Halloween 2K26 - Indie Horror Junkie Magazine

I miss magazines. There's something special about settling in with a collection of interesting quick reads that don't demand much effort. The glossy paper, the cool pictures, the occasional jokes... it all added up to a great reading experience.

Magazines still exist, of course, but they're a shadow of what they used to be. They're smaller, way more expensive, and stuffed with ads. In a world where breaking news and interviews hit instantly online, magazines struggle to justify their place anymore. I want to support them, but I'm not paying $20 per issue, which is the going rate for magazines I'm actually interested in, like Fangoria. I mean, why not buy a book that's going to last you hours if you're going to spend that much money?

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered Indie Horror Junkie, a small magazine backed by a whole ecosystem: a podcast, film festival, and even film releases. They focus on underseen, lower-budget horror titles, the stuff that gets drowned out by streaming noise and big studio releases. It's refreshing to see someone focusing on the little guys.

The print issue costs $20, but the digital version is only $5. I decided to pre-order the latest issue to check it out. Thanks to some great promotion by The Soska Sisters, directors of the criminally underrated American Mary, who are also on the cover. This became the magazine's best-selling issue yet.

If you hate AI-generated images, this magazine's going to piss you off. The majority of it is AI generated, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, someone created a genuinely professional looking magazine using AI. It doesn't feel like a thrown together zine. It's polished, and I'm sure it looks even better in print.

On the flip side, every page feels a little exhausting. There's just too much visual effort, and everything has that same AI look. A little restraint and simplicity would've actually made it feel more professional. I hope the publisher can find a little balance between the two.

With that being said, I was impressed overall. For five dollars, it felt like a solid purchase. I wasn't familiar with most of the films or people discussed, aside from The Soska Sisters, which was great. I actually learned something new instead of just reading about stuff I already knew. It was a great way to expose myself to something that wasn't curated specifically for me, and who knows, maybe I'll find a hidden gem of a movie through these stories.

Will I purchase the next issue? Probably. Five dollars seems like the sweet spot for this sort of thing, and I felt like it contained enough text to justify the expense. My only reservation is that I'm not the biggest modern low-budget horror fan. In a world where anyone with a cellphone can shoot a movie, there's just too much junk out there. Then again, maybe this magazine is exactly what I need to help separate the chaff.

Occasionally, I'll watch a micro budget release on Tubi, or more accurately, fast-forward through one on Tubi, but I've never had one of those amazing moments where I pre-ordered or backed a film and it was as good as I hoped. And believe me, I've pre-ordered and backed a TON of these projects.

I'm glad folks are out there still creating magazines, especially ones covering niche topics like indie horror. If this is your thing, definitely check out Indie Horror Junkie. I think you'll really dig it. And if you know of any weird magazines that are affordable that you recommend, please let me know.