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Poster design by David Alvarado.
Category: comics
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M.S. Harkness Celebrates Time Under Tension: a Graphic Memoir at Quimby's Bookstore With Evan Salazar & Caroline Cash, Oct 6th!
M.S. Harkness Celebrates Time Under Tension: a Graphic Memoir
at Quimby’s Bookstore
With Evan Salazar & Caroline Cash
Fri, Oct 6th, 7pm
Free!Time Under Tension is a smart, funny, no bullshit work of autobiography, a story of searching for dignity in a world that rarely affords it and taking agency of adulthood in the face of so many easy excuses not to.
M.S. Harkness is graduating from art school in Minneapolis and facing a crossroads in life. She has a strained relationship with her mother, a sexually abusive father on parole, and is in love with an aspiring MMA fighter who mostly hangs out with her to get high and already has a girlfriend and career prospects with a fight promotion. An art career feels untenable — as one professor tells her, “Don’t expect to get by on this fucked-up broke girl shit.” She decides to get a personal trainer’s certificate — it seems like a feasible and sensible career option — but continues to dabble as a sex worker and weed dealer because the money is too irresistible. With idle hands due to no classes or full-time work, M.S. has ample time to aimlessly fuck around — or, to get her shit together. “I want to be better, I want to be stable and solid. I don’t want to keep aimlessly shifting between untenable situations.”
Harkness’s bold, precise black-and-white cartooning and eye for storytelling invites the reader in, while her sharp wit and naturalist ear as a writer takes it away from there. Never didactic, always real, Time Under Tension is a spirited and assured work of graphic memoir.
M.S. Harkness was born in Oklahoma and lives in Columbus, Ohio. She was featured as an up and coming cartoonist at the Angouleme Comics Festival in France, and was a recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Visual Artist Grant. Harkness occasionally teaches comics at Columbus College of Art & Design, in addition to working as a personal trainer. This is her third graphic novel, following Tinderella and Desperate Pleasures (both from Uncivilized Books). Find M.S. Harkness on IG at @m.s.harkness.
Joining the celebration of Time Under Tension are artists Evan Salazar and Caroline Cash.
Evan Salazar is a cartoonist originally from Tucson, Arizona. His main project is the self-published comic book Rodeo, which explores the secret passageways that connect memory, imagination, and family. Salazar has been published internationally, was the recipient of a 2020 MICE Mini-grant, participated in the Hocking Hills Cartoonist Retreat, founded the Tucson Comix Club, and has presented his work at comics festivals across the United States. He currently lives in Arizona with his dog, Margie. For more info see rodeocomics.com.
Ignatz award winning cartoonist Caroline Cash, known for such titles as Girl In the World and Pee Pee Poo Poo, used to work at Quimby’s. She can be found on IG at cash_browns.
More about Time Under Tension:
See M.S. Harkness on tour!
Want the Facebook Event Invite for this Quimby’s event? Go here!
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Zine Club Chicago Online: Fest Finds Edition with Special Guest Co-host Jordan Sea of Sonoma County Zine Club, June 20th!
Zine Club Chicago Online: Fest Finds Edition
With Special Guest Co-host Jordan Sea of Sonoma County Zine Club
7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, June 20 on Zoom
Free!Zine fest season is in full swing, so this month Zine Club Chicago is inviting y’all to share your fave finds from Chicago Zine Fest, CAKE, and other in-person and online events that center self-publishers. We’re super excited to welcome a special guest co-host, Jordan Sea of Sonoma County Zine Club, to give us a West Coast perspective on the return of zine fests around the country!
Grab the best zines you’re scooped up at recent festivals, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Fest Finds Edition with Special Guest Co-host Jordan Sea of Sonoma County Zine Club at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, June 20!
** 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, June 19 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 20.
Observer, contemplative, seeking engrossment, zinester, mom, following too many podcasts. Jordan Sea has been a fan of zine culture for 20 years but only started writing Rain Barrel in 2020. Out of a deep longing for Chicago’s zine community and with a desire to enliven zine culture and find other zinesters near them, they began the Sonoma County Zine Club in 2022. Jordan sells their own zines and those of their family on their Etsy store. Their writing has appeared in Snax and Behind the Zines, with their latest Rain Barrel issue featured in Anna Jo Beck’s Zine-A-Month. You can also find Jordan on Instagram at @rainbarrelzine.
