Category: Store Events

  • Sam Kunkel Discusses Gustave Kahn’s The Solar Circus With Jeremy Kitchen at Quimby's on Feb 18th

    Quimby’s welcomes translator Sam Kunkel, who will discuss the great forgotten Symbolist masterpiece The Solar Circus with Chicago author and critic Jeremy Kitchen on Saturday, Feb 18th at 3pm in the afternoon.

    Gustave Kahn’s The Solar Circus is an 1898 French novel dripping in psychedelic images of exotic gemstones, merfolk, and phantasmagoric menageries. Inverting day for night and reality for a dazzling dream, this is the story of a solipsistic Bavarian count who falls in love with the star of a traveling circus—thereby forcing him out of self-imposed seclusion. As the lovers set out from the count’s castle, they encounter a world in transformation: peasants in rebellion, the bright lights of London’s Orpheum theater, and even an ether-swilling Jack the Ripper in an opium den. In the process, the count must come to grips with his own fragile notions of superiority and truth.

    The Solar Circus is text unlike any other, one that vacillates  effortlessly between wild, imagistic poetry and philosophical prose, prefiguring those seminal 20th century works of Modernist literature which would appear more than two decades later.

    The Solar Circus is being published by Michigan City-based First to Knock. Its publication will mark not only the novel’s first appearance in English but also its first independent reissue since it was published in 1898. The novel has been newly translated by Sam Kunkel, a Paris-based, Chicago-born scholar of 19th century Symbolist literature.

    Kunkel will discuss Kahn’s novel and its place in the lineage of circus books with Chicago’s very own Jeremy Kitchen—author, literary critic, and librarian. A Q&A will follow. Books will be for sale.

    For more info:

    firsttoknock.com

    Facebook Event Invite.

    instagram.com/firsttoknock

    info(at)firsttoknock(dot)com

    About Solar Circus on Tour

  • Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON: No Sleep 'Til Stapling Zinemaking Hangout, Jan. 21st!

     

    Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON: No Sleep ’Til Stapling Zinemaking Hangout!
    7-11 p.m. CT Saturday, January 21
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue
    Free!

    Is making progress on your zine projects one of your new year’s resolutions? Then kick off 2023 with Zine Club Chicago at the No Sleep ’Til Stapling Zinemaking Hangout!

    Bring your work-in-progress, create a new zine on the spot, or just catch up with other zine folks at our 4-hour Saturday night event here at the shop. (This gathering will channel the chill hangout vibe of Quimby’s Zlumber Parties of yore.)

    We’ll have zinemaking supplies, creative prompts, and snacks on hand. Zinemakers are encouraged to bring their zines to swap with others! We’ll keep the party rolling from 7 to 11 p.m.; feel free to drop in anytime during the evening. (Bonus points if you wear your cutest pjs.)

    Out-of-town friends, Zine Club Chicago will be back on Zoom with y’all in February for a special event that could only happen online! If you’d like to get together virtually with zine pals this month, check out Zine Party!, hosted as always by Michael Verdi, at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, January 10. For more info and the Zoom link, visit 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 the image of a table full of people making zines, hanging out, and eating snacks, with text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: No Sleep ‘Til Stapling Zinemaking Hangout! In Person! Free!;Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park; 7-11 p.m. CT Saturday, January 21”

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: Winter Lodge Edition Co-hosted by Zine Party, Dec. 13th!

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a pair of feet clad in cozy socks, propped up on a table next to a stack of books with a mug set on top and a roaring fire in the background, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Winter Lodge Edition Co-hosted by Zine Party!; Online! Free!; Zoom info on quimbys.com and zine.party; 7:30 p.m. CST Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022”

    Zine Club Chicago Online: Winter Lodge Edition Co-hosted by Zine Party!
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, December 13 on Zoom
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is teaming up again with Zine Party! to ring out 2022 with a festive online gathering! Let’s get cozy, make mini zines together, and discuss our highlights of the year in self-publishing. Zine Club Chicago will set up a swap by mail after the event for folks who’d like to share the mini zine they made, too.

    Grab your zinemaking supplies*, BYOH(ot)C(ocoa), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Winter Lodge Edition Co-hosted by Zine Party! at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, December 13.

    ** 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 Dec. 12 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT Tuesday, Dec. 13.

    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.

