Thursday, February 9, 2012

2012: THE REVENGE OF REVENGE OF PRINT


Because revenge is a dish best served as seconds.

Last year, after getting tired of hearing folks glibly forecasting the death of print, a number of people in the self-publishing/small press/zines/comics world teamed up to declare 2011 The Revenge Of Print.

Organizers/sponsors included:
Stores: Atomic Books (Baltimore),  Quimby's (Chicago), Reading Frenzy (Portland), Xerography Debt, and Zine World, Razorcake, Maximum Rocknroll, Broken Pencil, and a number of zine libraries and distros around the world.

The challenge was issued - everyone who has ever made a zine, a comic, a mini-comic, handmade booklet, pamphlet or publication - or anyone who still was making one - or even anyone who as ever thought of making one - do it. Make at least one more publication in 2011.

And the results are in. Quimby's and Atomic Books tallied up nearly 2000 titles published as part of, in response to, or in the spirit of Revenge of Print. How's that for revenge?

"Books are over." "Magazines are over." "Comix are over." "Zines are over." "Newspapers are over." Bah! Don't think so. We're over things being over.

And that includes revenge.

So Revenge of Print organizers and members are declaring 2012 The Revenge of Revenge of Print.

Once again we are encouraging/challenging/asking - everyone who ever made (or wants to make) a zine, a mini-comic, a journal, a chapbook, a magazine or any kind of self-made publication of any kind vow that in 2012, they'll make another issue/title/publication.

Yes, we're still making a point. And we're using the very tools credited with the demise of print to do so - the internet!

Join the Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/revengeofprint/

And who is this "we" that's issued this challenge to self-publishers past, present, and future?

"We" are, to date,
Atomic Books - www.atomicbooks.com
Quimby's - www.quimbys.com
Reading Frenzy - www.readingfrenzy.com
and more TBA.

We'll be using the Facebook group as an organizing resource to provide addresses to publications where participants can send copies of their projects for review, and we'll also be listing addresses to real stores who will consign those very same titles so people can actually get copies the old fashioned way, by walking into a store.

Our list of participants has been growing rapidly. The Facebook group already has nearly 1,100 self-publishers. We're hoping you will team-up with us by helping to spread the word!

"Print lives if you want it."
Logos above are available for use and should be credited to Bojan.