Blog

  • Australian Cartoonists' Caravan of Comics 5/9

    Australia’s premier independent  comic creators are hitting the road for three weeks in three small cars, stopping at Quimby’s on May 9th! Join us in welcoming:

    Pat  Grant – artist-writer­surfer  whose debut  graphic novel  Blue (published by Top Shelf, scroll down to see a picture of it resting on his the coffee table near his bed) about localism and  racism  may  turn  out  to  be  the Great  Australian   Graphic  Novel  Ben Hutchings – a  cartoonist  whose  softly  spoken  manner  belies  a  surprisingly  cheeky streak  that   informs  some  of  the funniest comics in the world Andrew Fulton – a quiet and  unassuming  cartoonist  whose  wordless  action  comics  are breathtaking  in  their  inventiveness  and  sense  of  play  with  the  form Mandy Ord – whose   autobiographical  comics  about  life  in  suburban  Melbourne  (including the  recent  “Sensitive  Creatures”)  are consistently  some  of  Australia’s most   accomplished sequential storytelling Douglas Holgate  – part  Viking,  all  cartoonist – is  the  Caravan’s  most  established  member having   published  numerous  children’s  titles both  in  Australia  and overseas.  His  lively style  speaks  to  an   enormous  enthusiasm  for  comics. Sarah Howell – best  known  as  2009-2010  Co-Director  of  the  National  Young  Writers’ Festival, is an accomplished  illustrator whose  style  is  sometimes  whimsical, sometimes grounded, and always stunning. David Blumenstein – the  cartoonist  behind  the  long-running comedy series  The  Bret Braddock  Adventures  a  comic  that  mines  humor  from  the  guts-­tearing feeling  you  get when  you’re  being  taken   advantage  of  by  a  boss  who  hasn’t  paid  you  in two  months. Gregory Mackay – makes  award-­winning  comics  about  a  strange  kind  of everyday­ness that  are   both  quietly  desperate  and  charmingly  beautiful.  His  long running  Francis  Bear is  published  in   French  through  The  Hoochie  Coochie. Michael Hawkins – tells  stories  of  teen  dramas  and  suburban  explorers  told  in  a  visual style  that  drips  and  bleeds  from  one  panel  into  the  next  through  Hawkin’s  amazing  ink and  watercolours.  Hawkin’s  style  is  completely  unique. Jen Breach – a  short,  bespectacled Australian based  in  New  York  City,  writes  comics about  ordinary   children  in extraordinary circumstances,  collaborating  with  a  number  of talented  cartoonists  (including  some  on the Caravan).and special  guest star  Roadie,  the  Caravan  is  delighted  to  include  John Retallick,  presenter  of  3CR   radio’s  long-running  “The  Comic  Spot.”

    More info: caravanofcomics.com

    facebook.com/caravanofcomics

    twitter.com/caravanofcomics

    Wed, May 9th, 7pm

  • Weekly Top 10

    Michael Deforge rules the Top 10 this week! And a new issue of Burn Collector!

    1. Burn Collector #16 by Al Burian (Paquita Press) $5.00

    2.   The Chicagoan #1 $19.95 – Joining the literary-minded ranks of n+1, The Paris Review, The Believer and Lapham’s Quarterly, and doing it with Midwestern flair, The Chicagoan ressurects a long defunct jazz-age magazine and focuses in on non-profit production, local distribution and general excellence in writing and design. The debut issue is a stunner, a cohesive and relevant blend of fiction, history, innovation, interviews and a 50-page oral history of Siskel and Ebert. -EF

    3. Hoody #1 A Hip Hop Comic Graph Novel by Joel CRAVE Maxime Jr $5.00 – Bouncing through a chromosplash cityscape of graffitipsychedelia, Hoody’s an all-blue Vaughn Bodian anti-hero on a trail of pig roasting secret clues. Wild motions that sometimes remind me of Bernie McGovern’s “Army of Lovers” comics. -EF

    4.  Thickness #2 by Angie Wang et al. $10.00 – Hot ‘n slimey crypto-beast on humanoid-beast action. Eagerly anticipated sophmore release for this sexy anthological comic. Works from Lisa Hanawalt, Michael DeForge, Jilian Tamaki and more.
    5. Proximity #9 Grassroots Planning and Placemaking Objects Spr 12 vol 4 #1 $11.99
    6. Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek The Next Generation Season Three by Joshua Chapman $1.00 – Although the “school project” alibi is wearing a little thin on this educational zine series, the nerdery aboard this enterprise holds strong and is remarkably entertaining. Makes me wish I knew more Star Trek things to crack puns about.-EF
    7. Colors #83 Win 12 $8.95
    8. Incinerator by Michael Deforge (Secret Headquarters) $5.00

    9. Kid Mafia #1 by Michael Deforge $3.00 – “That special time between the end of high school and the beginning of college… depicted by Michael DeForge, so it’s a complete fucking nightmare, OK?! With bonus skateboard action. Part one of an ongoing series. Features 2 bonus “Military Prison” strips.” – from wowcool.com

    10. Open Country #2 by Michael Deforge $3.00

  • New Stuff This Week

    Typeforce 2 The Annual Show of Emerging Typographic Allstars $20.00 – A veritable font of design wizardry -EF

