This thread is going to be about the issues faced in Cat’s Eye Zines by the staff working there. There may be some parts of this thread that will cause distress to those who have triggers for the following: abuse, abusive relationships, gaslighting, and manipulative behaviour.

Cat’s Eye Zines was supposed to be a collaborative safe space where people could come together, network, and ultimately grow in their craft. Unfortunately, behind the scenes staff were mistreated, unhappy, and felt lost in their roles.

As of today, the majority of the team has left the project due to various different reasons. The staff that left included: two graphic designers, the co-creator/PR manager, two typesetters, one admin, and two discord mods. Prior to this, three graphic designers had left the team.

This is NOT a callout post. The members that left will be referred to by their role and a number i.e. graphic designer #1, graphic designer #2, etc. This is simply to be transparent about the situation and to ensure that all parties have their ‘side’ told.

RED FLAG 1: GD1 is recruited to create logos and social media materials with no explicit deadlines. GD1 was also in the middle of finishing their degree at the time. After a short time with minimal progress from anyone, the Creator started to guilt trip GD1.

RED FLAG 2: More staff is brought on. The Creator isn't very versed in Graphic Design so they turned to the GD team for assistance, but rarely listened to their advice and often went back on what they had said previously.

RED FLAG 3: After the GD team was already upset over how the Creator handled things, GD4 was accused of breaking the rules with minimal proof and the Creator contradicting themselves with their evidence. GD4 was fired, with conflicting reports on why and who made the decision.

RED FLAG 4: Afterwards, the team expressed discomfort with how the situation was handled. Co-Creator stepped in asking members how they would feel if they took over before asking Creator to take a break.

These issues came to light when Co-Creator, GD1, and DM1 came together to help move forward with the zine after being told conflicting stories about each other from the Creator. They referenced screenshots and first hand accounts and pieced a situation together.

The lack of management, constantly going back on their word or changing their desires for the project, never setting deadlines but being upset when they’re not met, and misrepresentation of situations and people made for a very toxic environment.

This thread was a shortened version of a Google Doc compilation made by a team of 7 former staff members. You can read the full doc here: https://tinyurl.com/y3c6khg6 

Please do not send harassment to anyone involved or assumed to be involved. This is a collection of OUR experiences and an explanation as to why we left the project.