Blog

  • 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.

  • Weekly Top 10

    What Is This? A Poster. A Book enters the top 10 at #8 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. The Believer #88 2012 Film Issue $12.00

    3. Lucky Peach #3 $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

    4.   Lucid Coma #2 Spr 12 by Kottie Paloma, Jaina Bee & Matt Krefting $12.00

    5. 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

    6. Sammy The Mouse Book 1 TPB by Zak Sally (Lamano 21) $14.00 – Zak Sally collects his curmudgeon mouse comics and prints a beautiful 2-color graphic novel-collection-thwarted spirit quest. A labor of love that fears neither the grotesque nor the unstable, to be held and dug. -EF Thanks to everybody that came out to this awesome event last week!

    7.   Snot Rocket City #1 by Margot, Taylor, Cory & Jeff $2.00

    8. What Is This? A Poster. A Book. by Dan Evans and Carol Sogard $4.00 – (see above for picture.) Is it a graphic design group project about book layout and printing that is also interesting and legible as a zine and poster also about book layout and printing? Why, yes, I think it is. -EF

    9. Birthday Boy Comics #1 by Matthew Koerber and Eric Scheidt $6.00 – These harbringers of fun give you a  carnal comics tag team repleat with multiple costume changes and plenty of saliva close-ups. -EF

    10. Kramers Ergot #8 by Sammy Harkham and Dan Nadel (Picturebox) $32.95 – This latest Kramer’s anthology feels a little bit like cocaine and a reptile tank. The contemporary comics contributions are bookended by Robert Beatty’s retro-digital airbrush wizardry and bisected by higloss cgi still lives by Takeshi Murata. Then there’s a mouthwash Preface by Ian Svenonius’ space cowboy essay “Notes On Camp, Part 2”. Followed by some great cartoonists paring it down and playing it cinematic and cool – CF’s Hunger-ish scenario, Harkham’s Kubrick’s cube, Ben Jones gives us a long yarn in a dental floss line, Frank Santoro and Dash Shaw do a foggy bit about sexual predator entrapment hued in Cold Heat pervert-purples…

  • New Stuff This Week

    Tonight is going to be great! We’re having an event with Zak Sally (Sammy the Mouse), Dale “Tooth” Flattum and John Porcellino (King-Cat Comics). It starts at 7pm. Click here for more info.


    Anyway, New Stuff This Week!
    The Art of Daniel Clowes: Modern Cartoonist by Alvin Buenaventura (Abrams) $40.00 – Don’t miss Dan Clowes and Alvin Buenaventura signing this book here on May 17th!

    Zines & Zine-Related Books
    Roctober #50 $5.00 – Don’t miss the release event for this zine (this year makes its 20th anniversary!) here on March 30th.
    Enchante – Short Stories by Dan Gleason $2.00
    Strictly 228 the Old New York Zine $12.00
    My Aim Is True #5 Pieces #6.5 by Carrie $2.00
    Hawklog Green Pamphlet by Leon Sadler et al. (Picturebox) $5.00
    Zine World: A Readers Guide to the Underground #30.5 $1.50 – Supplement between #30 and #31 of this popular zine review resource.
    Going All City a Coloring Book by Cat Action $15.00
    Snot Rocket City #1 by Margot, Taylor, Cory & Jeff $2.00
    Eat Zine #4 by Jazz Robinson & Dan Varenka $6.50
    Dirty Hands #2 by David Alvarado $4.00
    19 Keep Hoping Machine Running #3 $5.00
    Dear Shane I Tried to Kill Myself by Jazz $5.00
    Kathleen by Ben Austin et al. $2.00

    Comics & Comix
    Comics by Juliacks: Invisible Forces Nakymattomia Voimia $15.00, Swell Part One Openfaced Sandwich $10.00
    Birthday Boy Comics #1 Harbringers of Fun by Eric Scheidt & Matthew Koerber $6.00
    Broken Hearts Comic by Kathryn Keister $2.00
    Backed Up Comics – Notes Lists Comics Observations by Ryan Ehresman $5.00
    Backed Up Comics – Portraits of Mohamed Illustrations 2009-2012 $4.00
    Travel Drawings 2010 by T. Grabil $3.00
    Comics by Alex Schubert: Blobby Boys #1 July $7.00, Dudes: Kansas City Mo $3.00
    Comics by Jackie Barry: This is The Sea $5.00, In His Time: A Quick Visual Biography of Ernie Hemingway $20.00, Lesbian Sex $5.00, Dogs I’ve Loved $5.00

