Microcosm Publishing
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Microcosm Publishing is an independent publisher and distributor based in Portland, Oregon and Bloomington, Indiana. They distribute ideas through zines, books, pamphlets, stickers, buttons, patches, t-shirts, posters, videos, 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 Joe Biel, Jessie Duquette, Adam Gnade, Nate Beaty, Sparky Taylor, Steven Stothard, Chris Lynch, and Matt Gauck.
[edit] History
Beginning in 1996 with only Joe Biel doing part time mail order out of a bedroom in Cleveland, Ohio, Microcosm moved to Portland, OR in 1999 and from 2003-2006, employed zinester Alex Wrekk. The operation has grown significantly over the years and as of March 2007, has moved its mailorder operation to Bloomington, Indiana. 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.
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 also 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.[citation needed]
Incorporating the tactics of early punk record labels and a very DIY approach, Microcosm uses tactics that are more guerrilla styled for promoting their titles than 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.[citation needed]
Microcosm offered custom buttons as a service from 1998-2006. Custom stickers were also offered from 2001-2006. Custom patches and t-shirt printing was also offered briefly in 2002-2003.
In September 2008, Microcosm opened a new retail store at 833 SE Main #107 in Portland, OR. 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.
For over thirteen 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 by all staff where everyone has 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.
Some distributors of Microcosm's guerilla advertising materials choose to smother the art and/or independent intellectual ideas of like-minded groups. e.g. using promotional materials to cover those of other indie artists. Tactics such as this can be blown out of proportion and complained about from Wikipedia users in Athens, Ohio.
[edit] Books , Videos, and Zines
Published Titles include:
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