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The facility of a very good piece of writing is unmatched, in any case the pen is mightier than the sword, right? Wielding her pen – or more likely her fingers on the keys of her laptop – is author, editor, and legend Gina Tonic, who has penned pieces around mental health, sex, and being fat for a wide range of titles including Dazed Beauty (which you may read here). 

Personal, funny, and honest, her style has unsurprisingly earned her a legion of fans who can’t get enough of her work. While Tonic is a voice for them, it’s one which she wishes she needed to look as much as when she was growing up. “I used to be deeply and upsettingly isolated for big swathes of my adolescence – all my diaries from the ages 11-16 are only me wishing to be dead, pondering of how to off myself, listing the explanations I hated myself – and all of it stems from feeling like an outcast and a loner and lonely,” she explains. “The more shit we are able to put into the world that somebody can relate to, the less that folks need to feel like lonely little misunderstood freaks. I need people to know regardless of what you’re as much as or pondering, I understand, I’ve got you, let’s be freaks together.” 

Last yr, Tonic continued supporting her community and making people feel included with the launch of The Fat Zine – co-founded with photographer Chloe Sheppard – as a project for fat people by fat people, featuring beautiful images and have submissions from its followers. “The Fat Zine was a completely satisfied accident, it was something Chloe and I had just mentioned for years about doing. A correct pipe dream,” she explains. “Then the pandemic happened and we were each out of jobs with what gave the look of countless spare time so why not? The way in which it’s popped off is just such a treat though, day by day someone latest finds it and messages us about how and why they adore it, which is so so sweet. I appreciate each message.” 

After a successful first issue, the pair followed up with a 2021 calendar, which unsurprisingly was equally as successful. Now, Tonic and Sheppard have turned their focus to issue two which is out in March. “The more open and blatant individuals are about our issues, the more others can feel calm about what’s happening to them. I just want everyone to chill out, I need fewer taboos and more just enjoyment of life. If more people could let go of their inhibitions surrounding sex, surrounding body image, surrounding mental health, we’d all have a ball,” she says. 

Here, we speak to Gina about battling trolls, the longer term of The Fat Zine, and why everyone needs to speculate in a very good red lipstick.

Where do you reside and where are you from? 

Gina Tonic: I currently live in Manchester (and have for the past 8 years) but I’m from the Valleys originally! Definitely feel more Welsh than British. 

Are you able to tell us a bit about yourself and where you grew up? 

Gina Tonic: I grew up in a really close community form of town in south Wales. An ex-mining town totally fucked up by Thatcher and continually fucked by lack of funding and opportunities. No matter this, the individuals are among the friendliest you’ll find anywhere! I relish any likelihood I get to go to home, I actually do. It’s a right laugh and considered one of the prettiest places on the planet. 

What’s it you do and the way did you get into it? 

Gina Tonic: I’m a author and editor and I got into it by accident really! I did a creative writing degree and summer after 2nd yr applied for 1,000,000 internships in literally anything related to writing. I got a crap journalism one for a women’s lifestyle mag in Manchester but had such a ball doing it that I realised my dreams of being a author didn’t need to be limited to only fiction. 

Then I feel fate stepped in a bit because I used to be on the train from Leeds to Manchester after seeing The Cribs and there was a glamorous plus size gorgeous goddess angel sat on the train with me. After we pulled into Victoria I refused to not speak to her so I ran over and we got to chatting. That was Marie Southard Ospina! Who got me my first writing gig at Bustle in addition to introduced me to the fat liberation movement.

What are you trying to speak through your work and why? 

Gina Tonic: Inclusivity, firstly in anything. I need to incorporate as many individuals as possible. I need to not only include them, but rejoice them. 

I at all times harken back to 2 quotes in my life/work, which is: “Discover who you might be and do it on purpose.” by Dolly Parton and: “If you’ve gotten a hunchback just throw a bit of glitter on it honey, go dancing!” by James St James. A lot inclusivity work, especially in my specific field of fat lib, focuses on just acceptance but I need greater than that. I need celebration, adoration, limitless joy. 

Who or what inspires you? 

Gina Tonic: John Waters movies. John Waters characters. Glam rock. Emo. That are the identical thing in my eyes. Zine makers like Ione Gamble and Angel Rose. Shirley Bassey. Most recently I’ve been in awe of Aja Barber, her activism is actually poignant in how one can intertwine your personal standpoint with actually making a difference. She’s a legend. 

Are you able to talk us through a few of your favourite features/projects? What response did they get? 

Gina Tonic: The Fat Zine issue one really broke my heart, in one of the simplest ways. How much people  – after they finally got it, shout out the Royal Mail for losing half of them – really responded to it and told us they needed it? Truly modified my life. It made each piece of fatphobic flack I’ve ever received feel value it because without it I might never have made The Fat Zine. 

