Subculture
The countercultural power of American pulp fiction
Mid-century rebellion — Popular mid-century paperbacks would often tackle radical issues shunned by the high-brow mainstream, disguising them in accessible language and compelling plots.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Roberta Bayley, the queen of punk, on New York’s raw years
She Just Takes Pictures — In the ’70s, Roberta Bayley moved to the city and bought a camera. Within a year, she was capturing icons like Iggy Pop, Blondie, the Sex Pistols and X-Ray Spex.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Shooting the second wave of Britain’s mods and rockers
Raw streets — Photographer Janette Beckman shares her portraits of the UK’s most famous subcultures – two groups who were, for a brief moment in time, each other’s natural enemies.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Capturing the punks and poets of ’70s California
Breaking backstage — Throughout the decade, photographer Michael Jang made fake press passes to get access to gigs, conventions and Hollywood events.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Are Stans the internet’s most toxic subculture?
Fear of the fandom — From Beyonce’s Beyhive to Rihanna’s Navy: the world of online fandom has become both impressive and extreme. Is it time we took its power more seriously?
Written by: Anne T. Donahue
Inside Harpies, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ strip club
Body and soul — Ahead of its launch, we speak to the people behind Harpies – a new, inclusive London venue that seeks to capture the joy and excitement of strip clubs and transport it to a brand new audience.
Written by: Jake Hall
Why scooterboys represent the best of British subculture
Homegrown heroes — Not everyone who rides a classic scooter is a Mod. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, a far more frequent sight were Scooterboys and Scootergirls: a new breed of rider with a punk attitude and homegrown style.
Written by: Mani
For true sneakerheads, every shoe tells a story
The art of scuffed-up kicks — Trashed trainers are a perfect symbol of excess. They tell tales of forgotten parties and reckless raves, each scuff and smear reminding us of times we’ve pushed things too far.
Written by: Jade Jackman
How Tumblr became a sanctuary for the Internet’s outsiders
End of an era — The blogging website’s ban on adult content threatens to alienate the most marginalised in society, and block future generations’ road to self-discovery.
Written by: Lydia Morrish
Meet the women of the incel movement
The truth about femcels — The ‘involuntarily celibate’ community is typically seen as being male-dominated, with female members – otherwise known as ‘femcels’ – often being overlooked. Writer Nick Chester meets the women who are being left behind.
Written by: Nick Chester
