Tinsel, balloons, silver thigh-high boots and golden boobs all featured at PASTEL Magazine’s fifth issue Pasplanetary Launch last Thursday night. The event, hosted as part of Brisbane’s new Sci-Fi Theatre Festival, celebrated all things intergalactic for the quirky magazine. PASTEL combines the unique styles of Brisbane writers to create an “out of this world” publication for every star-trek, extraterrestrial and sci-fi loving guy and gal!
Coming down a fairly inconspicuous path into the box office at South Bank Tafe campus, PASTEL Launchers were greeted with a wild soundscape and glitzy lights, not to mention some incredible fashions from the magazine’s creators. It felt like you were stepping into a 16-year-olds birthday party. Everywhere you looked there was no shortage of shiny decorations, and the team at PASTEL had clearly put a lot of effort into vamping up the space. What started as a fairly humble crowd, slowly grew as the night continued.
The Pasplanetary Launch functioned as a chance for the magazine, its contributors and readers to mingle, as well as get a bit of a tease for what the publication has to offer. From an outsider’s perspective, the proceedings were an interesting introduction to the ‘zine’ world – a form of magazine, which caters to the fan base who create them (in this case, the sci-fi community).
There was a clear camaraderie in the space where interests diverged and patrons chatted comfortably amongst themselves. The formal section of the night saw the event’s wacky host, James Goldsworthy, introduce upcoming and alumni writers to the gathered supporters. Goldsworthy’s fashion flair with thigh-high silver heeled boots, a yellow skivvy and a healthy amount of sparkle, was a highlight of the evening.
While the launch didn’t flow entirely seamlessly, the good vibes in the audience helped move things along. There was a casualness in the air, which was fused together with the heart and passion of the ‘zine’s’ supporters. Looking into this space, we were transported to another realm – where some poems, prose and short stories didn’t all fit within the sci-fi genre but were encouraged nevertheless.
Each content creator was given an opportunity to read an excerpt of their writing, as well as talk about their work. As an audience member, it was wonderful to see both new and seasoned writers coming together to share their creations. You could notice the difference between those who were confident reciting prose to a room of people and those who were more nervous about their moment in the spotlight. But the levels of experience didn’t matter in the environment. Both were fully applauded by the audience.
It is clear that PASTEL Magazine has a passion not only for its eclectic genre but for discovering and nurturing new talent. The experimental ‘zine’ allows its contributors, readers and supporters to get their glitter on and explore their own unique creative worlds.
With an eye for the eccentric, PASTEL is the platform for audiences to be unafraid and courageous with their work. The launch night, although delivered to a niche market, really embraced and empowered emerging creatives. If you have an inclination for the EXTRAterrestrial, then this mag is what you need to be reading.
To download your copy of PASTEL Magazine, head to http://pastelthemagazine.wixsite.com/pastel.
