Spilled Ink

Issue 66

Welcome!

Scribblers! Welcome to the penultimate issue of Spilled Ink (for this year at least). Are you feeling as sad as we are? Never fret, we’ve still got one more week before we say our goodbyes. We’ve gotten our first look at the Emotion Spring 2024 Zine—which is launching NEXT WEEK—and it’s looking fantastic! Don’t miss your chance to join us for our launch at La Boite Forecourt on the 23rd of October. Tickets are on sale now! Subscribe to our TikTok and Instagram to keep up to date with everything ScratchThat.

In this issue of Spilled Ink, you can catch a little preview of our website publications from the past week. We’ve got you covered on all the end-of-semester parties and events at QUT (including our zine launch!) and check in on what’s happening in the arts and culture scene around Brisbane. We’ve highlighted submission opportunities that might take your fancy now that ScratchThat’s submissions have closed. As always, we’ve got a writing prompt to help get you in the creative spirit; the emotion that’s inspiring us this week is Despair.

Finally, in “Devour Weekly”, Dylan’s getting fired up about Chronicles of the Avatar: The Reckoning of Roku, Sean sat down with the other DC villain spinoff: The Penguin TV series, and Karma did what most of us refuse to do: spend some time in nature.

Writing Prompt

Despair

It’s getting to that point in the year where assignments are taking up all our time and energy, but for those of you that still carry the flame of a creative spirit, we’ve got another weekly prompt for you. ScratchThat has unfortunately closed submissions, but don’t despair, ScratchThat will be back next year ready and wanting for your work. That’s right: this week our prompt is inspired by the emotion of Despair.

After three long, hard years of study, you’re nearly at the end of your degree. You just need to get through this one last assignment and you’ll be ready to graduate. Instead, you receive an email from the Academic Integrity Committee. They want you to come in for a meeting at your earliest convenience

Devour Weekly

Sean’s Review: The Penguin

I really enjoyed The Batman when it came out in 2022. The gritty, more grounded approach to a masked vigilante beating the crap out of people appealed to me a lot more than past Batman films or just superhero films in general. One of my favourite aspects of the film was Colin Farrell’s performance as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, so I was very excited when I found out his story would continue in HBO’s The Penguin series.

Taking place after the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone in The Batman, The Penguin follows Cobb’s attempt at taking control of the Gotham City criminal underworld in his absence. Unfortunately for Cobb, he must contend with the remaining members of both the Falcone and Moroni crime families as their long-standing peace turns into a violent struggle for power, forcing him to play both sides as he builds his new criminal empire.

The story’s setup is interesting enough, and the show’s writing, audio, and cinematography are all fantastic, creating a dark and moody atmosphere that draws the viewer in, but it’s the show’s two leads that keep them there. Colin Farrell’s portrayal as the somehow sympathetic criminal on his rise to power in contrast with Cristin Milioti’s engaging performance as his unsuspecting but menacing adversary, Sofia Falcone, makes this series something truly special and worth watching.

As of this review, only two episodes are available, but I am already hooked and can’t wait for the remaining six. So, if you are a fan of classic nineties gangster media such as Goodfellas and The Sopranos or will watch anything with Colin Farrell in it like myself, then give The Penguin a go.

The Penguin is now available to stream weekly on Binge.

Dylan’s Review: The Reckoning of Roku by Randy Ribay

I have been a devout fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender for as long as I can remember. I truly believe it is one of the greatest feats of storytelling in our generation. I devour and consume any and all media that is released within the bounds of this world because I love it so much. So, when I found out that The Reckoning of Roku would be the fifth instalment in the Chronicles of the Avatar book series, I was ecstatic.

The Chronicles of the Avatar is a series of novels featuring Avatars who preceded Aang and Korra. The novels build out the world before the Hundred Year War, giving us more details and information about the Avatar and the Four Nations before Fire Lord Sozin attacked the Air Nomads.

The Reckoning of Roku is the closest story we have to The Last Airbender, Roku being the Avatar to immediately precede Aang. The story opens with Roku travelling to the Southern Air temple to begin his Avatar training. Shortly after his arrival, his best friend, Fire Prince Sozin, sends a request for aid, claiming the Earth Kingdom is trying to steal resources from a mysterious island that belongs to the Fire Nation. Roku travels to the island to investigate but discovers that his oldest friend has not been entirely honest with him about what is happening.

Roku’s story is fascinating because it gives us an insight into how the Four Nations devolved to the point where Sozin was able to commit a genocide and what his motivations were behind that, and draws a frightening parallel with some very real-world issues we are facing today.

If you’re a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, then I highly suggest you pick up the Chronicles of the Avatar novels! You should be able to get them at QBD or Dymocks, or Amazon if you’re in a pinch.

Karma’s Review: Touching Grass

It really is that time of semester. I have a nice little pile of assignments that I am actively avoiding. Or, more accurately, assignments I keep sitting down to do and somehow find myself on YouTube or watching Netflix. Well, this past weekend, I said enough was enough! If I was going to be so insistent on procrastination, I would do it in a way that seemed productive and healthy. And that is how I found myself agreeing to go for a walk to the top of Mt Coot-tha with my roommates and our dog.

The phrase “touch grass” is usually fired off in a TikTok comment section, used as an insult, but I actually think it might be good advice. See, I hate to agree with every doctor who has ever told me to go for a walk when I am feeling sad, but getting out in the fresh air and moving my body was pretty fantastic. We walked from the JC Slaughter Falls Picnic Area up to the Summit lookout, a little over 2km in total. The path was paved the whole way, and even though it was a little steep towards the end and I was getting sick of stairs, the view at the top was fantastic. We rewarded ourselves with cold drinks and ice-cream, and just sat looking out at the city for a while. The way down was a little hard on the knees, but as the sun was setting, it felt good to enjoy the slight cool of the evening. I might’ve even run my hands over some actual, real-life grass.

To all our student readers: yes, this review is a little bit of a jest, but at the end of the day, I do hope you are all taking care of yourselves. If you are feeling cooped-up and assignment-crazy, I really recommend getting outside and moving your body in some way — you may find it is just what you need.

Author: Karma O’Reilly is a writer, creator, and dancer currently finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She has held a passion for all things bookish since childhood and has a particular love for high fantasy. As well as working on ScratchThat Magazine, Karma has also worked as a choreographer, treasurer, and dancer with QUT Burlesque Society.

Author: Dylan Oliver is a Meanjin-based writer. He’s had his work published in ScratchThat Magazine and is currently working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at QUT. Dylan enjoys writing authentic queer stories that speak to his own experience as a queer person. He is hard at work on what he hopes will be his debut novel.

Author: Sean Sutcliffe is a writer who is currently in the final year of his Creative Writing degree. He has a deep love for all forms of creative media, particularly horror or horror-inspired work, and selfishly plans to indulge this love while broadening his knowledge and sharing his thoughts on current and past media with the readers of this newsletter.

Artist: Phoenix Sunrider (they/she) is an aspiring author with several works in the making. They love all kinds of animals, and add as many as possible into all their works whether that be high fantasy, magical realism, or even fan fiction. They currently have no social media platforms, but hope to develop some when more work is completed.

Edited by: Ricky Jade and Mia Paton