Sonoma County Zine Club is a collaborative space to create and share zines in community. Activities are usually informal, open for folks to work on whatever they wish. Different art supplies are provided, like markers, tape, scissors, rubber stamps, glue sticks, paper, and more! Occasionally a collaborative zine is made on a particular topic. The library provides the space and fun snacks! Sonoma County Zine Club meets on the first Tuesday night of the month at 6 p.m. at the Sebastopol Regional Library in Sebastopol, CA.
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago, the city’s only book club-style event for people who read zines. This free monthly 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.
More info at quimbys.com and on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago. Facebook link here.
Image description #1: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the crowd photo from Chicago Zine Fest 2023, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Fest Finds Edition with Special Guest Co-host Jordan Sea of Sonoma County Zine Club; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 25, 2023”
Image description #2: A photo of zinemaker Jordan Sea, who is smiling and has pink and black hair and rhinestone-studded cats-eye glasses.
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Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE), June 3rd & 4th at the Broadway Armory
Quimby’s is a proud co-sponsor for 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 and 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.
June 3rd-4th, 2023
11am-6pm Saturday
11am-5pm SundayBroadway Armory (not at Quimby’s!)
5917 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660Free and open to the public!
CAKECHICAGO.COMSpecial guests:
Masks strongly encouraged.
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Zine Club Chicago Hosts a Post-CZF2023 Hangout, May 21st!
12-2 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Ave.
Free!Going to Chicago Zine Fest?* Let’s keep the fun fest vibe going all weekend! Zine Club Chicago is hosting a meetup (with snacks, of course) from 12 to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21 here at the shop. Spend time with your zine pals and make new ones, eat some cookies, browse fresh arrivals in the shop, and drop off your consignment items.**Free! Masks encouraged. More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago. Facebook event here.* We’ll be there! Look for the Quimby’s and Zine Club Chicago tables at #CZF2023.** Please note that we have moved to an email-only consignment check-in system and will not be able to make consignment payouts or check current stock levels of your consignment items during the hangout.Image description: A black-and-white, cut-and-paste event flyer that reads: “Join Zine Club Chicago for a Post-Chicago Zine Fest Hangout! 12-2 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park; Free!: Meet up with zine friends and make new ones!; Drop off consignment items!; Eat cookies!; Masks encouraged; More info: quimbys.com” -
Zine Club Chicago Online: Riotous Zines Edition, April 25th!
Zine Club Chicago Online: Riotous Zines Edition
7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 25 on Zoom
Free!From snarky observations and arch takes to wacky puns and sight gags, zines make excellent vehicles for all kinds of humor. This month, we’ll be discussing — and cracking up about — our favorite titles that make us smirk, giggle, and LOL!
Grab the funniest zines in your collection, BYOS(ense)O(f)H(umor), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Riotous Zines Edition at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 25!
** 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, April 24 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 25.
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago, the city’s only book club-style event for people who read zines. This free monthly 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.
More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago. Facebook event here.
Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the cartoon image of a person laughing with their mouth wide open, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Riotous Zines Edition; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 25, 2023”
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Mel Stringer Fart School Release Event, In Conversation With Kevin Budnik, at Quimby's, April 15th
Quimby’s welcomes Mel Stringer to celebrate the release of her graphic novel Fart School published by Silver Sprocket on Saturday, April 15th and 7pm here in person at 1854 W. North Ave in conversation with comics artist Kevin Budnik, for a night of talking and signing.
Based on the author’s experience attending art school in the early 2000s, Mel Springer’s Fart School is a funny, heartfelt graphic novel will resonate with anyone who had a youthful dream—or a DeviantArt account. The book chronicles Mel’s excitement about moving to Brisbane to start art school where she imagines collaborating with other artists in a vibrant community, honing her craft, and becoming an accomplished artist. But it turns out that art school isn’t quite the same in real life. Can Mel finish college with her love of art still intact?
Mel Stringer was encouraged to be creative from an early age and remembers spending most of her free time drawing all through her schooling years. Her work spans across mediums, including comics and illustrations, all autobiographical and influenced by her surroundings in one way or another. Mel was brought up in the Northern Territory of Australia, finishing high school in Darwin. She then traveled across the country to study art in Brisbane, in hopes of starting her art career and meeting more like-minded people. Now based in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband, she spends her days creating autobiographical comics in the form of the zine Flowery, about what it’s like being a Filipino-Australian living in the USA. Fart School is her first graphic novel. She has long been a consignor at Quimby’s, where she sells her diary comic Flowery. Find her on the web at instagram.com/melstringer.
