Category: news

  • Offsite – Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Everything's Gone Green Zinemaking Hangout, April 24th!

    A flyer featuring an image of a pile of green leaves and this text: “Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Everything’s Gone Green; 7-9 p.m. Thursday, April 24; Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave; Free!; Info at quimbys.com”

    Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Everything’s Gone Green Zinemaking Hangout
    Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown
    7 – 9 p.m. Thursday, April 24, 2025
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is celebrating the earth and its natural delights in collaboration with our friends at Life on Marz Community Club! Y’all are invited to help create a group zine on the theme Everything’s Gone Green.

    Please join us for Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Everything’s Gone Green Zinemaking Hangout, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, April 24 at Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown. Free!

    Zine Club Chicago will provide all the zinemaking supplies! Just bring your creativity. Life on Marz Community Club, our favorite locally owned taproom and café space, offers awesome alcoholic, CBD, and non-alcoholic beverages from Marz Brewery and more, plus some very fun snacks, for purchase. DJ Soup Time will be providing sonic accoutrement during the evening, and we encourage y’all to stick around for some awesome music!

    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 is the creative force behind our visuals.

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

    Image description: A flyer featuring an image of a pile of green leaves and this text: “Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Everything’s Gone Green; 7-9 p.m. Thursday, April 24; Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave; Free!; Info at quimbys.com”

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: Writing a Letter Zine Workshop, April 15th!

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a piece of paper sticking out of an envelope, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Writing a Letter Zine Workshop; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 15, 2025”

    Zine Club Chicago Online: Writing a Letter Zine Workshop
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 15, 2025
    Online! Free!
    On Zoom, RSVP details below

    Do you love snail mail? This month, Zine Club Chicago will be making letter-inspired zines! Producer Cynthia E. Hanifin will lead a fun workshop designed to tap into your epistolary leanings.

    Grab your zinemaking supplies*, BYOS(tamps + Snax) and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Writing a Letter Zine Workshop at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 15, 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, April 14 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 15.

    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 is the creative force behind our visuals.

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

    * You’ll need a few sheets of 8.5×11” paper, a stapler or some tape, whichever implements you prefer for writing/drawing/etc., and your creativity!

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a piece of paper sticking out of an envelope, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Writing a Letter Zine Workshop; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 15, 2025”

  • New Stuff This Week

     

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    Zines & Zine-Related

    Debt Collector #1 $3

    TRiP MAGAZEEN: The Complete Collection 1992-1994 by Peter Wohelski, Grumptronix, DJ Three $40

    King Bourbon #5 First Anniversary Issue by Steve Gentry $5

    Misfit Cinema Journal by Derek Abbott issues #1 and #2 $5 each

    Zines by Lee Fearnside: Seventy Six 76 Community Is Real $4, Ohio Frontier Animal Conservation Then and Now $7

    Zines by Colin Putman: A bunch of zines about pigeons! various prices!

    Graphic Novels

    Beautiful Monster by Maruo Suehiro $24.99

    Squeak Chatter Bark: An Eco Mystery by Ali Fitzgerald (Fantagraphics) $24.99

    Honoria: A Fortuitous Friendship by Janice Shapiro (Fantagraphics) $39.99

    Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 3, illustrated by Jean Christophe Deveney & PMGL $19.99

    Politics & Revolution Books

    Anarchy in the Big Easy: A History of Revolt Rebellion and Resurgence by Max Cafard, illustrated by Vulpes (PM Press) $15.95

    Music Books

    Fearless Vampire Killers: The Bad Brains Photographs by Glen E. Friedman (Akashic Books) $37.50

    Dressed In Black: tTe Shangri-Las and Their Recorded Legacy by Lisa Mackinney $24.95

    So It Started There: From Punk to Pulp by Nick Banks $20

    Teddy Boys: Post-War Britain and the First Youth Revolution by Max Décharné $16.95

    Fiction

    Sour Cherry: A Novel by Natalia Theodoridou $17.95

    Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers $14.99

    Poetry, Chap Books & Lit Journals

    Luminous Beings Are We #2 (Back to Print) $15

    Snow of Snow by Leon Pradeau $8

    Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry after Stonewall edited by Stephanie Burt $29.92

    Transat #2 $10

  • March Newsletter Out Now

    Read it here and make sure you sign up to get it in your inbox at quimbys.com.

