Age & Content Notice

18 or older. AfterDark is an independent queer culture zine featuring explicit adult art, photography and writing. All content is created by and features consenting adults aged 18+. This material is not suitable for minors. By continuing you confirm you are and that accessing adult material is permitted where you live.

Welcome to AfterDark a new alternative queer culture zine celebrating male creative aesthetic. AfterDark is staunchly anti-AI slop, anti-algorithm, and against censorial tech bro overreach. It’s filled with art that disrupts, photography that arrests, and written words profound and thought provoking.

The website gives you an opportunity to be part of this cultural movement – the resurgence of magazines and switch from digital to the analog. You can buy a copy of the zine; read the Editor’s Letter, or just allow us to introduce you to some of the creatives and creators featured in this issue, and an opportunity to experience their artistic output the way they intended it to be experienced.

Also check out the Spotlight On feature. The intention is for this website to be dynamic and remain fresh, week after week. This feature will be a weekly blog focussing on a particular creator or creative featured in the current AfterDark zine. First up we had the incredible Liverpool based artist Ben Youdan whose protest art grace the cover of the first issue. Ben was followed with a spotlight on Master Jack Thrasher. Coming soon Brew Hunter, Logan Fetish Artist, and Sir Blackwood and sub underwood to help us kick off this series. If you join the blog as a subscriber you will receive an email notification when the spotlight turns to a new creative – the link for this is at the bottom of each Spotlight On… blog post.

Enjoy the AfterDark zine!

BEHIND THE ISSUE – AUTUMN 2026

From the ashes of KrugerAfterDark, arise the AfterDark zine. Some of you may remember the KrugerAfterDark (KAD) community journal on Instagram, which valiantly attempted to bring magazine style publishing to that platform. Despite the time and energy spent (over 100 queer-fet community journal posts over two years!) I nevertheless eased it into early retirement last year. Why? Well for a start the platform limitations were too restrictive – a 1000 word article in a Comment box? No, it will need multiple posts! While some remember KAD with fondness, the art and photography and lifestyle journal nevertheless felt unloved, underappreciated and largely remained unrecognised. 

The final nail in the coffin towards its end was the morale destroying impact of the enforcement of META’s community guidelines. For the fet-queer communities specifically, violations seem to happen far too frequent, and are very often shrouded in opaque, inconsistent and sometimes absurd logic, Perpetual shadow banning, or months-long collaboration bans, hangs over every LGBTQ+ creative, as does a risk of account suspension. While I was attempting to build an artistic and lifestyle informed community, META appeared to do its absolute best to eradicate LGBTQ+ communities.

As a break from the KAD retirement blues, searching for purpose in life again, I had a brief foray into creative concept delivery, collaborating with the incredible fine art photographer Colin Davis. I conceived a concept named FXCK, a photography-based community initiative, which aimed to highlight the need for greater cohesion and inclusion between cis and trans leather dykes and leathermen in London. Instagram, the platform chosen to exhibit the project, rewarded the project with 14 community guideline violations.

It has become clear that the social media tech companies are increasingly harnessing creative and identity expression, unless diluted and sanitised to within an inch of its life. But we know that is not how art works. Art jars, it disrupts, it holds a mirror to those who perhaps choose not to see their own moral corruption, in an increasingly prevalent social authoritarian societies. Art is meant to be experienced the way creatives intended it to, warts and all. Creative freedom means not having to fear the punitive loss of a social media account – a significant loss as accounts are often livelihood-linked, the only shopwindow to artists’ creative output – in other words their rightful attempt at existence, erased through suspension.

Whilst brooding over the social injustice of it all, the gorgeous and talented  Ig:@danydeeart flippantly suggested I create a zine. Suddenly everything ‘clicked’ into place – here was  an opportunity to redress the imbalance of power between tech bros, and creatives and creators. Create a zine to showcase astounding art, photography, and the words and voices of incredible resilient queer cis and trans men and women. Create a zine which places creatives in charge, not tech bros with opaque ‘community’ guidelines, or sanctions which erase real communities and livelihoods.  