    Graphic Novels & Trade Paperbacks
    Dolls Weekly and the Crawlee Things by Rory Hayes (Picturebox) $30.00
    Simon Collection 2001-2011 by Tyrell Cannon $22.00
    The Sincerest Form of Parody: Best 1950s Mad Inspired Satirical Comics by Jay Lynch, John Benson (Fantagraphics) $24.99
    Gonzo: A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson by Will Bingley et al. (Abrams) $17.95
    Ichiro by Ryan Inzana (Houghton) $19.99
    Astonishing X-Men: Ultimate Collection vol 2 by Joss Whedon et al. (Marvel) $29.99

    Art & Design
    Garbage Pail Kids by The Topps Company Inc. (Abrams) $19.95 – This exciting follow up to Wacky Packages includes spectacular artwork and over-the-top satire, featuring inspired collaborations between avant-garde cartoonists and humorists including Art Spiegelman (who wrote the intro), Mark Newgarden, John Pound, Tom Bunk, and Jay Lynch. All 206 rare and hard-to-find images from Series 1 through 5 are collected in an innovative package, along with a special set of four limited-edition, previously unreleased bonus stickers.

    Fiction
    Heretic by Miguel Conner $9.99

    Mayhem, Miscreants, Memoirs & Misc
    DIY Magic by Anthony Alvarado (Floating World) $13.95
    Black Wings of Cthulhu: Twenty One Tales of Lovecraftian Horror by ST Joshi (Titan) $14.95
    Seeking Truth While Sifting Through: A Global Practice by HermanSJr. $7.99
    Voices of Gnosticism by Miguel Conner $17.95

    Music Books
    The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smith (Gotham) $27.50
    Megadeth: Another Time A Different Place by Bill Hale (PowerHouse) $19.95

    Magazines
    Girls and Corpses #6 Spr 12 $8.95
    Dapper Dan #5 Spr Sum 12 $10.99
    Chicago IRL #3 Spr 12 $11.00
    Razorcake #67 $4.00

    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. Click here to see what is new in our webstore!

  • Weekly Top 10

    Upset Cats #1 (above) is at #9 this week.

    1. 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. Lucky Peach #3 $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

    3. Hot Pink by Adam Levin (McSweeneys) $22.00 – Thanks to everybody that came to the release event for this short story collection last week. “Adam Levin’s debut novel The Instructions was one of the most buzzed-about books of 2010, a sprawling universe of “death-defying sentences, manic wit, exciting provocations and simple human warmth” (Rolling Stone).

    4. Bitch #54 $5.95

    5. Nobrow #6 $24.00 – “…Top-notch illustration look books in the most insanely beautiful color designing ever. -EF

    6. Boneshaker Magazine #8 $10.00 – A trend! We have 4 different items for sale with Boneshaker in the title!

    7. Cinema Sewer #25 by Robin Bougie et al. $4.00

    8. Even the Giants by Jesse Jacobs (Adhouse) $9.95

    9. Upset Cats #1 by Shen Zejian $10.00 – Mad Sad Bad Color Catface Bratastrophe. -EF

    10. Maximumrocknroll #347 Apr 12 $4.00

  • New Stuff This Week (and Last Week)

    Look what happens when we skip a week of posting new stuff! We come back stronger the next week. On top of that, Chicago hosted both the AWP writers conference and also Chicago Zine Fest, both events one weekend apart,  so that means tons of people brought in their zines, comics and lit journals to consign while they were here. That’s 304 new items, and no, we’re not listing them ALL here. Just come in and check it out for yourself! What you say, you were here a couple weeks ago? Well guess what? It’s almost a brand new store since then.

    Cinema Sewer #25 $4.00 – highlights (and lowlights) of the Nazispoitation movies, daredevil documentaries of the 1970s, The Legend of the Orgasm Bike, illustrated reviews and more.

