Microcosm Publishing
Encyclopedia
Microcosm Publishing is an independent publisher and distributor
based in Portland, Oregon
and Leavenworth, Kansas
. They distribute ideas through zine
s, book
s, pamphlet
s, sticker
s, button
s, patch
es, t-shirt
s, poster
s, video
s, and more. They publish zine
and book works by others in the hopes that it will add credibility to zine writers and their ethics. Their titles attempt to teach self empowerment to disenfranchised people and to nurture their creative side. Current staff includes Rio Safari, Joe Biel, Nate Beaty, Jessie Duquette, Adam Gnade
, Nate Beaty, Danielle Duquette, and Matt Gauck.
out of a bedroom in Cleveland, Ohio
, Microcosm moved to Portland, OR in 1999. The operation grew significantly over the years, and in March 2007 moved its mail order operation to Bloomington, Indiana
.
In 2006, the Utne Reader
described Microcosm as an "esteemed Portland, Oregon-based publisher and distributor of zines, books, pamphlets, DVDs, and other fun stuff." Microcosm is heralded in the zine community as an entity that, for better or worse, has brought zines into a larger consciousness in the new millennium, after former mainstream interest has largely subsided. They are responsible for many of the recent zine/book hybrid aesthetics
and zines that have fancier covers or design aesthetics such as multiple color screenprints, letterpress, or offset printing. There is a particular focus towards images and artwork celebrating bicycles and radical politics. Many of the items offered are not available easily elsewhere on the web or otherwise.
Incorporating the tactics of early punk record labels and a DIY approach, Microcosm uses guerrilla styled tactics for promoting their titles unlike most publishers of equal size. They rarely purchase advertising, and rely more heavily on the people who appreciate their craft independently passing out their catalogs in their respective towns.
In September 2008, Microcosm opened a new retail store in the Buckman
neighborhood of southeast Portland. There was a noticeable shift in the type of reading material offered, since most stock is "hurts" and "remainders" sold at half retail price or less. In May 2010 the store grew for a third time and moved in with Printed Matter Screenprinting and Eberhardt Press in a new building in southeast Portland at 636 SE 11th Ave.
In July 2011, Microcosm closed its Bloomington, Indiana office and opened a new distro/mailorder location in Lansing, Kansas. One month later, Lansing staffer Jessie Duquette (aka "Jessie Duke"), an employee since 2006, became co-owner of Microcosm.
For nearly sixteen years, Microcosm has remained truly independent of any outside management or funding and has suffered the corresponding financial hardships. Management decisions are made internally in meetings where full time staff collective members have an equal vote.
Microcosm Publishing was formerly a record label, and released records by Flotation Walls, Bedford
, Organic, Cripple Kid, The Unknown, The Roswells, Little Dipper, Rock, Star.
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
based in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. They distribute ideas through zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
s, book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s, pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s, sticker
Sticker
A sticker is a type of a piece of paper or plastic, adhesive, sticky on one side, and usually with a design on the other. They can be used for decoration, depending on the situation. They can come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and are put on things such as lunchboxes, in children's...
s, button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
s, patch
Shoulder patch
A shoulder sleeve insignia, is an embroidered patch used by major formations of the United States Army. Each formation has a unique formation patch, and the US Army is unique among the US armed services in that all soldiers are required to wear the patch of their headquarters as part of their...
es, t-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s, poster
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
s, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
s, and more. They publish zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
and book works by others in the hopes that it will add credibility to zine writers and their ethics. Their titles attempt to teach self empowerment to disenfranchised people and to nurture their creative side. Current staff includes Rio Safari, Joe Biel, Nate Beaty, Jessie Duquette, Adam Gnade
Adam Gnade
Adam Gnade is a San Diego, California-born American musician and author currently living on a farm in rural Kansas. In his bio he defines his music as "talking-songs", which he describes as mixing the spoken vocals of talking blues songs with country music, Appalachian folk, noise, psychedelic...
, Nate Beaty, Danielle Duquette, and Matt Gauck.
