Hello Zootopians! While the 2026 Zootopia Minibang Challenge has come to an end, we conducted some interviews with the project organizers, the authors and artists who were interested in participating. The creation of transformative works allows our fandom to flourish. All the participants donated their time to make this challenge happen. You can learn a bit about them and check out their fics and art if you haven’t yet!
PROJECT ORGANIZERS
Author, Creator, and Moderator of the Zootopia Minibang Challenge 2026: Atocha
Minibang Fic: Neon Howl
Q: Where did the idea for this project come from?
A: I’ve been a lurker in fandom for a long time and have enjoyed reading fanfiction written for various Minibang and Big Bang challenges hosted by different fandoms over the years. I hadn’t seen a Minibang or Big Bang challenge done for the Zootopia fandom, so I inquired on the ZNN Discord server. It turned out that it had not been done before. I pitched the idea and ZNN was kind enough to help facilitate it. What I love the most about these challenges is people who may have never worked together before, who both love the source material, can collaborate.
A: 2022. I watched the movie, after not seeing it since shortly after it originally released. This time I was truly hooked. I watched it many more times after and looked to see if there was a fandom that was still active since so much time had passed since its release. I stumbled upon ZNN and saw that there was a small, albeit very active fandom. As aforementioned, I had been a fandom lurker in other fan communities, but seeing this tight-knit dedicated community helped me muster up the courage to write and post my own fanfiction for the first time. Since then, I’ve been writing Zootopia fanfiction and have written for other fandoms as well.
A: It’s a bit of a funny story. In 2024, during the brat summer phenomenon, I jokingly asked my friends if they thought Nick Wilde was brat. (If you’re unsure about what brat summer is, it was a pop-culture moment that took place around the release of singer CharliXCX’s brat album.) The responses were overwhelmingly that yes he was indeed “brat.” I then took my Nick Wilde Funko pop the next year with me to a CharliXCX concert. At that concert, I got the idea that I should eventually write something where Nick was at a club with music like Charli’s playing. When the Minibang Challenge was in development, I decided that I would use that idea for it.
A: I really enjoy reading fanfiction in general. I read more than I write. When I’m not reading and/or writing, I enjoy traveling.
A: Funny enough, I just happened to be chatting in General Chat when Atocha was asking about a Bigbang/Minibang. I personally had never heard about it before, but thought the idea sounded like a ton of fun, and I feel like the fandom as a whole could use more events and collaberation. Afterall, people working together even if they are different is what Zootopia is all about! I rember mentioning in General Chat that if Atocha needed help, I’d be willing to help her, and beforeI knew it she was getting everything going and I was there helping her.
A: I started writing back in 2023 with my long fic You Don’t Know Jack. I had this idea that started to worm itself into my brain and I knew that I had to write it. Zootopia fanfiction got me through some difficult times, and gave me a place to escape when the real world was too much. I finally decided that maybe I too could write something that gave someone that escape, so I did.
A: I love Brooklyn 99 and I’ve always loved the idea of Zootopia mashing up with Brooklyn 99. My favorite episodes are the heist episodes they would do every year, and I knew I wanted to try and mash that up, as Nick would totally be the type to get that going. But I also knew that Nick would have some tricks up his sleeve, and that the hesists wouldn’t play out the same way that it did on Brooklyn 99, so finding what that looked like was actually a lot of fun.
Q: When did you begin creating Zootopia fan art and what made you start?
A: I started dabbling in it about a year and a half ago. I originally started because it let me brain storm ideas for my fic I was writing when I came to a writers block
Q: What was your artistic process for making the art for the challenge?
A: After reading the fic, I picked out 2 or 3 scenes that I liked that I thought could be fun to draw, and sketched them out. I sent those sketches to the author, and discussed with them which we liked best, and then proceeded from there!
Participants
Author: Skul Minibang Fic: Winter and Rabbitsworth
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I own over 100 copies of Zootopia, I own every single Zootopia comic, and I have been writing Zootopia fanfiction now for nearly 10 years.