    Zines & Zine-Related Books
    Syndicate Product #19 Detritus Fragments and Scraps by AJ Michel $3.00 – Somehow hot on the heels of issue #20, Syndicate Product #19 collects a hodge podge of reviews and miscellany from Bacon Bits to Military Surplus Stores. Plus a really amazing picture of a sign at a so-called dollar store. -EF

    Alamo Igloo #1 by Keith Herzik $5.00 – Keep your eyes Iglooed to these tubes – this baked alaska comes Alamo-ed and Herzik’s on fire. -EF

    Draw It With Your Eyes Closed: The Art of the Art Assignment by Paper Monument/Project Projects $15.00
    Make Your Own Zine Kit – Sweater Vest Not Included by Don $2.00
    Mend My Dress: Collected Zines 2005-2007 by Neely Bat Chestnut & Colleen Weber Borst $13.00
    Butch Nor Femme #3 Curioddity #4 by Lynn Monsoon/Curiouser Jane $3.00
    Piscean Footnotes #01 by Lynne $2.50
    Curioddity #3 Curiouser Jane $2.00
    Wish You Were Me by Myriam Gurba (Future Tense Books) $5.00 – bizarre and uproarious follow-up to her award-winning first novella and story collection, Dahlia Season.

    Ventriloquism by Prathna Lor $5.00
    What Is This? A Poster. A Book: About Impostition & Pagination, About Type Rules and Typefaces by Carol Sogard and Dan Evans $4.00 – A perfect gift for someone starting art school or someone needing a quick and easy design primer. Help with learning about gutter area, creep allowance, trim area and more. Folds out into a poster suitable for hanging (and looking awesome).
    Kramer Sutra by Chelsea Martin $5.00 – NOT the Karma Sutra. The KRAMER Sutra. As in Kramer from Seinfeld.
    Spartan Holiday #1 Shanghai Pictorial by DB Dowd $12.95
    Ugly  No 1 #3 Mar 12 a Collection of Visual Crap by Matt Soria $4.00
    Culture Slut #25 by Amber Forrester Nov 11 $2.00
    As Boredom Sets In Win 12 Interviews with Sucked Dry and Birth Deformities $2.50
    Lil Cat Willow $10.00
    Little Otsu Living Things vol 7 featuring the work of Liam Stevens (Little Otsu) $6.95
    Night Home by Becca Stadtlander (Little Otsu) $6.00
    Hook Ups by Dan Boulton $3.00
    Over and Out #2 by Brad Westcott $5.00
    Tropical History $4.00
    Whoosh Zine For Whale Lovers #3 by Katherina $3.00
    Our Moon Field Guide and Audio Companion by Ethan Krause $5.00
    Seven Sexual Things That Everyone Failed to Mention by Leah Scotia Thomas $2.00
    Tiger Girl Photo Zine $4.00
    Proof I Exist #14 Learning to Deal by Billy $1.00 and #15 $3.00 – See pictures CZF as well as of Billy hosting the Zine Fest Olympics on Flickr last weekend.
    Last Night at the Casino #2 Mar 12: Ever Wonder Wha Its Like to be a Casino Dealer Here Let me Tell Ya by Billy $2.00
    Cops – The Good The Bad and the Unintentionally Hilarious by Billy et al. $1.00
    All I Want Is Everything #2 by Caitlin $2.50, #3 $3.00, I Was a Teenage Mormon $3.00
    Adita #20 Zine Library $1.00
    Guide to Dating Gangsters vol 1 by Vice Versa $3.50
    Insubordination Fest Zine 11 by Danny Nuthin $2.00
    Travel On #3 Year In Minnesota by David Solomon $2.00
    Words One Hundred Stories #1 by Re Harris $2.50
    Feel Better #1 a Zine About Self Love by Marlee Grace $6.00
    Great Stuff with Lilli and Alexander by S. Morean $6.00
    xXXXx vol 2 Straight Edge Erotic Fiction by Artnoose $5.00
    Empty Orchestra #1 $2.00
    Miss Sequential #3 by Marissa Falco $4.00
    List #15 On My Own by Ramsey Everydaypants $4.00
    Shit Progressives Dont Want To Hear #1  Journal of Unpopular Opinions by var. $1.50
    Not Queer as in Radical but Lesbian as in Fuck You by Rachel $1.00
    Motor City Kitty #15 by Bri $1.00
    Nailbiter #2 An Anxiety Zine $17.00
    Scabs and Other Hurts by Marta Chudolinska $4.00
    Obsesser #2 Motel by Jessica Bublitz $2.00
    Teach These Kids a Lesson #1 Tales of Inner City Education  by Corey Plagiatist $2.00
    Art Zine Chicago vol 1 #1 Mar 12 by Daniel Teafoe $20.00
    Cheer the Eff Up #2 by Jonas $3.00
    Upskirt Dirty Unfeminist Secrets $5.00
    Feeling Words a Pocket Zine of Emotions by Teresa Cheng $3.00
    Craft Leftovers vol 4 #1 by Kristin Roach $5.00
    Brainscan #29 No More Coffee #4 by Alex Wrekk and Ben Spies $3.00
    Clothing I’ve Accidentally Accumulated by Sarah Creagen $1.00
    Notes and Bolts #2.5 Scribbles and Scratches vol 1 by Kris Stress $2.50
    Paper Houses #2 Southern Subcultural Snippets and Horror Rock Rookies by Kris Stress $3.00
    Discomfort #1 by Davegunn $1.50
    Pigeon Life: A Discomfort Guide to Hitchhiking and Recreational Homelessness by Dave Gunn $3.00
    Bake and Destroy Everyone Around You by Kara $1.50
    Smash the Pastryarcy by Kara Comegys $1.50
    Cutty Kings vol 1 BEL $6.00
    We Are Confused – Ghosts Talk Love by Georgi $1.00
    Cave Girl $1.00
    Girls Who Like Girls a Miniscule Zine of Epic Proportions #3 by Bill Stenross $1.00

