Issue Nº1
We’re proud to unveil Fruitbatz Magazine’s VERY FIRST DIGITAL ISSUE!
This issue features 10 amazing pieces of prose, poetry, and artwork by some amazing queer creatives!
"I CAN MAKE YOU A MAN" and "MY BUTCH" by Venus Tapang
"Angel of the Waters" by Kallie Foley
"A To-Do List for Those Who Haven't 'Always Known'" by Finn Myles
"L’appel du Vide" by Emiliano Lievano
"A Liberal-Educated Guide to Burying Transgender Persons" by Juniper Mars
"Aftercare" by Lynn Maeve
"Going for a Ride" by Ted Roth
"www.https://My First Death Threat.com.edu.org" by Vince Zabierowski
"Leave The Light On" by Logan Basil
FEATURED writers & Artists:
Juniper Mars
Juniper Mars is a transgender multimedia artist currently based in Chicago. Her previous works include videos published by Needlejuice Records and indie band The Scary Jokes. At this current moment she is grinding Picross puzzle games.
.jpg)
Ted Roth
Evie “Ted” Roth is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, where she has earned a Creative Writing BA. Her work has been included in several publications, including Phi Theta Kappa’s 29th edition of Nota Bene, Allium, Graphé and Regina Taylor’s Black Album Mixtape. Ted’s work portrays themes of alienation, queerness, surrealism, and humor.
.jpeg)
Finn Myles
Finn Myles is a Butch poet and theatremaker originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Their work centers on gender, neurodivergence, forgiveness, and cicadas. Finn currently lurks partially in Chicago and partially on the internet.
Vince Zabierowski
Vincent Zabierowski is an animator, artist and cartoonist. Lately, he's been really inspired by his childhood growing up as a trans man. His work explores themes of internet culture, nostalgia and embracing being the weird kid!
Lynn Maeve
Lynn Maeve (she/her) is a Chicago-based writer and recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago. Her work explores transness, intimacy, race, and emotional unraveling.
Kailie Foley
Kailie Foley is a bi poet who studies creative writing at Columbia College Chicago. Their poetry can be found in or is forthcoming in Impostor: A Poetry Journal, Dipity Literary Magazine, Full House Literary, Blue Marble Review, Allium, and Fools Magazine. They hope to convey their heart space through writing while it helps them heal.
Venus Tapang
Space Boy and Vehement Dyke, VENUS (he/him) has received awards in Chicago’s Rooted and Radical Slam Poetry Festival, and has been published by the New Lenox Public Library and the American High School Poets of Faith and Inspiration. VENUS was most recently an acquisition editor for the upcoming issues of the literary journal Allium.
Logan Basil
Logan Basil (he/him) is a Northwest Indiana based mixed-media illustrator and animator. His work combines unconventional mediums with digital media in order to explore themes of queerness, ocd, and not belonging. Basil’s mission is to make weird, mixed media art and animation for queer lost souls of the world. To connect with others through visceral work that makes you feel the terror of being perceived, known, - and in the worst cases- understood.
Emiliano Lievano
Emiliano Lievano (he/they) is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago where he earned his BA in creative writing and minor in playwriting. He is Colombian American and moved to Chicago for college after being raised in North Carolina and Massachusetts. They have written, produced, and directed multiple theatrical works that came to life on Columbia’s stage. They previously interned with Hypertext magazine and currently mentor and tutor high school students in ELA. His poetry can be found in the first issue of Cuéntame Literary Magazine, and he has a forthcoming short story in Allium, A Journal of Poetry & Prose’s Fall 2025 Issue. His work centers the personal, familial, political and the things we’re afraid to speak aloud.