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| ID: scan of a paper collage in yellow, blue, green, orange, brown, and white tones. diagonal text down the centre reads "angels" in a variety of fonts, layered over large spiky cardboard cutouts. around the text are pictures of glass eyes and illustrated gemstones. END ID. |
In my weakened state at this particularly stressful time of year, where both jacarandas and examinations have emerged in full force, i feel entirely unable to give the immensely interesting topic that is the angel its due analysis. Just the same, it’s my pal Viktor’s birthday, and there’s no better way I can think of to honour seraph than to do a bit of evangelising about slightly obscure angelic representations. Thus emerges this, the first issue of what I hope, despite my faults, will be a continuing if irregular zine. I hope you enjoy it.
Content Notes: examination of christian themes and imagery, references to death.
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| ID: an engraving depicting a group of men kneeling in positions of prayer amidst a wooded area. in the sky a winged, humanoid angel appears from a burst of light and clouds. END ID. |
"No Such Person" (19??), Dorothy K. Haynes.
The now-familiar figure of the ruffled, frightening angel we see in this short story is made particularly interesting by its publication date, in the mid twentieth century. It's an accomplished little piece, atmospheric and haunting with a touch of angelic body horror, all of which make it very pleasant to spend some time with. Dorothy K. Haynes is a criminally underrated writer of weird fiction who produced some truly original concepts influenced by her life in rural Scotland, and this story is a lovely example of her ability to combine ordinary social displeasure with the more overt fear of a mythical being.
"Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941).
A whimsical movie starring two of my favourite underrated actors, Claude Rains and Edward Everett Horton, which probably makes me quite biased towards it. In this tale, based on a play, a young boxer is snatched up to heaven before his time by a comedically inefficient but nonetheless persistent junior angel. The following debacle involves body swapping, terrible saxophone playing, and a delicious dose of subtle heresy. Even heavenly messengers, as it turns out, have the occasional admin issue. In a quite bizarre turn of events there was a sequel produced six years later starring Rita Hayworth as the Greek muse Terpsichore, a truly baffling combination of mythologies which few dare to attempt – and which I have not yet been brave enough to watch.
The Hitch-Hiker (The Twilight Zone 1×16) (1960).
Please trust me and watch this before reading the review as it’s much better without spoilers… Classifying the titular hitchhiker as an angel is perhaps a bit presumptuous, considering he is generally defined instead as a 'personification of death,' but considering he's engaging in heavenly admin duties I think he fits the bill. In that case he's particularly interesting because he defies general depictions of angels by being a. ordinary, rumpled, and dull, & b. absolutely terrifying. Truly this episode is unnerving even if you can sense, unlike our poor protagonist, where it's going. Many a modern angel gets flack for not being 'biblically accurate' i.e. not possessing 200 eyes and 17 wings, but I think few things get closer to the vibe of the annunciation than this guy, who is simultaneously mundane and awe-inspiring, terrifying and gentle. My favourite of the list.
Angels Before Man (2022), rafael nicolás.
The modern angel-lover is probably more likely to have read this than the Bible, but in the rare event that you haven't had the painful pleasure I have absolutely got to put you on to it. Character studies of Lucifer have been coming thick and fast in the past few centuries, but nicolás is well deserving of the praise heaped upon him for producing a distinctly queer retelling which rings at the exact pitch of all those who’ve made it through an enforced Christian childhood.
Angel, NewDad.
Closing, perhaps unexpectedly, on a song. The cover for NewDad’s Madra bounces around Pinterest with regularity, and if you like it you’ll certainly enjoy this, the most popular song off their debut album. Dark, haunting, and suitably angsty.
