First Impressions - The Goblin Manor of Anstruther-Mogg (ZineQuest 3)

A whimsical place.

TL;DR: In summary, The Goblin Manor of Anstruther-Mogg is a zine full of whimsy and fun ideas that makes me smile when I read the entries. But I doubt I will ever back another project by the authors.

The Goblin Manor of Anstruther-Mogg is another ZineQuest 3 production. This was very much a fun purchase for me, as it looked fun and whimsical. Who couldn't help but fall in love with the idea of a manor house full of Goblin sisters, many illustrated with lovely pencil sketches?

The zine arrived promptly; it's 28 pages long, printed on thick grey paper. The font face chosen is quite thin, so struggles to be readable in places due to the lack of contrast, and not good for those with poor eyesight. There are 20 rumours about the sprawling manor house of Antstruther-Mogg which can be found in the neighbouring town of Frumbley. They're all fun and normalise the Goblins in the context of the locals. They're perceived as strange and dangerous, but very much part of society. They're useful hooks to encourage characters to visit. 

The sisters themselves are all described with a short paragraph, and many have character pictures. They have wonderful fun names like 'Yourstruly' and 'Gutsforgarters'. Each of them has a hook for interaction, and the descriptions give hints of what the manor house is like; there's no map or detailed description, but the places that you can find the sisters are described.

The editing isn't perfect; the odd typo and a few lines seem to trail off, but it's a zine and I've seen far worse from professional publishers. 

In summary, a zine full of whimsy and fun ideas that makes me smile when I read the entries. But I doubt I will ever back another project by the authors.

Why's that? 

The zine starts with an opening rant. A rant that wasn't hinted at in any way in the campaign. A rant that fills me with revulsion when I see the seething anger in it. The authors clearly believe that this is fine to put in print, and yet didn't feel it important enough to mention it in the campaign. I don't identify with any of the four groups in this, but the statement is so at odds with the whimsy of the work that it turns me off the zine. 

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't do this kind of vitriol. Wishing death on people isn't my thing.

The zine has had a sensitivity read. 

So this is okay, apparently. 

6 June 2021