    Miss me last week? Well that’s because I went out of town. But now I’m back, to tell you about TWO WEEKS worth of new stuff! Spend your tax refund here, perhaps on -LM

    Zines
    Burn Collector #16 by Al Burian (Paquita Press) $5.00 – It’s always a joy to see another installment of Al’s adventures, especially since we see him less and less in Chicago due to his relocation in Berlin. There’s plenty of flash rant-style review pieces (an Iron Maiden concert for one), books he’s read (a YA novel!), and also his comics. Like the last issue of BC there’s also some interviews too, like Tim Remis from Sweet Cobra (and of lesser-known Soviet folk singer fame), as well as Sascha Scatter of The Icarus Project. Published by Caroline Pequita’s art-freaker publishing house Pegacorn Press in Brooklyn.
    Zines 101 An Intro to Zines by Carrie $1.00 – As in the Carrie of My Aim Is True and Brilliant Mistake. Carrie is also responsible for getting a variety of her students to sell their zines here. Passing it along to the next zinester generation!
    The Match #110 Spr 12 $3.00
    Roam #3 2012 for the Life of Little Things $1.00
    9 to 5 #1 by Tom Callahan $8.00
    Infect With Intellect #1 Apr 12 $2.00
    Anarchist Panther vol 1 #3 Good Readings Zine Spring into Summer 01 by Firestarter Press $3.00
    Skulk #1 by Your Secretary $1.00 – Made during the Quimby’s 24 Hour Zine Challenge this past January.
    Interview Clothes a Paper Doll Zine by Jami Sailor and Jenna B. $1.00
    These Boots by KE Bleier $3.00
    Seesaw Fidgets by Evah Fan $5.00
    Ugly  No 1 #4 Apr 12 a Collection of Stuff and Stuff by Matt Soria $4.00
    Gems #1 Interview Zine Featuring Sic Alps Kraftwerk and Geneva Jacuzzi by Mike S and Byron Browne $4.00
    Cloud Factory #2 by Ryan Homsley and Laura Walker $3.00
    Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek The Next Generation, Season Three by Joshua Chapman $1.00
    Collection of Jars #1 by Zach Hamilton et al. $4.00
    Railroad Semantics #1 Eugene Protland Pocatello and Back by Aaron Dactyl $7.95
    Anarchism Marxism and Hope for the Future by Noam Chomsky and the Red and Black Revolution (Microcosm) $1.65
    Taking the Lane vol  5 Our Bodies Our Bikes by Elly Blue (Microcosm) $3.00
    Hurt Notes on Torture in a Modern Democracy by Kristian Williams (Microcosm) $6.95
    Fireweed: A Zine of Grassroots Radical Herbalism and Wild Foods Connecting with Kids and Family Life by Jess (Microcosm) $3.80
    KerBloom #95 Mar Apr 12 by Artnoose $2.00 – Comepelling reading about the author’s story to finding the right baby daddy for her fading fertility.
    Number 4 Privet Drive by Paul Schwartz $1.00
    Fag School #4 New Fiction Johnny, Would You Love Me If My Dick Were Bigger, Join the Professionals by Brontez (Pegacorn Press) $5.00 – One half fiction, the other half interviews with activists, photographers, Michelle Tea, Tobi Vail, the DJ Robot Hustle and more.

    Comics and Comix
    Wigstaff by Ruby Thorkelson $2.00 – Hairy trickster born of bakers!

    Spitting Anorexic by Eamon Espey and Andrew Liang $2.00
    SF Supplementary File #2C by Ryan Cecil Smith $6.00
    Has Anyone Ever Told You That You Look Like Buddy Holly? by Lee Bretschneider $4.00
    More Comics by Michael Deforge, various prices: Kid Mafia #1 (of moles and bullies!), Incinerator (a beagle’s offspring!), Open Country #1 and #2 (psychic travel!).
    Sky In Stereo by Mardou $5.00
    Archer by Nate Doyle $5.00
    Bicycle Propaganda by Tom Lechner $2.00
    Tales of Inertia #1-#3 by Tom Lechner $4.00 each
    Wuvable Oaf Gory Details – Official Handbook to the Oafiverse by Ed Luce $6.00
    Mad Soul #1 by Bobby Madness (Sparkplug) $3.50
    Crass Sophisticate #28 by Josh Reinwald and Justin Rosenberg $2.00
    Xerox Candy Bar #19 XCB Newspaper Edition Mar 12 $3.00
    Reeds In The Wind Cambodian Life Under the Khmer Rouge by Danielle Chenette $4.00
    Spinadoodles #2 The Second Year May 1 2010 to June 24 2011 Daily Sketchbook comic by Sam Spina $7.00
    Grandma Stories a sort of 24 Hour Comic by Sam Spina $3.00
    Stranger Two Stranger #3 Apr 12 – Actual Stories of Craigslist Missed Connections by R. Hendricks $2.00
    Natural World #3 by Damien Jay $4.00
    Teenaged Terror issues #4-#6 $4.00 each
    Here Comic by Eroyn Franklin (Sparkplug) $7.00
    Survivalist by Box Brown $7.99
    1999  by Box Brown $5.00
    Bellanova Redstar Space Girl 4199 #379 at the Edge of the Universe by Lee Bretchneider et al. $3.99
    Howdy Pardner Small Activity Comic by Andrew Brandou (Robot) $2.00
    Grump Toast #1 and #2 by Ben Horak $5.00 each
    End of The Fucking World Parts 4 and 5 by Charles Forsman $1.00 each
    Eat To Survive Spr 12 by Jeff Mahannah $3.00
    Lou #1 by Melissa Mendes $1.00
    Bonnie N Collide Nine to Five #1-#5 Even Rollergrils Have Day Jobs by Monica Gallagher (various different prices)
    Fugue #1 and #2 a Family in Three Parts by Beth Hetland $6.00 each
    Comics by Nils Balls: Now Playing In Hell $1.50, Sketchbook Drawings Sketchball $4.00, Joseph UPMC a Production of SkeletonBalls Comics $6.00

