Category: Store Events

  • BUY SHIT THURSDAYS + Quimby's Holidays Hours

    No time like the present to tell you our holiday hours!

    And oh! It’s that time of year again! If you’re looking for gifts that are unique, memorable and just plain cool, we’ve got you. And we’re even staying open late on Thursdays during the holiday season so you can get all your shopping done here, where we promise you a Mariah Carey-free zone.

    We’ll be open 12-8 p.m. on these Buy Shit Thursdays:

    Nov. 30

    Dec 7

    Dec. 14

    Dec. 21

    We might have some fun surprises, too! So stop in for the kind of BS only Quimby’s can shovel.

    (Just as a reminder, our usual hours are 12-6 Thursdays through Mondays, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So live it up on these Buy Shit Thursdays when we’re open til 8!)

    One of those people who needs a Facebook invite to put this on your cal? Geddit here.

    Also don’t miss tarot readings by Echo on 3 out of 4 of those Buy Shit Thursdays! Echo will be here to read your cards on Nov 30th, Dec 7th and Dec 21st from 5pm-7:30! Echo has been reading tarot cards for many years. She uses tarot as a mind-opening tool, a method for helping us see more, a path illuminator. Find her on the internet at @fraulein_echo + echothehuman.com.

    Other Holiday Stuff People Ask About Here!:

    Doing a mail order? Want your stuff in the mail by Dec 23rd? Order it by Dec 9th, and we’ll try our best. Then it’s in the hands of USPS.

    Don’t know what to get somebody? Get them a Qustomized Quimby’s Zine Package, only available via order on our website!

    Wanna buy a gift certificate? Buy one here!

  • Zine Club Chicago: Bodies on the Page Panel + Zinemaking Workshop, Nov. 19th!

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with a black-and-white drawing by Jude R. Bettridge of front and back views of two people’s nude bodies and lettering that reads “Bodies on the Page,” with flyer text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Panel and Zinemaking Workshop featuring moderator Jamie Kadas + panelists: Katie Armentrout, Jude R. Bettridge, Megan Kirby, and Andrea Pearson; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. Free! In Person!”

    Zine Club Chicago: Bodies on the Page Panel + Zinemaking Workshop
    3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is excited to welcome five of our favorite local zinemakers for a panel and zinemaking workshop! Moderator Jamie Kadas and panelists Katie Armentrout, Jude R. Bettridge, Megan Kirby, and Andrea Pearson will discuss how they explore experiences and emotions regarding their own bodies in their work. A generative workshop for folks who’d like to make a zine about their own bodies will follow the panel.

    Join us in person for Zine Club Chicago: Bodies on the Page Panel + Zinemaking Workshop, 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19 at our shop. Free!

    Zine Club Chicago will supply all the zinemaking materials and provide a list of prompts, and also will have snacks on hand, as always!

    Please note that our discussion will include words and images that are appropriate for folks 18 and older only.

    Zine Club Chicago is a mask-supportive environment; we’ll have masks available if you’d like to wear one.

    Jamie Kadas uses personal experiences to create comics that focus on body image, anxiety, and all her fat girl insecurities. Additionally, she creates curvy pin-ups that reimagine pop culture in a more inclusive light.

    Katie Armentrout gives voice to the everyday and spotlights the extraordinary in the lives of fat babes who radiate confidence and charisma. Katie’s work is a testament to the power of embracing one’s own uniqueness and finding beauty in the horror of daily existence.

    Jude R. Bettridge is a jack-of-all-trades artist based in Chicago who specializes in zinemaking, fiber arts, and printmaking. Their work is a conglomeration of themes that always touch on mental health and feature soft horror.

    Megan Kirby is a writer, illustrator, and zinemaker who likes to make art about bodies, feelings, Chicago, and niche pop culture. She writes lots of fanzines, a long-running perzine called Coffee Spoons, and a graphic memoir called Another Day in Paradise that came out in 2022.

    Andrea Pearson is the Chicago cartoonist behind the comic zine series No Pants Revolution. She also runs the small press comic and art zine distro Aquatic Panda.

