InkBlot Publishing

13/05/2023

Hey! If you're anywhere near the city this afternoon then stop by the Whale Mall and say hi!
We have all the classics, a couple mini zines, and some beautiful colourful contributions from our house artist here!

28/04/2023

Hey! So we're back!
It's been, like, *checks watch* a year?
But things happen, our editor's been on hiatus making grief art, and the rest of us kind of went on pause without them.
But they're back now, and though everything's a little bit different, we're back as well.
Soon you'll be hearing about where we're appearing next, what we're working on, and how things have changed.
But for now, enjoy this photo of our new mascots!

25/01/2022

In case you haven't noticed: we've rebranded!
Mostly because we're not doing The InkBlot Mag anymore (and the latest edition was always our profile picture).
But also, because we're not just that mag anymore.

04/09/2021

Introducing:
The 2021 Cold & Soggy Edition!

Available today from 12-2 at Netherworld
and for postal and digital orders once we update the store page.

03/09/2021

Introducing:
Rory, with their piece Basilica in Mist

"Pictured: the infamous 600ml teapot from which Rory Hawkins Esq. played his 2020 rendition of ‘You Only Live Once/A Cruel Angel’s Thesis (E minor)’ in a timeless yet refreshing blend of alternative-rock and anime op.

Critics are calling it:

‘A new-age ode to cross-genre performance, quite the vibe.’
-Brisbane Ceramic Orchestra

‘Eine New-Age-Ode an genreübergreifende Performance, ziemlich viel Stimmung.’
-Beethoven 

‘One of the reasons we don’t go out drinking anymore.’
-Emmet, Rory’s friend

Despite these fabled claims, however, Rory maintains that he is a simple writer who just enjoys exploring ideas around expectations, perspective and the symbolism that plays in-between, especially in short stories…which is why he submitted a poem?"

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

02/09/2021

Introducing:
Spotty, with their piece Housecats of the Apocalypse

'To the untrained observer Spotty appears to be a small, well-loved dog.
But in truth he is an intrepid explorer.
His spots are mostly faded, his stuffing has lost its spring but he has a journal of his adventures that would make Dora and the Thornberries blush.
When not venturing over land and sea he spends his time drinking tea and writing about his more harrowing experiences.'

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

01/09/2021

Reintroducing:
Caitie, with their piece Fate

'Caitie Leigh’s road to pursuing writing has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride, one that has taught her to have the courage to defy people’s expectations and chase her dreams. She hopes to encourage her readers to do the same through her writing, for she would not be the person she is today if she didn’t have the strength, courage and persistence to believe in herself. Caitie loves to write thrilling mysteries and heart racing romance and fantasy. Her characters are clever, fearless and blissfully in love but in real life, Caitie Leigh is anything but her characters. While she has taught herself to have courage in her writing, she has never been in love herself. She’s a sucker for a great romance and gets giddy anytime a great love story evolves across the page. As a result, she loves to lose herself in her own writing.'

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

31/08/2021

Introducing:
The new & improved Shandra, with their piece For The Love of Lists

'A restless soul with too much energy for her body and too many thoughts for her mind.
Believes that the past is something to be examined and learnt from but also thinks that believing that could just be an elaborate excuse to stay stuck.
Hasn’t made up her mind on a lot of things except that flowers are pretty.
Takes an absurd amount of pictures featuring flowers.
Would almost always rather be outside than indoors, and dreams of living in the countryside. A life as full of inspiration as it is flowers in her garden.
No more being caged.'

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

30/08/2021

Introducing:
Brittany, with their piece India Ink

'Brittany was probably a mad scientist in a past life, maybe a plague doctor, or at the very least was burned as a witch. In her spare time, she likes crochet and reading fanfic in second person (it’s familiar to her since she once upon a time wrote Hetalia x reader fanfic on DA). Thankfully now she just writes weird s**t like this or unrestrained prose when overwhelmed. She is a filthy casual gamer/artist/cottage-core enthusiast, adores black liquorice & pusheen, and unironically speaks full "Hewwo, what’s this? OwO" with those closest to her.'

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

29/08/2021

Reintroducing:
Jak, with their piece The Bugs

'Jak has been told that Kirwin is an Irish surname. Despite never having been to Ireland, or knowing any Irish people, Jak’s dad insists that there is some Irish gene within the Kirwin people that imbues them with a passion for poetry, song and Guinness. It is perhaps for these very reasons that Jak can often be found staggering around Coles in naught but sandals and a potato sack, singing Danny Boy and asking white collar businessmen where they have hidden truth.'

You can find their work in the delayed but finally happening Cold & Soggy edition for 2021

27/08/2021

Just to be clear after all the recent kerfuffle, the next issue will be available from the 5th of September and we'll be selling them at Netherworld from 12-2ish. In fact, our countdown starts this Monday.