    Graphic Novels and Trade Paperbacks
    Unterzakhn by Leela Corman (Schocken) $24.95
    Books by Monica Gallagher: Gods and Undergrads Books 1 and 2 and Boobage (various prices)
    Fight a Chapter Book by San Spina $5.00
    Curse of the Masking Tape Mummy Basic Instructions by Scott Meyer (Dark Horse) $14.95
    Joe Golem and the Drowning City – An Illustrated Novel by Mike Mignola et al. (SMP) $25.99
    Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 1 TPB by Alan Moore et al. (Vertigo) $19.99
    American Barbarian HC by Tom Scioli (Adhouse) $19.95
    100 Bullets HC Book 2 by Brian Azzarello (Vertigo) $49.99
    Pete and Miriam and Rich Tommaso (Boom) $14.99
    Lovecraft Anthology vol 1 Graphic Collection of Short Stories by HP Lovecraft (Self Made Hero) $19.95
    Holiday Funeral by Nick Mullins $10.95

    Art & Design Books
    Mark Whalen: Human Development (Zero) $45.00
    Amalgamate: The Art Design and Exploration of Blaine Fontana (Zero) $45.00
    Now and Then: The Cabinet Card Paintings by Alex Gross (Gingko) $14.95
    De Nada: The Art of Jeral Tidwell (Presto) $34.99
    Physical Impossibility of Remembering Last New Years for Ross Turning Us…by Gregg Evans $5.00
    Abstract City HC by Christoph Niemann (Abrams) $24.95
    Fuse Collection #1 through 20 From Invention to Antimatter Twenty Years of Fuse by Neville Brody et al. (Taschen) $59.99
    Making Wet the Magazine of Gourmet Bathing by Leonard Koren (Imperfect) $39.00

    Fiction
    Kingdom Come by JG Ballard (Norton) $24.95
    Cambridge Street by John Michael Manship $8.99
    Ataraxia Boom Boom by Michael Nolan $12.00

    Mayhem, Miscreants, Memoirs & Misc
    How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants by David Rees (Melville) $19.95 – Remember Get Your War On and My Fighting Technique is Unstoppable? This is his new John-Hodgmanish book, about sharpening pencils.

    All My Friends Are Still Dead by Avery Monsen et al. (Chronicle) $9.95 – Second book  in the series of a top selling humor book about punnishly showing angst over dead comrads.
    Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (Knopf) $25.95
    Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure (Riverhead) $16.00 – Now in soft cover.
    New Literary History of America ed by Greil Marcus et al. (Harvard) $24.95 – Now in soft cover.
    So You Created a Wormhole: The Time Travelers Guide to Time Travel by Phil Hornshaw et al. (Berkley) $15.00 – All wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

    Magazines
    Proximity #9 Grassroots Planning and Placemaking Objects Spr 12 vol 4 #1 $11.99
    Juxtapoz #136 May 12 $5.99
    ArtForum Apr 12 $10.00
    Koshka #2 Homesick and Hungry by Kaitlin Kostus $4.00
    True Crime Mar 12 $8.99
    True Crime Spring Special 12 20 All True Murder Stories $6.99
    Dot Connector #15 $7.95
    2600 Hacker Quarterly vol 29 #1 $6.25
    Pinstriping #31 Kustom Graphics Magazine $9.95
    various older Lumpens!
    BlackBook #90 Mar 12 $4.95
    Acne Paper Spr 12 $17.99
    Tiki Magazine vol 8 #1 Spr Sum 12 $6.99
    Ghetto Blaster #31 $7.00
    Tattoo Flash #113 May 12 $7.99
    Make Shift #11 Spr Sum 12 $6.95
    Makeshift #2 Win 12 Journal of Hidden Creativity $10.00 (2 different mags with the same name, for real. When thinking up a name for your mag, how about do a simple google search? Just musing…)
    Paleo Magazine Apr May 12 $5.99 – For those leading a paleo lifestyle. Are you into digesting your food with rocks in a gizzard? Perhaps this is the magazine for you.

