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Category: politics / revolution
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Zine Club Chicago: An Encyclopedia of Radical Helping Collective Reading and Zinemaking Workshop, March 15th!
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”
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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!
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Gift Guide for RADICALS
Hi-diddly-ho, shopperinos! Echo here with another (last minute) holiday gift guide for you!
If you’ve been a sentient member of the human species lately, you have probably noticed that society is in a state of… how can I put this… total chaos and unbridled horror?
At Quimby’s, we recognize our small but important role as dedicated purveyors of radical, inclusive, and subversive literature. Perhaps (hopefully) there are many radicals in your life. Heck, you may even be one of them! So, I’ve picked out some books, zines, and other fun stuff (from our rather extensive selection of subversive materials) for the RADICAL in your life. Read on to discover my revolutionary picks for you and your loved ones this gift-giving season…
Zines can make for very thoughtful and fun gifts or stocking stuffers. I’d like to point your attention to Pleasure Pie, a sexual justice organization that’s based in Boston. They make incredible zines about sex positivity and intersectional liberation and we just love them! We’re freshly restocked with plenty of Pleasure Pie titles and they sent us a bunch of new stuff, too! The newest additions to our Pleasure Pie inventory include:
What Is Pleasure Injustice?
Sustainable Alternatives for Pads and Tampons: a Gender-Neutral Guide
How to Say No: a Guide for Listening to Your Gut in Sex and Life
They’ve also sent us some very poignant zines about Palestine, its voices, and its struggle for liberation:
Queer Voices From the Fight for Palestinian Liberation
Sex Education in Gaza: Empowering Young People Under Occupation
A Gazan Young Man Dreams of a Peaceful Death by Mo. Alcrunz
We Palestinians Are Not Going Away: First Person Accounts on the War in Gaza
The first book in my radical gift guide is To Rob a Bank Is an Honor by Lucio Urtubia. Urtubia is remembered as a real-life Robin Hood. On paper, he was a bricklayer from Navarra, an autonomous community in Spain. He was also a revolutionary outlaw who spent many years printing political pamphlets in his printshop, counterfeiting passports and checks for workers, and, most famously, scamming Citibank to fund the efforts of Italy’s Red Brigades, the Black Panthers, and other radical groups. This fascinating memoir is sure to make an excellent gift for the anarchist on your list.
No radical book collection is complete without An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. By telling the history of the United States from an indigenous perspective, historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz helps us see through the colonial lies that have dominated the popular narrative about the hyperpower that is the United States. As I type this, we have two wonderful versions of this important book in stock: the 10th-anniversary edition and a beautiful graphic interpretation adapted by Paul Peart-Smith.
Next up, we have a landmark classic—An Autobiography by Angela Davis. Originally published in 1974 (by Toni Morrison!), this book was re-released as a new edition in 2022, and it remains very pertinent to current events. A memoir from such an iconic social justice leader as Davis would make an excellent gift for anyone who’s into Black liberation, prison abolition, feminism, communism, queer rights, or for anyone who has the courage to hope and take actions to make a better world for everyone.
Those who are passionate about queer liberation are sure to appreciate Surviving the Future: Abolitionist Queer Strategies a collection of essays on current queer revolutionary theory from PM Press. This book does a wonderful job of bringing the movement for LGBTQIA+ liberation right into the fold of intersectionality with prison abolition, antiracism, and other concurrent revolutionary movements. It highlights the need for mutual aid as we look towards a brighter future for queer folks and for individuals from all marginalized groups.
Don’t forget to pick some fun, revolutionary stocking stuffers! Like Johnny Sampson’s glorious “No Bezos” sticker. And you can radicalize your Christmas tree with a hammer-and-sickle or anarchy ornament by artist Paul Garner. Garner’s Che Guevara figurines would also make great gifts!
¡Felices fiestas & viva la revolución!
-Echo @fraulein_echo
P.S. And we’ll see you tomorrow, Tuesday, December 24th, because we’ll be open this one Tuesday from noon to 6! More info here!
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Zine Club Chicago Online: Labor Edition, Aug 20th
Zine Club Chicago Online: Labor Edition
7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 20 on Zoom
Free!
What kind of work do you do? That question has inspired countless self-published tributes, rants, and calls to action. This month, Zine Club Chicago will be discussing zines about labor of all kinds — the work we love, the work we perform to pay the bills, the work we dread, and the work we do to build a better world.
Grab your favorite zines about labor to share, BYOS(nax) and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Labor Edition at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 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 5 p.m. CT Monday, August 19 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 20.
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 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: https://zineclubchicagoshoutouts.spread.name/
More info at quimbys.com and on the Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago
Want the Facebook event link? It’s here.
Image description
A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with an image of four people in work uniforms, that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Labor Edition; Online! Free!; Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 20, 2024”
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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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Quimby's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
Right now our shop is crammed full of amazing, unique gifts for everyone in your life. (OK, maybe not your uncle who only wants vintage Nixon paraphernalia, but just about everybody else). Here are just a few of our staff picks for the best stuff to wrap up this season.
And if you don’t spot the gift you’re seeking on this list, come on into the store and let us help you find that perfect present for someone you love (or for yourself … you surely deserve a little something, too).
Quimby’s Schwag
You know you love us … so spread the love around by gifting some Quimby’s merch, featuring original designs by some of our favorite artists.
