In 2022 I discovered a new way to connect with the artistic community I had lost after my college years and Covid 19. Something called “open mics” where poets gathered to share their stories. I became entranced by the way these people would share their whole hearts and dreams, their pain, and their raw experiences on stage to a group of strangers through notes from their phone or journals. It brought me back to my humanity after a year of lockdown. It lit a fire in me to do something that brought people together again through art and poetry. I felt inspired again, but I needed to find a way to connect the two that was a collaborative effort across disciplines.
That is how Collide zine was born. Now, just three years later, we have printed nine issues, and published the work of over 300 artists and writers. Collide has become not just a zine, but a thriving community in its own right; with open mics, art shows, and gatherings. It is always a huge accomplishment to create each issue, and we always learn something new through the process.
To all the artists, writers, poets, musicians, and local businesses that have supported us through Collide’s early stages,Katie and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are the backbone of this project, and Collide persists due to your endless encouragement, donations, and constructive feedback.
Our mission remains the same:
Every artist is valid. Every creative person deserves to be seen.
With love, Lindsey Gill & Katie Dempsey Editors and Creators Collide Zine LLC
ELEPHANT
BRIANNA BENOZICH Trigger Warning: depression and suicide
I’m only still breathing for them
For my family
My parents
My sisters
Because if I was to be buried
So would their hopes and dreams
Of how I would grow and shine
But I lost that gleam
But pretend I’m fine
My death would destroy them
Shatter their dynamic
Like scissors to a rose’s stem
Like dropping a ceramic
An ax to the family tree
Elephant in the room
At every family function
As I can barely function
Everyone wondering Concerned
Is she okay? Are you okay? Am I okay?
But I swallow the lump in my throat
Like the pills that don’t work
And I smile
So that they can smile
So I can see them smile
So I can really smile
Even if it’s just fleeting
Even just a second
But my heart is still beating
Despite the elephant’s foot
Despite being the elephant in the room
I stay alive for them
So they don’t fracture at the seams
Even if I don’t live up to their dreams
I stay alive for them
So I can see their smiles
Even if I’m gone for miles I stay alive for them
Cuz even when I’m shoved
I know that I’m loved
I stay alive for them
A FLOWER’S KISS, A WING’S TOUCH
JABARR GRAVES
INSECT INSIGHT
LOU PAIGE
There's something about pests and parasites that shakes up something wild and feral in us. Making us feel discomforted, exposed, invaded. They've been here on our Earth a long time, much longer than most of us, and they hold ancient secrets and sacred insights within them. They're true survivalists, whip-sharp predators, and intuitive lurkers. If you know what questions to ask and where to look, you may find some of that covert knowledge where you least expect it.
My tortoiseshell cat, Twigs, is a particularly insightful insect hunter. She knows just where to find insects and how to catch them, and she does so with ease, relishing the chase.
I've noticed recently that certain insects have a way of influencing changes or transits in our lives. They penetrate at the most curious moments. What is it about them that is so affecting? Why do they stir up so much emotion?
Have you ever tried to observe one up close, focusing on their numerous eyes or spindly legs. There's seemingly no recognition to be found in insects, few
relatable traits to compare with— their skeletal bodies, uniquely designed.
Maybe insects are the real mirrors, projections of something crucial for us in moments we cannot access ourselves. They tap into our fears, spike our anxieties, and wriggle under our skin in pursuit of our attention. In secret, they climb our walls, roam our floors, and follow us into our beds. Hidden eyes in the blackness of an apartment. A speck camouflaged under an otherwise standard set-up of picture frames. Anomalous entities creeping into our subconscious until the moment we catch sight of the bent wings on the bedside table lamp or the blown-up shadow hovering over the wall.