    Online friends, Zine Club Chicago will be back on Zoom with y’all in December for a year-end celebration of zinemaking! More info coming soon.

    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.

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

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with an abstract image of a human body, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Bodies on the Page Panel and Zinemaking Workshop featuring moderator Jamie Kadas + panelists: Katie Armentrout, Jude R. Bettridge, Megan Kirby, and Andrea Pearson; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. Free! In Person!”

    Image description #1: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with a black-and-white drawing by Jude R. Bettridge of front and back views of two people’s nude bodies and lettering that reads “Bodies on the Page,” with flyer text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Panel and Zinemaking Workshop featuring moderator Jamie Kadas + panelists: Katie Armentrout, Jude R. Bettridge, Megan Kirby, and Andrea Pearson; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. Free! In Person!”

    Image description #2: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with an abstract image of a human body, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: Bodies on the Page Panel and Zinemaking Workshop featuring moderator Jamie Kadas + panelists: Katie Armentrout, Jude R. Bettridge, Megan Kirby, and Andrea Pearson; 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. Free! In Person!”

  • QuimBurger Celebration, Oct 28th

    Everybody knows if Halloween falls on a weekday you do your partying the Saturday before. 2023 is no exception (especially because we’re closed on Tuesdays anyways). So join us all day on Saturday, October 28th from noon to 6pm while we transform Quimby’s into QuimBurger, with special themed merchandise and activities (and of course, candy).

    No, we won’t have hamburgers and fries, but we will be selling a super special secret thing you can only get at Quimby’s, inspired by our newest window display! Chicago artist/writer/Meanwhile reading series organizer/fast food aficionado Megan Kirby transformed our front window into a vision of greasy fast food, inspired by Chris Ware’s store logo. We’re big fans of Megan’s work around these part, from her works like Another Day In Paradise and Coffee Spoons, to her pieces in the Chicago Reader, we are thrilled to have her art in our window! We’ll have some themed things to buy related to the QuimBurger theme we’ll surprise you with that day.

    And since it’s the spooky season, we have to pay our tributes to the energies from beyond the veil. And that is why we’ll have tarot readings by Echo from 3-6pm! Echo has been reading tarot cards for decades. She uses tarot as a mind-opening tool, a method for helping us see more, a path illuminator. Find her on the internet at @fraulein_echo + echothehuman.com.

     

  • Quimby’s October Newsletter Available Now

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

  • Zine Club Chicago Online: The Business of DIY — Conversation With Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft, Tues. Oct 17th

    Zine Club Chicago Online: The Business of DIY —
    A Conversation with Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft
    7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, October 17 on the Quimby’s YouTube channel
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is excited to welcome Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft for a conversation about the business of DIY! Jenna, a local artist and chainstitcher, has channeled her DIY passions into one of Chicago’s most inventive independent businesses.

    Want to know more about the nuts and bolts of making a living with your art while expressing your DIY values, building an indie business from the ground up, and forging successful partnerships with other creative folks? Jenna will discuss all this and more — including how her secondhand risograph printer was a major score — in conversation with Zine Club Chicago producer Cynthia E. Hanifin.

    Please join us for Zine Club Chicago Online: The Business of DIY — A Conversation with Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Oct. 17 on the Quimby’s Bookstore YouTube channel. No need to RSVP – just head over to YouTube.com/QuimbysBookstore.

    Do you have questions for Jenna? Please email them to us in advance at zineclubchicago@gmail.com or join the YouTube chat during the event to take part in the Q&A segment of the discussion.

    Vichcraft recently collaborated with us to create some special merch for our 32nd anniversary! You can check out the limited-edition t-shirt and more here: Quimby’s x Vichcraft

    Vichcraft is the independent and collaborative, multi-disciplinary studio of Jenna Blazevich.

    Since being founded in 2015, Vichcraft has steadily been building a collection of social-issue driven projects made with various tactile handcraft mediums. Currently there is a focus on creating embroidery work using a 100 year old hand-cranked machine, lettering design collaborations with socially-conscious companies, and conceptual stained glass.

    Vichcraft strives to work right around the line between art, craft, and design to create historically-informed work that provokes new ways of thinking.

    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.