    Literary Journals, Poetry & Chap Books
    Pageboy Magazine 4 12 $10.00
    Ecotone #13 $12.95
    Slake Los Angeles #4 2012 Dirt $18.00
    Ghetto Blaster #31 $3.95
    Pocho Love by Pablo Ramirez $10.00
    D: A Novella Deluxe Collectors Edition by Ronald Jones $19.95

    Childrens & Radical Parenting Books
    Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood by Barbara Almond (U of Calif) $19.95
    Piranha Pancakes: A Buncha Silly Comics and Stories by Ray Fresen $9.95
    Adventures of Tintin Young Readers Editions by Herge: Shooting Star (with 20 extra bonus pages), Crab with the Golden Claws $8.99 each

    Sex & Sexy
    Thickness #2 by Angie Wang et al. $10.00 – Hot ‘n slimey crypto-beast on humanoid-beast action. Eagerly anticipated sophmore release for this sexy anthological comic. Works from Lisa Hanawalt, Michael DeForge, Jilian Tamaki and more.
    Fukitor #7 $10.00
    OP Original Plumbing #9 Trans Male Quarterly $8.00 – The Entertainment Issue. Features with Silas Howard, trans on film, Black Cracker, Schmekel, Geo Wyeth and more.
    Handbook vol 6 #2 2012 $6.00 – Starring three previously featured nude guys from past issues.

    DIY
    Homesweet Homegrown How to Grow Make and Store Food No Matter Where You Live by Robyn Jasko et al. (Microcosm) $9.95
    Cannibal Kitchen: A Horror Lovers Cookbook Over 90 Amazing Recipes Each With a Horrific Twist by Shannon Rullo $25.00
    Cats Claw Herbal #1 DIY Medicinal Skin Care Stories Instructions…(Micorcosm) $1.10

    Other Stuff
    Skate Boarding Coloring Book by Magnus Frederiksen (Dokument) $9.95
    Steampunk Tarot Card Set by Barbara Moore (Llewellyn) $28.95

  • Jeffrey Brown Celebrates Free Comic Book Day Here on 5/5

    Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown explores, What if Darth Vader actively raised his son? What if “I am your father” was just a stern admonishment from an annoyed dad? In this hilarious and sweet comic reimagining, Darth Vader is a dad like any other—except with all the baggage of being the Dark Lord of the Sith. Celebrated artist Jeffrey Brown’s delightful illustrations give classic Star Wars moments a fresh twist, showing that the trials and joys of parenting are universal, even in a galaxy far, far away. Life lessons include lightsaber battling practice, using the Force to raid a cookie jar, Take Your Child to Work Day on the Death Star, and the special bonding moments shared between any father and son. Humorous and touching, Darth Vader and Son is the perfect gift for dads of the Star Wars generation.

    And guess what? For Free Comic Book Day Jeffrey Brown is debuting a free comic book specifically for folks who come to this event at Quimby’s!

    Jeffrey Brown is the author of numerous graphic novels and comics, including Cat Getting Out of a Bag, Cats Are Weird, Clumsy, Unlikely and other titles. Jeffrey also co-wrote and created artwork for the film Save The Date, which was selected for Dramatic Film Competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. A lifelong Star Wars fan, he lives in Chicago with his wife and five-year-old son.

  • Weekly Top 10

    Proximity #9 is at #3 this week.

    1. The Chicagoan #1 $19.95 – Joining the literary-minded ranks of n+1, The Paris Review, The Believer and Lapham’s Quarterly, and doing it with Midwestern flair, The Chicagoan ressurects a long defunct jazz-age magazine and focuses in on non-profit production, local distribution and general excellence in writing and design. The debut issue is a stunner, a cohesive and relevant blend of fiction, history, innovation, interviews and a 50-page oral history of Siskel and Ebert. -EF

    2. Hi-Fructose #23 $6.95 – Showcasing an eclectic mix of underground artists, pop surrealists, emerging and rediscovered counter cultures, and awe inspiring art.

    3. Proximity #9 Grassroots Planning and Placemaking Objects Spr 12 vol 4 #1 $11.99

    4. Lucky Peach #3 Cooks and Chefs Issue (McSweeney’s) $12.00 – Dave Chang of the Momofuku restaurant empire alternates between griping about everything being done already and the kids having no motivation these days in this new issue which I thought was themed “The Death of Integrity” but instead seems to be about, uh, “Cooks and Chefs”. I’m still up in the air about how self-referential this magazine is – it’s sort of like a chef perzine with a big magazine budget, which sometimes makes it’s cavalier attitude feel like chef crony-ism and empty trash talk. All the same, I’m interested in eating and the Matt Furie centerfold is sooper cute. Food is dead, long live food. -EF

    5. Cave Girl by Ireal $1.00 Unfoldable stories of Cave Girl living, a lot about mushroom hunting, musings on bears and beasts, spiders too. -EF

    6. Trubble Club #5 by Everybody – Mi Familia! The cartoonist cabal is back for more with this deluxxx edition full color comics offering, silkscreen print and possibly stickers (Thanks Post Family!)! Trubble from: Nate Beaty, Grant Reynolds, Laura Park, Jeremy Tinder, Aaron Renier, Rachel Niffenegger, Bernie McGovern, Lilli Carré, Corinne Mucha, Jeffrey Brown, Lucy Knisley, Becca Taylor, Jose Garibaldi, Joshua Cotter, Joe Tallarico, Onsmith, Lyra Hill, Sam Sharpe and Carrie Vinarsky with assists from Ezra Claytan Daniels, Craig Thompson, Thorne Brandt, Erika Moen, Antoine Dode and Alec Longstreth. KAPOW! -EF
    (P.S. Edie is far too modest to write that he himself is also in it! -LM)

