Category: comics

  • Quimby’s Co-Sponsors Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE), at The Irish American Heritage Center, 6/28 + 6/29

    Quimby’s is proud to co-sponsor The Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE), a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago’s rich legacy as home to many of underground and alternative comics’ most talented artists– past, present and future. Featuring comics for sale, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions and more, CAKE is dedicated to fostering community and dialogue amongst independent artists, small presses, publishers and readers.

    Featuring Special Guests!: Angie Hewitt, Caroline Hu, Geneva Bowers, Koreangry, Malachi Ward, Max Huffman

    CAKE 2025

    Saturday, June 28, 11:00 – 6:00 PM
    Sunday, June 29, 11:00 – 5:00 PM

    at The Irish American Heritage Center (not at Quimbys!)
    4626 N. Knox Ave.
    Chicago, IL 60630

    Masks strongly encouraged.

    More info at cakechicago.com

    flyer by former Quimby’s employee Mike Centeno!

  • John Porcellino & Chris Fink Release Forage Like a Bear at Quimby’s, May 31st

     

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    Don’t miss John Porcellino (King-Cat) and Chris Fink (Add This to the List of Things That You Are) visiting Quimby’s to talk about Forage Like a Bear, their collaborative book of gentle micro-essays on nature, family, and life on Saturday, May 31st at 7pm!

    This beautiful book by Chris Fink collects twenty of his short, luminous radio essays as heard on Northern Public Radio WNIJ FM in DeKalb, Illinois. Low-key and plainspoken, he explores quiet moments in nature and with family in a classic Midwestern style. It features whistling acorns, scribbling clams, gossipy geese, technicolor ducks, turkeys (including human ones), roving bands of chipmunks, chimneys, fires, chainsaws, lice, thin ice, approximately 30,000 blueberries, cars rolling uphill, the leaves of a mulberry tree drifting down, Peace Trail meanders, and maybe just maybe, a holy grail morel and more, all illustrated with graceful ink line drawings by comics luminary John Porcellino. 

    Porcellino will read (with slides) selections from recent issues of King-Cat, with Chris Fink reading afterwards from Forage Like a Bear. A Q+A and signing will follow. Books will be available for purchase.

    Long-time friend of Quimby’s John Porcellino has been publishing King-Cat Comics since 1989. When he does events at Quimby’s he lovingly refers to us as the place where he does the first event on the tour to experiment, and we are therefore the “sacrifical pancake.” He runs Spit and a Half Distro and goes to the post office on most days. Follow him on Patreon +@johnporcellino on IG among other places.

    Chris Fink is a professor of English at Beloit College and the editor of the Beloit Fiction Journal. He’s the author of two collections of short stories, Farmer’s Almanac: A Work of Fiction (Emergency Press, 2013/2023) and Add This to the List of Things That You Are (University of Wisconsin Press, 2019). He’s a regular contributor to Northern Public Radio.

    Forage Like a Bear (Bored Wolves, 2025) $18.00 – Lovingly printed on soft white paper with French flaps.

    Yes! Quimby’s will stay open later for this event! Quimby’s is located at 1854 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622.  This event is free.

    Find the Facebook event link here.

     

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  • Zine Club Chicago Online: Show Us Your Stacks, Feb. 18th!

     

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of books and zines stacked in a wicker basket, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Show Us Your Stacks; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, February 18, 2025”

    Zine Club Chicago Online: Show Us Your Stacks
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, February 18, 2025
    Online! Free!
    On Zoom, RSVP details below

    Whenever self-publishing fanatics gather, one question always seems to come up: How do you organize your zines?  Whether you’re a meticulous cataloguer, a creator of haphazard piles, or something in between, we want to know about the ways you arrange, display, and categorize your personal collection.

    Get your home stash in order (or leave it messy), BYOS(tacks + Snax) and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Show Us Your Stacks at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, February 18, 2025!

    ** RSVP required ** We want to make sure that our online Zine Club Chicago events are a safe space, so we won’t be releasing the Zoom link publicly. If you’d like to attend, please email zineclubchicago@gmail.com to RSVP by 9 p.m. CT Monday, February 17 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, February 18.

    Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago. This free event series is produced by Cynthia E. Hanifin and sponsored by Quimby’s Bookstore. Anna Jo Beck designs our monthly flyers, created our logo, and made our Zine Club Chicago Shout-Outs site, where folks can peruse and recommend zines we’ve discussed at our events.

    Facebook event is here. More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of books and zines stacked in a wicker basket, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Show Us Your Stacks; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, February 18, 2025”

  • Recommended Reading: Vibrant Voices on the Page

    A pile of books and zines that tell personal stories, available at Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago.