  • Zine Club Chicago: An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop, March 15th!

    A colorful infographic flyer designed by Julie Cho that features the cover of the book “An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping”, with text that reads: “An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop; Zine Club Chicago at Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave., Chicago IL 60622; Saturday, March 15, 3pm CST; For more information visit quimbys.com”

    Zine Club Chicago: An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop
    3 p.m. Saturday, March 15, 2025
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.
    Free! 

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is thrilled to welcome our friends at Thick Press for a celebration of their new book, An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping!

    From “abundance” to “zinemaking,” An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping invites the reader to wander through a collection of interconnected entries on helping and healing by over 200 contributors from the worlds of social work and family therapy; art and design; body work and witchery; organizing and education; and more. Privileging co-construction over diagnosis, wisdom over evidence, collective healing over individual curejuyet, always blurring categories and embracing contradictions — this world-making collection reveals a pluriverse of helping practices grounded in love and freedom.

    Please join us for Zine Club Chicago: An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop, 3 p.m. Saturday, March 15, 2025 right here at our shop, 1854 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park. Free!

    Erin Segal and Chris Hoff, two of the editors of An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping, will be joining us, and contributors to the book will read selections from their entries. Our readers include Zine Club Chicago producer Cynthia E. Hanifin, Neil Horsky, and Noriko Martinez.

    Zine Club Chicago also be hosting a zinemaking workshop, and you’re all invited to make a mini zine about your own radical helping and collective care practices! No prior zinemaking experience necessary.

    All zinemaking materials will be provided. Please note that event seating is limited, and will be first-come, first-served. Zine Club Chicago is a mask-supportive environment; masks will be provided if you’d like to wear one.

    About Thick Press: Care-givers, justice-seekers, and community-builders often find ourselves in the thick of human experience. Yet so many of the texts we produce rely on the thin logic of Western medicine and mainstream social science! What might happen if we grounded more texts in the arts? In critical theories? In spirituality? In lived experience? What might happen if we paid more attention to medium, form, and design?

    Enter Thick Press, a collaboration between a social worker (Erin Segal) and a designer (Julie Cho).

    We aspire to a practice that is loving, reflexive, playful, and collaborative. We worry about reproducing oppressive structures, but we’re not really that interested in critique. Above all, we want to make unusual books with others.

    Inspired by artists’ books and zines, Thick Press publishes books that cross genres and disciplines.  All our books relate to working or living in the thick of human experience.

    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 is the creative force behind our visuals, and she also made the 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 colorful infographic flyer designed by Julie Cho that features the cover of the book An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping, with text that reads: “An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop; Zine Club Chicago at Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave., Chicago IL 60622; Saturday, March 15, 3pm CST; For more information visit quimbys.com

  • Spotlight on Inner Loop Press

    Happy final days of Aquarius Season to those who celebrate! We thought it would be fitting to showcase the radical and scientific zines we received from Inner Loop Press , operated by Tanya Brassie in Philadelphia, PA. Each issue is lovingly risographed with die-cut pages and filled with impressive research, and we can hardly keep these informational zines on our shelves. Take a peek at all the titles we have in stock right now.

    All zines mentioned below are written and produced by Tanya Brassie.

    Space Trash

    Trash in space, it’s more common than you think. The latest publication from Inner Loop Press’ Society’s Wonders Series is all about the debris humans disperse into Earth’s orbit during space missions. Learn how trash accumulates from chipped aircraft paint, defunct satellites, and missiles used to destroy said satellites. Due to the increase in commercialization and militarization of space missions, the amount of space waste is quickly multiplying. Fortunately, there are initiatives in place for private companies to develop technology to remove debris and abandoned satellites in the atmosphere.

