Amelia G and Forrest Black, the two masterminds of BlueBlood are at it again. This time they are bringing in the heavy guns for their Barely Evil magazine. The inaugural issue comes at you at 100 beats per minute blasting your senses and tantalizing your eyes. This issue has everything from the ultra cool work of Vaughn Belak (hey, if you like his work here, you gots to check out his Dodging Knives and Throwing Bullets book!) to groovy fiction of Richard Kadrey to some killer interviews. How much of this is safe for work? Well, let’s just say Uncle Jimbo can’t quite show the bits he wants (and two Starbucks patrons launched into puberty just by the very act of me opening the e-zine version on my iPad). As always, I’ll give you the skinny and let you review the uncensored unleashed unchained version in the sanctity of your home. Blinds down, Lights out, true believers.
The first thing that hits you when you open the magazine is just how high quality this is. BlueBlood is not unfamiliar with the ‘zine business and their chops show loudly here. The spread and layout is fantastic. I love it—just love it. A great magazine goes a long way in presenting aspects that we didn’t know we needed in our life. Ahuixa swimwear comes to mind. I went from not knowing about them to not knowing how I ever went to the beach without them! Just some killer looks here. I love the hoodie and the dart arts vibe.
There are a lot of groovy articles of things I can’t show you (Oxballs, for example) but something I can discuss is the Stephy Slaughter interview. Stephy aka gigixs on MFC, opens up about her love for LaVeyan Satanism (see: Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey) and it makes me wonder what part of her art reflects the philosophy. Sometimes when we see someone dressed a part, that’s all it is—a part. With Stephy Slaughter, I believe we are getting the real-deal. This is rather refreshing in a world where fake sells. The interview is interesting and you will learn more about your favorite cam model. The photos take this to a whole new level. I love the suspender and dog collar photo. There is a lot going on in a little space. The lips and the eyes, oh those blue haunts, draw the attention immediately but it’s the cock of her head that seals the deal. With just a slight tilt, Stephy takes this shoot from sultry to top 10. The slightly askew suspenders that both hide and display her pale breasts adds to the mystique of the pose. It is one of my favorite of Stephy Slaughter and I can’t show you. Sorry, a bit too nipply. You can either take my word on this or delve into the magazine yourself. You know the route I’d suggest.
Roniit’s work via Bella Vendetta’s interview makes me want to see the video, in fact, that’s exactly what I did. You can see the Killstar x Roniit video here if you scroll down and press play. I think this is fabulous. Anyone who puts themself into casting this deep deserves a look. The passion here reminds me of Nikki Sixx’s photography. The dirt, the raw, and the very talented. If you like the vibe, you need to check out the video after reading the interview. They go hand-in-hand rather well.
Richard Kadrey’s ‘Black Neurology’ weaves masterfully through the graphics by Forrest Black. What I really love about Barely Evil is the way they present fiction. The techniques work so well here. It is the merging of the graphic with the verbal text that sets the mood and I’m a huge fan.
I’m also a huge fan of Tara Toxic and RazorCandi. Both appear in this issue with Tara giving a bit of a black and white with RazorCandi going full red—each bring something uniquely theirs to the table and each piece works off of each other. I’m not sure if this is a happy coincidence or a master stroke by BlueBlood (my money is on BlueBlood) but it works ridiculously well. We have two punk icons and the juxtaposition between photo styles is splendid. That’s the thing about Barely Evil—remove all of the text and you still have a great photo book worth the price of admission alone. The text is what pushes this to the next level.
Speaking of being pushed to the next level, I think we can all agree that Vaughn Belak’s art is well into the stratosphere, and I don’t mean the hotel in Vegas. I enjoy the way Vaughn merges art with business. You can see that in the way he approaches art and in his book. For some in art, ‘business’ is a dirty word and I think that feeds into the ‘exposure’ issue that is at grips with the community at large. Vaughn’s book with his personal essays goes on to discuss this but this interview with Amelia G focuses on inspiration and direction. I won’t spoil it too much, but the closing shot sums things up perfectly: Back Vagina.
Another great issue (the first one, to be exact!) from BlueBlood team of Amelia G and Forrest Black. I love Barely Evil magazine and it’s a joy to review it. Every issue is packed with great writing, insightful interviews, and outstanding photography. If you are new to BlueBlood and want to dip your toes into their world, I can think of no better place than Barely Evil magazine. The online edition is breathtaking and the print kicks it up a few notches. I wish I could show you more of the photography, but SFW is not exactly Barely Evil’s style. You’ll have to find those gems for yourself when you pick up a copy here.