    Comics & Comix
    Corporeal Breach #1 by Chris Day $7.00 – Much like Terrence Hannum’s gothic artists’ zines, Chris Day is tackling comics with a leather glove and pared-down pungency. Mixing some of the experimental flavors that Jason Overby dishes out with a cinematic peek through the budoir keyhole, Day has Sex and Death riding high on the tight crop, page after page. -EF

    Wolfman Chicago Dreams of Dirt by Nate Beaty $3.00 – Nate is awesome, and his work is really great! Also, do you like our website? Because he redid it and it’s the greatest ever.
    Army of Lovers Will Be Beaten Book 6 by Bernie McGovern $6.00
    All About Crystals by Chris Hatherill et al. (Landfill Editions) $8.50
    Yule Bringer #1 by Adam Higton (Landfill Editions) $6.00
    Yule Bringer Foxgloves Christmas by Adam Higton (Landfill Editions) $8.50
    Puppy Teeth #2 by Kevin Czapiewski and Liz Suburbia $10.00
    Nog Nu: The Protector of the Pyramides, The T. Monster Cometh by Onli, Woods and St. Pierre (Onli) $5.00
    Vajazzlin #1 by Molly Colleen O’Connell $4.00
    Violence Valley #1 by Jesse McManus (Floating World) $8.00
    4 Square #3 by var. $1.50
    Roxie and Moxie #1 Tummy Trouble by J. Wisneski $1.00
    Unusual Adventure #2 by Robert Calzone $4.00
    Gehenna #1  $3.00
    various issues of Our Ever Improving Living Room by Kevin Budnik
    Mister Bear #1 by Gaby Billings $2.00
    Sy Loady titles: Pretty Glitti Ponies, Track Ponies and more.
    Rainbow in the Dark #1 $3.00
    Flat Mountain Chronicles vol 3 and vol 4 (Drawings and Comics Press) $3.00 each
    Comics For Something #1 by Drew Damron $2.00
    various AWESOME things from Marissa Falco: Miss Sequential #4: Outgoing My Life In Mail $4.00, Miss Sequential #5 Sketchbook etc.
    Mia Protasi by Matt Czap $1.00
    various Liz Suburbia titles: Cyanide Milkshake #2 and #3 etc.
    Waffle: A Sexy Little Comic For Girls and Boys  by Kevin Czapiewski $5.00
    Peehole #8 by Jim Donaldson $3.00
    Toasty Cats #1-#6 by Magda Boreysza various prices
    various Christopher Green titles including Undermind #1, Multitudes of Me What He Saw One Minute Prior to Birth, etc.
    Behold #1 CAL: Cavalier About Love, Behold #2 Live a Wasted Life by Alex Major $3.00 each
    One Less Lonely Girl by Gina Wynbrandt $3.00
    Fifty Flip Experiment #15 Mar 12 $4.00
    Nick Meccia titles: One of Only Two Such Occasions, Sleep Is For The Dead etc.
    Nothing Lasts Forever by Bill Stenross $1.00
    Festival of Demons #1 by Melinda Andrea $3.00

