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Category: Store Events
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Anya Davidson Celebrates Band for Life 10/6
Band for Life collects the beloved series that follows a misfit band of Chicago punks trying to be self-sustaining with their finances and friendships as they navigate the often confounding art world. It’s the story, told in comic strip form, of a noise rock band and their community of friends and acquaintances based in an alternate reality version of Chicago. Though beset with disaster at every turn and frequently reduced to squabbling, they stick together because the band is the fulcrum of their otherwise confounding lives, and together they help each other find their way.
Fusing elements of the classic British sitcom The Young Ones, as well as classic kids comic strips like Charles Schulz’s Peanuts and John Stanley’s Melvin Monster, Band for Life is a work of dark humor, but also infused with genuine affection for its cast; in many ways it is a love letter to creative people compelled to create, with no hope of financial reward.
“I was raised on old school adult comics from the ’60s to ’80s, the artwork of Pedro Bell, Overton Loyd and Ronald Stozo of the Parliament-Funkadelic Universe, Ralph Bakshi movies, and the like. When I came across Band For Life, I was immediately drawn in. The art reminded me of Funkadelic album covers, but with its own original swagger. The storylines spoke to my personal experience as a lifelong musician and band leader/member, in the same way that This Is Spinal Tap made me cry once I realized my life was as absurd as the movie. Anya Davidson is tapped into the very human experience that makes life in a band the story of family.” — Norwood Fisher (Fishbone)
“Anya Davidson gets that being in a band is generally about 5% playing music and 95% anything but. In true punk form, Band For Life kicks into high gear with page number one and never lets up.” — Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt)“Anya’s comics look like Dick Sprang and Boody Rogers got locked in a Pez factory and were told they would not be released until they produced hundreds of pages of a gutter punk Herculoids meets Josie and the Pussycats soap opera dripping soul and neglect.” — Gary Panter (Jimbo)“Band for Life is a warped and hilarious portrayal of the banality and adventure of bandhood from someone who lived it, but embellished gloriously by Anya’s imagination. Fucked up, feminist and funny. If you have ever ground away late nights in a basement trying to desperately remember the bad songs you just wrote, you will recognize your strife here with ‘the Wildest Band on Earth’.” -Jessica Hopper, author & Editorial Director, MTV NewsAnya Davidson was born in Sarasota, Florida in 1983. She graduated with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2004. She is a cartoonist, musician, teaching artist and printmaker whose work appeared in many zines and anthologies, including Kramers Ergot and Best American Comics. Her debut graphic novel, School Spirits, was published by Picturebox Inc. The Ignatz award-winning series, “Band for Life” is her first book with Fantagraphics.
More info:Facebook invite for this event. Tell your friends!
for press inquiries: Anna Pederson (event manager) pederson(at)fantagraphics(dot)com -
Dame Darcy Celebrates The Meat Cake Bible 10/14
Dame Darcy is one of the sui generis artistic talents of the past two decades — musician, actress, fortune teller, dollmaker, Gen X/feminist icon, and last but not least, cartoonist to the core — and has been bewitching readers for more than 20 years with her neo-Victorian horror/humor/romance comic Meat Cake. Alternating between one-off (often cruelly tragic) fairy tales and ongoing romps starring her eclectic cast of characters, including Effluvia the Mermaid, the roguish rou. Wax Wolf, Igpay the Pig-Latin pig, Stregapez (a women who speaks by dispensing Pez-like tablets through a bloody hole in her throat), the mischievous Siamese twins Hindrance and Perfidia, Scampi the Selfish Shellfish, the stalwart Friend the Girl, and the blonde bombshell Richard Dirt, all delineated in her inimitable luxurious scrawl, Meat Cake is like a peek into the most creative, deranged dollhouse you ever saw. The Meat Cake Bible is the definitive collection of the series, collecting every story from all 17 issues (1993-2008) — including “Hungry is the Heart,” Darcy’s legendary collaboration with Alan Moore — as well as new stories from the unpublished 18th issue. A gorgeous, unjacketed hardcover edition replete with cloth deboss, gold foil stamping, and a die-cut cover.