The Ghost of a Flea by William Blake (1819-1820)
CREATOR SPOTLIGHT:
MR. SCOOOT
We recently spoke with muralist and illustrator Mr. Scooot, who has been working in Philadelphia – “the greatest city in America,” as he calls it – for 12 years as an illustrator and muralist. Although he has been drawing and painting since before he can remember, he discovered his passion for illustration as a career while studying graphic design in college. In his words, he “simply sought out the type of work [he] wanted and put [him]self in situations and places [he] wanted to be seen.” Mr. Scooot cites his past, background, and culture – living in Italy until age 6, then moving to Ambler, Pennsylvania until his late teens, before finding his way to Philadelphia — as the inspiration for much of his work. He enjoys the camaraderie and communication that comes with being a part of Philadelphia’s thriving artistic community: “…being an illustrator in Philly is amazing. Such a great
community of artists/illustrators. I’ve reached out to lots of artists across the world… [and] artists in Philly always answer and are willing to talk.”
Where do you get the most inspiration for your characters and drawings?
A lot of my characters are based off my background and experiences. I definitely pull from pop culture and my sense of humor as well. I always find it hard to answer this question because inspiration I guess is more spur-of-the -moment for me… If I’m working on a comic, it’s based off humor, pop culture and everyday events. If I’m working on a series of paintings, it might be about something I’ve gone through or am feeling that could be a plethora of different emotions. Right now I’m working on a series of paintings that are reflecting over the past 10 years as I’m about to turn 30 and all the characters are tomato people. Tomatoes make me think of home and comfort.
What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had while creating or displaying your art in public?
It’s hard to think of a specific moment, but I will say that when people find your [street art] and share them, it always feels nice [that] someone stopped to take a picture and share it with others. I think every artist knows what that
“Tomato Portrait #1”
feels like. Also just working on murals. Whether it’s my own or assisting. It’s kind of a surreal feeling, waking up every day for 2 weeks to a month to that as your job. It also feels supernatural because here’s this thing you love and are good at and you’re getting paid for it. It’s not an easy place to get to, so any mural I work on is an amazing opportunity and experience.
What do you believe is the number one thing to remember as a freelance artist?
That’s a tough one to answer. Any advice I have to give is incredibly based solely off my own experience. I always feel like I need people to sign a disclaimer when they ask for advice because the best advice for me could be the worst for you. But I guess something general that might be important to remember is that there are more creatives than creative opportunities, so if you want this to be your career you’re basically going to be always working and there are going to be extreme highs and extreme lows and it’s going to be emotional. And that’s ok. And maybe take a business class, get someone to do your taxes. I have no idea what I’m doing.
sketch on my iPad, and then projecting onto a canvas. Sometimes I paint the idea directly onto the canvas. For client work that’s digital, there’s lots of research done on the topic/theme/product/ etc. and looking at references. Ultimately my sketching, creating process is mainly based around composition; filling in the space with the general shapes I want and where I want them. Then I can go in and start adding details. But every project is different, so every time the process is a bit different. Sometimes my sketchbook is just filled with notes and outlines before I even start drawing anything. For example, I’m working on some paintings now that are based around this feeling of “being enough” [in which] all the characters are, like, humanoid tomatoes. So I’ve been writing all these feelings and moments in my life and others relating to this feeling or insecurities. Then I’ll sketch out and try and capture it. And just kinda go from there.
How do you typically approach creating a new piece? Can you walk us through your process?
It’s kinda different every time. Not dramatically different, but sometimes it’ll start with a sketch, perfecting that
Do you have a favorite piece you’ve created? What makes it special to you?
My favorite piece right now is a blue hand holding a tea bag and a cigarette. It’s called “Cuppa Blues.” I think it kind of sums up my 2024 and has some personal meaning to me. Also I just wanted to try something new to end 2024 and start 2025. Maybe it means 2025 will be filled with new experiences. It’s on display right now at Chapter House.
Are there any upcoming projects or pieces you’re particularly excited about?
