Kat reads: Qustomized Quimby’s Quarantine Zine Package
Quimby’s, my second* favorite place in America, now offers a customized zine pack through their online store. For $25 + shipping (or free curbside pickup), a Quimby’s staff member will hand-pick a bunch of zines based on your specifications and send it to your door. You could request all minicomics from local creators, or a variety of instructional zines, or anything with a blue cover.
I requested minicomics, with some notes about my picky personal tastes. They put together a fun package for me, including some things that I probably wouldn’t have picked up on my own but thoroughly enjoyed! So, here it is: Kat’s first Qustomized Quimby’s Quarantine Zine Package.
Ginseng Roots #1
By Craig Thompson (Uncivilized Books)
Memories and experiences growing up in the ginseng capital of the U.S. (who knew?). It’s Craig Thompson, who is a friggin master of the art, so no question that it’s beautiful. He also managed to fit a ton of interesting information into 32 pages without anything feeling rushed, overstuffed, or lacking breathing room--a feature that often separates the work of experienced, skilled artists from that of amateurs. This is the first issue of a series that started in 2019, but it functions perfectly well as a standalone.
The Teenage Condition: Lizard Daddies
By Abby Jame (Silver Sprocket)
A short story about the misadventures of wannabe sugar babies. I wonder why the artist cut the story so short? It seems like there could be room for a lot more weird shenanigans! I’ve encountered super-short minis like this before, and I always wonder if the artist ran up against an expo deadline, or just tired of the idea before they were done drawing it.
Orbiter’s Prism
By Drew Miller (Neoglyphic Media)
A creator of “two-dimensional psychic tools” suddenly begins to morph into something like a multidimensional being. I don’t often go for the scratchy-scribbly art style, but this approach is actually a perfect fit for this story and this mini turned out to be my favorite of the whole bunch. I particularly like the way that the text branches off in different directions, presenting alternatives or arranging itself into rhythmic patterns. This story couldn’t exist the same way in a different medium—and that’s my favorite kind of comics.
Minor Leagues no. 8
By Simon Moreton (self-published)
A quiet personal story told through illustration and ephemera, and subtle hints and suggestions. This one has a satisfyingly hefty page count, while still maintaining that handmade zine feeling. A strange discovery I had while reading this was that I found it easier to spend a lot of time studying the very simple, stylized illustrations than to even bother reading most of the text photocopied from other books—I had to keep reminding myself that it was there for a reason, and I should probably at least skim it. I guess when text or images are cut and pasted into a story that’s otherwise hand-drawn, I unconsciously interpret them as mere decoration.
Structures 24-34
By Michael DeForge (Uncivilized Books)
Abstract-surreal illustrations in the most gorgeously crisp black and white. As a lover of a clean black and white aesthetic, this stuff is my JAM. I have several other things by Michael DeForge, but I might like this one the best because of its lack of story. Story-focused comics require a careful balance between the narrative, which tries to push you ahead, and the artwork, which tries to slow you down. When artwork that is too aesthetically compelling is paired with a straightforward narrative, I can’t find a comfortable reading speed—I either blow right through it and feel guilty for ignoring all of the creator’s effort, or I linger on each page and feel frustrated that the story isn’t more dense and juicy. Since DeForge makes aesthetically fascinating images that I want to stare at for days, I like it better when he throws the story completely out the window.
Altogether, an excellent selection. They also threw in some grab bag freebies and an issue of Fine Print, a free literary/visual arts paper that turned out to be full of good stuff. Thanks, Quimby’s!
*#1 is the St. Louis City Museum.