    Zine Party!, a monthly Zoom hangout for folks who make zines, is hosted by Michael Verdi on the second Tuesday of each month. Find out more at zine.party

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

    * You’ll need a few sheets of 8.5×11” paper, a pair of scissors, whichever implements you prefer for writing/drawing/etc., and your creativity! If you’ve never made a mini zine before, here’s a quick video tutorial (and we can provide any assistance you need at the event, too): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiUzo41dh5Q

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a pair of feet clad in cozy socks, propped up on a table next to a stack of books with a mug set on top and a roaring fire in the background, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Winter Lodge Edition Co-hosted by Zine Party!; Online! Free!; Zoom info on quimbys.com and zine.party; 7:30 p.m. CST Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022”

  • Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON: SNAX Release Party + Zinemaking Hangout, Nov. 18th!

    Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON: SNAX Release Party + Zinemaking Hangout!
    7-9 p.m. Friday, November 18
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue
    Free! 

    In November, Zine Club Chicago is gathering in person to celebrate the release of SNAX, its fresh-off-the-presses collab zine! Join us at the bookstore from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, November 18 to meet some of the awesome SNAX contributors, make fun-sized mini zines with us and, of course, share some snacks!

    The SNAX Release Party + Zinemaking Hangout will be Zine Club Chicago’s first in-person event since February 2020 here at Quimby’s. We’re excited to get together with our local friends! We’ll have zinemaking supplies and snacks on hand. Please feel free to bring a treat to share, if you like. Masks are encouraged when you’re not snacking.

    SNAX contributors, you’re welcome to pick up your free copy of the zine at the party. We’ll have copies for sale at the shop and on our website, as well.

    Online friends, Zine Club Chicago will be back on Zoom with y’all in December to ring out 2022 with an extra fun holiday event! If you’d like to get together virtually with zine friends this month, please join us at Zine Party, hosted by Zine Club Chicago fave Michael Verdi, at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Nov. 8. For more info and to get the Zoom link, visit 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. Thank you to SNAX Co-Editor Rachel Hyman for creating our flyer this month!

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

    Image description: A multi-colored flyer featuring a collage of various snack foods, the red-and-blue Zine Club Chicago logo, images of a stapler and a pair of scissors, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago IN PERSON! SNAX Release Party + Zinemaking Hangout; 7-9 p.m. Friday, November 18; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.; Free!; Info: quimbys.com”

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: Queer History Month Edition with Special Guests QZAP, Oct. 20th!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is excited to welcome Milo, Chris, and the rest of the Queer Zine Archive Project team as our special guests for Queer History Month! They’ll be joining us from the QZAP headquarters in Milwaukee to give us a look at some of the items in their collection and discuss the ways that folks use queer zines to teach queer history. QZAP was established in 2003 to preserve queer zines and make them available to other queers, researchers, historians, punks, and anyone else who has an interest in DIY publishing and underground queer communities.

    Please bring your favorite queer zines from your own collections to share, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Queer History Month Edition with Special Guests QZAP at 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday, October 20! (Yes, we’re meeting on a Thursday evening this month.)

    ** 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 Wednesday, October 19 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT Thursday, October 20.

    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 event is here. You can find out more about QZAP at qzap.org.

    Image description #1: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a set of file cabinets at the QZAP headquarters, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Queer History Month Edition with Special Guests Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP); Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CST Thursday, October 20, 2022”

    Image description #2: A collage of text mixed in with stickers from Zine Club Chicago, Quimby’s, and QZAP, with an old QZAP postcard that says “They Made History, We Archive It” with pictures of Marsha P. Johnson, GB Jones and Bruce LaBruce, Jayne County, Bayard Rustin, and Nomi Lamm (top row) and Mike Bullshit, Larry-bob Roberts and Matt Wobensmith, Deep Dickollective, Tom Jennings, and Vaginal Davis (bottom row)

  • Midwest Perzine Fest – Off-Site 10/8

    Quimby’s is proud to co-sponsor the 2022 Midwest Perzine Fest, which is Saturday, October 8th at Columbia College’s Conaway Center, at 1104 S Wabash Avenue, 10 am to 4 pm! Make sure to stop by our table to say hi!

    What’s a perzine? Perzine is a genre of zine. It is short for “personal zine” and is often a self-identified term used by zinesters to describe their zines written about their own personal thoughts, stories, or experiences and can be of a confessional nature. But perzines are not limited to discussions of emotions; they can also explore topics of interest or interactions with hobbies or travel experiences.

    More info at MidwestPerzineFest.com.

