Unskinny, Issues 1-4

Fenham, UK: Unskinny, 1994. 4 vols. Each [16]pp; b&w illus. 4to. Saddle-stapled in illustrated self-wraps. Minor corner crimping and toning, else fine.

First four issues of this UK comics zine exploring themes of body- and sex-positivity through a lens of Riot Grrrl-tinged feminism—brash, brazen, frequently scatological and brimming with confidence. Recurring features include strips about the 106 Chix, a group of radically food-obsessed young women; an airheaded indie rock boy band, The Craps; "Fashion Disasters of the 20th Century"; a column, "Get Your Own Back!" detailing "unnecessarily harsh revenge tactics" to use on boys; also various one-off comics ("Johnny Depp Paid My Council Tax Bill"), as well as recipes, rants, etc. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white line drawings, photographs, collages, etc. Second issue also with a "Cut Out And Keep Kurt Cobain" paper doll ("As well as being a whingeing git and hopelessly irresponsible heroin addict - he was the voice of a generation, and rather good-looking (if a little on the short side)." Sweet produced at least eight issues of the comic, which was anthologized in 1997 in book form. Speaking that year to The Independent, she described the genesis of Unskinny: "It's from my own personal experiences of not being able to get clothes in the size I want, feeling marginalised because I'm a bit heavier than other people. ... I want to make big girls fashionable, because I think they're sexy, and they should be models and film stars and be able to do whatever the hell they want without having to compromise by slimming down." OCLC locates only a single UK institution holding copies of the periodical.