    7. Judas Goat #53 by Grant Schreiber $1.50

    8. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (Abrams ComicArts) $17.95 – Backderf puts together a memoir of high school in the washed out suburban seventies when he was classmates and comrades with grisly serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. My Friend Dahmer is a compelling read in the way it maps the social environment and reflects on Dahmer’s self-awareness. Backderf focuses in with a too-close-for-comfort look at Dahmer’s disturbed adolescence and also his humanity, and this is the most shocking and intriguing part of this book, the separation -for a minute- of the man from the monster. It doesn’t attempt to tackle the truly gruesome part of Dahmer’s biography, the part we all know, and so the portrait the book produces is both intimate and casual – a bit like Gus VanSant’s Elephant, a character study where we are looking at some trecherous moral precipices, and trying to understand what makes someone leap from them. -EF

    9. Lucky Peach #2 The Sweet Spot $12.00

    10. Cat & Gnome by Graham Roumieu (Blue Q) $7.99

  • Radical Librarians to Host a Midwest Zine Festival April 28th in Urbana, IL


    Do you make zines? Do you DIY? Do you run a distro/make art/like to hang out with other folks that do these things? Well this event is for you. The Radical Librarians are pleased to announce the second annual Midwest Zine Festival (MWZF). The Fest take place from 11 AM to 11:30 PM on April 28th at the Independent Media Center (IMC) at 202 S. Broadway, Urbana, IL 61801. The Fest will be a gathering of zine-makers, authors, speakers, musicians and other rad people for the purpose of celebrating zines and zine-culture. MWZF will include interactive events, food, speakers, music and plenty of zines. The festival is open to the public and admission is free. Organizers are now taking registrations from artists, zine-makers, activists, authors or groups interested in having a table, presenting talks, or purposing interactive events as part of the festival. It will also feature an evening concert sponsored by the C-U Collective.

    The Radical Librarians group at the Independent Media Center is headed up by Chris Ritzo, Jeanie Austin and Maggie Taylor, all Graduates of the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science. The IMC has had a zine library since about 2001. The library was originally started in the living room of volunteers interested in sharing zines and other materials. The library is volunteer run and takes donations from the public.

    The 2012 MWZF is co-sponsored by Common Ground Food Coop, Weiskamp screenprinting, and an arts grant from the City of Urbana.

    More info:
    midwestzinefest.ucimc.org
    ucimc.org
    Click here to register to table.
    facebook.com/events/335167909850531

  • Weekly Top 10

    1. The Chicagoan #1 $19.95 – Joining the literary-minded ranks of n+1, The Paris Review, The Believer and Lapham’s Quarterly, and doing it with Midwestern flair, The Chicagoan ressurects a long defunct jazz-age magazine and focuses in on non-profit production, local distribution and general excellence in writing and design. The debut issue is a stunner, a cohesive and relevant blend of fiction, history, innovation, interviews and a 50-page oral history of Siskel and Ebert. -EF

    2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins $8.99

    3. Roctober #50 $5.00 – Roctober is 20 years old! This is issue #50! I love this magazine!!!!! LOVE THIS MAGAZINE! Let’s have a party.  -EF P.S. Thanks to everybody that came out for this event last week.

    4. The Avocado #1 by Mellie Manfredi- Winter writing about feelin’ chilly and eating chili! -EF

    5. Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace (33 1/3 Series) by Aaron Cohen (Continuum) $12.95

    6. Doris #29 by Cindy Crabb $2.00 – More mini horse adventures(!), tales of life, grandparents and Girls Rock Camp plus half the issue devoted to a longer personal essay, charmingly titled “How I learned to stop worrying and love being queer.” It’s a new issue of Doris, of course you should read it. -EF

    7. DIY Magic (Floating World Comics) $13.95 – Magical practice for the roving tripper, sloppy scrapper, intuitive lifesprout, beligerent believer, permanent vacationer and dirty weirdo. Illustrated by a dream team of visual power – Ron Rege, Pippi Zornoza, Aiden Koch, Tommi Musturi, Inés Estrada, Dunja Jankovic, Christian DiFilippo and Lala Albert amongst much others! Call these corners, pronto! -EF

    8. The Baffler #19 $10.00 – What?! A new issue of THE BAFFLER?! For reals.

    9. Crap Hound #8 Superstition by Sean Tejaratchi (Show & Tell Press) $12.00 – A new issue of Crap Hound! This issue meditates on such things as black cats, butterflies, knots, candles…All with a wonderful “Fair Use” collage-y awesomeness. “One of my favorite zines of all time” –Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing

    10. Bust Apr May 12 $5.99

  • New Stuff This Week

    The Baffler #19 $10.00 – WHAT? A new Baffler? For reals! Features include Thomas Frank on making a career out of mistakes, Barbara Ehrenreich on animal spirits, David Graeber on flying cars, Rick Perlstein on Ronald Reagan, and more.