I wryly realised that the two years spent ‘publishing’ the KAD journal on Insta was merely a dress rehearsal, honing skills to publish something far more meaningful and impactful. Building an unfettered algorithm-free platform. Upcycling fabulous historic legacy features and content, buried deep in the KAD archives – DARK MATTERS, KR\EATIV and FOTO\GRAAF. By utilising a social contacts network built up during KAD, of incredibly gifted and talented people,  I was able to bring the pieces of the jigsaw together that ia building a analog creative community, free from decency crawlers, biased algorithms and AI slop.  The AfterDark zine is a small act of rebellion, but more than that, it has as aim to protect creatives: real human artists, photographers and writers, and their extraordinary skills and talent, from AI. 

The last few weeks have been frenetic: liaising with 25 creatives and creators in sourcing content, learning new design software and layout principles, acquiring hitherto unknown production skills, and liaising with stockists, printers, and web hosts. I have relied so much on the support of friends, including Ig @danydeeart and @loganfetishartist with design and layout, and @dickysdisco and @old_equipment for production advice.. And then last, but not least, a shoutout to the incredibly talented creatives and creators whose work shines like diamonds on the pages of this zine. Real people with real emotions, expressed as real art – our main driving force in the fightback against tech algorithms, censorship and AI slop. And that fightback starts right now, and right here – please join and support the small act of rebellion against tech giants, that is AfterDark. Please join our movement and help protect our creators and creatives from AI, This zine with its incredible content, brimming with emotion, self-expression and talent, will only survive with your help.

KrugerAfterDark

Editor

Ig: @krugerafterdark

Index of Content of Issue One. Content in the zine is grouped under art, photography or words.

KrugerAfterDark

 …offers a look at the legacy of the Instagram community journal ‘KrugerAfterDark’, and explores how the increasingly negative aspects of social media such as algorithm driven addictive behaviours, and AI-slop, has shaped the analog zine you are reading today. \\ Editor’s Letter \\

Jack Thrasher

 …as a non-binary Jack is ‘Hyper-masc’ed out’ . Read his hard-hitting op-ed opinion piece on unique non-binary challenges, including visibility and platforming, followed by a call to action. Minority voices deserve to be heard, especially platformed voices of opinion, speaking up for the voiceless. We’re very excited and grateful that Jack will be utilising his platform to contribute regular op-ed pieces to the AfterDark zine, often tackling difficult subject matter. \\ Opinion \\

Brew Hunter

…is one of the biggest stalwarts of the London nighttime community.. He shares his origin story in our expansive interview, reminisces over Backstreet, and discuss some of his newer ventures. Brew also gives his thoughts on mentorship, while we discuss how vital knowledge is of the ‘what came before’ \\ Interview \\

Dicky H

… successfully manages to lower the tone in the quite bizarre ‘Whor’rscopes’. No one is quite sure what this is, but with a juvenile reference to Uranus how could we not print it? \\ Humour \\

… Dicky H also submitted some spectacularly bad poetry exploring power dynamics and moral complexity centred around a golddigger’s survival instincts. Dutifully accompanied by an excoriating rejection letter from the editorial team here. \\ Humour \\ 

James Naylor

…pays a memorial tribute to the trans masc influencer Apollo Moon, in which he explores the realities of navigating a trans masc lived experience. The incredible poignant ‘Stepping Foot in a Brave New World’, also illustrated by James. \\ In Memoriam \\

DogBoiBailey

…shares an incredibly informative and factual exploration of social media tech companies censorial creep, explores the political angle and offers suggestions on how to confront regulation which threaten LGBTQ+ communities.. ‘Censored Rage’ \\ Article \\

Paul Taylor-Pitt

 …on that awkward luminous incident at a legendary London club night leading to a defiant and unapologetic ‘pink is the new black’ mantra. Hooking you in from the first paragraph to the last, this historical look at the gay symbol of the pink triangle, and the colour pink in general, raises solid and very interesting viewpoints. \\ Essay \\ 

