On September 15, 1991, Steven Svymbersky opened the Wicker Park zine and comic-book shop Quimby’s (named after the local-art mag he’d created six years earlier in Boston) on the corner of Damen and Evergreen. Vegetarian haven Earwax Cafe had opened in the neighborhood just a year earlier, indie coffeehouse Urbis Orbis was going strong, and artists were taking over warehouses in the then run-down part of town. According to Svymbersky, in that environment it took just a few weeks for Quimby’s to attract a following.
Many of those interviewed emphasize how necessary Quimby’s existence was (and is) to the survival of the local zine and comics scene. When Svymbersky first opened up shop, publishers weren’t accepting zines, so there were few places for independent artists to sell their work. His philosophy—one that the store upholds today—was that anything would be accepted on consignment. And for many artists, the exposure paid off.
Thu 9/15, 7 PM Quimby’s Bookstore 1854 W. North 773-342-0910quimbys.com Free
