#33: Quimby's Bookstore

Zine nirvana

The Shop: Quimby’s Bookstore NYC

Williamsburg, Brooklyn: 536 Metropolitan Ave

An offshoot of the legendary Chicago store, Quimby’s is NYC’s finest purveyor of zines. In a small shop decked out with stickers, posters, and bizarre taxidermy, you’re guaranteed to find something fun, funky, and offbeat. Shelves and shelves of weirdo zines here, ranging from the low-concept DIY mags to poetry chapbooks to glossy aesthetic photography mags. The zines are what Quimby’s is all about but fear not bibliophiles, plenty of actual books here too, including many finds you might not see at your typical shop. Quimby’s is also next door to Desert Island, NYC’s finest purveyor of alternative comics. Embrace the off-beat funkiness and you’re guaranteed no shortage of awesome finds!

What I Got:

The Meatball Mystery Series: Piranhacane Now

This zine/novel from Hambone Industries press is giving me Goosebumps for adults vibes!

Ugly Things Winter 2020 Issue

Ugly Things is a killer fan zine about 1960s garage and psychedelic rock. I fell in love with this magazine last year after reading their beautifully written feature on Q65 and the Dutch wave of 60s psychedelia. For music nerds like me, this is the perfect spot to discover niche retro bands or trivia about old favorites

Two Ponds: Stories from the Petroleum Space Time Continuum

Brett Bloom’s zine from Half Letter Press explores how our reliance on fossil fuels has not only shaped our environment, but our relationships to space and time. Heady! Must read for pond enthusiasts.

Quimby’s $5 Zine Grab Bag

Hard to pass up a $5 grab bag, and this one was action packed! I got two issues of friendly fiction series The Best Worst Times, two issues of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fan zine The Nitty Gritty Gazette, and two copies of Instigator’s ANY1 trippy photo zine, and a whole bunch of 2020 New Yorker back issues (I grew up on New Yorker back issues so I’m very psyched about these.)