Quimby’s Gift Certificates, available in a variety of denominations
Quimby’s Air Freshener, designed by Plastic Crimewave
Quimby’s Coasters, featuring our classic logo designed by Chris Ware
Quimby’s 30th Anniversary T-shirt, designed by Caroline Cash
Quimby’s Logo Embroidered Patch
Quimby’s Bong Mice Metallic Sticker, designed by Caroline Cash
Liz, Manager and Zine Maven
Gentrifier: A Memoir by Anne Elizabeth Moore (comes with a free bookplate signed by the author, while supplies last)
Someplace Special, edited by Aim Ren Beland and Cynthia E. Hanifin
Lydia Tomkiw: Poems, edited by Dan Shepelavy
Hang in There Kitten Tea Towel, designed and hand-printed by Heather Anacker
Dame Darcy Meat Cake Calendar 2022
Caroline, Cartoonist in Residence
Heaven No Hell by Michael DeForge
Bubbles, An Independent Fanzine About Comics and Manga #11 (We’ve got issues #1-#10 in stock, too)
Be Gay Do Crime by Mary Nardini Gang
You Have Been Catcalled. What Do You Do? Patch by Jenn Woodall
Cynthia (Zinethia), Zine Warrior
Qustomized Quimby’s Zine Package $25 Version (also available in $69 and $100 versions)
Awesome Things #4 by Liz Mason (Awesome Things #1, #2, and #3 are, frankly, awesome, as well!)
Girl in the World by Caroline Cash (comes with a free sticker sheet designed by the artist, while supplies last)
Social Justice Kittens Calendar 2021 (available in-store only)
Zine Game Deck by Billy McCall
White City Devil Coffee & Coconut Candle (available in-store only, with a free Quimby’s matchbook while supplies last)
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Tea Krulos Talks American Madness: The Story of the Phantom Patriot and How Conspiracy Theories Hijacked American Consciousness VIRTUAL EVENT 10/20
Q-Anon. Fake News. Bohemian Grove. False flag attacks. Deep state. Crisis actors. Whatever Gate. Is any conspiracy worth the life of a believer?
The mainstream news media struggles to understand the power of social media while conspiracy advocates, malicious political movements, and even foreign governments have long understood how to harness the power of fear and the fear of power into lucrative outlets for outrage and money. But what happens when the harbingers of “inside knowledge” go too far?
In American Madness: The Story of the Phantom Patriot and How Conspiracy Theories Hijacked American Consciousness (Feral House), author Tea Krulos tells the story of one man, Richard McCaslin, who’s fractured thinking made him the ideal consumer of even the most arcane of conspiracy theories. Acting on the daily rants of Alex Jones and his ilk, McCaslin takes matters into his own hands to stop the unseen powers behind the world’s disasters who congregate at conspiracy world’s Mecca- The Bohemian Grove. It all goes wrong with terrible consequences for the man who styled himself-The Phantom Patriot.
McCaslin is not alone, as conspiracy-driven political action has bubbled its way up from the margins of society to the White House. It’s no longer a lone deranged kook convinced of getting secret messages from a cereal box, now its slick videos and well-funded outrage campaigns ready to peddle the latest innuendos and lies in hopes of harnessing the chaos for political gain. What is the long term effect on people who believe these barely believable stories? Who benefits, and who pays the price?
Krulos investigates and explains the power of conspiracy and the resulting shared madness on the American psyche.
Tea Krulos is a Milwaukee-based writer who documents the underground world of fringe sub-cultures. His previous books, Apocalypse Any Day Now-Deep Underground with America’s Doomsday Preppers and Heroes in the Night-Inside the Real Life Super Hero Movement explored the driving beliefs and lives of the people who choose to reject accepted reality and substitute their own.
Join Tea Krulos on Quimby’s Bookstore’s You Tube Channel for an evening of discussion about this book, trivia, weird swag and more!
NOW FOR A LIMITED TIME: FOLKS WHO BUY THE BOOK WILL GET A LIMITED EDITION SUPPLEMENTAL ZINE AND SIGNED AUTHOR BOOKPLATE. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. GET YOUR COPY HERE.
Watch this preview we did with Tea on Youtube!:
More info:Facebook Event Post if you get into that kind of thing.
Tea Krulos Talks American Madness
Tues, October 20th, 7:30PM CST
Youtube.com/QuimbysBookstore
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Zine Club Chicago ONLINE: People Have the Power Edition, Tues, July 28th, 7pm
For folks who want to help transform our world into a better place for everyone, zines are a dynamic tool for sharing information, resources, and inspiration. This month at Zine Club Chicago Online: People Have the Power Edition, we’ll be discussing self-published works focused on the many ways we can all support radical change in the name of justice, equality, and peace. July is International Zine Month, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate it than by focusing on this important topic. The suggested activity for #IZM2020 July 28th is about using social media to get the word out about your favorite zines, so grab your favorite titles, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for a great conversation!
** Zoom info ** We want to make sure that our online Zine Club events are a safe space, so we won’t be releasing the Zoom link and password publicly. If you’d like to attend, please email zineclubchicago@gmail.com to RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. We’ll email you the Zoom link and password one hour before the event begins.
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 Chicago Zine Fest/Midwest Perzine Fest organizer Cynthia Hanifin and hosted by Quimby’s Bookstore. As always, Anna Jo Beck made this month’s lovely flyer.
More info:
Instagram: @zineclubchicagoUse #IZM2020 when writing online about International Zine Month.
Download the #IZM2020 bookmark here.
