HORROR REVIEW - SPLATTERPUNK #6

SPLATTERPUNK 6

Those of you of a certain age will remember  an era without widespread internet, hell some of you will remember an era where there was no internet. In those dark days we had to rely on things like zines to get our fix of horror news, reviews and fiction. Hand crafted magazines that conceived out of love and born out of a photocopiers.  It's an era that has sadly all but gone, luckily for us though there are still folk like Jack Bantry and his rather special Splatterpunk to keep the flag flying.  

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As the name suggests Splatterpunk is a zine dedicated to the more extreme side of horror. Don't come here looking for some nice cozy quiet horror, this is the full on real deal. Kicking off with a heartfelt eulogy to J. F. Gonzalez a true master of the splatterpunk scene, who sadly passed away far too soon. We are then given some great non fiction columns from Jack Bantry, Ginger Nuts very own Kit Power, James Newman, and John Boden, these columns cover such topics as the best in splatterpunk fiction, horrific moments from films that aren't horror, why a certain horror author may be squeamish (Kit, I worry about you at times) and why the were drawn into horror from a young age. I'm always a fan of these sort of articles, as they allow the reader to get a small glimpse into the heart and soul of a horror writer. It may not always be a pleasant glimpse, but it is always enlightening. As for the fiction Jack Bantry has once again gathered a fine set of writers around him. F*ck Shock by Brendan Vidito is based around the concept of the intense sense of dissatisfaction you fee;l are really terrible sex. I don't know who Brendan is but I get the feeling he has been talking to my wife. Ryan Harding's Threesome is a brilliant revenge thriller story, that ends in a truly gruesome manner. Despite the subject matter and some of the events on the story Harding pulls this story off without it every crossing over into gruesomeness for gruesomeness sake. James Newman once again shows why he is a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre, with this powerful story about a child raised in an abusive and angry household. Bracken MacLeod's The Texas Chainsaw Breakfast Club, or I Don’t Like Mondays is a hilarious homage to those films of the 1980's where the jock the rebel and high school sweetheart come together to overcome some nasty head teacher or some such thing. Funny and brutal in equal measures this is the standout story for me. Kit Power closes the magazine with story that until you read the final paragraph has you wondering in between the gasps of revulsion just what the hell is happening here. A well written story that delves right down into bowels of decency this is a story that will leave you fearful of going to the toilet for the rest of your life. Splatterpunk 6 continues the great tradition set up by the five previous issues, you can tell that this is a labour of love for Jack, and despite the limitations of its production it never fails to deliver on both value and content.

Purchase a copy here