Archive for the 'comics' Category

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Political comix FTW!

Published on November 12, 2024 0 Comments

As disorienting as World events have been in recent years since forever, it’s never too late to educate ourselves on the corrupt and violent actions, ideologies and laws created by those in power. Learning about social justice movements grown from the past is a great way to learn how marginalized groups of people fought and died for their rights and the rights of future generations.

Comics, especially political comics, are a great way to tell our stories and read about tough subjects in an easily digestible format. I recently discovered World War 3 Illustrated here at Quimby’s! World War 3 Illustrated is a political comic anthology series founded by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper in 1979 in New York City.  This radical comics anthology showcases artists and activists sharing personal and collective struggles of disenfranchised groups all over the world with beautiful, lighthearted, and at times, haunting artwork in the form of poetry, comics, protest posters, and essays. Check out these much needed latest editions of World War 3 Illustrated (#53 and #54), which highlight the importance of fighting for our collective rights to ensure we have a future on this planet:

World War 3 Illustrated #54, aka World War 3 Now? published by AK Press

This urgent collection focuses on the current war and genocide in Palestine, as well as the alarming destruction of the planet due to climate change. I learned about Campamento Carey, a group of land defenders protecting wildlife from the development of property by Americans who moved to Puerto Rico for huge tax break incentives. Each piece in this book is a wake up call for humanity, made thoughtfully and lovingly by activists and artists all over the World. Highly recommended!

World War 3 Illustrated #53, My Body Our Rights published by AK Press

Published in 2023, months after Roe V. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court, this outstanding collection of rageful comix touches on reproductive rights, access to safe abortions, and the difficulties trans and non-binary folks face while navigating the medical system. My Body, Our Rights is relevant as ever as we see an uptick in deaths in states where abortions are outlawed. It’s infuriating to know the US government is sliding backwards as medical technology advances. We should all have autonomy over our bodies, our lives, and our rights as portrayed in this radical anthology. 

It’s easy to feel despair during these times, but we need to take action and fight for a better world as generations before us have. I leave you with an inspiring quote from the late Diane di Prima, author of Revolutionary Letters (also recommended)!

Revolutionary Letter #8 — Dionne Elizabeth

 

<3 Angel

@angel.xoxoxoxox

Blurry by Dash Shaw

Published on November 5, 2024 0 Comments

Have you ever lost your glasses? Or gazed at an impressionist painting? Or gotten lotion in your eye? Seen through a blurry lens, the world becomes indistinct; it’s harder to tell where one thing ends and another begins.

Dash Shaw’s newest book, Blurry, blends the individual stories of several different characters as they struggle to answer both commonplace and life-changing questions. They’re the kinds of conundrums that we are all inevitably faced with. What to create? Who to partner with? What to do with our time? Which ice cream flavor to choose? Such problems sprout like dandelions from the liminal cracks in our lives. And, as Shaw skillfully demonstrates, they’re the questions that spur us to grow as people.

Blurry beautifully portrays the complexity of our inner lives as it fluidly intertwines the protagonists’ narratives. I really loved following each character’s thought process as they sorted through their individual quandaries. Reading this book helped me feel less alienated in my own inner deliberations. It reminded me that, while I might get a bit lost in my own problems from time to time, so does everyone else I come into contact with every day. And even if we sometimes feel alone in our unique struggles, it’s nice to remember that our problems actually connect us to one another, because they are a quintessential part of the human experience. 

Be sure to stop by for our event on Saturday, November 9th when Dash Shaw will be in conversation with acclaimed graphic novelist Olivier Schrauwen and brilliant cartoonist Conor Stechschulte! More info here!

Polish up those contact lenses and come on down to Quimby’s to pick up this lovely tome!

~ Echo

Tessa Recommends a Little Getaway to Hold Off the Inclement Weather Blues

Published on October 9, 2024 0 Comments

Alrighty zine fiends, it is about to get gloomy as heck, especially for us in Chicago and the Midwest. Maybe it would help to plan a trip? Could be just a little getaway—maybe even in your imagination. So, I’ve gathered together a collection of zines to help you prepare to escape the dreary months to come. Introducing…

Tessa’s Guide to Zines That Aren’t Necessarily Travel Guides but Make Me Think About Escaping! 

Elephant Buildings by Dave Hankins

The obvious place to start is Elephant Buildings by Dave Hankins. Now, you’ll have to time travel to visit some of the fascinating elephant-shaped buildings in this zine, but you’ll find plenty of interesting details in Dave’s thoroughly researched zine to accurately set your time travel devices or to travel in your imagination. Before picking this little booklet up, I never thought to wonder about elephant buildings, but after reading it I feel like such a fool. I will now be forever curious about the history of any roadside attraction I encounter.

Controlled Burn: an Oak Opening Story by Lee Fearnside

Try out imaginary ecotourism by visiting an interesting local ecosystem in Controlled Burn: an Oak Opening Story by Lee Fearnside. In this little zine, you’ll meet the plants and animals of Oak Openings, a region crossing Ohio and Michigan and learn about the impact of human intervention on this unique habitat and the importance of controlled burns in ecosystems. I love learning about the environments I visit. If you do too, try out Controlled Burn!