    Toxic Lagoons: Midwest Edition, Southern Edition, and Northeastern Edition 

    The environmental disasters described in Toxic Lagoons shine a light on the myriad of ways corporations and business owners pollute the Earth with toxic chemicals and mismanaged waste, resulting in Superfund sites that affect wildlife, surrounding communities, and the health and wellbeing of the ecosystems in our American cities. I learned New Jersey has the highest volume of Superfund sites in the US (224), with North Dakota being the environmental winner with zero. My personal favorite in the series is the Southern edition, where I learned about the Rhinehart Tire Fire Dump in Frederick County, Virginia.

    Data Centers

    Going digital seems like a simple solution to the ever growing problem of pollution and waste we’ve accumulated in our lifetimes. Unfortunately, the amount of energy it takes to fire off a single G**gle search is similar to turning on a 60-watt light bulb for 17 seconds. Data centers also use an insane amount of water to prevent the servers from overheating. With the popularity of AI, these issues are only increasing while using more of the planet’s resources.

    Thank you Tanya Brassie and Inner Loop Press for bringing awareness to environmental injustice and how our man-made waste affects our beautiful home planet. I love that there is a quiz in each zine so you can make sure you’re paying attention to these important issues. Come into the shop to flip through these gorgeous and thoughtful zines!

    <3 Angel

  • Looking for some spicy literature to gift your Valentine (or yourself ;)? Quimby’s is a proud purveyor of all things sexy, sex-positive, and sex-healthy. We also have a first-rate selection of straight-up smut!

    Read on to discover a few of my tantalizing favorites. Get ‘em while we got ‘em!

    Sex Goblin by Lauren Cook
    I had so much fun reading Sex Goblin. It felt like I was inside Lauren Cook’s head as he was floating freely through a DMT-esque melding of fantasy and real life, navigating the weirdness of sex, relationships, and everyday life. Sex Goblin is touching in its unassuming vulnerability and it’s also one of the few books that has genuinely made me laugh uncontrollably. I can’t wait to see what else Cook comes up with!

    Ode to My IUD by Heather A.
    Zinester extraordinaire Heather writes not only a lovely ode to the “little piece of plastic” that is her IUD, but also a concise and fascinating history of intrauterine devices and a thoughtful commentary on how impactful IUDs are for society and for her personally. Sexual wellness zines like this one have never been more important than they are now. Thank you, Heather!


    The Drawings of Rainier Flores: Side B
    You like butts! We like butts! Everybody likes butts!! And Rainier Flores is a master of drawing them. So enjoy this lovingly produced zine that has a beautifully rendered ass on every page.


    Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, you lovely, lovely people! We love yoooooooooooooooooooo! <3

    – Echo  @fraulein_echo

  • February Newsletter Out Now

    Read it here and make sure you sign up to get it in your inbox at quimbys.com.

  • Offsite – Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Chicago-Style Traditions, Feb. 27th!

    Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Chicago-Style Traditions Zinemaking Hangout
    Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown
    7 – 9 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2025
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is paying tribute to the distinctive ways our city loves to celebrate with a free zinemaking hangout in collaboration with our friends at Life on Marz Community Club! Y’all are invited to help create a group zine on the theme Chicago-Style Traditions.

    This month’s theme is inspired by one of our favorite local holidays, Paczki Day, which Marz Brewing commemorates with the annual release of their Paczki Stout. This unique seasonal beer will be available during our event!

    Please join us for Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Chicago-Style Traditions Zinemaking Hangout, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, February 27 at Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave. in Logan Square/Bucktown. Free!

    We’ll provide all the zinemaking supplies! Just bring your creativity. Life on Marz Community Club, our favorite locally owned taproom and café space, offers awesome alcoholic, CBD, and non-alcoholic beverages from Marz Brewery and more, plus some very fun snacks, for purchase. The taproom also will be holding a DJ night that evening, and we encourage y’all to stick around for an awesome selection of music spun by Rent Control Records!

    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 visuals and created our logo.

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

    Image description: A flyer featuring paczki on a plate and this text: “Zine Club Chicago on Marz: Chicago-Style Traditions; 7-9 p.m. Thursday, February 27; Life on Marz Community Club, 1950 N. Western Ave; Free!; Info at quimbys.com

  • 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”