ISSUE # 2

ELISABETTA SIRANI
Elisabetta Sirani, born in Bologna
in 1638, was a painter and etcher,
who died at the age of 27 years,
in 1665. Her father was the
Bolognese Giovanni Andrea Sirani,
artist and art dealer, and just
when the parent - who was among
his first teachers and supporters
- stopped painting because of
gout, she, at only 24 years old,
was at the head of his workshop,
as well as teaching later at the
Academy of Art of San Luca, in
Rome, and being the first female
artist in Europe to set up a school
of painting for girls.
Her success was not limited only to the area of Bologna as
it was also requested among rulers and diplomats from all
over Italy and Europe. Elisabetta never married, she became
a particularly important figure for the
professionalization of female artistic practice in Italy
at the beginning of modern history. She had a good number
of apprentices as well as male assistants and founded the
first professional art academy for young women. On the
previous page you can see one of Sirani's favorite and
perhaps most successful themes:
Timoclea, 1959 that throws in a well
a soldier of Alexander the Great who
had raped her during the battle of
Thebes. The traditional iconography
is usually dedicated to Alexander
the Great who, astonished by the
courage of the woman, forgives her
for killing the his captain.
Elisabetta shifts the focus on
tenacity and the strength of her
heroine, who has nothing to be
forgiven, who is capable of acting
Judith with the head of
and react to a terrible abuse such Holofernes, 1658
as rape.
Elisabetta Sirani, Timoclea kills the captain
of Alexander the Great, 1659, National
Museum of Capodimonte, Naples..
im darby, i’m a 15 year old artist who’s
somewhat new to the riot grrrl movement/zine
scene. my art is inspired by the people around
me, and the way i see the world.’

I’m so excited to be a part of your zine!

-Darby

Instagram: @d.shaub_sharpie.tats
girlhood as a pollutant

i am back at my old elementary school.

except this time i have arrived prepackaged
i curl inside a plastic bottle with my knees red and raw, as open as old chip bags. i am here
to find sisterhood with the litter under the jungle gym,
and excavate into the ground below the monkey bars.
sitting in the mulch, i dig into the landfill of my hips and my chest and my thighs and i do not breathe.

womanhood as a destructive force

do i ever catch myself watching my reflection in storefront windows -- flat & warped like the belly
of a stone –
yes
& i cannot stop myself
i am a moth to the light & i am the surface of the sun
sometimes i think what would i give to shed my skin & leave it bent & coiled on the ground like
the hull of a plane, splintered, discarded, alone
i try on three bras in the target dressing room & they all leave me with red marks on my sides.
i sink my teeth into the contents of my purse & dredge receipts from my throat for years to come.
i decide to shave my head & leave the hair on my front porch as a gift for nesting sparrows.
they do not take it.
i dig little pits into the skin below my hairline
i tell my mother i am sorry & i pierce the skin of a peach with my nails

THE AUTHOR:
My name is ellie crews, i’m 16, and i share my work on
instagram (@elliewritesstuff) and tumblr
(@vaguelyyvintagee). i submitted because i love riot grrrl
stuff and zines especially! i used to make my own but it’s
kinda on hold atm because i’ve been busy with school :/. i
found back to bitch on instagram and i love the style & vibe!
 HORROR PUNK
You can’t talk about music and
halloween without mentioning
horror punk, a punk rock
subgenre. Horror punk is a
music genre that mixes proto-
gothic and punk rock sounds
with morbid and violent
imagery and lyrics which are
often influenced by horror
films and science fiction B-
movies. The genre is similar
to and sometimes overlaps with
deathrock, although deathrock
leans more towards an
atmospheric gothic rock sound
while horror punk leans
towards a 1950s-influenced
doo-wop and rockabilly sound.
Horror punk music is typically
more aggressive and melodic
than deathrock.
Horror punk is generally apolitical in comparison to other
punk rock subgenres, although some songs do refer to
political events and some artists have espoused their own
political views. The founder and most influential were
Glenn Danzig's Misfits; they then inspired bands such as
Balzac, 45 Grave, Rosemary's Babies, and Mourning Noise.
This style also influenced many artists who were
successful in the 1990s and beyond such as Wednesday 13,
Rob Zombie, Murderdolls, and Avenged Sevenfold.
My name is Áine O’Leary and I’m 17. I submitted to y’all because
I love all things halloween/horror and the culture behind it - I
love what y’all do and what your zine stands for, so I was super
excited to be able to possibly contribute to something so cool
and to showcase some of my art this time of year. :-)
You can find more of my work on insta at @ainebainneart !
Dafne – Hel - Nina