19/08/2021

Wait, what? That's basically a fully grown cat.
Or, like, a pretty useless human.
Happy Birthday to us, I guess. 🎂🎂🎂 🎉🎉🎉

02/08/2021

Aaaaaaand nevermind. We had a backup plan for a 7 day lockdown, but 8? 8 is a weird number of days in a 7 day week society, so that was a surprise.
Oh well. Get back to you when we know what's happening with the launch, because it won't be on Sunday. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

22/07/2021

Getting organised for the next launch.
There will very much be stickers.

30/06/2021

Had a bit of a trouble retrieving everybody's email addresses but we managed to contact everyone we're accepting for Cold & Soggy '21.
So if you haven't got either an email or a messenger message from us by now, then, bad luck and feel free to contact us for an insight into why.
Thank you so much for all your submissions. We enjoyed reading them and mostly went with the ones we did just because they seemed the right fit for this particular publication.

22/06/2021

Mulling over submissions at the moment and they're, like, weirdly good.
Should be getting back to people sometime in the next week.

09/06/2021

Finally got the shop running how we want it, just in time for the inspiration to change it all again! See it while it lasts. >.>
https://www.inkblotpublishing.com.au/shop

01/06/2021

First content pulled from an actual campaign, and it turns out that makes for way too much content.
We had to split it up, so this is part 1 of 5, with a link forwards at the bottom.

Tales from the Dungeon Crawl, volume 2, part 1 Daniel Brown Jun 1, 2021 Background Information Saltmarsh is the largest of the towns of The Shattered Coast, on the frontier of The Federation. People here remember a time before the Federation, before the Old Kingdom fell. Many of themare determined t...

30/04/2021

Replenishing our stickers today and making some new ones, so if there are any gaps in your collection then make sure you stop by.

This Sunday at midday! We're hosting a stack of local creatives who have done a variety of independent print media including zines, comics and lit collections. Grab a beer and check it out! We'll be doing this every couple of months going forward, so if you're a creator please get in touch via [email protected].

27/04/2021

It's all in the title really.

Photomanipulation Of Faces Is Deeply Uncomfortable, And That's Probably What Makes It Art Daniel Brown Nov 23, 2020 Photoshopping is a core feature of the InkBlot art style, along with an aversion to colour toner. But even before InkBlot we were photoshopping animal heads onto each other's bodies fo...

09/04/2021

So, for those who've been following the saga of InkBlots & Dragons (the production, not the story), the Fighter path is now compete and we're working on the others in the background.
-
We just planned too much, and wrote too much, and got too excited about it the way it was, and that's why it's taking so long.
And if you don't know what we're talking about, then you need to get your hands on a Hot & Sweaty '21 and flick through to the middle.

28/03/2021

Image Call-out
So, for some reason, we're already thinking about the next edition (Cold & Soggy '21) and we need your photos to make into the next weird & wonderful cover.
Last one was a cat, so maybe pictures of someone's dog? Or, like, a ferret or something. How cool would that be?
Or whatever you've got, really, we 100% make it up as we go along and appreciate a challenge.
Just email us at [email protected] by April 11.

27/03/2021

Introducing: Tales from the Dungeon Crawl!
This is an online only publication with rolling submissions for anything DnD related, such as:
-Session write-ups
-Character art
-Short stories
-Presentable One-Shots
-And any interesting Homebrew
Just email us at [email protected] to be added to the pile.
Also, reach out if you need a couple more players, yeah?

Tales from the Dungeon Crawl, part 1. Daniel Brown Nov 21, 2020 Four adventurers set out on a noble quest to rescue their friend from mysterious forces. Floating intangibly in the space above and yet also within them, four players sit around a table. Some are eating chocolate, some are eating chips,...

04/03/2021

Had a bit of a run on stock for H&S '21, so slight delays are possible, but if you want one immediately there are now digital copies available on gumroad! (https://gumroad.com/inkblot )
Which is running digital copies only, as we're doing invoices for physical ones until the Actual store is up on our slowly crystallising website.

InkBlot Publishing is creating weird and wonderful zines to share prose, poetry and other things you wouldn't expect.

27/02/2021

Introducing:
The Hot & Sweaty '21 edition!
If you're in the area, then feel free to swing by Netherworld this afternoon for a copy of your very own. We even have stickers.

27/02/2021

Introducing:
This Harp, that a contributor made

'This Harp cannot be perceived. You may think that you are perceiving it, but you are mistaken. Looking, peeking, glimpsing, and viewing are also out of the question. All you know is a soft melody heard in the brief border between sleep and consciousness.
What is it playing?
What key even is that?
Don’t be nosey.'

The accompanying piece, In My Eyes, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

25/02/2021

Introducing:
Jak, the only contributor of this generation to use an actual photo of themselves

'Jak has been told that Kirwin is an Irish surname. Despite never having been to Ireland, or knowing any Irish people, Jak’s dad insists that there is some Irish gene within the Kirwin people that imbues them with a passion for poetry, song and Guinness. It is perhaps for these very reasons that Jak can often be found staggering around Coles in naught but sandals and a potato sack, singing Danny Boy and asking white collar businessmen where they have hidden truth.'

