Issue 6 is OUT NOW!

It's out done. Issue 6 is finally here. I drank a bunch of vitamin water yesterday and stayed up and laid out like, 20 pages after work. I suspect it's pretty good, but I wouldn't trust my judgement because I feel like my brain has melted a little bit. See for yourself -- download yours, free as always, here.

The password is "ophelia".

More later.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Okay, so it's been awhile, but things are crazy. And by things, I mean me. I'm nuts. But if you're reading this, that's probably why. I can only guess.

So June went by stupidly fast because I went on an excursion to Minnesota. You want proof?



There it is.

I didn't expect to enjoy being back as much as I did, but it was amazing. It's always weird little things that you miss. Like your siblings.

While I was there, I went down to Infinity and got a new tattoo. I went with M and she got another one, too, and yes, I did say "another". M has loads of tattoos and she looks great, and the guys at Infinity always do an awesome job. Plus, they've got a candy machine full of chewy Spree. What more could you ask for?

Anyway, it was good being back, and it got me thinking about how little I've actually changed since high school. I have a couple of degrees now, and the Punk is pretty awesome, but everything about me is still pretty much the same. Same politics, same accent, same magazine, better record collection. People say you change as you get older, but they're wrong. If you change too much, you're not doing it right.

I always thought it would be awesome be publish The Antagonist forever, but I didn't think it would actually happen. I know ten years isn't all that long, but it's not bad, and the magazine's longevity has been the greatest surprise ever. I put it down to being stubborn, foolhardy, and irritated enough with the world that I have to constantly make fun of it.

Sure, things have changed over the years -- it's more about the music now, for one thing -- but I think it's better than ever. Issue 6 is going to be a weird one. It's our Post-Apocalyptic Silent Movie issue. Why? Well it beats the hell out of "Fall Fashion Dos and Don'ts".

For this one we've got an interview with Dandelion Snow, Niki Lee's first column all the way from West Hollywood, a review of Emily's Army at the Troubadour, Violent Matt's investigation of Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, and loads of exciting pictures of Sammie. Here's one:



I'm having a lot of fun with this one, changing all the fonts and colours for the occasion (way more exciting to me than you can imagine), and going out of my way to find content just that little bit weirder.

Why not?

Now I say this a lot, but I am always looking for new writers, models, bands, artists, etc, etc, so if you or anyone you know would like to get involved in any capacity from any part of the world, let me know. It's been clinically proven that I am actually the nicest Editor in the history of Creation, so get in touch, and I might even bake for you: primaryantagonist@gmail.com

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!