and would like the Passion Potluck team to lay out your text and images for you, please submit all relevant works by the 15th of the month before the deadline (i.e. February, May, August, November)!

If you would like to apply to illustrate the cover, please email [email protected] with the following:

  1. A sketch of your idea, with colours / values optional

  2. What season you’d like to illustrate (this does not have to be the current or next season; we will hold the finished illust until it releases with the season you want!)

  3. More examples of your finished, polished art

  4. Whether or not you’d like to join Passion Potluck’s optional Discord server

The team will collaborate with you on the illustration to make sure it stays on-theme and drawn elements are not covered by the Passion Potluck logo!Feel free to submit multiple cover ideas at once, but—excluding Passion Potluck team members, in the event we do not have a contributor to do the cover—you may not illustrate the cover multiple times in a row (i.e. if you have illustrations for both spring and summer, your summer illustration will be held until next year).

Once you’ve submitted at least one piece (including a cover illustration), you may request an invite to PaPo’s contributor server—a space to chat with other contributors and share process updates for future issues to keep each other motivated! The server is also a convenient hub to coordinate on collaborative entries.Joining is completely optional, as all important project updates will be relayed via RSS email or on SNS. Please don’t feel pressured to jump in if a group chat environment is not helpful or comfortable for you!

2026 Winter Release

  • 2026.10.15 | Thursday, 15 October — Submissions open

  • 2026.11.15 | Sunday, 15 November — Mockup preview & layout request deadline

  • 2026.11.25 | Wednesday, 25 November — Beta-read request deadline for writers

  • 2026.12.01 | Tuesday, 1 December — Submission deadline

  • 2026.12.12 | Saturday, 12 December — Contributor preview

  • 2026.12.15 | Tuesday, 15 December — Public release!

  • 2026.12.21 – 2027.01.11 | Monday, 21 December to Monday, 11 January — SNS post-promotions

2027 Spring Release

  • TBA

2027 Summer Release

  • TBA

2027 Autumn Release

  • TBA

Who’s Cooking?

idolkilling | co-founder

A Filipino-American femme with a passion for “unconventional” characters and scenarios. Perpetually missing the unhinged OC-RP community of 2010s Tumblr.

mihlen | co-founder

Korean & American, serial procrastinator. A better writer than an irl chef. Loves characters with atypical experiences of life and living.
Genre omnivore.

Squid | editor

Korean Canadian.
Neurotic enby. Enthusiastic
advocate of male pregnancy.
Should write more.
ㅤ

ramsauced | founding member

Liberian American and resident furry. VERY big fan of putting “tough” characters in compromising situations. Ask about her music taste :)

cremini | founding member

Malaysian Canadian,
local lolicon. Angst fiend who
draws towards the esoteric and
unidentifiable.

Kouka | founding member

Chinese Canadian library of OC lore. Too many bird OCs and enjoyer of doomed onions. Parent of two cat-shaped things.

Apis | writer, artist

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

Rossoll | artist

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

sugarcrayons | writer

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

softmelancholic | artist

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

A.L. Thorne | writer

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

Ingenious-Moron | artist

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

Haze | writer

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

Nik Ruby | artist

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

Valvicmia | writer

Seen in Passion Potluck 2026 Autumn.

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