TOMORROW: Staple & Fold with Us in Pilsen

We’re almost done with our SPOC A-Z Snake Oil Guide for Friday’s Doc Merriweather’s Miracle Elixir and Medicine Show. Tomorrow, Thursday 6/13 at 7:30 p.m., we’ll be meeting near Hasted and 17th Street in Pilsen to put on the final touches. If you’re interested in folding, collating, stapling or just keeping us company and doing your own work, come on out. E-mail us at selfpublishersofchicago@gmail.com for the exact address.

HOLD THE PHONE: A Snake Oil Show?

Got aches and chills that just won’t quit? Got a hankering for arts and culture in the South side hub of Bridgeport? Well, has SPOC got the remedy for you!

SPOCster, archivist, poet and all-around history dream girl Meghan McGrath is putting on Doc Merriweather’s Miracle Elixir & Medicine Show this FRIDAY from 7-9 p.m. at Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Among the stellar attractions will be a promotional almanac from your very own local zine collective SPOC, in-person advice for “female complaints” from Lydia Pinkham herself (performed by Nicki Yowell), and a re-creation of the notorious 1909 Metropolitan Medical College to discuss your own future as a bona fide “professor of medicine”!

TONIGHT ONLY: The Incomparable Doc Merriwether’s Work Session

Zine deficiency ailing your bones? Got a head full of throbbing ideas that’s keeping you up all night? Well, Doc Merriwether has a cure for you. ZINE WORK PARTY SERUM cures all instances of publishing dearth, creativity growths and accumulations and gout. COME TONIGHT to NICKI’S @ 8:30 for a one time remedy. You won’t be disappointed.

Work Social & Popcorn: A Winning Combo

Pleasant tidings. Tomorrow we’re going to be doing a good old fashioned WORK SOCIAL at Nicki’s starting at 7 p.m. We’ll be working to help Meghan McGrath assemble her A-Z snake oil guide. But feel free to toil away on your own projects. Bring snacks and drinks if you wish but freshly popped popcorn will be provided. Be sure to check for stray bits of cute kitten. Sorry if you have allergies to adorable.

Bring on the Baked Beans. We’re BBQing on Saturday!

Wrangle those steaks, chops, ribs, chicken cutlets and veggie patties because we’re BBQing this Saturday 5/18 @ 3 p.m. Our gracious host Rob Chambers of Back to Print has generously invited SPOC to get its summertime char action on at his place. E-mail us at selfpublishersofchicago@gmail.com to get more information.

In other weekend news and very-soon news:

 

TOMORROW:

 

Brain Frame, 8 p.m. @ 643 W. 31st Street: Performative comics show makes its Bridgeport debut

 

TUESDAY, MAY  21: 

 

Pungent Parlor, 8:30 p.m. @ Black Rock Pub, 3614 N. Damen: Monthly Tuesday night salon and reading series 

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY  22:

 

Snake Oil A-Z Book Work Party @ 7 p.m., Nicki’s House. Help Meghan McGrath make her Victorian vision a reality. We’ll be scanning, chopping, pasting, drawing, the works. 

 

Get Down with the New Landline TONIGHT

Remember The Landline, the awesome alternative paper and its array of comics, essays and bitchin’ fundraisers? Well, it’s back.

Jail Flanagan and a crew of some wiley writers and artists are looking to relaunch the publication some time soon. TONIGHT at 7 p.m. they’ll have a gathering to discuss ideas about how to get The Landline reconnected.

Try our new flavor: Sunday Meeting. Delicious!

Hey guys. We’re throwing off the shackles of our old Thursday meetings to, hopefully, accommodate folks a bit better.

 This Sunday SUNDAY SUNDAAAAAAY we’ll be meeting at Nicki’s from 5:30-8ish. Take your mom out, get her some flowers, make her some waffles then get down with some Sunday evening self-publishing.  E-mail selfpublishersofchicago@gmail if you need the address. 

 

We have some exciting new things to work on and discuss:

 

*CHIPRC: Chicago now has its very own publishing resource center. We’re planning on eventually holding meetings there. Maybe even a workshop or two? 

 

*Meghan McGrath’s Splendid Snake Oil Show: Meghan has invited SPOC to help her make an A-Z guidebook for her June 14 Snake Oil Show.

 

*ALA Conference: SPOC has been invited to participate in the American Library Association’s conference and exposition from June 29-30. We will be in something called a Zine Pavillion. Self-publising meets Epcot? I think, awesome!

 

*Portland Zine Symposium: In August SPOC will make its Pacific Northwest debut. Although we’re sure most folks won’t be able to make the cross-country sojourn, we’re hoping to get some ideas/feedback for our workshop, Pizza, TGIFriday’s & Ghost Stories: Creative Community Building for Zinesters. 

 

 See you on Sunday. There. Will. Be. Popcorn. Spicy Popcorn.