Mel will be in conversation with local mini-comics artist and Quimby’s friend Kevin Budnik, whose diary comics have been called “painful” in a complimentary sense. Born in Chicago, graduate of Columbia College, Kevin makes work exploring depression, compulsive behaviors, mental illness, queerness, cats, and death. Find him on the web at instagram.com/kevin_budnik. He publishes the ongoing mini-comics series I Hope This Finds You.
Reviews of Fart School:
“A relatable exploration of the difficulties of making it in the art world.” – Booklist
“Devotees of Dan Clowes’s beloved teenage dramadies will appreciate Stringer’s neurotic, angsty worldview as she tries to find her way in the adult world. Though most likely to strike a chord with actual past and present art school comrades, any reader who’s ever felt like a fish out of water will be drawn in by the irresistible loose cartoony art style and cheery color palette. This funny portrait of the artist as a young adult is a charmer.” -Publishers Weekly
“Mel Stringer’s art and storytelling talent shine in this brilliant, beautiful graphic memoir that’s both personal and universal: the time somebody starts to become their true self. Her brilliant artwork and storytelling are somehow both intensely personal and universal, as well as funny, poignant and real. The more you look at Mel Stringer’s work, the more you see, and the more you realise what an awesome talent she is.” -Kaz Cooke
Facebook event invite here.
Be extra prepared and purchase Fart School here!
Hey! Remember when Mel did our awesome bookmarks?! We love them so much!
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Zine Club Chicago In Person: Chicago Stories Edition, March 24th!
Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON: Chicago Stories Edition
7-9 p.m. CT Friday, March 24
Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave
Free!The big-shouldered metropolis we call home has inspired countless self-publishers, so this month Zine Club Chicago is celebrating zines about Chicago! We’ll be bringing back our discussion-meets-show-and-tell format for this in-person gathering, so please bring your favorite Chicago zines to share.
Join us for Zine Club Chicago In Person: Chicago Stories Edition at 7-9 p.m. Friday, March 24 here at the shop, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. We’ll have snacks on hand! Masks are strongly encouraged when you’re not noshing.
Out-of-town friends, Zine Club Chicago will be back on Zoom with y’all in April! If you’d like to get together virtually with zine pals in March, check out Zine Party!, hosted by Michael Verdi, at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, March 14. For more info and the Zoom link, visit next.zine.party
Zine newbies and longtime enthusiasts alike are always welcome at Zine Club Chicago, the city’s only book club-style event for people who read zines. This free monthly 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.
More info on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago. Facebook event here.
Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with an image of the Chicago skyline and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Chicago Stories Edition; In Person! Free!; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park; 7-9 p.m. CT Friday, March 24, 2023”
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Naked Raygun Signs Limited Edition Comic Book/Broken Things 7" + WAX TRAX! Naked Raygun Pop-Up on Feb 4th
Naked Raygun Signs Broken Things 7″ With Comic
+
WAX TRAX! Naked Raygun Pop-Up on Feb 4th
at Quimby’s Bookstore
Saturday, Feb 4th, 3pmQuimby’s welcomes Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun for an in-store signing of their limited edition 7″ Broken Things that comes with a comic insert (and etched B side) by indie comics artists James Romberger (who will also be joining us!) & Josh Bayer.
In addition to the band’s attendance, famed vinyl titans WAX TRAX! will be on hand to offer additional NR merch in a pop-up store that fits right in with Quimby’s.
Broken Things is from NR’s first album in 30 years, Over the Overlords. This 7″ is brought to you courtesy of Xylophone, and Quimby’s is the only store in Chicago / Illinois / The Midwest / the 49 states (that are not New York) that has this!
Excited to see you at our free event!
Want to buy Broken Things in advance so it doesn’t run out before you get here? Get it at quimbys.com here.
Dig that flyer! Art by James Romberger and Josh Bayer, with art direction by Jason Mojica.
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And!
•There may be some FREE SHIT.
•There will be silkscreened event posters for sale featuring new James Romberger & Josh Bayers art.
•We will have a limited amount of blue vinyl of the comic + 7″ that you can only get AT THE EVENT!
•There is an official unofficial afterparty in the works.
•We should add that the date of this event is also the birthday of Quimby’s manager Liz.
•You have no excuse not to attend.
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P.S. You saw Quimby’s in the background of the NR documentary, right?
P.P.S. Can you count how many past and present Quimby’s employees are in the NR video for “Living the Good Times”?
