Withersin Magazine
3 Times per year
Withersin
Magazine is an unusual magazine which focuses on the “dark, different and
pleasantly sinister”. It is published three times a year, about 100 pages an
issue, black and white interiors with colour covers. It is perfect bound and
digest sized.
Each
issue has a theme, for example, Issue 1.3 was Death, 2.1 Flesh and 2.2
Bone. It is a rather eccentric
publication which is hard to quite put your finger on, it does not fit within
traditional genres or literary categories, it crosses between fiction, strange and
interesting non fictional articles, art, reviews and news and even some humour.
It is very nicely presented and looks just as good as it reads !
Issue
2.1 is the current issue and is called Flesh, it opens with a definition of the
term Flesh including the fact that the word Eskimo comes from Eskimaux, which
means eater of Raw Flesh. It then offers a superb range of unusual and
entertaining content. Bobbie Metevier on Zombies, an article on Corneal Blindness,
Kelly Jameson great story “Urges
Contrary To Swallowing”, recipes, Charles Coylott “teethGRINDER”, an interview
with Michael Lohr on horror writing and
related subjects, the Root of Horror by Larry Roberts and lots more. It is
packed with fascinating and strange content and some quite astounding artwork
which ranges from photos and line art to superb full page illustrations for the
fictional stories.
Issue
2.2 which has a release date of October is called Bone and it opens with, you
guessed it, information on the nature and function of Bone. There are all sorts of intriguing articles
including non-fiction pieces on Chem Trails, Diseases and death and strange
Bones. Interviews with Chainsaw Sally and a real vampire and a cool Sweeney Tod
historical piece. There is some great fiction, illustrated with full page
artwork, there is even an article on pickles and one on the Patron Saint of
Bones. This is another truly marvellous and eccentric issue from Withersin.
If
I go back to an earlier issue such as Issue 1.3 on death it includes some
fascinating non-fiction pieces on Haunted Houses in the U.K, Strange and Scary
Stops in New York, Unusual Deaths, Anthropomancy,
interviews D. Harlan Wilson, Sharon Del Adel and with Edward Lee on
splatterpunk. There is some great fiction and again some stunning artwork.
I
absolutely adore this magazine; it is so fresh, so different and unusual. Every
time you turn a page you do not know what to expect – while there may be a
general theme Withersin explores it in an unusual and creative way so you get
all manner of fiction, folklore, anecdotes, historical tales, interviews and
art. Every issue seems better than the last and to include more and more
unusual, challenging and thought provoking articles – Withersin is both darkly
informative and entertaining.
This
is a prime example of the joy of independent publishing – innovative, creative
and downright strange.