Issue 98

Issue 98: Your Own Personal Joker

The Joker is the most popular fictional character of our era. Seeing through the veils of the frail society we live in, it’s hard not to laugh. What will become of this Joker-fied world? Streets rampant with hooligans and circus-themed villainy? Parade balloon related crimes? Do people really want to watch the world burn, or are there still a few clowns who’d rather throw pies?

Vera Drew has gone through many transformations in her life, no vat of acid required. The filmmaker spent her pandemic creating The People’s Joker, an autobiographical Batman movie of queer awakenings, artistic rebellions, punk sensibilities and a city that desperately needs an enema. Just one hitch: Despite the stake the public has put into the clown prince of crime, the character remains the intellectual property of a major Hollywood studio. The People’s Joker only had one public screening before Warner Bros. retaliated, putting future plans for the movie in peril.

In this issue we speak with Vera Drew about The People’s Joker and the fight to give the Joker back to the people. On top of this profile, the Issue 98 includes:

- The winners of the 2022 Broken Pencil Zine Awards!
- Jenn Woodall reflects on her faith, comics, 40 years of Love and Rockets.
- Why artist Vincent Trasov dressed like Mr. Peanut and ran for mayor.
- The Etsy strike and how online artisans are banding together to demand a better deal.
- P.E.O.W. looks back at their astonishing comics run.
- No Toner archives the sleaziest zines of the 80s and 90s.
- YouTube’s Kreal shows us where the magic happens.
- Olivia Mae Sinclair adds texture to text with fabric stitched zines.

PLUS endless ZINE, COMICS, MUSIC, GAME, FILM, & INDIE BOOK reviews!