Apr 2, 2022
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3. NO MAGIC
—Promo postcard/ad for Phonogram: The Singles Club (w. Kieron Gillen, ill. Jamie McKelvie), 2008.
N.B., if Seth’s shirt were to show up in the #wicdiv Threadless shop, I, for one, would have difficulty saying no.
Phonogram The Singles Club #1 (2008)
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Low key cosplay for Image Expo.
also lol forever that multiple reviews of Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl cite knowledge of the Sugababes as the type of pretentious music snobbery that is on display in the comic but unnecessary for its enjoyment.
because, like, obviously Phonogram is a book with a populist core and it doesn’t matter if you’re familiar with the actual music or not but the idea that Sugababes are some obscure musical ephemera is so strange and telling re: how things are perceived based on audience and the centrality of the American market.
Seth’s love of Girls Aloud and Sugababes is functionally equivalent to him stanning for Destiny’s Child with a t-shirt crossing off LeToya and LaTavia and replacing them with Michelle, you know? His populism is overintellectualized and aggressive and partially performative but it’s not ~obscure~ for anyone in the UK.
(and it helps that I read tons of UK music coverage back in the day but here that marks me as a pretentious indie fuck even when it means I was preaching the virtues of the Rachel Stevens solo album)
similarly, I wonder how differently Rue Britannia would read to me if I were British because BritPop was before my time AND on another continent so the nuance between what ~everyone~ knew and what was genuinely obscure there is something I don’t have an intuitive sense for. like, I know Kenickie because Lauren Laverne used to do guest spots on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
I'm having a lot of powerful feelings right now
most of them are related to Phonogram: The Singles Club
can we talk about how hot Aster is
can we talk about the Girl's adorable cheek piercings
can we talk about how I want my very own Seth Bingo
can we talk about how Mr. Logos is the cutest bean oh my god I just want to snuggle him and hold him close and make terrible music with him
can we talk about Kenickie and Blondie and the Pipettes
...thank you
this has been a Phonogram Phit from DangerousCommieSubversive