    Zines
    xXXXx vol 1 Straight Edge Erotic Fiction by Artnoose $5.00 – I’m going to repeat myself and re-state that the title of this zine is straight-up brilliant. Smut’s not half bad either. -EF

    World’s First Anarchist Manifesto by Anselme Bellegarrigue $4.00
    Judas Goat #53 by Grant Schreiber $1.50
    Funny Animal Stories by Anne Elizabeth Moore $1.00
    Waves by Kriss Stress $4.00
    Zines by Rachel Swanson: 42 Percent is not Passing or How Sex Ed in America is Failing $2.00, Masturbation A Guide to Female Pleasure its not just for boys $2.00, Twilight the Greatest Accidental Horror Story of our Times $3.00
    Not Invented Here #1 by Alexander Stewart $4.00
    Give ’em Hell/Oblivion Split Zine by Michael Heck, Melissa Kagerer  $7.00
    No Loot No Job Portrait Collection by Michael Heck $6.00
    High and Low: Daniel Meet Santa Claus $1.50
    Kurt Mitchell zines: Tao of Stubbie Pencil, Surreal Tao of Stubbie Pencil $9.95 each
    Expect Anything Fear Nothing the Situationist Movement in Scandinavia… $30.00

    Comics and Comix
    Trubble Club #5 $8.00 – On newsprint! And it’s beauoooootiful, by the local based T-Club all stars. Pump up the comics jam. -LM…And from Edie: Mi Familia! The cartoonist cabal is back for more with this deluxxx edition full color comics offering, silkscreen print and possibly stickers (Thanks Post Family!)! Trubble from: Nate Beaty, Grant Reynolds, Laura Park, Jeremy Tinder, Aaron Renier, Rachel Niffenegger, Bernie McGovern, Lilli Carré, Corinne Mucha, Jeffery Brown, Lucy Knisley, Becca Taylor, Jose Garibaldi, Joshua Cotter, Joe Tallarico, Onsmith, Lyra Hill, Sam Sharpe and Carrie Vinarsky with assists from Ezra Clayton Daniels, Craig Thompson, Thorne Brandt, Erika Moen, Antoine Dode and Alec Longstreth. KAPOW! -EF
    Spot of Noir by Lilli Carre $4.00
    Hipster Holocaust #2 Two Fisted Tales of Urban Edgyness by Ernest J. Ramon, Sarah Howell Morton, Leda Zawacki et al. $7.00
    Laskimooses #1 and #2 Maailman Kirkas Aamunkoitto by Herra Matti Hagelbergin $7.00 each
    Happiness Machines a New Comic From the Chronicle of Fortune by Caroline Picard $4.00
    various Familiar Faces Comics by Maggy Rozycki Hiltner $5.00 each
    various comics by Rachel N. Swanson: Oregon Trail Zombie Edition  $3.00, Thunder Snow issues #1-#4 $2.00 each
    6 In a Rut – philanthropy is so rewarding by Frank Aggro $3.00

    Graphic Novels and Trade Paperbacks
    Krazy and Ignatz 1922-1924 At Last My Drim of Life Has Come True by George Herriman (Fantagraphics) $24.99
    Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller  by Jospeh Lambert (Hyperion) $17.99
    DMZ vol 11 Free States Rising TPB by Brian Wood et al. (Vertigo) $19.99
    Rachel Rising vol 1 Shadow of Death TPB by Terry Moore (Abstract) $16.99
    Black Charity by Bal Speer (Archaia) $19.95

    Art & Design Books
    Portrait of a Young Man Trying to Draw by William Schaff (Lamano 21) $30.00
    Ryan Trecartin Any (Rizzoli) $45.00
    Susie Says by Gina Garan and Justin vivian Bond (PowerHouse) $19.95
    Pen and Ink: A Collection of Editorial Illustrations by Kurt Mitchell $9.95
    Capturing Beauty With Your Camera: 10 Tips To Taking Better Photographs by James K. Kropp $25.00
    Alice in Wonderland Giant Poster and Coloring Book: 12 Prints to Frame to Color by Sir John Tenniel and Lewis Caroll (Abrams) $12.95

    Fiction
    Suddenly a Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret (FSG) $14.00
    Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson $26.95
    Golem by Gustav Meyrink (Dedalus) $11.99
    Scratched From Dreams: A Collection of Short Stories by Kurt Mitchell et al. $9.95

    Literary Journals, Poetry & Chap Books
    Another Chicago Magazine #50.2 $12.00
    Oyez Review #39 $5.00
    Paris Review #200 $15.00
    Bomb #119 Spr 12 $7.95
    Foxglove by Erica Schreiner $3.00

    DIY
    Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook More Than 50 Irresistible Recipes…by The Editors of High Times Magazine et al. (Chronicle) $18.95
    Marijuana: Let’s Grow a Pound: A Day by Day Guide to Growing More Than You Can Smoke by SeeMoreBuds (Quick) $19.95
    Tasting Beer: An Insiders Guide to the Worlds Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher (Storey) $16.95 – From the author of Radical Brewing.

    Mayhem, Miscreants, Memoirs & Misc
    William S. Burroughs vs. The Qur’an by Michael Muhammad Knight (Soft Skull) $15.95 – When Michael Muhammad Knight sets out to write the definitive biography of his “Anarcho-Sufi” hero and mentor, writer Peter Lamborn Wilson (aka Hakim Bey), he makes a startling discovery that changes everything. At the same time that he grows disillusioned with his idol, Knight finds that his own books have led to American Muslim youths making a countercultural idol of him, placing him on the same pedestal that he had given Wilson. In an attempt to forge his own path, Knight pledges himself to an Iranian Sufi order that Wilson had almost joined, attempts to write the Great American Queer Islamo-Futurist Novel, and even creates his own mosque in the wilderness of West Virginia. He also employs the “cut-up” writing method of Bey’s friend, the late William S. Burroughs, to the Qur’an, subjecting Islam’s holiest scripture to literary experimentation. William S. Burroughs vs. the Qur’an is the struggle of a hero-worshiper without heroes and the meeting of religious and artistic paths, the quest of a writer as spiritual seeker.
    Body Art 3 from the makers of Bizarre Magazine (Titan) $16.95

