Babes with Brains Calendar for Women's Aid

Have just updated the website with a pre-order link and a preview of our Babes with Brains Calendar for Women's aid. We have Women's Aid's official blessing and thank you, so we're good to go!

Our models have been chosen (the seven published cover girls and the next five) and we're trying to arrange another few photoshoots to get some new pictures for the occasion.

I'm going to re-post the info I posted to the website here, because it's important, and I'm just going to tell you the same thing, so:

Villains, Minions, Virgins of the Undead! The Antagonist is thrilled silly to present our 2011 Babes With Brains Calendar!

It's twelve months of full-colour, spiral-bound glory featuring twelve (and just maybe a top secret lucky #13) beautiful women chosen for their considerable intelligence and kindness of disposition!

All proceeds will be donated to Women's Aid to help them in their quest to end domestic violence.


Babes with Brains

Babes with Brains: a tongue-in-cheek title for an overdue concept. For those of you just joining us, the models featured on the covers and throughout the issues of The Antagonist are the Babes, women of all ages and walks of life chosen for their intelligence over their dress size, lovingly photographed in places and situations that are personal as they are playful. This project is attempting to show, one issue at a time, that all women are beautiful and that there is nothing sexier than a woman who can crush you with her mind (as if anyone needed convincing).

We've had the honour of photographing some incredible women over the past year and half, and now we're bringing them all together in a series of new pictures for a cause: to raise money for Women's Aid.

Domestic Violence is a serious problem that affects women, children, and men all over the world. One in four women in the UK alone will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Women's Aid is a charity that strives to put an end to the violence, raising awareness and protecting the affected, saving countless lives in the process.

It's an important cause, and that's why we're donating all of the proceeds of the calendar to help them in their mission.

Some of the models you know, and some of them will be new to you. We have stunning previously unpublished photos of Kitty Moran, Elizabeth T, Jen Sheehan, Lisa Ray, Emily V, and Ophelia from Issues 1 - 6, as well as some new faces including the lovely Liz Wride, Kylie R of Issue 7, and a special guest appearance from our personal rock star, Englane Read (see above).

The calendars are full-colour, spiral bound, designed from scratch by the Editor and include noteable dates (Pagan, Christian, and Antagonistic!) all year round. They are available by pre-order only, and you must place your order by midnight GMT on the 5th of December. They will be shipped to you anywhere in the world from the Headquarters, hot off the presses, in time for Christmas (or Yule). You can get them on the website or from our Squid Shop.

For more on Women's Aid, click here.

We'd like to remember those affected by domestic violence in the calendar. If you have anyone you'd like mentioned, please contact us.

Issue 5 is OUT NOW!

Attention Minions!

Issue 5 of The Antagonist is out now! Once again, it is absolutely FREE to download, so tell your friends, warn your enemies, and get your copy here. The password is "emilyv".

This month we have 44 advert-free pages of rubbish including:

*interviews with No Use For a Name's Tony Sly and the very talented piano guy Brian Wahlstrom
*reviews of Hole, Gogol Bordello, Tony Sly, and Jace Everett
*a four-page feature challenging popular negative perceptions of tattoos
*Punk John's Spring Break blog featuring David Cameron, Courtney Love, and a big ass billboard with a stag on it,
*lots of gorgeous pictures of the very lovely and suspiciously clever Emily V
*literature by Rhys Owain Williams, Gillian Brightmore, and the first part of a new short story cheerily titled Snickerdoodles: Or How I Stopped Baking and Started Hurting People
*documentary PROOF that Elvis really is everywhere,
*and a letter to Jordan Catalano

...in addition to all the regular features and columns you know and love or feel indifference to.

That's a lot of free stuff!

So download it, take it, love, it, pass it around, and write me a damn article!!!

Issue 5 is coming!

Right! So Issue 5 is slightly behind schedule, but that's only because we're having a hard time packing so much awesome into forty advert-free pages. There's a lot to catch up on, so I'm just going to go for it.



We've got a review of Joey Cape, Tony Sly, and Jon Snodgrass' gig at the Croft in Bristol (which I'll spoil for you right now by telling you it was totally bitchin')...



an interview with No Use For a Name's Tony Sly who has just released the terribly exciting solo album 12 Song Program on Fat Wreck...



an interview with the amazingly talented "piano guy" Brian Wahlstrom who's Claremont has the Headquarters feeling all jittery...



the very first column by Antagonist favourite Niki Lee, all the way from Cali-frickin'-fornia...



a literature section that will knock your socks off with abundant sex, violence, and writer's block from Gillian Brightmore, Rhys Owain Williams, and Yours Truly, AND tons of pictures of Emily V., who I'm sure you'll agree, is really, really incredibly hot.

How does all that sound? I am overwhelmed by all of the excitement!

In other news, the t-shirts have sold out except for one lonely size L in a bag in my closet (any takers?) and all of the special edition copies of Issues 2 and 3 are gone. Issues 4 and 5 to follow! We have a printer now and he's so good, we're completely overwhelming him with our enthusiasm. The Headquarters has a new staff member, Vince, the Long Arm Stapler, and he's been very busy. Joy abounds!

Speaking of joy, I am thrilled silly to report that Jace Everett is playing The Chattery in Swansea (random much?) next month and we're all going. Like, all of us. If you want to go, contact The Chattery directly and book yourself some tickets!

Don't forget, The Antagonist is participating in the 24-Hour Poetry marathon on April 23rd at the Elysium Gallery in Swansea. Sponsor us, come down and support our writers, and read something, bitches! It's going to be a great night!

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!