Will Gemser

… advises having a tissue or two ready for ‘Box Room Billy’… and no, it’s not a tearjerker…Part one in a three-part short story series, beautifully illustrated by the artist Dany Dee, who introduces us to the thug, Billy. \\ Short Stories \\

Ben Youdan

… is just the first in a series of incredible artists in this issue. Ben gives artistic censorial overreach the ‘two fingers up’ with his front cover art ‘Pink Defiance’, a word play on ‘punk’. Ben was also commissioned for illustrative art of the ‘Behind the Issue’ (Editor’s Letter) feature, as we continue our them of LGBTQ+ protest and activism. \\

ButchDick 

    … an incredibly talented artist from SF, shares one of his trademark drawings. The incredibly talented and creative Butch will also be featured as guest artist in Issue Two! \\

quentinscabinet

…looking at the world through the lens of social media and Onlyfans, redefines male art imagery through deconstruction and re-assembly, before lovingly presenting it in ‘Berlin Blue’ \\

RobskiArt 

   …who is known as being one of the most prolific and talented queer artists in the UK, brings humour, sexiness and terror, to an already laden and quite bizarre Whorr’rscopes. \\

James Naylor

…shares an intimate look at his transmasc lived experiences, in a hauntingly beautiful and very powerful ‘KREATIV’ art gallery. James also shares a moving ‘in memorium’ for Apollo Moon with a beautiful illustration of Apollo in James’s trademark line drawing style \\

   

Logan

… presents part one of an exquisite six plate illustrated art series of the muscle men couple Hans and Eduardo. We experience Hans’s shock, surprise and disbelief when one day he unexpectedly walked in on Eduardo. An incredible set of drawings not to be missed. \\

Brother Gregorio Art

… presents an artistic vision unique and socially important: his incredible beautiful and subversive works of digital art, observed through a lens of kaleidoscopic protest and ironic social commentary. Art requiring viewing time to be fully understood and appreciated. \\

Dany Dee

… a wonderfully talented artist based in Spain, contributed two incredibly stunning and thought provoking illustrations for DogBoiBailey’s censorship article. \\

Dany also illustrated the hot thug Billy featured in part one of Will Gemser’s ‘Box Room Billy’ short story\\

Rafandway, ft Sir Blackwood and sub underwood

… the pinnacle of photography in AfterDark is the ‘FOTO\GRAAF’ legacy feature. Occupied in this issue by the supremely talented Rafandway – a dark and broody photo-editorial set over fourteen incredible pages, and featuring Rafandway’s extraordinary and exquisite photography as it explores imagery around power dynamics … though with an unexpected twist – as experienced through a mask, featuring powerful thoughts, feelings and words from sub underwood \\

Noctophoto

…explores the dark and light in a photoshoot featuring  Ig: @scally_boy_mad and @kink.jox \\

Mark Francis Fenning

…unique take on masculinity  in contemporary culture, through the vintage lens of a Polaroid \\

Anton Amore 

… explores blurred lines between masculinity and femininity, identity and self-expression \\

Glen Delaine 

…in a candid, stylish and natural shoot by Jose Luis Gil – it’s the elegant ‘Autumn in Madrid’ \\

BLKLTHRX

…explores the ‘DARK MATTERS’ occupying leather spaces, alongside  the forging of leather identities – as shot by Gareth Greenfield \\

We welcome submissions of original art, photography and writing at any time. Submission calls for specific issues introduce a loose theme, but work does not need to follow the theme to be considered. We accept strong work across all relevant subjects.

What we actively encourage

Boundary-pushing queer and fetish art, photography and writing. AfterDark is against artistic sanitisation and celebrates human creativity.

What we will not accept

We operate strictly within United Kingdom and international law. The following material is prohibited and must not be submitted:

•  Any content involving anyone under the age of 18 (or the age of majority in the relevant jurisdiction), whether real or depicted.

•  Non-consensual content of any kind, including but not limited to non-consensual intimate imagery, revenge material, or content created or distributed without the informed consent of all identifiable people shown.

•  Illegal material under UK or international law (including extreme pornography as defined by UK law, material involving exploitation, trafficking, or any other criminal content).