Indianapolis: a Visitor’s Guide by Jone Greaves

Maybe you’re staying nearby – a little road trip to MidBest mecca, Indianapolis! 😉 Make sure to pick up Jone Greaves’ very helpful, Indianapolis: a Visitor’s Guide before you hit the road! Inside you’ll find secrets, tips and mysterious warnings about the city, like the resting place of the “harbinger of the growing goblin scourge of the Midwest,” a warning about cursed regions, seasonal rituals, and a reminder not to mention The Catacombs (oops!).

 

Cavern Zines #4 by Ari Ganahl

Maybe you’re staying even nearer-by—Try out Ari Ganahl’s Cavern Zine #4 for an adventure right from your favorite armchair. Everything you need for a spelunking adventure is in this little book. Join the included (great value!) cave guide on a unique journey through paper landscape. Best of all, you can visit this destination again and again with no additional cost!

Pocket Road Atlas by Mel Watkin and Maps by Chris Auman

For more armchair adventures, check out Mel Watkin’s Pocket Road Atlas to plan out an imaginary road trip through beautiful imagined regions illustrated right over real road maps. I also recommend Chris Auman’s Maps, which will provide you with plenty of imaginary landscapes, cityscapes, mostly-waterscapes, and other scapes, to escape into. 

 

Anxious Planet by Jone Greaves

Finally, if you happen to be reading this blog from your spaceship, contemplating a visit to Earth, make Quimby’s your first stop planet-side to pick up Jone Greaves’ Anxious Planet for a general overview of what’s going on here with this weird rock we’re living on.

Happy trails, Zine Travellers! I hope to see you in-store to wish you well on your zine journeys!

See ya soon!

-Tessa <3

Zine Club Chicago Poetry Comix Edition, with Mita Mahato, Oct 20th

Published on September 25, 2024 0 Comments
Oct ’24
20
3:00 pm

Join comix artist and poet Mita Mahato for a poetry comix workshop in conjunction with the launch of her new book Arctic Play. Mahato will share her process in making the book as a jumping off point to guide folks in experimenting with poetic forms, color, and collage to make poetry comix of their own. No experience necessary!

3 p.m. Sunday, October 20, 2024

Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave.

Free!

Arctic Play is a drama, a dirge, an expedition log, a series of poetic experiments, a comic book. Mapping an Arctic imaginary of beings and landforms onto a shifting stage of woven and layered papers, Mahato conjures geographic and creative uncertainty as the necessary condition for navigating the climate crisis and its sorrows.

“With a caring awareness, Mahato hints at the expansive possibilities of the comix medium—and the human experience.” ~ Lale Westvind, Grip

“Arctic Play is both wildly experimental and completely confident in how it inhabits poetry, comix, collage, weaving, and playwriting.” ~ Aidan Koch, Spiral and Other Stories

Mita Mahato is a comix artist and poet who assembles her panels and pages with cut and collaged papers. Her poetry comix have appeared in places including PRISM, Ecotone, Iterant, Shenandoah, Coast/NoCoast, ANMLY, and Drunken Boat, as well as in the collection In Between, published by Pleiades. She lives in Seattle.

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 the monthly flyers, created the logo, and made the Zine Club Chicago Shout-Outs site, where folks can peruse and recommend zines we’ve discussed at our events: https://zineclubchicagoshoutouts.spread.name/

More info:

Zine Club Chicago social media channels: @zineclubchicago like here on IG and here on Twitter.

editors(at)the3rdthing(dot)press

Sunday, October 20, and 3pm – Free Event

Facebook invite here.

All Ages Content Featuring Cats

Published on September 18, 2024 0 Comments

If you’ve ever been to Quimby’s shopping for an underage zine enthusiast, you may have noticed that our kids section is kinda small.  But that’s not because we don’t have zines for all ages; it’s just that we include that creativity in all sections throughout the store.  So we’ve been adding green signs around the bookstore lately to denote All Ages content, and I’m here to highlight a few of my favorites that all just happen to have a cat theme.  

Marceline’s Alley Stories by Cecilia Jane

In this adorable comic, Marceline (a house cat) tells us three tales of her alley starring the creatures she sees and encounters via her window view.  These tales hit on some serious feelings of jealousy, hardship, friendship, mortality, and love without being heavy or hard to understand.  Aside from a brief mention or two or hardships, this comic keeps things positive and hopeful.  Marceline reminds readers to find peace in being yourself, to comfort friends in times of need, and to appreciate a connection without being possessive.  All appropriate lessons for everyone of all ages.  

Cats Words Feelings by Heather Anacker

This perfectly titled zine displays beautiful cat portraits each accompanied by a sentence or two intended to inspire.  While presenting some big ideas (like “When conditions are right things manifest.”), this zine stays simple, digestible, and sweet.  These are ideas worth considering for readers of all ages.  

Cat Butts by Dana Amundsen

I can’t get enough of this micro zine from DnA artists, despite the plethora of cat butt that is presented to me every moment that I am at home.  There are no words past the title page, because the drawings do it all.  The simple line sketches perfectly capture grooming cats; my favorites are the lifted leg poses when the cat pauses, fully exposed, to stare at its onlooker.  These cuties can be readily enjoyed by all ages. 

Purr-haps you also know some of the great all ages content on our shelves.  If so, please drop us a comment or point them out to me the next time you see me at the shop.  Despite my penchant for smut, I’m still a kid (just ask my ma!), and I’ll never grow up, not me.  

Toujours, elizabeth

@GetBackToPrint