Other highlights include interviewing Cupcakke for Polyester, it was so surreal and I used to be so scared but Ione (the EIC for Polyester) at all times pushes me to simply do things outside of my wheelhouse and it turned out to be a fab interview. Also loved my How to Fuck A Fat Girl piece I wrote for Vice, it went viral and I just feel really represents me and the way I need to put in writing. 

What’s been your profession highlight thus far and what do you hope to perform ultimately? 

Gina Tonic: Type of covered this before! I don’t know what I need to perform really, I just need to enjoy what I’m as much as and that’s definitely been what I’ve managed to do since taking one other shot at journalism the past yr. I only decided to go for it in April 2020 and it’s crazy what I’ve managed to get done in that point! I’m pleased with my accomplishments in such a brief span of time, and a highlight is certainly getting a 9-5 job at a quick fashion brand in July and just… quitting after sooner or later because I knew it wasn’t right for me anymore. I’m glad I took that leap of religion on myself, it’s worked out alright hasn’t it?

One set end goal, I suppose, can be to show The Fat Zine right into a properly paying project for our contributors. Individuals are so keen and enthusiastic and helpful when submitting and dealing with us, I might like to find a way to pay back to the fat community in a literal sense in addition to paying our dues with the zine. 

What are you working on for the time being? 

Gina Tonic: The Fat Zine issue two is out in March! I’m also trying to put in writing a book, a fiction one, which has been my first time specializing in a fiction project longer than a few pages since graduating 1,000,000 years ago. I hope it goes well but even when it surmounts to nothing, I’m just having fun with being creative for myself with it. 

What does beauty mean to you? 

Gina Tonic: Beauty is an essence and aura of self-love and confidence. Someone who adores themselves is immediately more beautiful than the shyer amongst us, in my view. When One Direction said being insecure makes you beautiful? They were incorrect. 

Describe your beauty aesthetic in three words. 

Gina Tonic: Big fat slag.

How do you say your identity and experiences through your beauty? 

Gina Tonic: I got an anonymous hate message in summer that basically took me out for six, and it said something like ‘your disgusting body bulging out of garments too small for you’ and occupied with it, that’s so fabulous haha. I like that my body can have such an effect on someone, that the garments I select for her can offend them. That’s crazy to me. Why are you so bothered? I can be baring flesh and searching excessive and ridiculous for the remainder of my life, it’s my favourite thing to be revealing and raunchy. There’s something so powerful in knowing that just by being myself I’m pissing someone off. Showing off metres of my cleavage and my rolls and my chins is me asserting myself, my beauty and taking on space that I’m so often told I don’t deserve as a fat, loud, queer working class woman. 

What’s your favourite smell and why? 

Gina Tonic: This one is so annoying since it’s Let The Good Times Roll body spray by Lush and since they were outed for donating to that TERF charity, I’ve not shopped there. But I’ve almost run out of this scent! It’s a butterscotch smell that just gets in every single place, people in my co-working space will know I’m in the home by smelling it from where I’ve walked past the front door. I like being that particular and engaging. You may follow the sweet smell and also you’ll find me.

Which fictional character do you most relate to and why? 

Gina Tonic: Divine in Female Trouble. She’s a brat. She’s ridiculous. She hates the humdrum and at all times sees herself as probably the most beautiful creature in existence and the very best bit is that it isn’t even a joke, she is probably the most beautiful creature in existence. And so am I. 

When do you’re feeling most beautiful? 

Gina Tonic: In gay bars or gay club nights, or in lingerie, or most of all once I’m at a gay club night only wearing lingerie. 

How do you must change the world? 

Gina Tonic: I’d like every one who thinks they’ll’t pull off red lippy to stop pondering that. Everyone looks higher in red lipstick. Get some. 

You’re the editor of a time-travelling beauty journal 100 years from now, what beauty trends are you reporting on? 

Gina Tonic: I’m promoting obesity. The women adore it. We’re all eating 800 doughnuts a day to get even larger. Lucy Liu is president of the planet. All the pieces is now free and accessible. I’ve got considered one of those floating body automotive contraptions from Wall-E and I scoot about in it watching the Ugly Betty revival. 

If you happen to had to decide on one surgical enhancement, what would it not be and why? 

Gina Tonic: I’ve already got lip fillers and I’d like more. Would quite wish to hoik my tits up under my chin and out of my belt for the day too. My back would appreciate it I’m sure. 

It’s the sixth day and you might be creating humans. They’ll look nevertheless you wish them to. What do they give the impression of being like and why? 

Gina Tonic: I’ve at all times wanted a tail, I’d add a tail. Within the least furry way possible too, please.

What’s the longer term of beauty? 

Gina Tonic: Genderless definitely. Not white in any respect. Hopefully not thin either. Sick of those golden ratio TikToks where they morph people’s faces into this “ultimate” beauty face (I believe they based it on Amber Heard?) that’s just a skinny cis white women’s face. It’s so boring now.