Contents

Before I start rambling, there are two things that I need to address first.

1) Neuerotica was customized using photographs, traditional art, digital, 3D art, or something I made myself. There may be one or two that are AI-generated, but they’re placeholders until I find something appropriate to replace them with. The environmental impact aside, I’m not an enemy of AI art, reasons of which I intend to explain in an article sometime in the near future. I do use use them to make memes, but the art isn’t made by me. I see something I like at DeviantArt, take it, edit it, and slap my words of wisdom on them.

2) My manner of speech, tone, and behavior changes depending on my audience, but until recently, I didn’t know that it affected my writing. I’m mentioning this because I don’t want to anyone thinking that I’m using AI to compose my articles and interviews. That’s it. Now back to our show…

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“Subversive Pop Culture”. What is it? Hyperpop, pop-punk, indie pop, glitch, emo, pop aesthetic, and anything pop that’s outside of the mainstream. It’s bright, colorful, beautiful, and radical. The inspiration to publish a pop-oriented e-magazine came from Miley Cyrus (details here). The art/music/politics structure came from my late friend, Funkadelic album cover artist Pedro Bell (details here). Our socialist editorial content and retro-futuristic Myspace aesthetic and color palette was inspired by Generation Z. Neuerotica is a love letter/thank you note to Gen Z for (despite my being older) culturally, politically and personally enlightening me. At its core, however, it’s a reflection of my personality.

You can stop reading, at this point. Everything I’ve said thus far is basically what Neuerotica is. If you’re truly interested in the details, they can be found in the pages of this twelve-part introduction, which, admittedly, is a lot of reading. Mapping and constructing the art/sex/socialism DNA of Neuerotica wasn’t a matter of simply connecting the dots, there are dynamics involved that required a comprehensive understanding of the qualities of each element that facilitates their interrelation. If that sounds like something you want to spend your sunny afternoomn reading about, then by all means, read on.

To get you started on what to expect as you read through our intro, here’s a quote I found during my research, from a website called MyArtBroker. It’s an excerpt from Editorial Copywriter Essie King’s preface of her article on the art/sex connection where she states:

Art and identity are intertwined, and one way artists have explored their identity is through their sexuality. Sexuality is a complex and nuanced aspect of one's identity that can be challenging to express, particularly in a society that often imposes social norms and boundaries on sexual expression. However, art can be a powerful tool for exploring and celebrating sexuality, breaking down taboos and boundaries, and providing a platform for marginalized communities to express their sexuality freely.

In her introduction to Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality, the late Ann Snitow writes:

“While later generations of Marxian scientific socialists saw sex as secondary, derivative of the real relationships of production, many of the earliest socialist theorists and movements took sexual matters very seriously. The French Charles Fourier (1772–1837), for instance, one of the earliest utopian socialists, saw passionate attractions as germinal to the egalitarian, extra-familial bonds he envisioned. It was Fourier, for instance, who first perceived the connection, popular with subsequent sex radicals, between sexual monogamy and the acquisitive mentality fostered by private property.”

So you see, the art/sex/socialism connection for more than a century. What I did was determine where and how each part connected, in order prsent to a cohesive triumverate of philosophical exhibition and exposition.

There’s a lot more in this twelve-chapter introduction than I anticipated writing, but I believe that it’s worth it. You don’t have to read it straight through in one sitting (if you want to read it at all); you can skip sections by clicking the link of your choice in the table of contents at the top, and you’ll be taken to the section where the information you’re searching for can be found.

For those who want to get straight to our great content, be on your way; the masochists can follow me by clicking a link in the table of contentsup top, and we’ll begin our journey into the depths of this phenomenon known as Neuerotica, take a deep dive into its origins and purpose, and perhaps learn something about its mysterious creator along the way.

Every chapter in this absurdly long introduction (which is what “proem” means, in case you were wondering) was written by me. It took me almost two years for me to get to here, and I had no help whatsoever. I need you to appreciate the work I put into this e-magazine, but more importantly, I sincerely hope that you show your appreciation for our articles and interviews on these young artists, and support them. They are, after all, who I built Neuerotica for.

Before you leave, please note that:

1) You don’t have to be a socialist to enjoy our articles (maybe stay clear of the editorial section).

2) If you’re racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or transphobic, you won’t have a good time here, and our editorials are going to do nothing for you except have you foaming at the mouth. Don’t do it to yourselves.

3) Being queer, socialist, trans, non-binary, or neurodivergent is not a prerequisite for enjoying our content, but if you’re a straight, capitalist, cis neurotypical, I hope that you enjoy our articles about some amazing people, regardless of your sexual proclivities, political leanings, pronouns, or psychological profile.

4) I’m human, fallible, and (contrary to the opinions of family and friends), I don’t know it all. Everything you read in our Proem chapters was written by me, the publisher. You’re going to find errors and redundancy, and that’s to be expected. While I do have a pretty solid understanding of history and key events, I’m not a historian. If you’re looking for a great historian whose history books are laced with copious amounts of profanity and snark, I suggest Canadian journalist/author James Fell; you won’t regret it.

In a letter of commendation from my university counselor for organizing an event, she mentioned that I “never hesitate to take on big projects”. Neuerotica is the largest project I have ever taken on, involving building, rebuilding, and rebuilding again. I hope never to have to do anything like this again.

Background photograph by Frankie Cordoba