    The world is a flaming mess right now. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I’m right there with you. Whenever I’m struggling, I know that I can find respite in personal narratives. Reading about another person’s challenges, triumphs, sorrows, and joys reminds me that, as Adrienne Rich wrote, our stories flow in more than one direction.

    Our shop is, of course, packed to the brick walls with vibrant voices on the page. Here are a few of the tales in which I’ve taken solace lately.

    Every single issue of Lucinda J. Williams’ Bookshelf Voyeur series is a pure delight. Her latest release, #8: On Scrapbooks, delves into the fascinating lives that the zinemaker first encountered within a collection of turn-of-the-century ephemera.

    Anxious Critters #1 and #2: I adore this pair of sweet zines about the relationship between creator Alex O’Keefe and her housemate: A very cute bunny named Ivy.

    Although I’m a native Chicagoan, I’ve lived a good chunk of my life in small Midwestern towns, each with its own unique DIY community. Punks in Peoria: Making a Scene in the American Heartland by Jonathan Wright and Dawson Barrett takes a compelling look at how the hardcore punk movement played out in one central Illinois city in the ’80s and ’90s.

    When someone I know returns from a trip, the first thing I ask is what they ate during their journey. April Malig chronicles her culinary adventures, with words and gorgeous colorwashed images, in April’s Eating Zine #5: Everything I Ate in Japan (Part One: Toyko!) and April’s Eating Zine #5.5: Everything I Ate in Japan (Part 2: Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Atami!).

    I love a pocket-size zine, since I like never want to be without a story to get lost in. Ker-bloom! always delivers a perfect bite-sized tale presented in a beautiful letterpress package. Issue #171 begins with the epic statement: “Sometimes it pays to be a known Lord of the Rings nerd.”

    So perhaps you’d like to add your own story to the glorious chorus of voices in this universe? We’ve got two of my favorite books about writing in stock right now. 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg and many of the writer’s literary friends — including Carmen Maria Machado, Roxane Gay, and Kiese Laymon — just came out in paperback. Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos is the book I would put into the hands of any storyteller who wants to deepen their own practice.

    If you do decide to share your story with the world, please consider putting it into a zine and consigning it with us! You might want to grab a This is Going in My Perzine sticker to give folks a heads-up. 🙂

    —   With love and solidarity, C.E. Hanifin

  • Looking for a Unique Gift? Send a Qustomized Quimby's Zine Package!

    Not sure what to get a certain tough-to-shop-for someone on your gift list this year? May we suggest a Qustomized Quimby’s Zine Package? You choose the denomination (we offer $25, $69, and $100 options) and tell us a little something about what your recipient is into, and our zine specialists will choose a unique assortment of self-published delights! Oh, and our Qustomized Quimby’s Zine Packages make a great lil’ treat for yourself, too.
    Here’s an example: The person who will receive the $25 Qustomized Zine Package in this photo loves animals, resisting our robot overlords, travel, smart cultural analysis, and slice-of-life stories. Look at that awesome selection of ziney goodness that will be arriving in their mailbox, along with some free Quimby’s bookmarks!
    Qustomized Zine Packages are available right here on our website only. If you’d like some help putting together a customized gift while shopping in our store, we’ll be happy to assist you in person! And yeah, if you prefer to let your gift recipient choose some fun new zines on their own, we’ve got gift cards available online and in-store, as well.

  • Political comix FTW!

    As disorienting as World events have been in recent years since forever, it’s never too late to educate ourselves on the corrupt and violent actions, ideologies and laws created by those in power. Learning about social justice movements grown from the past is a great way to learn how marginalized groups of people fought and died for their rights and the rights of future generations.

    Comics, especially political comics, are a great way to tell our stories and read about tough subjects in an easily digestible format. I recently discovered World War 3 Illustrated here at Quimby’s! World War 3 Illustrated is a political comic anthology series founded by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper in 1979 in New York City.  This radical comics anthology showcases artists and activists sharing personal and collective struggles of disenfranchised groups all over the world with beautiful, lighthearted, and at times, haunting artwork in the form of poetry, comics, protest posters, and essays. Check out these much needed latest editions of World War 3 Illustrated (#53 and #54), which highlight the importance of fighting for our collective rights to ensure we have a future on this planet:

    World War 3 Illustrated #54, aka World War 3 Now? published by AK Press

    This urgent collection focuses on the current war and genocide in Palestine, as well as the alarming destruction of the planet due to climate change. I learned about Campamento Carey, a group of land defenders protecting wildlife from the development of property by Americans who moved to Puerto Rico for huge tax break incentives. Each piece in this book is a wake up call for humanity, made thoughtfully and lovingly by activists and artists all over the World. Highly recommended!