A: 2016. I wanted to write a potential sequel to the first film.
A: I originally planned this as an ending to another fic, but realized it didn’t work, so I saved the idea for its own one-shot to write later.
A: Well, I’m just a Spaniard blue fox that is in love with Zootopia and the community. I like to create my own works regarding that world, my passion about the film doesn’t know limits! But that’s not all, I’m also in the furry fandom, my fursona is living proof of that. Before being totally drowned in Zootopia stuff, I was more in the furry fandom and there I created Vol, a colorful fox. I’m also just a simple person, I like to make people happy and to help to an extent. I like to be social and talk to people, I enjoy soccer and tennis as sports and sometimes to play it. But overall, I’m a gamer! If you want to meet me, reach me out, I’ll always greet with a smile!
A: Since I got struck by Zootopia, around 2017, and decided to create something of my own, such as my own fursona into Zootopia or even my own fanfiction revolving my fursona and Nick and Judy.
A: Starting from a sketch and being in complete contact with the writer I was doing the art for. Then was just a matter of time to put the pieces together with sense in the art.
A: I’ve been a writer since I was a kid, and exploring fanfiction throughout my teens, but after I got married and had several pups, I barely wrote anything for about 10 years. Then I stumbled on the fan film, Return to Zootopia, and the rest is history. 😄 I love Wildehopps the most, but my other OTP is Gideon/Sharla. When I’m not writing, I like reading, sewing, and cooking.
A: I came in really late – Fall of 2022. I kinda accidentally fell into the Zootopia fandom and spent most of the summer before reading as many fics as I could. At the time, I was basically looking for a creative outlet since my youngest kiddo was no longer a baby who needed me every moment, and got really inspired by how the Zootopia world was one big playground to run around wild in.
A: I went on a camping trip not long before the Minibang sign ups opened. Our trip went great, but I like the idea – especially after discussing it a lot with Ziggy, my artist partner – of everything going wrong and Judy just determinedly barreling through bc she’s afraid she isn’t doing enough to make sure Nick has a good time.
Author and Artist: OH_Shoot
Minibang Fic (Author): Rooftop. Zootopia
Minibang Art (Artist): Scent-sible Policing Art
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a Brit in my later 20’s with an unhealthy Zoot obsession. I tend to like writing, since 2020 have also put a lot of effort and drawing into art and such, and have become increasingly involved in the fandom and ZNN as time has gone on. I like worldbuilding and experimenting with ideas… Often being a ‘change X, how does that affect Y’ worldbuilder rather than a blank canvas-er, and having a few ideas both inside and outside Zootopia I’d like to develop going on. My favourite fics are Merc Marten’s Fire Triangle saga, as well as a bunch of sadly frozen in time Zistopia fics (A Different Path, Fox Point, The Fallen Chronicles) and my favourite artists are probably Aar0nJay and Ziegelzeig. As for my art, I really like exploring colour, intense lighting (intense coloured lighting!) while also going for a slightly ‘not perfect’ look. I use a charcoal brush for my lines, a watercolour based brush for my colours, I think that it’s the slightly rough edges that actually makes art better/ stand out more/ feel more real. It’s all a complex balancing act, but one with practice that I’m developing. I’m always trying to improve, tackle new things. Heck, one of these days I might even get on to doing backgrounds XD.
Q: When did you begin writing Zootopia fanfiction and what made you start?
A: 2016. While taking a tiny bit of note of Zootopia itself, it was the Zistopia comic that really got me interested. I was writing (awful) fanfic inspired by that before even watching the movie.
