Passengers by Matt Taylor takes you on a mind melting surreal trip

Passengers is our first zine launch in 2021. It's a 24 page zine of artist Matt Taylors recent explorations into the psychedelic surreal world of our minds. Printed on premium eggshell 80lb paper this full color zine is sized at 7" x 4.5".

"My sketchbook has always served as an extension of myself, I like to draw and that leads to making artwork of all types and mediums. I work as a Creative Director for a software development company while maintaining a passion for my personal art projects and creative expression throughout life. I am (and have always been) based in Toledo, Ohio but my wife and I consider ourselves seasoned road-trippers, sleeping in our tent on camping trips around the Great Lakes as often as possible. 

Some of the recent work that I'm most proud of are my large scale murals. Many of which can be seen throughout the city of Toledo and surrounding areas, most famously Toledo Loves Love, which I just happened to repaint/refresh along with collaborating artist MEDE for its 10 year anniversary! Large scale work is a lot of fun, but my primary artistic outlet is small ink on paper illustrations."

Above: Artist Matt Taylor

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background?

A: Toledo, Ohio born and stayed. Design enthusiast and maker. I live for the moments where I can immerse myself in nature and forget humanity. I take inspiration from the endless dance of beauty and despair around us. My drawings try to capture some of the magic, fleeting, unraveling, natural expressions of 'now'.

Above: Passengers - Cover Art by Matt Taylor

Q: What was your method and approach for creating the Passengers Zine?

A: The drawings in Passengers are mostly created by layering many colors of pigmented markers in loose but harmonic gestures, followed by pen/ink linework to define the image. The cover illustration has become a favorite of mine, the base perspective of the drawing features a landscape where a man hunkers down behind a boulder while facing down a colossal distorted face in the sky looming over him, symbolically facing a fear or peering inward. 

This theme, again, presented itself to me along the way without initial intent. These spontaneous expressions, unplanned successes and happy accidents where I start to feel my humanity, and it is why I have an unending selfish, and gnawing need to make.

Above: Example page from Passengers by Matt Taylor

Q: Tell us a bit about the concept of your zine?

A: The Passengers zine, to me, is all about the magic of finding characters, faces, and the different realities created while 'free-drawing'. Many of the featured drawings in the zine were simply started with no clear direction whatsoever. 

 The initial color marks would lead to shapes and patterns, and ultimately inking the linework and setting the final piece in place. The many staring faces or smiles or spontaneous gestures within the work presented themselves without much effort on my part. 

I consider these the Passengers. All along they are there within the marks or inked lines waiting to show themselves through the expression of free-drawing. I really love when these little magic moments within a drawing happen, and so the theme of my zine became clear. I wanted to showcase some of the Passengers that have presented themselves to me as I work.

Above: Front inside cover introduction of Passengers

Passengers zine by Matt Taylor - $18

Passengers is our first zine launch in 2021. It's a 24 page zine of artist Matt Taylors recent explorations into the psychedelic surreal world of our minds. Printed on premium eggshell 80lb paper this full color zine is sized at 7" x 4.5".

'Passengers' is the perfect zine to give as a gift or to add to your collection. You can find more of Matt Taylors work on instagram @mrtaylordevicious