    Graphic Novels and Trade Paperbacks
    Sammy The Mouse Book 1 TPB by Zak Sally (Lamano 21) $14.00 – Don’t miss Zak Sally here at 7pm on Fri, March 23rd with John Porcellino and Dale Flattum!

    Our Ever Improving Living Room Book Diary Comic 2010-2011  by Kevin Budnik $15.00
    King City Cat Master Comix by Brandon Graham (Image) $19.99
    Hellboy vol 12 Storm and the Fury by Mike Mignola et al. (Dark Horse) $19.99
    Blue by Pat Grant (Top Shelf) $14.95
    Complete Crumb Comics vol 1 Early Years of Bitter Struggle by R. Crumb (Fantagraphics) $24.99 – Back in print, and in affordable soft cover.
    EmiTown a Sketch Diary vol 2 by Emi Lenox (Image) $24.99
    At the Mountains of Madness, Illustrated Graphic Novel by HP Lovecraft et al. (Sterling) $14.95
    Birthday Surprise by Kevin Czapiewski $10.00
    Lucy the Dreamer by John Akre $10.00
    Back and Forth Linocuts Graphic Novel by Marta Chudolinska $20.00
    Womanthology Heroic, Created by Over 150 Women (IDW) $50.00
    Crossed vol 3 Psychopath by David Lapham (Avatar) $19.99

    Art & Design Books?
    Bunny In the Moon: The Art of Tara McPherson vol 3 (Dark Horse) $23.99
    Object 5 by Kilian Eng (Floating World) $20.00
    Art As Politics: The Future of Art and Community by Adam Krause (New Compass) $14.95
    Buzzwords: Interviews With Buzz Spector (Sara Ranchouse Publishing) $35.00
    Reduce Waste #1: Don’t Design Waste by Carol Sogard $5.00

    Fiction
    Get Real by Spencer Compton $10.00
    Fifteen Views of Orlando by Nathan Holic et al. $15.00
    To Build a Fire by Jack London, with illustration by Michael C. Hsiung (Scout) $4.00
    Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, with illustration by Tom Neely (Scout) $4.00
    Young Goodman Brown and the Hollow of the Three Hills by Nathaniel Hawthorne and illustration by Zack Soto (Scout) $4.00
    Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, with illustration by Aaron Renier (Scout) $4.00
    Eves Diary by Mark Twain, with illustration by Meg Hunt (Scout) $4.00
    Gift of the Magi and Other Stories by O. Henry and illustration by Burt Kate Bingaman (Scout) $4.00
    Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and a Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce and illustration by Francois Vigneault (Scout) $4.00
    Game of Groans: A Sonnet of Slush and Soot by George RR Washington $9.99 – Don’t miss the author event for this book here on 3/27 at 7pm.

    Mayhem, Miscreants, Memoirs & Misc
    I Remember by Shane Allison (Future Tense Books) $12.00 – “Shane Allison taps directly into memory, like a faucet pushed into a maple tree to procure the sweet syrup. Sexy things, embarrassing things, the ugly and the fraught, the things of the child and the things of the man, all pour out in profusion. His testimony–of bullying, racism, and casual homophobia, but also the best rimjob he ever had–has the power to dismantle centuries of chains, the crippling superego.” –Kevin Killian

    Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell (Riverhead) $16.00 – Now in soft cover.
    Tales From Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made by David Hughes (Titan) $15.95
    Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi by Bob Woodward (Simon) $16.00
    American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare the Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott (Random) $17.00 – Now in soft cover.
    Everything Was Fine Until Whatever by Chelsea Martin $11.00
    Legs Get Led Astray by Chloe Caldwell (Future Tense Books) $13.50 – provocative collection of essays that vividly rockets the reader through one young woman’s life.
    Grey Album on the Blackness of Blackness by  Kevin Young (Graywolf) $25.00
    How to Piss In Public: From Teenage Rebellion to the Hangover of Adulthood by Gavin McInnes (Scribner) $24.00
    Care to Make Love In That Gross Little Space Between Cars?: The Believer Book of Advice by various (Vintage) $14.95

