cover by Prosodi

~*~

Haul Away, by Torino Koji

Arame Cove, by Domashita Romero (地下ロメロ)

Hunger at Sea, by Johannes T. Evans

In the River’s Hands, by Someone Else *

Odysseus Didn’t Know What He Was Missing, by shukyou (主教) *

Bitter Little Things, by Shrimp King

The Diary of Mr J. Walker, by Kit Miller *

* illustrated

—

Breaking in the Deckhand, by Pastel

~*~

Avast, ye landlubbers! Do not pass this booty by!

Ye heard aright! The S. S. Bang*Bang, set to sea for lo these many months, be returned to port this very day with a fine haul of booty hauled up from the briny depths for your eager eyes! We’ve the precious works of a few old salts for ye here in this pile of plunder, plus the fine pieces of a few tender mateys just beginning to get their sea legs under them. Be ye ever seeing such a fine haul of booty in all yer days?

Now, see, ye keep laughing every time I say “booty”! Do ye bilge rats not know booty be no joking matter among the men of the sea? ‘Tis true! This queer booty be stuffed with treasures galore, whether measured by league or by knot.

Aye, I spake no lies, ’tis queer! The queerest booty ever found on the high seas! So queer a thing as never before met the eyes of scallywags the likes of yerselves! Queer enough to blow ye down! To blow any man down!

Friend, ye be laughing again. What in this booty be worth such mirth? Know ye not a man’s booty be a serious thing?

Well, then! If ye still be lacking faith in me words to ye here, read the issue and see! And should ye have a friend or two in this world, pray be telling them of the fine haul to be discovered here and all the queer wonders what be contained within its pages.

Fair winds to ye, friend, and may yer anchor — and other parts — always be tight!

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(For summaries, creators’ notes, and more, we would usually tell you to see this issue’s entry on the Shousetsu Bang*Bang wiki. In the interim, however, please visit the relevant Google Doc of contributor commentary for similar content.)