About Dame Darcy:
Renaissance woman Dame Darcy won a scholarship to the San Francisco Art institute at the age of 17 in 1989. There she majored in film and animation, studying under George Kuchar and Larry Jordan. During this time, she self-published Meat Cake Comix; joined the band Caroliner with Lisa Carver, where she performed, released albums and toured; and illustrated Lisa’s magazine Rollerderby, as well as other Bay Area magazines and papers.
Darcy moved to New York in 1992. Her Meat Cake comic-book series began publication with Fantagraphics Books Inc., who publishes Meat Cake and its compilations, which are distributed internationally, to this day.
When not working on her comics, illustration, and fine art, Renaissance woman Dame Darcy also works as a touring musician, dollmaker, animator, fashion model and designer, celebrity interior designer, art teacher, and reality TV star.
For more info:
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Wicker Park & West Town Lit Fest – On & Off Site!
Quimby’s is proud to be participating in the Wicker Park and West Town Lit Fest! This year it runs September 15th-18th. And it kicks off at Quimby’s on Thurs, September 15th, which is our 25th anniversary! Founder Steven Svymbersky will be here with slides and video to talk about the mayhem that was the beginning of Quimby’s two and a half decades ago. And we’ve got surprise commemorative swag we’re rolling out! More details about the Quimby’s event here.
Lit Fest last year was only one day. Perhaps you recall that we celebrated it by giving people a free mini-comic and Chicago-based food puns then served them shots of Chicago-based Malort, demanding we post pictures on our Instagram of their face afterwards?:
Well guess what? Now Lit Fest is FOUR DAYS!
So now…
Wicker Park & West Town Lit Fest’s Second Year Celebrates Neighborhoods’ Literary Past and Present
Join partners from the West Town and Wicker Park neighborhoods for a weekend of programming that will entertain and educate all ages. The weekend has a full calendar of activities planned. Highlights of the weekend include our celebration to kick it off…
…and there’s stuff elsewhere too, besides Quimby’s! Check out this stuff elsewhere (see www.wwlitfest.com for the details of when and where):
*a tribute to Chicago literary legend Nelson Algren
*a community book swap at the Wicker Park farmer’s market
*a special edition of Chicago Story Slam at Subterranean music hall
*workshops, author readings, comic book signings, children’s story time and much more!
A calendar of events for each day is available on the official fest website www.wwlitfest.com.
Weekend updates and photos will be available on the official Facebook Page facebook.com/wpwtlitfest
Follow the fest with the hashtag #wwlitfestParticipating member’s locations:
826CHI, 1276 N Milwaukee Ave 826chi.org
BookClub, 1211 N. Wood St bookclubchicago.net
Chicago Publishers Resource Center, 858 N. Ashland Ave chiprc.org
Guild Literary Complex, guildcomplex.org
Impossible Industries, 1750 W North Ave impossibleInd.com
Myopic Books, 1564 N Milwaukee Ave myopicbookstore.com
Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave quimbys.com
Volumes Bookcafe, 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave www.volumesbooks.com
Young Chicago Authors, 1180 N Milwaukee Ave youngchicagoauthors.orgLit Fest planning partners include: Quimby’s Bookstore, Volumes Bookcafe, Chicago Publishers Resource Center, Young Chicago Authors, BookClub, 826CHI, Impossible Industries, Myopic Books, and Guild Literary Complex. Other neighborhood partners include Reckless Records, Subterranean, Wicker Park Farmer’s Market, and Chicago Public Library.
Read Local & Shop Small! Help us fight the big box on-line stores!
Event flyer designed by Susie Kirkwood
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Quimby's 25th Anniversary Celebration With Founder Steven Svymbersky 9/15!
Don’t miss the Quimby’s Bookstore 25th Anniversary Event 9/15: Founder Steven Svymbersky Shares the Mayhem of Underground Press and the Beginnings of Quimby’s Bookstore!
Quimby’s Bookstore opened on September 15th, 1991, a tiny store at Damen and Evergreen, serving up weird, saucy and aberrant DIY zines, books and comics to a Wicker Park that was a very different place than it is now. Two and a half decades later, the store continues to offer subversive printed matter in an environment that fosters a creative artistic community that employees jokingly call, “a tourist destination for cool people” as well as events, all with an inclusive yet snarky DIY punk aesthetic.
