“I met God and so they’re fat too,” reads the back cover of the second issue of The Fat Zine, Gina Tonic and Chloe Sheppard’s radical, fat-positive publication. Launched last 12 months, The Fat Zine celebrates the lives, bodies, and experiences of fat people, putting them front and centre in a way that continues to be remiss in mainstream media. Following the inaugural issue last September, issue two has now dropped – this time, with an exploration of all of the nuances and facets of affection. 

A really deliberate alternative, the theme of affection is an antidote to the ‘self-isolation’ motif that ran through the primary issue and explored not only the loneliness we’ve all experienced over lockdown but in addition, Tonic says, the sentiments of isolation that fat people feel, particularly growing up. “The love theme is an incredible counter to our first issue,” says Tonic. “Fat people need a bit more love and adoration within the media that involves our bodies and lives.” Sheppard agrees saying that love involving fat people is seldom explored, especially with any sense of brightness or desire. “This felt like a probability for us to try to indicate a few of that representation we deserve,” she says. 

Packed full with essays, poetry, short stories, photography, and art, issue two features interviews with the likes of TikTok’s dancing Steven McKell, postcards by Laura Du Ve, and the exciting addition of Dazed 100 winner La’Shaunae as the brand new music editor. As with the primary issue, the pair relied totally on open submissions for the content, giving their community a platform to precise themselves and see themselves represented. One in all these submissions was the back cover image by Ray Madrigal, a standout piece for Tonic which supplies a nod to the fat acceptance movements of the past, constructing on what has come before, and moving the conversation into the longer term. “It echoes the sentiment of signs from the 1969 ‘Fat In’ protest in Latest York, that read ‘Buddha Is Fat Too,’” she explains. “It’s concurrently nice and sad that these sentiments (and defences) have been happening for therefore long.” 

One other nod to cultural icons is available in an interview with Marilyn Wann, the creator and speaker who founded the Riot Grrrl zine Fat!So? within the early 90s. As a longtime supporter of zine culture following her work with Polyester and Ione Gamble, Tonic was honoured to seek advice from Wann and discover she was a fan of The Fat Zine. “Marilyn is someone who I look as much as immensely and the interview I did together with her made me cry!” she says. “We didn’t include it within the zine since it felt a bit self congratulatory but after we asked her what other fat publications she admires, she replied ours.” It was a full-circle moment for Sheppard, who has long-admired Wann and was ecstatic when she bought a replica of the primary issue. “Had I been fifteen reading those issues (of Fat!So?) for the primary time, as a substitute of just about 25, I feel it will’ve drastically altered my self perception for the higher,” she says.

The Fat Zine will indisputably offer the identical perspective-shifting impact to so many others world wide. With a definite, unapologetic sense of identity, the pictures that fill the zine enjoyment of fat bodies, celebrating their beauty, while the essays and poems offer shelter to an entire spectrum of experiences and emotions. Something Sheppard discovered first-hand: “When planning this issue I used to be on the joyous side of affection, and having never been in love before I used to be elated to finally be relishing in it,” she shares. “Now in March, that’s not the case and I’m permanently hovering between heartbreak and a nervous breakdown, but through all of this there’s been work I’ve looked to within the zine that’s resonated. There’s work that I felt worded just how full and inspired love makes us feel, in addition to the sour side. It’s at all times healing to know you aren’t the just one going through it, especially from a fat perspective.” 

And she or he actually isn’t the just one. After the primary issue of The Fat Zine launched it was met with enthusiasm that Tonic describes as “mind blowing and absolutely incredible.” Since then, they’ve established a flourishing online community stuffed with people enthusiastic about what they’re doing. “Issue two was a natural progression due to the love that was shown to us, we desired to reflect back onto our fellow fatties,” Tonic says. 

Order issue 2 of The Fat Zine here.