    Politics & Revolution
    Making The Future: Occupations, Interventions, Empire and Resistance by Noam Chomsky (Citylights) $16.95
    Love and Struggle: My Life in the SDS the Weather Underground and Beyond by David Gilbert and Riley Boots (PM) $22.00
    Arab Melancholia by Abdellah Taia (Semiotexte) $14.95

    Literary Journals, Poetry & Chap Books
    Panic Kit by Laura A. Lionello $13.00
    Love Poem for the Everyday by Michael Haeflinger $7.00
    Fire is Breathing on Me by Mat Gould $7.00
    Watching it Burn by Mike Meraz $7.00
    Skinning the Hero – Amongst Barbarians and Degenerates by Justin Reynolds $7.00
    This Just This by Justin Reynolds $7.00
    It Will Be The Lion by Mat Gould $7.00
    Things I Say To Pirates on Nights When I Miss You by Keely Hyslop $12.00
    Ninth Letter vol 8 #2 $14.95
    The Chicago Review vol 56 #4 $10.00
    Deadline Annualis #2  $14.00
    The Believer #88 2012 Film Issue $12.00 – As usual, the film edition comes with a DVD.
    Fjords vol 1 #3 $10.00
    Sinister Wisdom #85 Win 12 $6.00
    Charting the Interstate by Alfred Planco $2.00

    Music Books
    Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture by Simon Reynolds (Soft Skull) $21.95
    Panic On the Streets: The Smiths and Morrissey Location Guide by P. Gatenby (Titan) $12.95

    Childrens Books
    Steampunk: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories, ed. by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant (Candlewick) $22.99 – A young adult anthology, perhaps for middle school kids who have considering adding gears to their bikes?

    Central Park Peacock by Alfred Planco and Olivia Pettengill $8.00
    The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, With Moskowitz the Awesome Dog by Michael Chabon (Harper) $17.99

    Magazines
    Lucky Peach #3 Cooks and Chefs Issue $12.00
    Juxtapoz #135 Apr 12 $5.99
    Nobrow #6 $24.00
    Tape Op #88 Mar Apr 12 $4.95
    Fortean Times #285 $11.99
    ID Magazine Pre Spr 12 #317 $12.00
    High Times May 12 $5.99
    Wire #337 Mar 12 $9.99
    Creative Review Feb 12 $14.99
    Dwell Apr 12 $5.99
    ArtForum Mar 12 $10.00
    Shots #115 Spr 12 $6.50
    Pin Up America Mar Apr 12 #8 $5.99
    Blood and Thunder #19, Womens Roller Derby Magazine $5.99
    Gastronomica vol 12 #1 $12.99
    Laphams Quarterly vol 5 #2 Spr 12 $15.00
    Dazed & Confused vol 3 #7 Mar 12 $9.99
    Decibel #90 Apr 12 $4.95
    Filter Good Music Guide Mar Apr 12 $2.99
    Under the Radar #40 $5.99
    Maximumrocknroll #347 Apr 12 $4.00
    Chips and Beer #2 $7.00
    Magnet #85 $4.99
    Z Magazine Mar 12 $4.95
    Class Struggle #73 $3.00
    Radical Philosophy #172 $13.00
    Against the Current #157 Mar Apr 12 $5.00
    Tattoo Revolution Mar 12 $11.75
    Tabu Tattoo #47 $7.99

    ?Sex & Sexy
    Bottoms Up – Spanking Good Stories ed. by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis) $15.95
    Some Handy Tips From From Your Friendly Sex Toy Consultant – Kiss N Tell, We Have Everything You Need For a Hot Night Out Here I Am Down Here $10.00
    Meat #6 by Adrian Lourie $18.00

    Other Stuff
    Copy Scams Tape $3.00 – Brainscan zine and Stolen Sharpie Revolution writer/publisher Alex Wrekk and friends started a band. And they sing about zines. What’s not to love about that? Low-fi analog technology (read: cassette tape) to appeal to your old school aesthetic.

