Mother Tongue | #7

Mother Tongue has been on my reading list for a mother f*cking minute. But seriously, it’s one of the few magazines (in my opinion) that have truly created a more modern alternative to the market, which in this case, parenthood magazines. Which let’s be honest, have always been for the mother anyway. 

While I myself am not a parent, I went to the same dentist as the rest of you, and among the National Geographic, you could always find: Parents, Parenting, Family Circle, etc. Some of these magazines have/had been around since the 30s, but when Mother Tongue launched in 2021 they gave us something fresh.

In lieu of the focus being on practical child rearing and household organization, Mother Tongue recenters on the experience of being a mother and how it impacts and is impacted by other facets of life. Mother isn’t an identity but a new descriptor one can explore. 

Whether you have kids, want kids, or couldn’t care less about them, Mother Tongue provides space for a voice not-so-often heard. It’s a perspective that’s helpful to understand, and with the editorial team’s smart direction–you’ll hardly notice it’s a parenthood magazine anyway.

Moan | #5

Sex through an activists’ lens because sex is political. Do you even watch Law & Order SVU? 

The amount of sexual pleasure that is indeed a problem (talking lack of consent and experiences that harm others) is such a small sliver yet sexuality remains so entirely taboo. For instance, my parents never had “The Talk” with me and my mother to this day, despite being nearly 60, shudders if I bring up anything sexual. 

Moan is five issues deep and focused on the experiences of women & non-binary folks. From fetishes to fantasies to pertinent issues and personal experiences, each zine is an act of rebellion to those who’ve been censored and neglected in the world of erotic media. With the utmost respect for their contributors, the editorial team has been able to establish well-deserved trust in this space.

But don’t fret! As a risograph zine, it’ll still scratch that design itch. It brings together raw, DIY aesthetics and a sleek, sexy polish that behooves a sense of sophistication by way of experience. I mean, they have popped their cherry some time ago.  

Discreet enough to read on the train, see if you’re up for it. Afterall, what’s more liberating than reading about fetishes on your commute home?

Fluffer Everyday | #6

If you can’t tell by the cover, Fluffer Everyday is not shy about sex. In fact, that’s the whole point since it started in 2016. Motivated by a desire to celebrate the naughty and find the sexy in the every day, their editorial approach is notably bolder and more irreverent than others in the industry. 

Sotiris Trechas publishes this beauty out of Athens, where he grew up longing for a queer community. Presently, he’s an established interdisciplinary artist, which underscores the Pop Art-infused design approach.

And it hasn’t always looked this way, while still bold & red it was remarkably more traditional. Sotiris speaks to this in the letter from the editor and it seems to be a new approach born from the pandemic. 

So dive in, face your fears, and get ready to see lots of flesh, because if Fluffer Everyday is right…if we were all more comfortable around sex, the world would be a better place.

Butt | #34

There’s a lot of respect to be had for a magazine that’s been around for twenty-three years, and BUTT is one of those magazines. 

Started in Amsterdam back in 2001, they’ve published 34 issues with “ interviews and photographs of and by shameless queers from the world over” in addition to even more creative projects from the publishers. Not just a collection of explicit images, but a protected space for marginalized folks to talk freely and without judgment. Where a conversation can cover their latest creative project and also their preferred sex position. 

Almost as iconic as the uncensored content is the design of the magazine. Famously known for its pink paper, BUTT is a prime example of how to carve out a memorable design identity with just a few elements. Even better, they’ll openly break the supposed rules they’ve set, such as a pull quote spanning over their two clearly delineated columns.

As you read, consider how this design reflects the community they speak to and how the storytelling competes (if it does) with the photography. Does something make you uncomfortable? Ask yourself why.

Bagel | #0

If you’re new around here you may not have been around to read our first tennis magazine: Racquet. Beautiful saturation, true dedication to tennis, and a mix of content intended (I imagine) to appeal to varying levels of tennis-related expertise & lived experience.

But that is not the magazine in your hand. This is Bagel. A magazine dedicated to the same thing as Racquet (to help make a seemingly exclusive & classist sport into something more modern and welcoming) but they go about it a bit differently.

From the get, Bagel has a sportier appeal & feel. They demonstrate clear experience & expertise while using grounded language that one would also use while discussing music or movies (i.e. any hobby). They embrace opportunities for edgy observations and aren’t afraid to poke fun at the sport they love.  It walks the delicate line of a ‘club’ that’s as inviting & as it is intriguing.

As someone with gym class & elementary school tennis experience, I found their storytelling & overall editorial direction more nuanced and less obvious, not to mention it’s an easy read. I imagine you could blow through this magazine almost as quickly as a light breeze moved the ball across the court as I struggled to pick it up gracefully. (such a tease)

Broccoli | #17

Broccoli is not the first or the last cannabis-dedicated publication, but it's a good one. If you've been along this Mag Club journey you might be familiar with my ‘design-first magazine's soap box. Many indie mags are beautiful or have a point of view, but not AS many are grounded in storytelling and the reader's experience.

Broccoli, to me at least, is a reader-first magazine. Sure it also does look nice and the photo spread you'll find inside is inspired and “I’ll buy a print for my home” worthy, but at the end of the day it's a great and varied read.

There's long-form, there's silly two-page spreads, interviews are thoughtful and, most importantly, they are not hindered by being a cannabis magazine.

It's not uncommon for a magazine to become stilted by its theme, forcing awkward interview questions just so that it makes sense, but Broccoli doesn't shy away from stretching its core cannabis identity to explore other topics that might be of interest.

All this being said, enjoy it. Once you start reading it, you might very well finish it-–high or not.