    Music Books
    Seeing the Light: Inside the Velvet Underground by Rob Jovanovic $26.99
    Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone (Abrams) $24.95
    Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form by Anna Anthropy $14.95 -“Anna Anthropy is an independent videogame designer and critic, and a key personality in the ongoing paradigm shift that is slowly changing the way videogames are understood, by creators and players, and by the wider culture.” —Patrick Alexander, Eegra.com

    Magazines
    Hi Fructose #23 $6.95
    Bust Apr May 12 $5.99
    Bizarre #186 Mar 12 $10.50
    Fortean Times #286 May 12 $11.99
    Wallpaper Apr 12 $10.00
    IdN vol 19 #1 $19.95
    World Explorer vol 6 #3 $8.95
    Open Minds Apr May 12 $6.95
    Flaunt #120 $10.95
    Sneaker Freaker #23 $14.50
    Skunk vol 7 #7 $5.99
    Skateboarder vol 22 #2 $5.99
    Paper Apr 12 $4.00
    Fangoria #312 $9.99
    Meatpaper #17 Spr 12 $7.95
    Decibel #91 May 12 $4.95
    Mojo #221 Apr 12 $9.99
    Harpers Magazine Apr 12 $6.99
    In These Times Apr 12 $3.50
    Z Magazine Apr 12 $4.95
    Inked Apr 12 #44 $6.99
    Skin and Ink Jun Jul 12 #136 $8.99
    Rebel Ink Magazine May Jun 12 $5.99
    Tattoo Revolution Apr 12 $11.75

    Sex & Sexy
    Heroes With Hardons: Big Book of Class Comics ed. by Patrick Fillion (Bruno Gmunder) $43.99

    Other Stuff
    Eyeball Lunch Bag $13.50 – Probably this bag is what the Residents take their lunch in.
    Steampunk Sleep Mask $4.50 – Brass goggles for brass giggling.
    Roller Girl Candy Cigarettes $2.00 – Orange flavored. For your fave derby grrrl.
    Crime Scene Sandwich Bags $4.50 – Ziplocked. To quarantine your lunch from greedy co-workers.

    Meat Fancy Foil Decorative Aluminum Wrap, Butchers Choice  $4.00

    Cola Flavored Mustache Lollipop $3.00
    More Moleskine journals, various permutations and prices: lined, unlined, red, black, soft cover, hard cover, date books, etc.
    Inflatable Unicorn Horn $6.99
    Inflatable Tentacle Arm $12.00
    Roctober #50 Skateboard Deck $65.00 – Thanks to everybody that came out to the event for the release of Roctober #50 last night!

    Everything we list on our blog is available at our brick and mortar store. But not everything we sell at the brick and mortar store is available from our webstore. Go to  quimbys.com/store to see what is new in our webstore!

  • Guest Blogger: Chicago Zine Fest Co-Organizer Johnny Misfit, on CZF 2012

    Top 5 Memories of Chicago Zine Fest 2012
    by Johnny Misfit

    As an organizer for Chicago Zine Fest, my vantage point is quite different from the view I was once used to, sitting behind a table as an exhibitor. My fellow organizers and I were concerned with making the festival the best we could for everyone, and this meant busying ourselves from September to March, and during Zine Fest weekend, running around and putting out fires (not real ones thank goodness). But now that the fest is over, I wanted to take a minute and recall some of the great things I remember and share them with you. Feel free to share yours with me too.

    5) 2012 Artwork by Lilli Carre
    From the moment Lilli sent us the artwork, I was in awe (immediately making it my laptop’s desktop background). We all realized its splendor, and used the imagery for everything from our website to the large banners we had printed up to use at the fest. One of the great things we have continued to do is incorporate amazing artwork from talented local artists and zinesters. If you haven’t gotten a silk screen poster yet, there are still some left. Thanks Lilli.

    4) Silver Tongue Student Reading
    As one of our sponsors for the past two years, Columbia College Chicago’s Silver Tongue Reading Series has been overwhelmingly accommodating to helping make our vision for zine fest events a reality. The Silver Tongue panel gives our invited guests another way to interact with their fans, and allows the audience to be active participants, engaging in the conversation. This year’s panel was no exception.  As part of Silver Tongue’s contribution, they curate a cast of student readers that perform before the panel. The 2012 Silver Tongue Student Board really stepped it up this year. Their selection of five female readers brought the goods. The emotions ranged from quirky, silly, emotional, to a bit racy. Booking a lineup of great readers is a difficult. High fives to all involved (Thanks Ian and Fran, Mairead and Jill).

    3) Art Noose at the 2012 Exhibitor’s Reading
    First off, mad props to Art Noose for traveling from Pittsburgh, PA, while pregnant. That’s dedication. But what do you expect from a zinester who has released 94 issues (and counting) of the letterpress zine Ker-bloom! Art Noose’s story (which will appear in issues 94 and 95 of Ker-bloom!) was a touching yet outrageous personal narrative about her decision and ensuing adventure to conceive her baby. Her tone was genuine and the story’s movement made everyone root for a happy ending. Her reading at zine fest was one that someday she will share to her child with pride. Thanks Art Noose!