Quimby’s is proud to welcome back founder Steven Svymbersky to the store on the occasion of the store’s 25th anniversary. Svymbersky will present a history of zines and underground comics as well as sharing memories of his years as a zine publisher and the beginnings of Quimby’s Bookstore.
Quimby’s has a variety of things planned to celebrate our silver jubilee, including: an exclusive Chris Ware print celebrating our anniversary, the release of an printed store history with stories and graphics, a commemorative t-shirt by artist Gabby Schulz, an artisanal Marz Community Brewing Quimby’s beer with a specially designed label by Chicago artist Laura Park and more surprises.
This event also kicks off Wicker Park & West Town Lit Fest’s second year, which celebrates the neighborhoods’ literary past and present. Events around Wicker Park and West Town include a story slam, book swap, workshops, author readings and signings and more.
For more info: info(at)quimbys(dot)com
Invite your friends with the Facebook invite!
Thurs, Sep 15th, 7pm Quimby’s Bookstore Chicago, IL quimbys.com
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Offsite & More: CAKE Kick Off Events & Tabling Exhibition …AND a QUIMBY'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY PANEL!
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. The Fifth Annual CAKE tabling exhibition will take place on June 11th-12th at the Center on Halsted (more info below). Special guests include Chester Brown, Tyrell Cannon, Ezra Clayton Daniels, Sammy Harkham, Cathy G Johnson, Patrick Kyle, Laura Park, Trina Robbins, and Leslie Stein.
There are all sorts of awesome CAKE-related things happening that weekend in other places that weekend too! Here are just a few:
Thurs, June 9th, 7pm David Alvarado & Tyrell Cannon at Sulzer Library at 4455 N. Lincoln Ave (NOT at Quimby’s)
Fri, June 10th, noon-1:30pm Chester Brown at Graham Crackers Comics Downtown, 77 E Madison St. (NOT at Quimby’s) He’ll be signing and discussing his new graphic novel Mary Wept at the Foot of Jesus.
Fri, June 10th, 7pm YES, THIS IS AT QUIMBY’S: CAKE Presents Kramer’s Ergot 9 Signing, with Sammy Harkham, Andy Burkholder, Anya Davidson, Kevin Huizenga, Patrick Kyle, John Pham, and Lale Westvind. This event is also sponsored by Revolution Brewery, and will have refreshments provided while supplies last!
Sat, June 11th & Sun, June 12th 11am-6pm Tabling exhibition at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted Ave. (NOT at Quimby’s) Workshops and panels and all that fun stuff!
AND OH!!! Don’t miss the Quimby’s 25th Anniversary Panel at CAKE!
11:30–12:30 A 25th Anniversary Celebration of Quimby’s!
All Panels are located on the 3rd Floor Hoover-Leppen Theatre at the Center on Halsted
Ok, so a lot of things happened in 1991: with George H. W. Bush still in office, the Gulf War came to an end, the indie comics scene was still recovering from the so-called “black and white implosion,” Superman had about a year left to live, and Nirvana released Nevermind. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Steven Svymbersky opened a little shop on Damen Avenue that, he said, would “carry every cool—bizarre—strange—dope—queer—surreal—weird publication ever written and published,” a place where you could discover, he added, “something you never even knew could exist.” A quarter of a century later, Quimby’s, stuffed with comics and zines and poetry and novels and magazines and newspapers and other paper things that don’t even have a name yet, remains one of the premier bookshops in North America. Jake Austen, editor and publisher of the legendary Chicago music and comics zine Roctober, will moderate a conversation with zinemaker Liz Mason and cartoonists Gabby Schulz (a.k.a. Ken Dahl) and CAKE Special Guest Laura Park (Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream) about the history of Quimby’s and its legacy of strangeness and delight. Who’s bringing the cake? This panel is sponsored by The Center for Cartoon Studies.
For more info about CAKE: cakechicago.com & Max Morris cakeexpo(at)gmail(dot)com.
This year’s banner by Chicago’s own Krystal DiFronzo.