A: My original idea for a fic was a roadtrip story with Nick, Judy, Finnick and Clawhauser driving back from a holiday/ trip to Bunnyburrow, having picked up a bunch of spare furniture for Judy’s new place and trying to entertain themselves on the way home. The idea of a bottle episode sounded fun, particular given both the british tradition of sitcoms (two or more people stuck together who don’t quite get along) and with more specific inspiration from bottle episodes like ‘Limmerick’ from Cabin Pressure (a radio comedy about a tiny 1 plane charter airline). I actually got too far with this idea, realising I’d vastly overblown the word limit and, with too much to cut down and being a thousand or two words away from the end I decided to come up with a new idea. I’d had a very rough ‘fic concept’ idea at the back of my mind for ages (based on porting the structure of Merc Marten’s prequel fic ‘Escape from Zoo York’ into a tighter Zootopia plot) where a runaway young Jack would be living in the Nocturnal district, running with parkour gangs, and this little idea of parkour seemed like a spark to build off of. The big inspiration would be a video by a group called Storror who did a race against the London Underground, and to a lesser extent the game mirrors edge. Combined with my own work experience at the top of buildings and in plant rooms, it was fun to write bunch of chase and race scenes across the top of Zootopia’s skyline. I can’t say where the idea for the twist with Jade came in though I felt it made sense. As for the final flashback scene, I’m always interested in characters being in conflict with themselves, and having an undercover persona like that not just be an act, but to have a tangible effect on the character playing them felt like a really interesting thing to slip in. Especially so seeing as so many other Minibang fics were about undercover work, both before and during, so in hindsight it felt very unique to be the one person touching on ‘the after’.
A: I did a few tiny dabbles before but my main push came when ‘unbusied’ during the minor virotic event of 2020. I had access to a cheap drawing tablet so, after a few little goes, decided to try Zinktober and just speed run myself through practicing. And, to be fair, comparing where I was at at the start and the end of that month, it made a big difference. Moving on, a big reason I learnt art was to do my own fic covers and I did a few of those, as well as a few different pieces, before settling in to an aim of doing one artwork per month, always aiming to develop skills in certain areas an improve (or, if burnt out after a mega piece one month, just do something small so I keep the streak up).
A: After reading through the first draft of the fic, the scene in the police car with Nick skunked up and Judy out of the window to avoid it immediately stood out as the go-to image to work on. While not my first time drawing a car it was my first doing the Zootopia police cruiser, so that was a fun experience. After doing all the draft lines, my aim was to really capture the sense of the vehicle racing along which I thing I did very well. I had a few problems figuring out how to do the lighting/ reflections on the bonnet but managed in the end after looking at a few references. -I also wanted the included title to be diagetic… -In universe rather than stamped on. Using the stink lines coming off of Nick worked very easily, though for the ‘Policing’ I originally thought of having the ‘Police’ sign on the front of the car and some conveniently shaped blur lines… That ended up not working/ looking right, so I did the whole ‘Policing’ stamped on the front as you can see. A final polish up, working in the lights and lens flare from the police lights and it all ended up very good. I think I made my writer very happy, he was onboard with the idea from the start and happy for me to see it through all the way.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I like trains 🙂 🚂
Q: When did you begin writing Zootopia fanfiction and what made you start?
A: I had a handful of random ideas way back in 2017 or 2018 but that never went anywhere. Then, in May 2024, I decided to try my hands on it again and started turning one plot bunny into an actual project. That’s the first thing I wrote and put up somewhere for others to read, though it’s not quite done yet. I still have to write a few more chapters. xD I’m not sure why I started writing. My grammar and vocabulary sure aren’t the best lol. I guess I read a bunch of other people’s stuff and wondered if I could do something similar myself too. And I hoped to get more practice so I could turn those older ideas of mine into an actual story as well some day.
Q: What sparked the idea for your Minibang fic?
A: I signed up without a clue what I would write. I think it shows, my Minibang fic is by far the shortest one. So considering that, my main motivation was the deadline. Jokes aside, the specific idea crossed my mind after watching Zootopia 2. The movie was big on partnership, so why not try and figure out what Bogo did about Nick and Judy before he sent them to Dr. Fuzzby? He would surely try to help them along with their partnership before that already, I think.
