Pulp Zine’s latest issue explores sex in our hypervisible age

Pulp Zine 2

“Sex is so visible it’s almost banal,” Megan Wallace said when they launched the first issue of Pulp Zine, describing what they called a “post-sex positivity” moment. A year on, this saturation has only shifted. “Many of us are not feeling very ‘in body’,” they explain, “as we are living more of our lives online, the policing of our digital spheres is of concern.”

For Wallace, this sense of disconnection extends beyond visibility into the body itself. “I think we’re reaching a new level of estrangement from the human experience via medications like Ozempic – which, while necessary for many people, for some have the side effect of zapping desire and pleasure – and the proliferation of AI, which prioritises machines over humans,” they say. Pulp 2 responds to these conditions by documenting desire, intimacy and community across a spectrum of sexual subcultures – from London’s elite singles nights to international porn scenes and kink communities.

At the heart of the issue is the idea of partnership. As Wallace explains, “I write a lot about sex, but I am increasingly interested in platonic partnerships and connections. If you are queer, a sex worker, trans, kinky or, often, any other minority, you experience a huge level of sexualisation and fetishisation. Even if sex is a big part of your life, or how you make your money, it’s often not the only thing in your life; you’re also capable of friendship, community, platonic love and so on.”

The arrival of a physical print zine comes at a time when sex and digital life is more policed than ever. “I think we live in an age where, to not engage with the social media panopticon, is to not exist at all. So to pressure sex workers off of social media is really an attempt to completely erase them,” Wallace explains. With legislation being passed globally, like the Online Safety Bill, which threatens sex workers’ livelihoods online, they add, “On a human level, we should be concerned for the basic financial survival and physical welfare of a group of people. On a political level, I think all gender and sexual minorities should be hugely concerned – not least because terfism, swerf-ism and sex panics are all hugely connected, and often perpetrated by the same people.”

Designer Jack Rowe sees it the same way. “Print removes that layer of control. You can show sexuality in a way that feels honest rather than sanitised,” he explains. Rowe’s approach to Pulp 2 is deliberately different from the first issue, ensuring each edition has its own identity. That energy spans across the zine features with writing from Ozziline Mercedes, P Eldridge and Tadhg Haran, as well as interviews with Leila Davis, Eva Oh, Maedb Joy and Anastasiia Fedorova, features on top-secret London elite singles nights, Mexican gay porn companies, and mommy kinks and photography by Lisa Wang and Ottilie Landmark.

Throughout the zine, other erotic magazines, like Sensored and Temptress, are spotlighted – something Wallace felt was important in continuing a lineage of physical erotica. “In response to the never-ending assault of AI slop, there is a really vibrant independent publishing scene which prioritises experimentation, contemplation and provocation. London has a bright erotic culture clawing its way from the dregs of mouldy sublets and a collapsing creative sector, and it inspired me to look at the zines here – and further afield – that are celebrating a more esoteric and curious exploration of sexuality,” they explain.

It’s through this media, like Pulp 2, that the creator hopes to present an unapologetic conversation around sex in the modern day. “I want to challenge individuals (increasingly, sex negative feminists among the Gen Z cohort) who insist on seeing workers in the sex industry as an abstract idea they can project their ideas onto, rather than real people. Also to encourage other queer people to also advocate for sex worker rights. Apart from that, I want people to have fun! The world is quite gross right now, and a moment of sexy respite is very welcome,” they share.

While this issue is only just launching, the team is already thinking ahead to future topics. “I am increasingly looking at individuals on the ace and aro spectrum and the ways they decentre default ideas of sex and relationships to prioritise broader ideas of community and care,” Wallace shares. “I’m also wondering what it would look like to live in a world where sexual subcultures and queerness aren’t constantly politicised.” But for now, pick up a copy of Pulp 2 for your curiosity fix.

The launch of Pulp 2 takes place on 12 February 2026 at Syn, Hackney, London – see here for details. Read the Pulp Substack here.