Their piece, Boondocks, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

24/02/2021

Introducing:
Kavita, contributor

'Kavita wrote this story in a writing workshop in the year of decisions-changes-moves. In writing this story, she wanted to rewind-erase-revise certain histories and explore what it means to control-draw-own the narrative. This remains a running theme in everything she does.'

Their piece, Boy Meets Girl, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

23/02/2021

Introducing:
Caitie, repeat contributor

'Caitie Leigh’s road to pursuing writing has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride, one that has taught her to have the courage to defy people’s expectations and chase her dreams. She hopes to encourage her readers to do the same through her writing, for she would not be the person she is today if she didn’t have the strength, courage and persistence to believe in herself. Caitie loves to write thrilling mysteries and heart racing romance and fantasy. Her characters are clever, fearless and blissfully in love but in real life, Caitie Leigh is anything but her characters. While she has taught herself to have courage in her writing, she has never been in love herself. She’s a sucker for a great romance and gets giddy anytime a great love story evolves across the page. As a result, she loves to lose herself in her own writing.'

Their piece, Dark Desires, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

23/02/2021

Introducing:
Jackson, contributor

'In his family's eyes it wasn't a choice to be attracted to men – but it was a choice to be gay. They wanted him to be intelligent instead, and funny. A funny, intelligent carpenter – one that drives a manual. Be fit, be healthy, be a liar, be in denial. Just be acceptable. Don't make anyone turn their head. You have to be safe – safety first. But safety like that's made him bored. So now, Jackson intends to build an entire career around being gay, and writing stories and characters so incredibly gay and lacking in substance that you couldn't possibly describe them as anything else.'

Their piece, Safety First, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

22/02/2021

Introducing:
Eiri, repeat contributor

'Eiri J Brown is an artist, mainly working with illustration but sometimes experimenting with poetry. They use writing as a means of venting, without grabbing the person closest to them and screaming like a depressed anxious hyena. In their spare time, Eiri likes to praise clowns, think about axolotls and water their dying marigolds.'

Their new piece, Cardstock, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

21/02/2021

Introducing:
The Spoon That Fell Behind The Stove, contributor

'The Spoon is in pain. In darkness. They cannot understand the tragedy that has befallen them.
And as they are engulfed by the cool nothingness, they pray they will be found.
But no one can save them.'

Their piece, Navy Blue Darkness, can be found in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

19/02/2021

Introducing:
Fig the Pig, an obvious alias

'Fig is a pig with no bias against consuming their namesake, or small children for that matter.
Fig finds they go down surprisingly well with a glass of milk, or the blood of their enemies.
Some would argue that this is all bluff, that a stuffed pig could not possibly be so ferocious, especially not one from the children’s section at Ikea.
To you they say: you’ve clearly not spent enough time in Ikea.'

You can find their piece, About A Mouse, in the upcoming Hot & Sweaty edition.

18/02/2021

Introducing:
The new and improved Snowflake, repeat contributor

'Snowflake is an ugly cat with no other distinguishing features. Owned by the humans next door and utterly convinced that they own the entire complex. We're talking so confidently aggressive that they will hiss at a moving vehicle because it's coming down the shared driveway. Fortunately, they're almost always too tired to deal with people's crap, but somehow managed to hear about, plan for, and submit to this weird little magazine.' (though we suspect it was stolen from somewhere)

Their new piece, which lacks a title, can be found in the next Hot & Sweaty edition.

15/02/2021

Not directed at any of our latest contributors, so much as the freelance editing side of things, but true nonetheless.
"Writing mistakes that are minor, but so common that they cause me physical pain"

Writing Mistakes That Are Minor, But So Common That They Cause Me Physical Pain Daniel Brown Feb 11, 2021 There are a lot of mistakes authors make when putting together a manuscript. Some are major, and require careful contemplation and a well-written report, but at least they're interesting. Others...

27/01/2021

So what do people want to do for a launch party?
Another barbecue like last time? Or another dinner so we can escape the heat? It'll most likely be about a month from now and on a Saturday, but the rest is still in the air.

21/01/2021

Be afraid, be very afraid: we got so many short pieces that we've managed to cram in more contributors than we've ever published.
That means the countdown will start even earlier than usual and our graphic designer is freaking out over doing so many blots. (≧▽≦)

13/01/2021

So we finally got our s**t together, without any three day interruptions across Greater Brisbane, and genuinely got to work on the next edition.
That means if you submitted something: check your emails, because you should have a response.
Never before have we written so many, so we must be doing something right. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

31/12/2020

2021! We made it. Just barely.
That also means our submission period is technically 'over'. But we'll most likely read and digest them slowly over the next little while (honestly, we're probably asleep right now, this is a scheduled post), so if you missed the window then just write an appropriately apologetic email and try to get it through in the next few days.
We'll email people once we've scraped together a plan that seems workable.