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

    Image description: A red-blue-and-grey infographic flyer with a photo of Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft holding one of her birds, a background featuring photos of several of Vichcraft’s designs, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: The Business of DIY Edition — A Conversation With Jenna Blazevich of Vichcraft; Online! Free! More info on quimbys.com; 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023; YouTube.com/QuimbysBookstore”

  • Shovelin' USA: The Estrus Records Book Tour Stops at Quimby's, Oct 21st

    Korero Press is happy to announce that a hefty slab of punk rock history is coffee-table-ready: Shovelin’ The Sh!t Since ’87 is a 250+ page book of influential artwork, photographs, interviews and text detailing the history of the legendary garage rock label, Estrus Records. For nearly two decades, Dave Crider’s Bellingham, Washington-based operation churned out hundreds of releases from mainstays in garage, trash, surf, and punk — among them, The Mummies, Man or Astroman?, The Makers, Teengenerate, and Crider’s own Mono Men. And because the imagery associated with Estrus’ releases matched the ferocity of the music, this beast is filled with vivid concert posters, iconic album covers and bizzare oddities created by a handful of elite graphic artists — including visionary Art Chantry, who was behind much of the label’s artwork.

    Author Chris Alpert Coyle and designer Scott Sugiuchi are taking copies of the new book with them on the Shovelin’ USA Tour. Join them here at Quimby’s Bookstore in Wicker Park on Saturday, October 21st beginning at 1pm. The Q&A session with Chet “The Cheetah” Weise (Quadrajets, Immortal Lee Co. Killers), Alex Wald & Marty Perez will be an opportunity for folks to ask questions about the iconic label’s history — and Coyle and Sugiuchi can give insight on what the multiyear project was like.

    The book does not go on sale to the general public until late November, so Quimby’s will be one of the few places people can buy it ahead of time at the event on October 21st!

    FREE EVENT!

    Bios!

    Chris Alpert Coyle is a nomadic music journalist (and serious journalist) whose material has been featured on CBS News, WGN, CBS Radio and The Inlander. As a musician, he has toured much of the United States with two different punk rock combos. As an outside linebacker for the ’79 Pittsburgh Steelers, wait…Different guy, actually. Never mind. Yeah, this guy (above) just writes stuff.

    Scott Sugiuchi has been designing for more than 30 years. Highlights include work for Artisan Films (The Blair Witch Project), the American Film Institute and countless bands, record labels and venues. He is the founder of Hidden Volume Records, a boutique record label with more than 50 releases and is currently the Art Director for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    Chet Weise’s poetry and fiction have appeared or been anthologized in publications such as Apocalypse Now: Poems and Prose from the End of Days, Birmingham Poetry Review, Constant Stranger: After Frank Stanford, Copper Nickel, Peach Mag, and the Rough Trade 40th Anniversary Journal. A musician, too, Weise toured and recorded with groups The Quadrajets and ?the Immortal Lee County Killers?. He was banned from Canada during 2008. Weise currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is the editor at Third Man Books and plays guitar in Kings of the Fucking Sea.

    Alex Wald: Painter; illustrator for Estrus Records, Wired, Playboy, Hustler, many more; comic artist and colorist, art director, First Comics; kaiju scholar and collector, Astromonster Co., Ltd. designer and proprietor; blues harp player, ex-Dirty Wurds, Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Young and others; still making coffee.

    Marty Perez is a Chicago-based photographer who has been documenting the parallels between the worlds of underground rock as well as some of the biggest stars of pop music, from 1976 to the present.

    Very important links!

    Facebook Event Post

    instagram.com/estrus_records_book

    facebook.com/estrusrecordsbook

    koreropress.com/estrus-shovelin-the-shit-since-87

    kickstarter.com/projects/estrus/estrus-shovelin-the-shit-since-87

  • Does God have a recipe? Find out in Holy Food! Oct 13th

    Join Christina Ward to celebrate Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat:
    An American History on Friday, October 13th, 7pm, here at Quimby’s!

