Click on the image above to download a low-res PDF (6.3mb) of Bunk Issue 5

The first issue of Bunk Magazine was published by the Armory nearly 10 years ago, long before I arrived in Taiwan.  Around the time I moved to Taiwan the last issue of Bunk, issue 4, was published.  Bunk had a big influence on my decision to start Xpat Magazine.  It showed me that an independent art magazine in Taiwan was possible.  It also showed me how good a small indie art rag could be.

So, when Dumei asked me to help her make a new issue of Bunk for the Armory’s 12th anniversary I was honored to do so.  It turned out better than I could have expected, largely due to the exceptional layout, which was done by my exceptional girlfriend (at the time), Christine Hunt.  Of course, the magazine also wouldn’t have been possible without the contributors, who include:

Words:
Matt Gibson
Chris ‘the fuhrer’ Knight
Dane Harris
Dustin Price

Photography:
Dumei
Tarky
Richard Matheson
Chris Scott
Steven Vigar
Garret Clarke

Artwork:
Agee
Ebu Estada
Derek Murphy

You can get your copy from the Armory (in Tainan), but you better hurry.  Only five hundred were printed, so they won’t last long.  You can also download a PDF of the magazine by clicking on the cover image in the top right hand corner of this post.  You can also read my letter from the editor here.

Enjoy!

Click on the image above to download a low-res PDF (6.3mb) of Bunk Issue 5

The Armory is synonymous with art. The Armory itself is a work of art, having been built by a sculptor from the remains of the demolished armory that once stood in its place. Since then the Armory has hosted numerous art and photography exhibitions, usually for charity, and often paid local bands to play even though the business never made any money from it. The owner of the Amory, Dumei, is a true patron of the arts.

I first met Dumei several years ago when I started a magazine for foreigners called Xpat. She promised to buy our most expensive advertising spot, the back cover, as long as we were in business, not because she needed the advertising, but simply to support the magazine. I had gotten the idea to start Xpat Magazine after seeing a similar publication that had circulated around Tainan years earlier. It was called Bunk. Bunk had also been created by foreigners and sponsored by Dumei. Dumei has never turned away those who asked her for help; from the Tainan Phoenix soccer team to the children who live in the orphanage that she funds in Tibet. So, I was proud to help her to create this, the newest issue of Bunk, showcasing the some of the best writers, photographers, and artists in Tainan, to commemorate the Armory’s 12th Anniversary.

I hope that you enjoy this magazine and appreciate it for what it truly is: a publication produced by the artists of Tainan, created by the grace of Dumei’s Buddhist charity, and funded by foreigners getting falling-down drunk.

Cheers,
Matt Gibson
Editor in Chief