Welcome to the dark and mysterious world of gothic culture, where black is the color of choice and macabre reigns supreme. Within this realm, there exists a magazine that has been spreading the word and influence of gothic culture for over two decades, promoting the art from the depths of the notable post-punk era’s lack of mainstream recognition, straight to the mobile screens of those who are experiencing their first Tim Burton production and buying black eyeliner right after.
The 52nd issue of Gothic Beauty Magazine has two things of note that immediately caught my eye; the rich art style that bleeds dark subculture and the fantastic write-ups that hook me in faster than any Stephen King book. Yes, even the ones that promote a Dracula garlic crusher – because honestly, who doesn’t like irony and cute design combined into a useful little product?
Think of them as your go-to guide for everything goth, from music and fashion to literature and art.
From cover to cover, there’s no missing the visually stunning imagery that speaks for itself. Acid Doll is draped in so much Wulgaria red, that even Roman Emperors would drop their jewels to serve such royalty. The interview with designer Lena is equally as engaging, with pictures from Annie Bertram serving as a simply fantastic side dish to an already marvelous main with enough caviar-rich content to keep me full for ages. Any of those designs can fit anywhere between the newest Addams Family production and the latest Elden Ring DLC – the variety is a delight!
It’s really easy to get lost in the content and designs of the magazine, but the Sundari Franklin interview for Minnie Opal is something of a palate cleanser, in the most avant-garde of ways. Alexandra Hagel’s ritualistic aristocratic imagery has been captured in a perfect blend of wild and tamed, in part thanks to Toanle’s sense for photographic perfection. While reading the piece, I also learned a thing or two about bone digging, which was a pleasant surprise, especially if I get any ideas to scatter some on a crown and make designs from them.
But then came ‘goblin king’ Aurelio Voltaire, and I was almost bewitched by the poster design alone. While there’s a heavy presence of skulls, crystal balls and circus carts in all of his work – so much so that I could almost smell the witch-hazel through the screen – there’s no need for Tarot Cards to predict anything less than a fantastic interview by Amelia G, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading next to a glass of red wine as Voltaire’s voice was the accompanying melody as he gave some tips and tricks from his Gothic Homemaking videos. My eyes were opened to the fact that a jack of all trades can in fact be the master of many, and he is the prime example of it.
What really tickled my pickle though was seeing a big ‘The Last Podcast on the Left’ feature. I nearly spilt the wine I’d been sipping on all over my white rug when my brain caught up with what my eyes were registering. Marissa Phillips does a phenomenal job in asking all the right questions about the podcast, and host Henry Zebrowski does an even better job at answering them by saying that he is in fact, a “baby goth”. Ladies and gentlemen, we did indeed, got him.
I even got to learn the history of battle vests thanks to Wesley Johnson. TIL: World War II veterans and My Chemical Romance fangirls have a lot more in common than I thought.
Luckily though, just when I thought the fun reads were coming to an end, I was suddenly hooked in for the best horror books for 2022. Spring flowers under sunlight be damned, I will be diving into the oldest Victorian urban legends under a pile of blankets with horror soundtracks playing in the background.
It was a feast for the bookworms, and shifting through the pages only to find a huge BEETLEJUICE title next to a wad of green was like finding that favorite piece of candy at the bottom of a purse— because it is, in fact, showtime to cap off the issue. Fashion houses Vixen by Micheline Pitt and La Femme en Noir decided to bring out my giddy 80s persona and love for horror and fashion as they recreate styles from the movies by adding a bit of modernity and less… corpse to the looks. That’s in part thanks to Susie Q’s excellent photography skills, but I will tip a hat to Francesca Longley for giving a nod to monsters and fashion, and for providing some great insights into the horror scene of the last century.
If there’s anything else I can say, it would probably be that I will be tuning in for every future issue. The writing? Fun. The images? Captivating. The theme? Thrilling.
I would highly encourage having a look into Gothic Beauty Magazine to get the most out of the culture. The digital copy is available for a limited time now for free using code gb52love which this Gothic Beauty link will automatically add, and, after that limited time, for purchasing. But having Gothic Beauty in print up on a bookshelf is also a good option for anyone who wants to dip their face into a pool of black eyeliner and maybe get some beautiful goth culture in their lives. There is even a Gothic Beauty Box, which includes accessories, decor, and makeup, along with the Gothic Beauty Magazine.