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***The Fine Print That You Should Most Positively, Definitely, Indubitably Read***
Please adhere to these rules and don’t drive Quimby’s employees bananas:
Due to small print run, purchase of this item is limited to 2 per customer at both quimbys.com and in store.
Band will only be signing copies at our event on 2/4/23. Customer must be present at event to get their item signed.
Quimby’s will not get this item signed for you, nor will we hold or ship signed copies.
Due to time constraints, we respectfully customers to limit signing requests to 3 items or less per person.
No swimming without lifeguard on duty.
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Happy Holidays from Quimby's!
Step into the wintery wonderland that is the Quimby’s holiday window display! Designed by our Artist-in-Residence Ashley Wilfong* (an actual position here that is totally not made up) and assisted by employee-and-artiste Echo Elise Gonzalez (check out her Dream Bindery notebooks!), the window features staff favorite books, zines, and gifts peppered among miniature buildings and festooned trees. Don’t miss the Chicago skyline in the background, the garland of colorful zines, and the tree hanging with mini-zine ornaments. Stop by anytime from 12-6 Th-M and peruse our collection of books, zines, comics, and curiosities. The store is filled with perfect gift options of every size–come in and grab something for your friends, family, maybe even yourself? We won’t tell.
* Ashley relocated this year from West Virginia to Chicago, where she is constantly reminded of the magic of our city. This is her first time making a public display and she designed it to be a place where a tiny two-headed mouse would like to live. Check out her neighborhood favorite cocktail bar Nighthawk in Albany Park.
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A Night with Acid Nun: Corinne Halbert in Conversation With Caroline Cash
We are proud to welcome back Quimby’s alum Corinne Halbert in celebration of her graphic novel Acid Nun! She is joined by another Quimby’s alum, Caroline Cash, as they talk about all things that may or may not include: cartooning, art, Quimby’s behind-the-scenes and other inspiration dragged up from the depths. It is only befitting with Quimby’s celebrating 31 years in September that our first in-person event since 2020 will feature 2 former employees in the very month of our anniversary.
Corinne Halbert in Conversation with Caroline Cash
7-9 p.m. CT Friday, September 30
at Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave. Chicago IL 6622
Free!Masks required for entry. This event marks Quimby’s first in-person event in the store since 2020, as we tentatively experiment with what it is like to having events somewhere other than online! Will we go back to doing more in-store events? Stay tuned!
About Acid Nun by Corinne Halbert:
A bad trip leads Annie, our earnest heroine, through a journey of suffering and self-discovery. Caught within the confines of her own mind, Annie struggles against the doubled weight of trauma and despair. In order to crawl her way out, she must grapple with the cruelest parts of her psyche, and make peace with her inner child and suppressed past. Annie argues with her demons and punches her way toward the light, with a little help from her dedicated and loving friends. Lushly illustrated with influences from spiritual iconography and psychedelic imagery, Halbert crafts an unflinching yet compassionate story about pain, rage, and the blessings we can give ourselves. CW: 18+ only. This book deals with trauma, sexual and physical violence, mental health, drugs, and other sensitive subjects. Preorder the book from Quimby’s here.
“Halbert’s art and writing throb with uninhibited scenes of sex and gore, crude but portrayed with wit. Each chapter concludes with her frank confessions about processing her own childhood trauma through creating these comics. Her openhearted emotional arc combined with such shock-erotic visceral imagery make for an entertaining and unexpectedly moving experience for gore-horror fans.” -Publishers Weekly
128 full-color pages; ISBN 978-1-945509-95-7, published by Silver Sprocket
About Girl In the World by Caroline Cash:
What’s everyone doing later? Some creatively named Facebook events? This book is about how a particularly chaotic 24 hours impacts a group of girls, and what they each get up to over the course of the night. Order this book from Quimby’s here.
“Girl in the World is drenched in equal parts love and despair, is softly satirical, and is just a lot of fun to look at. We predict Caroline Cash’s star is rising, make sure to grab onto its belching rainbow tail as it passes by and pick up this book if you want to see what the fuss is about.” -Broken Frontier
64 full-color pages, ISBN: 978-1-945509-36-0, published by Silver Sprocket
Corinne Halbert is a Chicago horror artist with an extensive book collection. Her work is heavily influenced by an avid obsession with 1970s cult films and vintage comics. Find her on the web at corinnehalbert.com.
View this post on InstagramCaroline Cash can be found on IG at cash_browns. Her comic Pee Pee Poo Poo is nominated for two 2022 Ignatz Awards.
View this post on Instagram