    World War 3 Illustrated #53, My Body Our Rights published by AK Press

    Published in 2023, months after Roe V. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court, this outstanding collection of rageful comix touches on reproductive rights, access to safe abortions, and the difficulties trans and non-binary folks face while navigating the medical system. My Body, Our Rights is relevant as ever as we see an uptick in deaths in states where abortions are outlawed. It’s infuriating to know the US government is sliding backwards as medical technology advances. We should all have autonomy over our bodies, our lives, and our rights as portrayed in this radical anthology. 

    It’s easy to feel despair during these times, but we need to take action and fight for a better world as generations before us have. I leave you with an inspiring quote from the late Diane di Prima, author of Revolutionary Letters (also recommended)!

    Revolutionary Letter #8 — Dionne Elizabeth

     

    <3 Angel

    @angel.xoxoxoxox

  • Blurry by Dash Shaw

    Have you ever lost your glasses? Or gazed at an impressionist painting? Or gotten lotion in your eye? Seen through a blurry lens, the world becomes indistinct; it’s harder to tell where one thing ends and another begins.

    Dash Shaw’s newest book, Blurry, blends the individual stories of several different characters as they struggle to answer both commonplace and life-changing questions. They’re the kinds of conundrums that we are all inevitably faced with. What to create? Who to partner with? What to do with our time? Which ice cream flavor to choose? Such problems sprout like dandelions from the liminal cracks in our lives. And, as Shaw skillfully demonstrates, they’re the questions that spur us to grow as people.

    Blurry beautifully portrays the complexity of our inner lives as it fluidly intertwines the protagonists’ narratives. I really loved following each character’s thought process as they sorted through their individual quandaries. Reading this book helped me feel less alienated in my own inner deliberations. It reminded me that, while I might get a bit lost in my own problems from time to time, so does everyone else I come into contact with every day. And even if we sometimes feel alone in our unique struggles, it’s nice to remember that our problems actually connect us to one another, because they are a quintessential part of the human experience. 

    Be sure to stop by for our event on Saturday, November 9th when Dash Shaw will be in conversation with acclaimed graphic novelist Olivier Schrauwen and brilliant cartoonist Conor Stechschulte! More info here!

    Polish up those contact lenses and come on down to Quimby’s to pick up this lovely tome!

    ~ Echo

  • Tessa Recommends a Little Getaway to Hold Off the Inclement Weather Blues

    Alrighty zine fiends, it is about to get gloomy as heck, especially for us in Chicago and the Midwest. Maybe it would help to plan a trip? Could be just a little getaway—maybe even in your imagination. So, I’ve gathered together a collection of zines to help you prepare to escape the dreary months to come. Introducing…

    Tessa’s Guide to Zines That Aren’t Necessarily Travel Guides but Make Me Think About Escaping! 

    Elephant Buildings by Dave Hankins

    The obvious place to start is Elephant Buildings by Dave Hankins. Now, you’ll have to time travel to visit some of the fascinating elephant-shaped buildings in this zine, but you’ll find plenty of interesting details in Dave’s thoroughly researched zine to accurately set your time travel devices or to travel in your imagination. Before picking this little booklet up, I never thought to wonder about elephant buildings, but after reading it I feel like such a fool. I will now be forever curious about the history of any roadside attraction I encounter.

    Controlled Burn: an Oak Opening Story by Lee Fearnside

    Try out imaginary ecotourism by visiting an interesting local ecosystem in Controlled Burn: an Oak Opening Story by Lee Fearnside. In this little zine, you’ll meet the plants and animals of Oak Openings, a region crossing Ohio and Michigan and learn about the impact of human intervention on this unique habitat and the importance of controlled burns in ecosystems. I love learning about the environments I visit. If you do too, try out Controlled Burn!

    Indianapolis: a Visitor’s Guide by Jone Greaves

    Maybe you’re staying nearby – a little road trip to MidBest mecca, Indianapolis! 😉 Make sure to pick up Jone Greaves’ very helpful, Indianapolis: a Visitor’s Guide before you hit the road! Inside you’ll find secrets, tips and mysterious warnings about the city, like the resting place of the “harbinger of the growing goblin scourge of the Midwest,” a warning about cursed regions, seasonal rituals, and a reminder not to mention The Catacombs (oops!).

     

    Cavern Zines #4 by Ari Ganahl

    Maybe you’re staying even nearer-by—Try out Ari Ganahl’s Cavern Zine #4 for an adventure right from your favorite armchair. Everything you need for a spelunking adventure is in this little book. Join the included (great value!) cave guide on a unique journey through paper landscape. Best of all, you can visit this destination again and again with no additional cost!