    Still in town on Sunday afternoon? As a post-MWPZF event, Zine Club Chicago and Quimby’s invite you to join us for coffee and cookies. Come here to Quimby’s (1854 W. North Ave) at noon, Sunday, October 9th, to hang out with your zine friends. Feel free to leave items you want to consign (though we will not be able to do payouts due to how busy we will be or check stock levels). We can’t wait to see you all during MWPZF weekend!

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: It Came From the '90s Edition, Sept. 20th!

    Zine Club Chicago Online: It Came from the ’90s Edition
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, September 20 on Zoom
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is commemorating the 31st anniversary of Quimby’s Bookstore by celebrating the decade that gave birth to our shop: The 1990s! While self-publishing has evolved across many eras, there’s no doubt that the ’90s left indelible Sharpie marks on zine culture as we know it today. Quimby’s has been proud to serve as a home base for zine creators and fans in Chicago and beyond since we opened in the Wicker Park neighborhood in 1991.

    We want to hear all about your favorite zines tied to the 1990s, whether they were published in that decade or focus on that era and its distinctive culture, music, technology, art, politics, and more. We’re also sending out a special invitation to zinemakers who first began creating zines in the ’90s – we’d love to hear about your memories of that time and what you’re doing now!

    Grab your favorite zines about the ’90s, BYOG(ushers), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: It Came from the ’90s Edition at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, September 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, September 19 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, September 20.

    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 event is here.

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with an image of the counter and zine racks at the original Quimby’s Bookstore location in Wicker Park, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: It Came from the ’90s Edition; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CST Tuesday, September 20”

  • 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.

     

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    A post shared by Acid Nun (@corinnehalbert)

    Caroline Cash can be found on IG at cash_browns. Her comic Pee Pee Poo Poo is nominated for two 2022 Ignatz Awards.

     

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    A post shared by Quimbys Bookstore (@quimbysbookstore)

    Facebook Event Link here.

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: Cheap Copies! Edition with Special Guest Rich Dana, Aug. 16th!

    Zine Club Chicago Online: Cheap Copies! Edition
    with Special Guest Rich Dana
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 16 on Zoom
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is really excited to welcome special guest Rich Dana, a stencil artist, zinemaker, and founder of Obsolete Press. Rich will be joining us on Zoom to discuss his recent release, Cheap Copies!: The Obsolete Press Guide to DIY Hectography, Mimeography & Spirit Duplication, and demonstrate one of the no-cost/low-cost analog printing techniques featured in the book.

    Bring your questions for Rich and your favorite zines that were printed using cheap, cool, and tactile DIY techniques! We want to hear about the non-digital ways that zines in your collection (and that you’ve made yourself!) were reproduced, including hecto, ditto, mimeo, block printing, letterpress, screen printing, and copying by hand.

    Grab your stack of analog-printed zines, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: Cheap Copies! Edition with Special Guest Rich Dana at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, August 16!

    ** 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, August 15 (the evening before our event). We’ll email you the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, August 16.

    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 event is here.

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer featuring a photo of zinemaker Rich Dana demonstrating an analog printing technique and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Cheap Copies! Edition with Special Guest Rich Dana; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CST Tuesday, August 16”

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: The Great Outdoors Edition, July 19th!

    Zine Club Chicago Online: The Great Outdoors Edition
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, July 19 on Zoom
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is celebrating summer with an expansive view of zines about the great outdoors! We want to hear all about your fave titles focused on the natural world, al fresco explorations, camping experiences, flâneur adventures, gardening and growing, and more.

    Grab your favorite zines about life en plein air, BYOS(nacks), and join us on Zoom for Zine Club Chicago Online: The Great Outdoors Edition at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, July 19!

    In July, Zine Club Chicago also will be teaming up with Zine Party to host an in-person outdoor meetup called Zine Camp! If you’d like to trade zines and eat s’mores with your fellow zine enthusiasts in Chicago on Sunday, July 17, check out all the details at https://zine.camp/

    ** RSVP required ** To help make sure that online Zine Club Chicago events are a safe space, the Zoom link won’t be released publicly. If you’d like to attend, please email zineclubchicago@gmail.com to RSVP by 9 p.m. CT Monday, July 18 (the evening before our event). You’ll receive the Zoom link by 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, July 19.

    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 event is here.

    Image description: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with the image of a tent that is lit from within, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: The Great Outdoors Edition; Online! Free! Zoom info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CST Tuesday, July 19”