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Chicago Alternative Comics Expo presents Kramers Ergot 9 Signing 6/10
CAKE is excited to present a signing event for Kramers Ergot 9, with CAKE Special Guest Sammy Harkham. Joining the signing will be contributors Andy Burkholder, Anya Davidson, Kevin Huizenga, Patrick Kyle, John Pham, and Lale Westvind.
“I think this is the best issue yet and I couldn’t be happier doing it with any other publisher. Fantagraphics is the place where the best of the low brow and the literary strands of comics are equally represented and cherished on their own terms, and that’s something I have always strived for with Kramers, as well. So it’s a great fit.” – Sammy Harkam
Since Kramers Ergot ‘s inception in 2000, it has introduced new talents and solidified aesthetics; each volume is an of-the-moment, state-of-the-medium manifesto. This anthology has always been a reflection of creator/editor Sammy Harkham’s comics passions, both past and future. Kramers Ergot 9 gathers many of the best and brightest together in one giant, oversized collection.
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. The Fifth Annual CAKE will take place on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, 2016, at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted Ave. in Chicago. For more info about CAKE: cakechicago.com & Max Morris cakeexpo(at)gmail(dot)com.
This event is sponsored by Revolution Brewery, and will have refreshments provided while supplies last.
Friday, June 10th, 7pm – Free Event
Click here to see the Facebook event to invite your friends!
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Mike Edison Brings Music & Mayhem to Quimby's for You Are a Complete Disappointment 6/3
Author, musician, and raconteur Mike Edison brings his unique blend of mayhem to Quimby’s to read and perform from his new book You Are a Complete Disappointment: A Triumphant Memoir of Failed Expectations. Joining him will be “World’s Greatest Piano Player” Mickey Finn, and his own Rocket Tone Theremin!
For anyone who has ever suffered from parental bullying, this often-hilarious yet intensely heartbreaking memoir from the former High Times publisher will provide both solace and laughter.
YOU ARE A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT is a warped suburban odyssey that pulls no punches when it comes to the adversity and adventures of growing up in the 1970s. His story is a potent, positive lesson in growing up to be the person you want to be, not the person you were told to be.
SUBURBAN DYSFUNCTION! THRILLS! FREE ATOMIC FIREBALLS!!
An excerpt is available here:
http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2016/04/excerpt_mike_ed.html
“Smart, filthy, and funny, Mike Edison is no ordinary author… Edison brings the stories from his book to life with the performance chops of a seasoned rock’n’roller.” — Spin Magazine
The COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTING AFTER PARTY will be at Dimo’s Pizza. Edison and Finn will perform a very special set of dirty blues and stories featuring very special guests and lots of surprises. MIKE EDISON DIRTY PIZZA – named after Edison’s book Dirty! Dirty! Dirty! — will be on the menu.
MIKE EDISON is the former editor and publisher of High Times magazine. His books include the celebrated memoir I Have Fun Everywhere I Go, the sprawling social history of sex on the newsstand, Dirty! Dirty! Dirty! and the deliciously filthy political satire Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie. More recently he collaborated with Joe Bastianich on his New York Times bestselling memoir, Restaurant Man, of which writer Bret Easton Ellis has said, “The directness and energy have a cinematic rush . . . not a single boring sentence.”
Edison has worked as a foreign correspondent for Hustler and was a high-paid gun-for-hire of the legendary Penthouse letters. He has contributed to numerous magazines and websites, including Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, the New York Observer, Spin, Interview, and New York Press, for which he covered classical music and professional wrestling. In addition, he is an internationally known musician and ferociously dedicated storyteller, and can be heard every Sunday on his show Arts & Seizures on the Heritage Radio Network. Edison lives and works in Brooklyn.
Invite your friends! Here’s the Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/1020491838032105/
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Free Comic Book Day
Yes! We’ll have some! While supplies last! -
Off-Site: Chicago Zine Fest! April 29th and 30th!
Quimby’s is proud to be a co-sponsor of the Chicago Zine Fest! It’s the weekend of Fri. April 29th (panel, readings, opening festivities) and Sat, April 30th (tabling exhibition at the Plumbers Union Hall, 1340 W Washington Blvd, from 11am-6pm). More info (who is exhibiting and at what table! totebags! all that stuff!) at ChicagoZineFest.org.