• .The AfterDark zine is staunchly anti-regenerative AI. Any work submitted which has an appearance of having been created through regenerative AI will be rejected, We celebrate human creativity and self-expression at AfterDark, we don’t celebrate prompts.

UK Legal Compliance Note

AfterDark complies with all applicable United Kingdom laws, including the Obscene Publications Act 1959, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (extreme pornography provisions), the Online Safety Act 2023, and relevant data protection and age-verification requirements. We do not accept, host or distribute any material that would be illegal to publish or possess in the UK. All visual submissions featuring people must involve only consenting adults aged 18 or over, and submitters must be able to demonstrate this if requested.

Additional requirements for visual work (photography and art featuring people)

•  All models, performers and identifiable subjects must have been 18 or older on the date the work was created.

•  Submitters must be able to provide age verification and a model release / consent confirmation if requested.

•  We reserve the right to request proof of age and consent before accepting any visual submission that depicts sexually explicit or fetish content.

Writing

We accept articles, essays, opinion pieces, personal narratives, educational writing and poetry. We will reject any written pieces which we deem may be slanderous or defame.

How to submit

Email your work to submissions@theafterdarkzine.com

Please include a short description of the work and confirmation that it complies with this policy.

We review all submissions carefully. Work that violates any of the above rules will be rejected without discussion. By submitting, you confirm that your work meets these requirements and that you have the necessary rights and consents.

Issue Themes:

Issue One is themed around artistic censorship, protest and activism.

Issue Two’s theme is “Losing Yourself, Finding Yourself’. It is a deliberately wide theme, and it explores personal journeys in the face of adversity. These can relate to physical disabilities, mental health challenges, or addictions. We want to acknowledge life’s challenges, destructive behaviours, and emotional pain as part of the process of being human. But we also want to celebrate the ‘Finding Yourself’, human strength in fighting against, and overcoming adversity and deeply personal challenges. We all have stories to tell, whether through art, photography or words. We want to hear your story.

Age & Content Notice

18 or older. AfterDark is an independent queer culture zine featuring explicit adult art, photography and writing. All content is created by and features consenting adults aged 18+. This material is not suitable for minors. By continuing you confirm you are and that accessing adult material is permitted where you live.

Below is a quick guide to the different zine packages generally on offer. Your initial choice is centred around either a single current issue, or a subscription for all four Year One issues (Autumn, Winter this year, followed by Spring and Summer in 2027). You may be able to buy back copies in the future if in stock – its important to note that the Print issue is a limited run.

UK ONLY:

COMING SOON

We had a very limited Issue One run which we mainly took to community markets. The intention was to initially focus only on effective content and production processes; low-level distribution processes; and specifically to test the market and explore whether there is appetite for a new print-based queer-kink zine – quite the learning curve! It was a small, but quite successful launch, and we received incredible community support and great feedback, and feel energised and excited to bring you Issue Two in December! We appreciate reviews, and continue to listen to all and any feedback, in order to learn from mistakes made with Issue One when producing Issue Two.

EU Shipping: Potentially coming soon will be a payment option for EU residents purchasing the Print copy – with postage, customs and the new EU customs handling fee included. We are doing research around compliance and cost feasibility, this to see whether a sustainable long term option can be put in place in time for the Issue Two drop in December.

US Shipping: Similarly, we are doing research around the complexities of State-side distribution. Legal compliance and cost feasibility are paramount factors, and we want to get it right.

Rest of the world: We aim to incrementally develop and expand zine distribution in order to get it right. We will look at RoW distribution after the publication of Issue Two, and with the intention of having it ready for Issue Three.

Merchandise: We are starting to develop a limited edition merchandise range – when it’s gone it is gone. We aim to start with a beautiful poster from the ‘Hans and Eduardo’ illustrated series by Logan Fetish Artist, and will also drop a few really cool AfterDark branded Tee shirts.

Digital: It is too early to say whether this can be a successful format locally and abroad, and the initial feedback we received was that it most people instead want something traditional and old school that they can hold in their hands! We will keep you updated around options for digital copies in December!