History
Beginning in 1996 with only Joe Biel doing part time mail orderMail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
out of a bedroom in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Microcosm moved to Portland, OR in 1999. The operation grew significantly over the years, and in March 2007 moved its mail order operation to Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
.
In 2006, the Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
described Microcosm as an "esteemed Portland, Oregon-based publisher and distributor of zines, books, pamphlets, DVDs, and other fun stuff." Microcosm is heralded in the zine community as an entity that, for better or worse, has brought zines into a larger consciousness in the new millennium, after former mainstream interest has largely subsided. They are responsible for many of the recent zine/book hybrid aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and zines that have fancier covers or design aesthetics such as multiple color screenprints, letterpress, or offset printing. There is a particular focus towards images and artwork celebrating bicycles and radical politics. Many of the items offered are not available easily elsewhere on the web or otherwise.
Incorporating the tactics of early punk record labels and a DIY approach, Microcosm uses guerrilla styled tactics for promoting their titles unlike most publishers of equal size. They rarely purchase advertising, and rely more heavily on the people who appreciate their craft independently passing out their catalogs in their respective towns.
In September 2008, Microcosm opened a new retail store in the Buckman
Buckman, Portland, Oregon
Buckman is a neighborhood in the Southeast section of Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood is bounded by the Willamette River on the west, E Burnside St. on the north , SE 28th Ave. on the east, and SE Hawthorne Blvd...
neighborhood of southeast Portland. There was a noticeable shift in the type of reading material offered, since most stock is "hurts" and "remainders" sold at half retail price or less. In May 2010 the store grew for a third time and moved in with Printed Matter Screenprinting and Eberhardt Press in a new building in southeast Portland at 636 SE 11th Ave.
In July 2011, Microcosm closed its Bloomington, Indiana office and opened a new distro/mailorder location in Lansing, Kansas. One month later, Lansing staffer Jessie Duquette (aka "Jessie Duke"), an employee since 2006, became co-owner of Microcosm.
For nearly sixteen years, Microcosm has remained truly independent of any outside management or funding and has suffered the corresponding financial hardships. Management decisions are made internally in meetings where full time staff collective members have an equal vote.
Microcosm Publishing was formerly a record label, and released records by Flotation Walls, Bedford
An Albatross
An Albatross is a noise rock band based in Wilkes-Barre, PA, known for their chaotic live shows and psychedelic/circus-like presentation.-History:Formed in the fall of 1999 by guitarist Jake Lisowski, vocalist Edward B...
, Organic, Cripple Kid, The Unknown, The Roswells, Little Dipper, Rock, Star.
Books , Videos, and Zines
Published Titles include:- Things are Meaning Less
- Make Your Place: Affordable, sustainable nesting skills
- Flow Chronicles
- Stolen Sharpie Revolution
- On Subbing
- Brainscan
- The CIA Makes Science Fiction Unexciting
- $100 & A T-Shirt
- Applicant
- Green Zine
- Journalsong
- Secret Files of Cap'n Sissy
- Hot Damn & Hell Yeah / Dirty South
- Xtra Tuf
- Support Zine
- Doris anthology
- Making Stuff and Doing Things
- Indestructible
- Sounds of Your Name
- Please Don't Feed the Bears
- Cantankerous Titles & Obscure Ephemera
- Zinester's Guide to Portland
- Dreamwhip
- Perfect Mix Tape Segue
- Homeland Insecurity
- Coffeeshop Crushes
- Snakepit: My Life in a Jugular Vein
- Bipedal, By Pedal
- Invincible Summer: An Anthology
- Invincible Summer: An Anthology, Vol II
- My Brain Hurts #1-5
- DIY Screenprinting #1-3
- Distance Makes The Heart Grow Sick
- Constant Rider Omnibus
- Chainbreaker Bike Book
- I Hate This Part of Texas #7 / Keep Loving, Keep Fighting #7
- Still We Ride
- X Ray Visions
- Welcome to the Dahl House
- Mostly True
- Dwelling Portably '80-89
- Brainfag Forever
- Make a Zine
- Notes from Underground
- Zine Yearbook #9