    2) Ayun Holiday’s performance at the Karaoke After Party
    This was the event of the weekend that moved me the most. I never met Ayun, who is such a genuinely positive soul. At the fest, I was crammed into an elevator with her and half a dozen others. Instead of bemoaning the situation, she laughed it off, striking up a conversation with us all. If you scan through any of the zine fest photos you will come across Ayun immediately. She’s the woman with the headband that reads ZINES. Now jump to the karaoke after party. By this point in the weekend, most everyone (including us organizers) was so burned out. This wasn’t the case for Ayun. Before she took the stage to deliver her rendition of “These Boots are Made for Walking,” Ayun made a joke about bagels, fitting from the woman who penned the Zinesters Guide to New York. Everyone around the stage about lost it. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments. She kept smiling and laughing during the whole performance. Her enjoyment was genuine. It was apparent Ayun was happy to be part of this event, this weekend. Her emotion made me glad to be part of it all of this too. I was filled with excitement for being part of this community. People still care. Seeing everyone enjoy this weekend made all the extra effort planning this festival worth it. Thank you, Ayun.

    1) Billy da Bunny as Zine Olympics Referee
    For this, I have no clue where to begin. Billy was one of the reasons I got into zines; the main reason I found out there was a Chicago zine community. He lives in Albuquerque, NM, and has established the Zine Olympics event at the ABQ Zine Fest. Chicago Zine Fest organizers worked directly with Billy to develop the competitions and rules for this version of the Zine Olympic Games. I hadn’t seen Billy since probably the 2010 zine fest but from the instant I walked into Quimby’s for the Olympics he was easy to spot with his set of fuzzy bunny ears bobbing through the crowd. He wore a black and white referee shirt accessorized with a swinging silver medallion. Once the Olympics events began, Billy was non-stop energy. As the official, he was stern, unbending, and entertaining. In the precision folding competition, most notably the tri-fold section, Billy’s judging rung with authority built from his years of being a zinester. Then there were the explanations he gave to support his judgments such as, “Would you send this through the mail?” or “Does this look correct to you?” He was unrelenting. The energy he put forth made the contestants compete hard and kept audience captivated. This event was entertaining for zinesters and spectators alike. Billy was a complete part from the design to the execution of this event. This was my personal favorite event of the weekend. Thank you, Billy.

    Photo by Oscar Arriola / fotoflow

    0) Organizing with my fellow organizers
    This may seem a bit self serving, but I wanted to take a small opportunity to thank my fellow zine fest organizers for helping put together such an overwhelming weekend. For all the countless days and hours we put into this, for all the memories that this fest generated and for all the smiles that came about, I wanted to thank you for making this year possible. Thank you, Leslie, Jen, Oscar, Heather and Neil.

    (CZF organizers LtoR: Jen Twigg, John Wawrzaszek, Leslie Perrine, Neil Brideau, Heather Colby, photo by glitter guts)

    John works at Columbia College as Recycling Manager and is a Fiction Writing student. He self-publishes the Muse, the News, and the Noose, curates the reading series Two Cookie Minimum and is a contributing writer to Gapers Block.

  • Version Festival 12: Bridgeport The Community of the Future Kickstarter

    The Version festival, co-produced by Public Media Institute (PMI), is asking for crowd-funding. See their pitch is below.


    What happens when you invite cultural workers, community developers,  entrepreneurs, artists, designers, foodies, public space hackers, urban planners, cultural geographers, and dreamers to swarm a neighborhood and transform it for one month? Version 12: Bridgeport: The Community of the Future.

    This May 2012, we’re inviting you to come visit us in Bridgeport, a Chicago neighborhood, and join in on our month-long urban experiment. During the Eleventh Annual Version Festival, we will be opening and remixing twelve temporary spaces, businesses, enterprises and projects, all to celebrate the neighborhood we love and call home. And then we’re going to use these places as home bases, networks, and maps, all to energize our local environs for long-term change – but we need your help to make it happen.

    Right now our plans include opening up the following: a bookstore, a music/performance space in a church, a home brewing clubhouse, a department store/gallery showcasing locally manufactured small batch and artisanal products, nomadic collaborative restaurants and community kitchens, parking lot flea markets, a neighborhood tourism bureau, a donut shop /art gallery and couple of exhibition spaces for artists and designers. A new holiday, Bridgeport Day, will be celebrated, and a bunch of new publications and projects will be launched as well.

    One thing we are super excited about is the Small Manufacturing Alliance (SMALL), a new organization that promotes companies and individuals who make locally manufactured products.  The organization will open the SMALL Showroom at our gallery the Co-Prosperity Sphere, and publish the SMALL Directory.

    This year, we’re also launching a new publication: Mash Tun: A Craft Beer Journal. Mash Tun is a paean to craft beer. It follows the pleasures and aesthetics of craft beer and how it intersects with food, culture, and society.  It will come out during Chicago Craft Beer Week ( May 17-27),  with its own mini festival during Version, the Mash Tun Fest.

    All the funds we raise will be used to rent spaces, pay our licensing and permit fees, rent equipment and produce marketing materials to promote the festival.

    Thanks for your support! We’ll see you soon in Bridgeport, the Community of the Future.