Author: UncaAJ Minibang Fic: Family Threads
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’ve been writing fanfiction consistently for 9 years, starting while pursuing my first degree in Communications. It’s been a pillar in my life since then, helping me sharpen my creative skills and make many online friends. I hope to use the skills I’ve learned here to eventually publish original fiction while growing my career in tech. It’s been great being a part of this challenge and I’m looking forward to many more!
Q: When did you begin writing Zootopia fanfiction and what made you start?
A: The news of Zootopia 2 piqued my interest so I started first reading the most notable Zootopia fanfics in January 2025. I fell in love with the dynamic of Nick and Judy, the back and forth of this earnest bunny and sarcastic fox. From there, I saw Zootopia for the first time in March and from there, I was all in. I started writing Enter the Millennium in April and joined up with ZNN around that time too looking for a place to meet people in the fandom. It’s been a really fun journey thus far, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Q: What sparked the idea for your Minibang fic?
A: I always had a curiousity about Nick’s parents, especially when his mom was so clearly loving to him in the first film. Seeing the deleted plot with Suitopia and especially RobertFiddler’s comic It Should Have Been Me really got the wheels turning for me. I actually started on it before the Minibang but when I joined up, I knew it would be a perfect fic. It was really fun to craft my interpretation of Nick’s mom and dad. I find myself really drawn to father/son relationships in a lot of media, so that fueled my direction in this fic as well.
Artist: Alexander Fox
Minibang Art: Family Threads Art
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I’m a self-taught artist.
A: I started creating my first art project, Zootopia meets Atlantis, in October 2016 after watching the movie, which inspired me to continue my artistic journey.
A: Seek inspiration, experiment with various art styles and techniques, and embrace imperfection.
A: There’s really not much to know about me. Just one Zootopia fan in the fandom – totally not a furry – trying everything I can. I’m trying to get into some writing in drawing recently, so that’s nice. I guess I just wanted to feel like I was part of a group for once, maybe that’s why I joined the fandom in the first place… I don’t remember. Anywho, who’s hype for more WildeHopps?
A: This is actually my first time ever writing a solely Zootopia based fanfic. In fact, it’s my first solo fic ever. I guess the reason I started was because I’m a fan of Zootopia, and to just wanted to write, even if I may not be good at it. Perhaps it’s also to feel like I’m actually the part of the fandomt too. But oh well, thanks to the Minibang, I got the chance to do so.
A: This is actually my first time ever writing a solely Zootopia based fanfic. In fact, it’s my first solo fic ever. I guess the reason I started was because I’m a fan of Zootopia, and to just wanted to write, even if I may not be good at it. Perhaps it’s also to feel like I’m actually the part of the fandomt too. But oh well, thanks to the Minibang, I got the chance to do so.
A: To be honest, it came to me in a dream. No seriously, it really did. Coupled with the small number of Gideon and Sharla fics… I suppose it just clicked.
A: I’m probably a lot older than most. I’m 53 years old, married, with a teenage son, 3 adult stepchildren, and 2 grandchildren. I work in IT. And we live in a house turned zoo, with 16 pets. (4 dogs, 9 cats, 3 ferrets). I role play (Dungeons and Dragons), occasionally target shoot, like to cook.
A: I started writing Zootopia fanfiction back in September 2022. I had watched the movie when it came out on Disney+, and absolutely loved it. I’ve been an animation fan since I was a kid watching Hanna-Barbera toons back in the 1970s. After reading and loving (most) of the fics I found (I stopped counting at 1500) I decided to try writing. I started The Misfits of Bunnyburrow in September 2022. I wanted to write a “childhood sweethearts/friends to lovers” that was emotionally and logically sound.
A: I basically wanted to show actual police doing policing, and being a positive force. I basically took inspiration from the TV show COPS, some newspaper articles, and the experiences of having addiction in the family. Add a dash of my wife having been in a group home as a teen, and me having a girlfriend in the foster system turned teenage runaway (that I had to turn in for her safety) you had the core idea.
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