Zine Pickup – Psychopomp

On the way home from campus the other week, I picked up a small illustration zine from one of the city’s comic book shops – Psychopomp. It’s a risograph-printed zine with artist interpretations of psychopomps (spirits, deities and so on who guide souls to an afterworld) from different cultures from around the globe.

Psychopomp is illustrated and bound (saddle stitch) by Tom Kindley and is 10 pages long. The copy I picked up is no. 16 out of 50 editions.

Cover of Psychopomp

The zine is a two colour risograph publication – blue ink and red ink. It’s not without tone, however. Both layers are toned to give much depth in the illustrations. The red ink’s shading is fair and the deepest blue is used for outlines. It is difficult for me to capture on camera the exact tones of the printing ink. I’ll share a few pictures from inside the zine below.

Detail from Anubis illustration

Centrefold of Mercury and a Valkyrie

The boarders of each page illustration are unique. The artwork throughout is quite detailed and fun to look at. I was aware of psychopomps, but unaware how just many different guides exited.

Page with Xolotl illustration

Depiction of Baron Samedi

I am glad to find small press like these locally. Looking at them, I can see how they’re assembled – though it helps to have knowledge of risogrpah printing!

I’ve still yet to find the time to make personal illustrations of my own while studying, but I know I could also make artist books once I am in a more comfortable position with time and money to experiment. I will have alumni access to a risograph printer after graduating from studies and I want to make use of it. I’m not thinking about sales or profit so much as I am looking forward to exploration and self-expression at this point in time. But who knows what the future will hold!