Yes! I’m working on some client projects that I’m excited to share, both for local businesses/organizers. I’ll be sharing them soon on insta. Working there are going to be extreme highs and extreme lows [ in a creative career ] and it’s going to be emotional. And that’s ok. And maybe take a business class, get someone to do your taxes. I have no idea what I’m doing.
on a collection of work too. All based around tomatoes and feeling like “enough.” Also working on some comics, who knows when those will be done. I’m starting a ceramics class soon too, so that should be fun. I’d like
to start branching out with different mediums.
What are your cats’ names? My cat is 6 & a half and his name is Inuyasha. And I love him so fucking much.■
Mr. Scooot’s work can be found on Instagram/threads @m.scooot, and is available for purchase at mscottstudio.com
CUPPA BLUES
GHOSTS LUISE ARMSTRONG
There’s a ghost in my apartment
I know
I know
Everyone says that
Yesterday
She came in the night
Looking for a fight
She Backed me into
The spiral staircase
I fled
Running up and down
no longer could I discern was I chasing her or was she chasing me
I woke in the morning
Curled on the floor
At the base
Of that staircase
Clutched in my hand
A scrap of paper
That was fun
Can we do it again tonight?
DANTE PROMISED THE UNORTHODOX A TOMB OF FLAMES
MAIA BROWN-JACKSON
I loved you, and that was rare enough, and then you told me you loved me, too, and then somehow — then somehow you taught me to believe you. Could you really have any doubt that when the worst came
I would damn myself to the sixth circle of hell, right behind you? Set my bare, bleeding hands alight to free you from your burning tomb? We’ll break that looking glass and dive into this quicksand and eat these fetid beetles raw, crush the p o m e g r a n a t e s e e d s between our fingers so we might be condemned even to Tartarus itself now, timeless and undying —
I can’t even be entirely sorry because I’m h e r e w i t h y o u and even now you still touch me like I’m spun sugar (melt me [command]) (melting me [action]) and destroy me with your mouth.
I no longer wish to be saved, understand? Let me be your collateral damage.
Even if we can’t run forever; even when our time is come; even when the devil draws nigh to collect; even when we’ve become halfway feral and forgotten the feeling of sunlight as we fall deeper and deeper, trying not to examine the shadows too closely: somehow we stay together.
Here, it feels almost like prayer. It won’t matter if the blood turns to mercury in our veins: we’ll continue to fight and run and we’ll keep on cleaning each other’s wounds just the same.
LOOKING GLASS HERETIC
DENT HANAGAN
REMEMBER (JAN 6)
MELINDA RICE
Remember, if you can, We hold each other We hold each other to the flame and in our hearts.
Remember, if you can, We reap each other We reap the garden that we have all sown.
Remember, if you can, January 6, And 7 and 8, and the rest of the year.
Scan here for an audio version of this poem
CONTRIBUTORS
alina amaDor
she / her
Alina Amador is a multi-media intuitive artist. She was born in San Jose, Costa Rica and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. This is her first year in Philadelphia. Some of Alina’s favorite things to do are painting, making jewelry, and collecting dead bugs.
IG: @3tsitra | web: www.alinaamador.com
ayDen mateo HerolD
he / him
Ayden is a recent graduate looking to write and be read. He is actively looking for a job to make big money soon, and scoops ice cream for a little money now. He hopes writing will make him the most money in the future.
Say hi if you see him. Despair if you don't. Join the Aydenation on Instagram for spooky vibes in the meantime.
William E. Heston is a poet, painter, composer, and filmmaker from Philadelphia. He has been previously published in Empyrean Literary Magazine, featured as the New Moon Special for Volume 1 Issue II, in Collide Magazine Issue #7, and in Soup Can Magazine #15. He is an alum of the Chateau Orquevaux Artist Residency for January 2025, having been awarded both the Emerging Artist Grant and Denis Diderot Grant.
Ivy Mercer is a 26-year-old illustrator in South Philadelphia who creates detailed pen-andink drawings. Their work often features surreal portraits, symbolic animals, and dark aspects of nature, blending realism and whimsy. Utilizing almost exclusively the technique of hatching, they add a unique depth and texture to each piece.
