Breaking the Spell offers the first full-length study that charts the historical trajectory of anarchist-inflected video activism from the late 1960s to the present.Robé fills in historical gaps by bringing to light unexplored video activist groups like the Cascadia Forest Defenders, eco-video activists from Oregon; Mobile Voices, Latino day laborers; and Outta Your Backpack Media, indigenous youth from the Southwest. Chris’s groundbreaking discussion deepens our understanding of more well-researched video activist movements by situating them within a longer history and wider context of radical video activism. Chris will show archival film clips and discuss their historical significance. The book is published by PM Press
“Christopher Robé’s meticulously researched Breaking the Spell is an invaluable guide to the contemporary anarchist media landscape that will prove useful for activists as well as scholars.” —Richard Porton, author of Film and the Anarchist Imagination
“Breaking the Spell is a highly readable history of U.S. activism against neoliberal capitalism from the perspective of “Anarchist Filmmakers, Videotape Guerrillas, and Digital Ninjas,” the subtitle of the book.
—Dorothy Kidd. Professor and Chair, Department of Media Studies, University of San Francisco
Chris Robé is an associate professor in Film and Media Studies at Florida Atlantic University. He has published essays on radical media in journals like Jump Cut, Rethinking Marxism, and Journal of Film and Video and written a monograph titled Left of Hollywood: Cinema, Modernism, and the Emergence of U.S. Radical Film Culture. He is also a frequent contributor to the online journal PopMatters.
Pansy Beat by Michael Economy & friends (KrimsKrams Island LLC ) $35
Reefer Madness, edited by Crag Yoe (Dark Horse) $19.99 – Degradation! Crime! Madness! Hysteria surrounded marijuana as a perceived gateway drug from the 1930’s to the 1950’s and beyond. Adventure Comics, by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and works by Frank Frazetta, Jerry Robinson, Jack Kirby, and many more, reveal the social reaction to this era of “Reefer Madness”. Like the anti-drug propaganda film, these stories range from comically misinformed to soberly concerned about the influence of Mary Jane on the youth of America. Eisner and Harvey Award winner Craig Yoe brings us his newest collection of wacky, wild, and culturally relevant comics. See how marijuana was perceived in the days of ignorance before it was legalized by the visionary people of Oregon, Washington, and Colorado! See marijuana demonized as a “Satan’s cigarettes” in 1950’s comics!
Metamorphosis by Tavar Zawacki (Urban Spree Books) $39.95 – He took the world by storm with his iconic ABOVE arrow icon, painting in over 100 different cities spanning 50 countries across the globe.
Desperately Seeking Banksy by Ian Castello-Cortes (Gingko Press) $16.95 – Streamlined for the casual Banksy fan. Features 2017s Bridge Farm Primary School and The Walled Off Hotel, as well as up-to-the-minute artwork selection.
Skateboarding Is Not a Fashion: The Illustrated History of Skateboard Apparel by Jurgen Blumlein, Dirk Vogel & Cap10 (Gingko Press) $59.95 – Neither it is a crime! Hang Ten, Jams, Vans, Jimmy’Z — it’s all here. Original commentary from designers, company founders, and pro skateboarders who have defined skateboarding’s look for entire generations. Comments from Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, and many more, talking about safety gear ranging from helmets to kneepads and gloves, not to mention accessories such as bags.
Handstyle Lettering: From Calligraphy to Typography by Victionary (Gingko Press) $35
Blank State: An Architectural Coloring Book by Fundamental.berlin (Gingko Press) $14.95
Store Front II (Mini): A History Preserved: The Disappearing Face of New York by Karla L Murray and James T Murray (Gingko Press) $29.95
The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps by Edward Brooke-Hitching $29.95 – This richly illustrated book shows a world of ghost islands, invisible mountain ranges, mythical civilizations, ship-wrecking beasts, and other fictitious features introduced on maps and atlases. A cartographical beauty!
Award-winning author, former rock photographer and journalist Robert K. Elder has composed the perfect walk down music memory lane in THE MIXTAPE OF MY LIFE: A Do-It-Yourself Music Memoir (Running Press; Trade Paperback Original; ISBN-13: 978-0762464074; 192 Pages/ $14.99).
THE MIXTAPE OF MY LIFE is a journal that guides user to write their autobiography through their music collection.
Sample questions from the book include:
What song or artist can’t you listen to because of a past romance?
What songwriter lied to or misled you?
What song allows you to time travel — that brings back a time and place so strongly that it’s palpable?
No matter which musical generation you belong to, or whether your musical tastes range from doo-wop to Daft Punk, THE MIXTAPE OF MY LIFE can be instant conversation starter among friends and family.
“We all know that music is deeply intertwined with memory. The Mixtape of My Life is an astonishing tool for unlocking your long-forgotten histories.”
—Jason Bitner, author, Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves
Elder is the author of seven books, including 2016’s Hidden Hemingway. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Salon.com, and many other publications. He has worked for Sun-Times Media and Crain Communications, and is the founder of Odd Hours Media.
Infinite Wheat Paste #4 by Pidge & Chase Hutchison $5
Crackle vol 1 by Phillip Maira $3.50
Isle of Flotsam #1 by Caleb $3
Agency by Tom McHenry $5
Graphic Novels
Flayed Corpse And Other Stories by Josh Simmons & friends (Fantagraphics) $24.99 – Brutal, deeply unsettling, and often hilarious stories from a master of modern horror comics. Also collects collaborations with artists like Anders Nilsen, Tara Booth, Eroyn Franklin & more!
Kaleidoscope City by Marcellus Hall (Bittersweet Editions) $14.99
Glass Walker by Antoinette Lavin $15
Blazing Combat (Fantagraphics) $29.99 – Expanded edition reprint of the all-star war-comics anthology featuring all of Frank Frazetta’s painted covers and exclusive interviews with Archie Goodwin and publisher James Warren. Plus work by John Severin, Alex Toth, Wallace Wood and many more.
My Ramones: Photographs by Danny Fields (Reel Art Press) $39.95 – 200+ photographs from 1975-1977 taken by manager Danny “pulse of the underground” Fields.
Magazines
Bust #110 $6.99
Hiss Mag #2 $20
Chap Books
Overtime Hour 47: The Death of DemiVer Data Services by Julie McNeely-Kirwan (Blue Cubicle Press) $2 – Georgia, a “good child”-type employee, has just discovered the truth about the company she works for.
Impressions In the Language of a Lanterns Wick by Jake Syersak (Ghost Proposal) $7