    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. Click here to see what is new in our webstore!

  • Weekly Top 10

    This is the cover of Sketch School, which is #8 this week.

    1. 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

    2. 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. Sad Animals by Adam Meuse $4.00

    4. Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek The Next Generation Season One $2.00 by Joshua Chapman $2.00

    5. Bitch #54 $5.95

    6. Butt #29 Fantastic Magazine for Homosexuals $9.90 – Good gawd, after a two year hiatus we are back in the pink. This may be the last time Butt goes to print, but it’s hardly a bitter end- this issue serves it extra long and thick. Obscene yet classy homoerotic art? Check. Juicy interviews with a whole gamut of gays? Check. John Waters? Check. Cool, let’s party like its 1999. -EF

    7. Bound to Struggle vol 5 Praxis Strikeback $5.00 – Playing with power and taking it dead serious, Bound to Struggle #5: Praxis is smart writing about consent and non-consent, feminism, kink, identity and control. The six essayists almost read like six different perzines, but combined present a diverse and astute collection of non-formulaic observations on the personal/political process/practice of kink. Bites as hard as you want it to. -EF

    8. Sketch School #1 by Carol Sogard $7.00

    9. Naughty Hen Song by by Jim Stoten (Landfill Editions) – A nutjob animal band gets its first gig at Froggo’s hypercolor jazz club and they wing it through Stoten’s party platter color palette to play their song about a certain Naughty Hen. Peace planet design in a dreamy homemade world, this is maybe the feel good comic of the year? -EF

    10. Cinema Sewer #25 by Robin Bougie

  • Roctober 20th Anniversary Book/Magazine Release Party 3/30

    WHAT:            ROCTOBER 20TH ANNIVERSARY RELEASE PARTY
    WHEN:           Fri March 30, 2012, 7pm

    Since 1992 Chicago’s own Roctober magazine has celebrated popular music at its most unpopular, exploring previously unexamined corners of music history to explore absurd, dynamic, and obscure musical heroes in passionate, heavily researched articles, exhaustive critical discographies and inane comics.

    On March 30th, Roctober celebrates its 20th anniversary with a shindig at its favorite store, Quimby’s. Copies of the epic Roctober #50 will be available, as well as two recent books by Roctober contributors, Flying Saucers Rock n Roll: The Best of Roctober (Duke University Press) and Aaron Cohen’s Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace (Continuum), his entry into the popular 33 1/3 series of books on iconic records.

    The event will include brief readings from both books, a Q&A about the history of Roctober, and Aretha/Roctober karaoke (including Chic-A-Go-Go host Ratso doing his tribute to Michael Jackson). Books will be available for purchase and signing by Cohen and Roctober editor Jake Austen, and Roctober#50 will be unveiled.

    For more info:
    facebook.com/roctobermagazine
    jake@roctober.com

  • Weekly Top 10


    This issue of Lucky Peach debuts at #10 this week.

    1. Chicagoan #1 $19.95 – 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.

    2. Doris #29 $2.00

    3. Monocle vol 6 #51 Mar 12 $10.00

    4. The Plot #1 A Monster in the Forbidden Forest by Neil Brideau $4.00 – Fantastical coming-of-age story in mini comic form by a Quimby’s employee and comics sommelier!

    5. Being a 13 Year Old Girl #1 by Liv Love $1.00 – Chicago youths represent!

    6. Halfsteps and Cloudfang by Daniela Olszewska $4.00

    7. Girls On Girls #1: Girls Singing Songs About Girls Zine and CD $5.00 by Amara Leipzig and Isabella Rotman – Amara Leipzig and Isabella Rotman assemble a cover album and cutes ha-hoots liner notes zine that’s all women singing songs originally written by men about women. Gender theory via aural pleasuring. -EF

    8. The First Line vol 13 #4 $3.00- The first lineof every piece in this issue is “It Had Been a Long Year.”

    9. Maximumrocknroll #346 Mar 12 $4.00 – Still going strong! The zine that will still be here after the apocalypse.

    10. Lucky Peach #3 Cooks and Chefs Issue $12.00 – The much anticipated third issue of McSweeney’s food mag.