IG: @ivmercer | web: skunksinlove.com
Becca Dent Hanagan
she / her
Becca Dent Hanagan is an emerging artist living in Philadelphia. Since receiving a BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in 2005, Becca has been working at the Free Library, promoting the arts and molding young minds for the LEAP After - School program. She works in a variety of mediums including photography, collage, illustration and embroidery. Becca’s work is inspired by her love of classic horror, religious symbolism, culture heritages and The Divine Feminine.
she / her / hers / beloved Eugénie, affectionately known as Eve of Strategy, turns to poetry during life's major milestones and moments of revelation. For her, poetry is less a constant craft and more a returning companion, offering a space to process, reflect, and express. A Haitian medical anthropologist by trade, who is currently a researcher, she weaves her human experience into the verses that find her when she needs them most. She also dances, travels, and is a professional joy cultivator.
web: https://linktr.ee/eveofstrategy
melinDa rice
she / they
Melinda loves circles, metaphorical and literal. Recent collaborative projects include looped string music with spoken word and cemetery history, a personal history of water in song cycle, and a solo acoustic violin series with a live siren from a nuclear generating station.
youtube: melindamyrrh | web: www.melinda-rice.com
JeSS Heron
she / her
Jessica Heron is an ability-queer pizza bagel poet and applied linguist from Staten Island living at the Jersey Shore. Her work has appeared in Hot Pink Mag, BRUISER, Let’s Stab Caesar!, Horror Sleaze Trash, Tiny Spoon, and others.
Luise finds it hard to stay in one place for too long. She has called seven different states home and visited 33. She is an avid bicyclist, reads books of any genre and enjoys striking up conversations with strangers. Though she has yet to have her fiction published, she gleefully collects rejection letters because each one represents a risk taken.
IG: @Arkhikernc
margaret maHoney
she / her
Margaret Mahoney is an artist and designer living in Philadelphia, PA. She primarily creates digital art, with the occasional venture into painting and block printing. Her work is inspired by the everyday life of those living, working, and enjoying the city around her.
K. Briggs is a comics witch, art teacher, and zine-making forest hag based in the Greater Philadelphia area. Their love affair with comics began in 2012 while pursuing an MFA at Dundee University, Scotland. Her most recent work is a full text comic adaptation of Macbeth from Avery Hill Publishing and The New Chapter Tarot.
Lauren Seales may often be found dancing, spinning house and garage (as Buxta Høøda), playing with words, riding her bike, or experiencing ecstatic union with nature. She is currently putting her doctorate in music composition to good use in her unrelated career as a data engineer. Awe and wonder are her bread and butter.
IG: @buxtahooda
CONTRIBUTORS
Jeff cunningHam
he / him
Jeff Cunningham is a Philadelphia-based artist specializing in graphic design, painting, and illustration. His work, influenced by surrealists and illustrators like Magritte and Rockwell, delves into themes of alienation and disconnection, blending sharp visual language with rich color.
A graduate of the Creative and Performing Arts High School and University of the Arts, Cunningham’s work has been showcased in various group exhibitions in Philadelphia.
she / her Ziera Laenae (all so known as Scumboinani) learned that if you want your story told right, you must be the writer, or in this case, the creator. Tired of not seeing stories that captured her childhood, she began to create them herself. Scumboinai's work is heavily focused on Blackness because without it she wouldn’t be who she is.
IG: @scumboinani
tara lerman
she / her
Tara Lerman is a poet based in South Philly. Diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at nine years old, she uses her writing to raise awareness about the condition that is still widely misunderstood. She is the senior managing editor of branded content at Business Insider, where she collaborates with writers, producers, and designers on large content programs.
When Tara is not working or writing, she enjoys rock climbing, biking, and coffee.
Juicy Judy is a creative writer and visual artist who brings forth the unseen and what has yet to be told. She favors the bold. They touch truths and hearts through words and visual expression. Juicy’s artwork strikes cords of complexity and multiplicity to embrace all the layers and spaces between us.