Here’s the e-mail courtesy of CZF 2016 Organizers Heather, Johnny, Julie, Alex, Violet & Allison!:
CZF 2016 FRIDAY NIGHT INFO
All Friday night events located at Workshop Chicago (935 W. Chestnut St. #530)
April 29th 6:30 – 8pm, Panel: Permission Not Granted: Women of Color and the Politics of Zines
A discussion sponsored by the University of Chicago Library with Leila Abdelrazaq, Sarah Gonzalez, and Monika Harris. Moderated by Monica Trinidad.
April 29th 8 – 9:30pm, Exhibitor Reading: Readings by Andi Santagata (Sorry Mom Comix), JC (Tributaries), Jonas (Cheer the Eff Up), Marnie Galloway (In the Sounds and Seas), Rachel & Sari (Hoax), Taryn Hipp (Lady Teeth), Tanuja Jagernauth (Brown & Proud Press Collective), and Vicky Lim (Abstract Door).
All events during CZF weekend are free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible. The Youth Reading will be held as a workshop on Saturday, April 30 at Plumbers Hall.
Sat, April 30th (tabling exhibition at the Plumbers Union Hall, 1340 W Washington Blvd, from 11am-6pm).
+ also that day at the same place…
CZF 2016 WORKSHOPS
Peruse our workshop offerings for this year’s zine fest below. We’re excited as always to offer a variety of programming for you and your zine-loving friends!
- Revolutionary Mothering: from zines to anthologies. Join Mai’a Williams and China Martens, two editors of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front lines – to talk about creating in difficult environments, zines and book anthologies, life, art and revolution. Mama centric, but open to all.
- Drawing Out the Issues: Comics Journalism. Using our recent series for Truthout, Growing Season, as a basis for discussion—as well as our upcoming book Threadbare: Clothes, Sex, and Trafficking—the Ladydrawers Comics Collective will informally talk participants through the basics of longform, collective, comics journalism investigations.
- Lumpen Live Taping & Radio Transmission. Live radio segment broadcasting directly from CZF 2016!
- Youth Reading. Join the youngest members of the zine community while they show us all up with their zine skills.
- Cute Animal Drawing Workshop. Fun ways to draw cute animals for kids ages 6 to 12. Learn basic skills to create infinite cute animals.
- Busy Beaver Button Co. Custom button making workshop!
Help make our zine dreams come true!
To all you lovely dreamy zine fans, consider donating to Chicago Zine Fest! We’re a crack team of volunteer organizers who are proud to put together this amazing DIY festival each year. But, it is not a cheap endeavor; from venue fees, to printing costs, to offering stipends to our snazzy invited guests, those $$$ add up. Any little bit you may be able to offer is much appreciated. You can donate to CZF here.
Volunteer with CZF!
Are you interested in volunteering with us? We are always looking for folks who have skills to share. Want to help us design programs, promote workshops, host fundraisers, or help at events? Let us know & send us an email at chicagozinefest@gmail.com!
…and check out that cool art by Erik Rodriguez!
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Larry Livermore Brings How To Ru(i)n A Record Label to Quimby’s 3/26
In How To Ru(i)n A Record Label (Don Giovanni Records), Larry Livermore describes the spectacular rise and ignominious collapse of Lookout Records, the iconic label he co-founded in 1987 and which helped launch the careers of Green Day, Operation Ivy, Screeching Weasel, and a host of other artists.Paying due homage to his Detroit roots, the author recounts his personal journey, from Berkeley, California to Bialystok, Poland, as he built the label from the ground up, only to walk away abruptly from what had grown into a multi-million company when it was at the peak of its success.
“[An] engrossing account of being in the epicenter of the East Bay punk scene when it exploded, told from the perspective of the man holding the detonator.” – Liz Prince, author of Tomboy
“A great book by a true veteran. Well told, funny and entertainingly opinionated.” – Jesse Michaels, Operation Ivy
Larry Livermore was co-founder of Lookout Records, editor and publisher of Lookout magazine, and a longtime columnist for Maximum Rocknroll and Punk Planet. His first book, Spy Rock Memories, was published in 2013 by Don Giovanni Records.
More info:
Here’s the Facebook event invite for this event! Invite your friends!
Sat, March 26th, 7pm – Free Event
