Although Gothic Beauty is a SFW magazine, one which, in my opinion, verges on the prudish, a lot of the best altporn photographers have been published in the magazine. I think this is because, no matter how soft or explicit, alt work has a lot of style and attitude, so a lot of models we would love naked and sexy in the alt world obviously look fantastic and stylish with their clothes on as well. The look and subcultures are the throughlines.

For this Project, the Gothic Beauty team has pulled together a who’s who of early two thousands alternative photography and altmodel work, with many contributors you will recognize. Alt aficionados will be particularly pleased to see contributions from AltStar Hall of Famer Amelia G (BlueBlood, GothicSluts, BarelyEvil, EroticFandom), AltStar Hall of Famer Forrest Black (BlueBlood, GothicSluts, BarelyEvil, EroticFandom), Apnea (GodsGirls, SuicideGirls, SuperCult), Angela Ryan (BurningAngel, CrazyBabe, ShinySluts, HollyRandall, MisterDevious, RetroKitten, BlueBlood), Ulorin Vex (HollyRandall, LatexHeaven), Lithium Picnic (SuicideGirls), Darenzia (Juliland, GodsGirls, BlueBlood, GothicSluts, BarelyEvil, EroticFandom), Batty (BlueBlood, GothicSluts, BarelyEvil), and more. One of my favorite things about this Project is they are posting regular in-depth interviews on the Kickstarter where contributors share behind-the-scenes moments and their thoughts on goth. These are some really excellent and interesting interviews.

Backers receive an email with each interview as it posts to the Kickstarter. Rewards include the goth calendar, Gothic Beauty Boxes, T-shirts, and more and more swag. You can even pledge to have your own birthday or other special day enshrined in the calendar.

Mission:

Help a storied goth community brand make a retrospective calendar, reuniting 25 years of iconic visual artist contributors, and enjoy rewards of Gothic Beauty Magazines, Gothic Beauty Boxes (makeup, accessories, decor, spooky luxuries), and more.

Join us in celebrating 25 years of Gothic Beauty, the largest and longest-running goth magazine in the world. Launching from a Yahoo Club, Gothic Beauty Magazine was more than a publication. It was a movement. The young women who discovered Gothic Beauty in the early 2000s now enjoy sharing their collections with their daughters. Gothic Beauty isn’t just a magazine you read once and discard. It’s something you keep, something you pass down.

Shares really help as well as pledges. Thank you for your support.
– Kathryn Valerie, Publisher Gothic Beauty

Picture this: the 53rd issue comes with a whole bit about a bride and a vampire, a Wednesday Addams fashion dream, as well as an absinthe cat bag perfect for carrying around your witchy essentials or Salem-related stuff. What’s not to love?

This issue starts with the stark Kassandra Love, whose creative work with Katakomb comprises some of the most high-quality designs in gothic fashion that I’ve ever seen – including the Wednesday Addams dress. It didn’t take much convincing to jump into the story of the brand and its creator, and I must say that the interview by Lenore was a fantastic read from start to finish.

The kicker for me was the streampunk-turned-romantic-turned-gothic-turned-vampiric proposal and proposal feature by Catherine Campbell. The author captures the love story of Hilary Branner and Marc Fuerst, two fantastic creatives with a knack for some ‘ooky’ regalia, a common interest that improved not only their relationship, but the wedding as well. Note to self: demand a vampire-themed proposal at a New Orleans restaurant.

Something about Nyctophilia immediately caught my eye too. Maybe it was the name, or maybe it was the interview with Forrest Black and his thorough coverage of the European counterculture Youtube scene, which will now prompt me to book a flight to Hamburg to visit Chrissi’s shop for some goodies.

And let’s not forget the other little gems sprinkled throughout – book club suggestions that go perfectly with an Edgar Allan Poe poster and a playlist that’s all rock ‘n roll with a dash of witchy vibes. Ludovico Technique – a name that sounds as mysterious as it is enchanting – was one I was happy to see again, especially since Amelia G’s interview is like a cherry on top of the black-velvet cake.

Naturally though, LashyDoodle commanded my full attention as someone who absolutely spends too much time attaching false lashes most of my mornings. The practice is incredibly popular among gothic influencers. I personally have been wearing these little pieces of art for years now, and LashyDoodle eyeliners are as smooth as butter and as dark as the night. No, I’m definitely not ordering more right now.

From start to finish, Gothic Beauty Magazine knows how to captivate the reader. This digital edition of Gothic Beauty 53, which is a must-read, is available now for anyone who wants to add a tinge of glamour and darkness to spice up their day. You can use coupon code for just a couple more days to get the download. Gothic Beauty 53 is also available in print.

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.