IG: @boomingfruits
JaBarr graveS
he / him
JaBarr Graves, a 27 year old emerging Philadelphia artist dedicated to creating and exploring the significance of art based education through painting. His work plays with the different value and planes of the face, specifically expression then juxtaposed with very bold pigments.
IG: @art_bxrr_
Daniel Barry
he / him
Daniel Barry recently completed his first year as a teacher on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Children gravitate towards him, because he knows how to play like one. He keeps a dream journal and has an unreasonable love for fava beans and figs. He's currently loving his work as a preschool teacher in the greater Philly area.
IG: @dnlbptry Medium.com: @danielthepoet
gaBrielle D. veneZiani
she / her
Indigenous Spirit Weaving Intuitive Intelligence Through The Eyes Of A Visionary Artist - Gazing Into Gabrielle better known as Gabrielle D. Veneziani is a Psychic Medium & Visionary Artist based in Philadelphia, PA. She is a self taught artist primarily focusing on using her gifts as a Psychic Medium to channel and create through her artwork. Her craft is in the worlds of Sacred Geometry, Ornamental Design, Surrealism, and Abstract artwork.
Jay believes no one is free until we are all free. A photographer and writer, when he’s not creating beauty on the page he’s photographing it in the world. He lives in South Philly with his primary partner/ wife, Lauren, and their dogs Nell and Crash.
IG: @SouthPhillyJays | web: www.JayShifman.com
maDDie roBinSon
she / her
Maddie Robinson is a queer tattoo artist working out of her private studio in West Philly. She specializes in fine-line, nature-inspired designs. Her work focuses on complimenting the body and maintaining an organic sketch-like quality. She is very interested in capturing complicated textures with simple lines, and offering a novel, more delicate style to the world of tattooing.
IG: @off_world_tattoos
laura Price
she / her
Laura Price is an 11th dimensional energy healer and clairvoyant divine channel raising the collective consciousness. She is blessed with access to the Akashic records and is dedicated to breaking taboos around talking about sex and self-love.
She lives intuitively, purely and honors her soul’s purpose as an artist, musician and author of a forthcoming book sharing the ancient healing wisdom of the V. She is pro-porno and anti-hypocrisy.
Brianna Benozich is a writer, filmmaker, and comedian. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Brianna writes relatable and humorous stories about her personal life, city living, and the awkwardness that comes with being a human being. You can see Brianna perform comedy throughout the city.
Piped Dreams started as a little passion project Jenna had to spread joy with her cakes. She loves baking and has a passion for decorating vintage style cakes! This soon inspired Jenna to take her work to the streets of Philadelphia, and share that joy even more with others, by sharing her fake cake art. It became an amazing outlet for all of the stresses that life threw at her, and even at times where it felt hard to keep pushing and creating a piece of art that others can relate to felt amazing.
IG: @Piped_dreamscakes
olivia niKoliDaKiS
she / her
Olivia explores the effect that the external world—and the expectations it implies—has on the internal worlds of women and how they view themselves. Dealing with topics such as growing up catholic, deep-rooted fears of losing purity, and hyper sexualization, Nikolidakis confronts the everyday anxieties that have become prerequisites of womanhood.
IG: @livxnikolidakis | web: www.olivianik.com
SamDi aJangri
they / them
Samdi Ajangri is a Haitian-born, American-raised resident who does hard things like walking along uneven floors without falling, writing (and editing) words and creating things, and being in community with people who can be a little annoying sometimes. They think these hard things are worth doing.
IG: @ajangri.me | bluesky: @ajangri.me
the / him
Hello reader, I’m T! If you’re reading this, it means that I’ve finally been published! With that said, however, I regret to inform you that I’ve opened the gates to despair. Most of my poetry has to do with loss, sadness, and the world’s endless supply of both. Sometimes, it’s not so bad and one can appreciate the beauty of the universe... when life stops beating me over the head!