    Pocket Road Atlas by Mel Watkin and Maps by Chris Auman

    For more armchair adventures, check out Mel Watkin’s Pocket Road Atlas to plan out an imaginary road trip through beautiful imagined regions illustrated right over real road maps. I also recommend Chris Auman’s Maps, which will provide you with plenty of imaginary landscapes, cityscapes, mostly-waterscapes, and other scapes, to escape into. 

     

    Anxious Planet by Jone Greaves

    Finally, if you happen to be reading this blog from your spaceship, contemplating a visit to Earth, make Quimby’s your first stop planet-side to pick up Jone Greaves’ Anxious Planet for a general overview of what’s going on here with this weird rock we’re living on.

    Happy trails, Zine Travellers! I hope to see you in-store to wish you well on your zine journeys!

    See ya soon!

    -Tessa <3

  • Zine Club Chicago Poetry Comix Edition, with Mita Mahato, Oct 20th

    Join comix artist and poet Mita Mahato for a poetry comix workshop in conjunction with the launch of her new book Arctic Play. Mahato will share her process in making the book as a jumping off point to guide folks in experimenting with poetic forms, color, and collage to make poetry comix of their own. No experience necessary!

    3 p.m. Sunday, October 20, 2024

    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.

    Free!

    Arctic Play is a drama, a dirge, an expedition log, a series of poetic experiments, a comic book. Mapping an Arctic imaginary of beings and landforms onto a shifting stage of woven and layered papers, Mahato conjures geographic and creative uncertainty as the necessary condition for navigating the climate crisis and its sorrows.

    “With a caring awareness, Mahato hints at the expansive possibilities of the comix medium—and the human experience.” ~ Lale Westvind, Grip

    “Arctic Play is both wildly experimental and completely confident in how it inhabits poetry, comix, collage, weaving, and playwriting.” ~ Aidan Koch, Spiral and Other Stories

    Mita Mahato is a comix artist and poet who assembles her panels and pages with cut and collaged papers. Her poetry comix have appeared in places including PRISM, Ecotone, Iterant, Shenandoah, Coast/NoCoast, ANMLY, and Drunken Boat, as well as in the collection In Between, published by Pleiades. She lives in Seattle.

    Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago. This free monthly event series is produced by Cynthia E. Hanifin and sponsored by Quimby’s Bookstore. Anna Jo Beck designs the monthly flyers, created the logo, and made the Zine Club Chicago Shout-Outs site, where folks can peruse and recommend zines we’ve discussed at our events: https://zineclubchicagoshoutouts.spread.name/

    More info:

    Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago like here on IG and here on Twitter.

    editors(at)the3rdthing(dot)press

    Sunday, October 20, and 3pm – Free Event

    Facebook invite here.

  • All Ages Content Featuring Cats

    If you’ve ever been to Quimby’s shopping for an underage zine enthusiast, you may have noticed that our kids section is kinda small.  But that’s not because we don’t have zines for all ages; it’s just that we include that creativity in all sections throughout the store.  So we’ve been adding green signs around the bookstore lately to denote All Ages content, and I’m here to highlight a few of my favorites that all just happen to have a cat theme.  

    Marceline’s Alley Stories by Cecilia Jane

    In this adorable comic, Marceline (a house cat) tells us three tales of her alley starring the creatures she sees and encounters via her window view.  These tales hit on some serious feelings of jealousy, hardship, friendship, mortality, and love without being heavy or hard to understand.  Aside from a brief mention or two or hardships, this comic keeps things positive and hopeful.  Marceline reminds readers to find peace in being yourself, to comfort friends in times of need, and to appreciate a connection without being possessive.  All appropriate lessons for everyone of all ages.  

    Cats Words Feelings by Heather Anacker

    This perfectly titled zine displays beautiful cat portraits each accompanied by a sentence or two intended to inspire.  While presenting some big ideas (like “When conditions are right things manifest.”), this zine stays simple, digestible, and sweet.  These are ideas worth considering for readers of all ages.  

    Cat Butts by Dana Amundsen

    I can’t get enough of this micro zine from DnA artists, despite the plethora of cat butt that is presented to me every moment that I am at home.  There are no words past the title page, because the drawings do it all.  The simple line sketches perfectly capture grooming cats; my favorites are the lifted leg poses when the cat pauses, fully exposed, to stare at its onlooker.  These cuties can be readily enjoyed by all ages. 

    Purr-haps you also know some of the great all ages content on our shelves.  If so, please drop us a comment or point them out to me the next time you see me at the shop.  Despite my penchant for smut, I’m still a kid (just ask my ma!), and I’ll never grow up, not me.  

    Toujours, elizabeth

    @GetBackToPrint