The Pain Issue: 40 Pages of Sex & Violence. Merry Christmas!

Spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Cardiff with The Punk. We ended up by the ferris wheel they've put up for the winter carnival (see my photo above). The idea of a winter carnival is still fairly novel to me. They don't really have them in the summer over here, but then we don't really have them in the winter. The closest thing I've been to in Minnesota was a drive through a field of Christmas lights in the warm safety of a car.

Still, the idea that Cardiff gets bad winters is laughable. Today was so unseasonably warm and sunny that I didn't bother taking a coat with. I'm not complaining, but I still find it ridiculous when everything comes to a screaching halt the moment an inch of snow hits the ground and instantly turns to slush.

Have spent the week working on Issue 3. Good stuff! The literature section is complete, and this time we're doing a short story thing with short fiction from Rhys Owain Williams, Kirsten Jensen, and Liza Penn-Thomas as well as Part III of Amphetamine Logic. I love them all, and I'm noticing a theme as the features come together. We have more than our fair share of comic violence, fetish wear, and *adult situations* (including our Dominated Love Slave Playlist) that this issue needs a very special name... perhaps The Pain Issue: 40 pages of Sex & Violence!

Or, you know, something like that. Send your suggestions to primaryantagonist@gmail.com.

Speaking of which, my super junk filter seems to have eaten a lot of stuff it shouldn't have, so if you or anyone you know has sent in a submission and I haven't replied, please SEND IT AGAIN! My Minions are too lovely to ignore!

Heaven's Basement and Issue 3

Heaven's Basement's Chris, Hannah Yates photography

Have spent the week so far getting ready for Issue 3! I've just interviewed Heaven's Basement (see above), and I'm getting ready to interview Rochester, MN's Metaloa and Bath's comedy group, 100% Balls. Exciting stuff! Also pleased to confirm that this issue's literature section will be geared toward short stories and flash fiction, with Chapter 3 of Amphetamine Logic, and short stories by Rhys Owain Williams and Liza Penn-Thomas. Now, I've already read these, and I'm sure you'll love them!

I've been getting so many excellent literary submissions in fact, that I'm planning on putting together a Literature section on the website so I have somewhere to put all of it! The section is going to stay in the magazine, but it'll be helpful to have somewhere to put all of the other brilliant things I get if the zine runs out of space. If you've got them, you can send your submissions to primaryantagonist@gmail.com!

Have also updated the Facebook fan page with our first four covers (September 2001 - March 2002) and our latest contributor photos. Check them out here.

Am terribly excited about Issue 3, and will keep you updated as the content comes in. Remember, if you'd like to submit to the magazine, this month's deadline is the 20th of November. Get writing!

American Means

Had an absolutely amazing time at The Crunch last night. It was a special American edition with D.E. Oprava as the featured poet, reading chapters from his latest book, American Means. Now, we thought that Vs. was great, but Oprava has really topped himself with American Means -- gritty, hopeful, beautifully formed, this 90-page poem is a modern epic that must be read. It had to be written, and no one could have done it like Oprava. It's not only required reading for American ex-pats, but brutally necessary for anyone needing a better understanding of what it really means to be American.

Hopefully there will be a book launch in Cardiff coming up, and I'll keep you posted. Hearing this work coming from the poet is an experience. Needless to say, I've got my copy, and you can get yours by visiting Grievous Jones here.

The above photo, in case you were wondering, is a blurry picture of Oprava with one of the Crunch's regular poets, James Angel, in a Grievous Jones t-shirt.

The Crunch was fantastic across the board. Adam provided hot dogs for everybody in keeping with the American theme, and all of the poetry was even better than usual. Some of the Antagonist's Minions were in attendance and in top form: Rhys Owain Williams' reading included a limerick that included the miraculous rhyming of the word "Oedipus", and Sarah Coles (writer: Bad Sex Awards 2009) read a lovely piece about her youngest daughter that almost moved this somewhat cynical so-and-so to tears.

Afterwards, myself and the Usual Suspects got up to no good, naturally. This involved climbing the massive hill to K & Jen's pirate ship (in the sky!) while brandishing chips etc. and gazing longingly at the food porn here. Seriously? Goldfish and Triscuits? AND Cheetos?! Be still my heart!

So somewhere between the fireworks and the poetry and the pirate ship (seriously, there was a flag and everything) me and Jen got to talking about photo projects. I mentioned I'd love to do a series of photos of men and Jen knew exactly what I meant & she's all for it. I'm not talking about leopard print pants & photocopiers (although now that you mention it...), I just fancy doing a series of interesting profiles. I mean, how else am I going to adequately communicate my appreciation for great noses?

Now you think I'm just making this up. I have a highly developed and somewhat eccentric vision of beauty and I'd like, in this series (if it ever gets made), to show that to other people. Tall order, maybe, but it's bound to fun. If you would like to volunteer yourself or someone you know against their will, you know where to find me!

PS - Hope you're all enjoying Issue 2. We've had 150 downloads in three days, so keep passing those links around! It's working! Spread the word, Minions! Issue 3 is also well under way and still taking submissions and listings, but I'm having a hell of a time picking just one picture of the lovely Jen S to use for the cover...

Issue 2 Out Now! And It's Free!

Attention everybody! Issue 2 of The Antagonist is out now as a forty-page, full-colour download and it's absolutely free, so you can download it and so can all of your friends. It looks like this will be your only chance to get a good look at the magazine without paying for it, so live it up!

To get your free copy, click here, and enter the password "elizabeth" when prompted.

Enjoy!

Babes with Brains #5-7

Yesterday's photoshoots went really well. We had three of them back to back in Swansea and it took about eight hours. Each turned out completely different, and I love them all! Here are my favourites...

#5: Emily V



For Emily we wanted to do a Madmen-style pin up set. I did her hair with hot rollers, but all the clothes are hers, she did her own makeup, and the natural light was perfect. This has been the easiest set yet, and I'm thrilled with the way they've turned out.

#6: Sammie R.



For Sammie we went for the '20s look and took the photos in her back yard, which is half-constructed and overlooks the sea and a block of patios, sheds, and garages. The final result looks like Clara Bow in an apocalyptic wasteland. I taught her the Charleston and she did it for a few minutes, much to the delight of her neighbours. I did her hair and makeup, and the clothes and back yard are hers.

#7: Jen J.



Jen wanted to go for a steampunky look with her corset, striped shirt, and utility belt. The theme isn't overly obvious, though, and the set is really a classic Antagonist-style white background kind of thing. I always used to take the cover photos against blank walls to make the designing easier (it's difficult to make the title stand out over varied backgrounds in mono), so that's what we did here. I did Jen's makeup, she did her own hair, the clothes are hers, and so is the wall. :)

So that was fun! Still looking for a few more to complete my collection and then I'm going to put them all in my underwater "garden" (three points to whoever knows what Judd Nelson film that's from).

People are starting to ask what the next series is going to be after Babes with Brains and I have no idea. I'd love to do something with guys but there aren't exactly dozens of volunteers. There's no concept yet at all, so if any of you have any ideas for photos you'd like to see or people you'd like to see in them, you know where to find me!