IG: @pastduepoet
maia BroWn-JacKSon
she / her
After the incredibly practical literature degree from the University of Chicago, award-winning, pushcart-nominated Maia Brown-Jackson braved the myriad esoteric jobs that follow, until straying to Iraq to volunteer with survivors of ISIS genocide. Inspired with new focus, she caffeinated herself through a graduate degree in terrorism and human rights and now investigates fraud, waste, and abuse of humanitarian aid in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Also, she writes.
Janos was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1971 and has lived in Philadelphia since 2015. A visual artist, primarily a painter, he also explores printmaking, murals, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Over 30 years, his work has been exhibited across Europe and the US. Recently, he returned to industrial environments, a recurring theme in his work, explored through panel painting and as medium for a public art project.
IG: @yaanchhee | web: http://korodijanos.com
Sierra moran
she / her
Sierra is an artist who uses bones and bugs found outdoors to create unique pieces of art. With a deep love for animals and nature, their work reflects a connection to the natural world and a passion for creating. For Sierra, art is a way to explore and honor the beauty of life, death, and everything in between. All of Sierra's bones are ethically sourced and found in the outskirts of Philadelphia.
IG: @sierrasbones
StePHanie SKatZ
she / her
Stephanie has lived outside the Philly area for over 48 years. She has been writing poems for her whole life. America, the land of hopes and dreams, is starting to wear her down.
IG: @Sskatzz3793
Dmitriy f. marcH
he / him
Dmitriy is a not really a writer; but as a former English major, he feels he owes it to his student debts and teachers; he hears the call once every full moon and thinks that maybe he (still) can be.
IG: @boogle_woogle
lou Paige
they / them
Lou Paige is a trans writer, organizer and editor, living in the Philadelphia area. Lou is interested in dissecting big feelings, defeating the Big Bad curse of perfectionism and labor unions!
IG: @igatherdreams
JiHan a. tHomaS
she / her
Jihan A. Thomas is a Black visual artist, artivist, Mother, comic illustrator and arts educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To Jihan, art can be a conduit for empowerment and self-actualization. She shares her art and creativity wherever art is needed throughout Philadelphia through art making and cultural experiences.
As an art educator, Jihan believes in the power of Black imagination and how it can support classroom student engagement in learning.
Jake is a visual artist, sculptor and illustrator who is very passionate about line and form. Their art is an exploration of subconscious form creation in order to invent new and interesting forms that hopefully bring joy to the viewers.
IG: @makingandjaking
mallory eDelle
she / her
Mallory is a poet and essayist living in Philadelphia, PA. She was raised in upstate New York in a house with three attics. She recently co-authored a book of essays on gender and horror. She is a Taurus.
linDSey gill
she / her CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CREATORS
Lindsey Gill is a freelance artist, muralist, and yoga teacher living in Philadelphia, PA. Her drawings, watercolors, and digital paintings are inspired by her love of nature, storytelling, typography, and mental health. She is a little bit of everything and aspires to travel the world helping others through art and expressive therapy.
When she is not out and about at one of her multiple jobs, Lindsey tries to write poetry, reads, and meditates with her cat Abba. You can find her work in the storefronts of Pretty Green Terrariums and Nice Things Handmade, both shops in Philly that support local artists. She also teaches yoga at a studio in Queen Village, the part of Philly she loves most and calls home.
Katie Dempsey is a graphic designer from New Jersey who has been living in Philadelphia since November 2020. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2015, and chose to pursue graphic design shortly thereafter. Between 2016 and 2018, she took several design courses at Brookdale Community College, and has been working as a graphic designer since May 2018. Her favorite aspect of graphic design is organizing the various elements on a page to fit together in an aesthetically pleasing way, much like a game of tetris. She also enjoys creating collages (both digital and traditional) and exploring her beloved neighborhood of Queen Village, where she lives with her cat Wolfie.
