Culture
Top or bottom? The play exploring the politics of gay sex
‘We need to dissolve labels’ — Parties, porn and sexual politics: we talk to writer Willy Hudson about his play Bottom – a raucous journey through contemporary queer life in London.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The extraordinary rise of Japan's unlikely tattoo hero
The art of intimacy — Horiren 1st is one of the world’s most sought-after tattoo artists, celebrated for keeping the ancient Japanese method of Tebori alive. But in a country where body art is considered taboo, her journey to the top hasn’t been easy.
Written by: Michael Magers
The androgynous wrestler who inspired glam rock
Merchant of Menace — David Bowie copied him. Jimmy Savile got battered by him. Wrestling never saw anything like him, before or since. This is the story of Exotic Adrian Street, a flamboyant brawler who blurred the lines between athlete and artist.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Huck: The Hedonism Issue
Out now! — This issue is a celebration of pleasure-seeking at its purest: the lessons learned when ‘excess’ and ‘extreme’ become a way of life.
Written by: Huck
Terence Nance is the mind-bending misfit film needs now
Random Acts of Flyness — Space Jam 2 director Terence Nance is a multidisciplinary powerhouse: actor, writer, filmmaker, musician. Now that he’s pivoting from innovative TV to a big-screen blockbuster, he’s as committed as ever to avoiding the comfort zone.
Written by: Simran Hans
Buying new is not sustainable, no matter how you sew it
A deep dive into fast fashion — The fashion world may be promoting a new, more ‘sustainable’ kind of consumerism – but no matter what they try and sell us, buying new will never lead to real change.
Written by: Kat George
The wonderfully weird world of Shintaro Kago, manga outsider
In living colour — Shintaro Kago is a grandmaster of the grotesque: conjuring psychedelic illustrations that inspire as much awe as discomfort. As his cult following grows, he’s on a mission to keep surprising.
Written by: Thisanka Siripala
The TV drama taking an honest look at the dark side of OCD
A pure cure — What if you couldn’t stop thinking about bestiality, child abuse and incest? Ahead of its premiere this week, we catch up with Kirstie Swain – the writer of new six-part comedy drama Pure – to discuss the untold truth about a life-changing illness.
Written by: Emily Reynolds
Remembering The Day Today, Britain’s sharpest satire
An oral history — A precursor to some of the country’s most-loved comedies, The Day Today revolutionised television satire. We speak to the show’s creators to find out how it came to be, and why it could never be made today.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
A street hustler’s journey to world-renowned tattoo artist
Physical graffiti — As OBE1, Josh Peacock tagged the streets of Cambridge and dealt weed on the side. Then heroin and homelessness upended his life. But through the healing power of tattoos, he has reinvented himself as a different kind of artist.
Written by: Cyrus Shahrad