    “Holy Food doesn’t just trace the influence that preachers, gurus, and cult leaders have had on American cuisine. It offers a unique look at the ways spirituality—whether in the form of fringe cults or major religions—has shaped our culture. Christina Ward has gone spelunking into some very odd corners of American history to unearth this fascinating collection of stories and recipes.” — Jonathan Kauffmann, author of Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat

    Religious beliefs have been the source of food “rules” since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe G-d just said “no”). A long-ago Pope forbade Catholics to eat meat on Fridays (fasting to atone for committed sins). Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except “air” to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. In America, where the freedom to worship the god of your choice and sometimes of your own making, embraced old traditions and invented new ones.

    Holy Food looks explores the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings birthed a cottage industry of food fads and at the obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality and used food to both entice and control followers. Ward skillfully navigates between academic studies, interviews, cookbooks, and religious texts to make sharp observations and new insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen.

    Holy Food features over 75 recipes from religious and communal groups tested and updated for modern cooks. (Dough Gods! Funeral Potatoes! Yogi Tea! Mother F*cker Beans! The Source Family’s infamous Aware Inn Salad!) Also includes over 100 historic black and white images.

    Christina Ward is an independent food historian, a Master Food Preserver (Wisconsin), and writer who works in the publishing industry. www.christinaward.net

    For more info see: info(at)processmediainc(dot)com • www.processmediainc.com

    Facebook Event Invite here.

    Free Event at Quimby’s Bookstore.

  • Jeremy Kitchen Discusses Mr. Crabby You Have Died with Kirin Wachter-Grene, Oct 14th

    JEREMY KITCHEN

    discusses his new book

    MR. CRABBY YOU HAVE DIED

    with literary scholar

    KIRIN WACHTER-GRENE

    Saturday, October 14th, 7pm

    Free Event at Quimby’s Bookstore

    Mr. Crabby You Have Died is the first full-length work by Jeremy Kitchen — a public librarian, former dope fiend, and U.S. Army artillery observer in Desert Storm. Swaying between memoir and fiction, Kitchen lays bare his world through a series of interlocking exorcisms that deny linear time and good taste. Lost years in the Sarin-laced Persian Gulf drift backwards into Detroit’s acid trash landscape, only to corkscrew forward again into a seemingly endless Chicago night of heroin, handguns, and idiot pranksterism.

    Comic as it is horrifying, Mr. Crabby You Have Died is a collection of parables about the stupid beauty of youth, the boredom of addiction, and the intensity of dreams.

    On Saturday nite, October 14th, Kitchen will discuss all things Mr. Crabby with Kirin Wachter-Grene, a writer and scholar based in Chicago. Wachter-Grene is Assistant Professor of Liberal Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she teaches classes on literature, history, and gender & sexuality studies.

    Mr. Crabby You Have Died has been published by First To Knock out of Michigan City, Indiana. First To Knock titles have been featured in outlets such as Los Angeles Review of Books, Hermitix, CrimeReads, The Washington Post, Apocalypse Confidential, Rain Taxi Review of Books, Cinepunx, Tulsa Public Radio/NPR, KCRW Los Angeles, and Weird History. Chris Via of Leaf by Leaf has called First To Knock “one of my favorite presses.”

    For more info: www.firsttoknock.com

    Facebook event link here.

  • Zine Club Chicago 5th Anniversary Party: Juvenilia Edition with Special Guest Justin Kern of The Museum of the Unintentional, Sept. 16th!

    A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with photos of a vintage suitcase filled with ephemera and Justin Kern of the Museum of the Unintentional with his hand over half of his face, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: 5th Anniversary Party: Juvenilia Edition with Special Guest Justin Kern + The Museum of the Unintentional; In Person! Free!; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park; 6-9 p.m. Friday, September 16, 2023”

    Zine Club Chicago 5th Anniversary Party: Juvenilia Edition with
    Special Guest Justin Kern of The Museum of the Unintentional
    6-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16
    Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.
    Free!

    This month, Zine Club Chicago is celebrating its 5-year anniversary here at Quimby’s Bookstore! Since 2018, these monthly meetups have been hosted in person and online by our shop. So of course we’re commemorating the occasion with a special event and party!

    Join us for Zine Club Chicago 5th Anniversary Party: Juvenilia Edition with Special Guest Justin Kern of The Museum of the Unintentional, 6-9 p.m. Saturday, September 16 at Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Avenue in Wicker Park. Free!

    We’re thrilled to welcome special guest Justin Kern of The Museum of the Unintentional presenting a collection of found, loaned and contributed multimedia expressions in pop-up style exhibition. In this first showing in Chicago, The Museum, largely contained in one musty suitcase, unfurls for a special presentation of writings, photos, cassettes and personal items in their context, once removed. In honor of this special anniversary at Quimby’s, a one-of-a-kind zine will serve as program and companion during your unique visit through ephemera in this uncollection, presented by conservateur naiveté Justin Kern, a Milwaukee musician, writer and public moron.

    Justin Kern of the Museum of the Unintentional stands, with a drink in hand, next to a bronze statue of a person in a hunting cap with ear flaps.

    And y’all are invited to contribute to this one-night-only museum installation! Bring an item that represents your own juvenilia: An early attempt to create something in one of your chosen art forms, whether that’s writing, comics, visual art, or the fanciful doodles you drew on your 9th-grade history notebook.

    We’ll also be holding an open mic for anyone who would like to show off and discuss the juvenilia they’ve brought.

    Contribute to and explore The Museum of the Unintentional from 6-7 p.m.; open mic begins at 7 p.m. Yes, we’ll have snacks on hand! Masks are strongly encouraged when you’re not noshing.

    Online friends, Zine Club Chicago will be back on Zoom with y’all in October for a special event that will be part of our shop’s own 32nd anniversary celebrations. More info coming soon!

    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.

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

    Description of image #1: A red-and-blue infographic flyer, with photos of a vintage suitcase filled with ephemera and Justin Kern of the Museum of the Unintentional with his hand over half of his face, and text that reads: “Zine Club Chicago: 5th Anniversary Party: Juvenilia Edition with Special Guest Justin Kern + The Museum of the Unintentional; In Person! Free!; Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park; 6-9 p.m. Friday, September 16, 2023”

    Description of image #2: Justin Kern of the Museum of the Unintentional stands, with a drink in hand, next to a bronze statue of a person in a hunting cap with ear flaps.

  • Quimby's 32nd Anniversary T-Shirt Celebration Featuring Vichcraft Live Chainstitching, Sat, Sep 30th

    Wahoo! Quimby’s is turning 32!*

    To help us celebrate Chicago gem of a printer and chainstitcher Vichcraft (aka Jenna Blazevich) has designed some new merch for us to premiere at A LIVE CHAINSTITCHING EVENT HERE AT QUIMBY’S ON SATURDAY, SEPT 30TH from 6-9pm! She designed a spanking new Quimby’s t-shirt that is BEAUTIFUL (trust us) we’ll be debuting at this event. And we’ll be unveiling some other unexpected merch too — but we don’t want to spoil the surprise!

    Vichcraft will be on hand with her 80-year-old Cornely machine to chainstitch a variety of items, including felt pennants and other things for sale. For a fee, she can customize items, so bring your stuff you want to have personalized.*

    Vichcraft is the multi-disciplinary design studio run by Jenna Blazevich in Chicago, Illinois since 2015. Find her at https://vichcraft.shop/ and on IG: @vichcraft

     

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    A post shared by Jenna Blazevich (@vichcraft)

     

     

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    A post shared by Jenna Blazevich (@vichcraft)

    Here’s the Facebook event invite if you want it!

    *Our actual anniversary is September 15th! This event is not actually on the 15th! But you should buy us a birthday cake on that day anyway. Happy birthday, us!

    *Here are helpful hints about what materials are ideal for your customized chainstitched item!:

    Ideal items:

    Woven fabrics: Canvas, Denim, linen
    Crewnecks or sweatshirt type knits
    Beanies
    Bandanas

    Materials to avoid:

    Thin knit fabrics (tee shirts)
    Loosely knit fabrics (sweaters, scarves)
    Items with sherpa linings or excessive batting

     

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    A post shared by Jenna Blazevich (@vichcraft)

     

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    A post shared by Jenna Blazevich (@vichcraft)