How'd he get blood all over that banana?
Update: In the catalog now!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Who Doesn't Love Heavy Metal Parking Lot?
In Style, this month, in the section called "Where the Pros Shop on the Web, " Andy Spade lists us as a place to shop for dudes, pointing out that you can get Heavy Metal Parking Lot here.
We used to carry it exclusively but now you can even get it on Amazon. But whatever.
Amazon isn't having a whole night based on it this Saturday, Nov 4th, at the Ottobar. We'll be showing the film, Alan Hunter, one of the original MTV VJs, will give us his annual Hate the 80s Night video greeting and Keyboard Man hosts as a bunch of bands play all metal 80s!
Starts at 9pm!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Friday Review - Boo!
Rachel read Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link:
Now out in paperback, this collection of short stories is totally spooky, clever and haunting. Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of fantasy or sci-fi, these stories will still charm you. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's not so much the vampire mythology that hooks you as it is the characters, the writing and how real it feels and yet, yeah, there's magic in it.
Eric read Wax Poetics #19:
There's no better evidence that the hip-hop generation can age with dignity than Wax Poetics -- and after a few "themed" issues, with #19 they return to the variety that makes them such a great publication. The sumptuously detailed interviews dealing with such artists as Dr. Alimantado, Joe Bataan, and Azymuth are all lovingly conducted and rendered. As a Baltimorean, I wished the oral history of Baltimore club were a little more substantial, but as an introduction to the genre for the casually curious, it still works well. Wax Poetics has a unique perspective, as it's a magazine for omnivorous music lovers by omnivorous music lovers that assumes that its readers became omnivorous music lovers through hip-hop and then worked their ways backward in time -- but you won't be lost if you didn't follow that pattern of exploration, since discussion of the hip-hop genre is generally kept to the margins. But best of all, it's that rare magazine about record collecting that fetishizes the ecstatic grooves encoded within some of those those vinyl slabs -- and the people that made them!! -- more than the physical records themselves (or the prices they command on ebay).
Lauren read I like You by Amy Sedaris:
I've been waiting for this book forever and snatched it up the very minute it came in. In case you don't already know, Amy Sedaris(of Strangers With Candy fame) is a very funny lady. This is a book about how to have fun above all. Sedaris gives so many great ideas for theme parties like Blind Dates and Out of Town Guests. She also tackles grieving and a party for the elderly. All are done with a little bit of humor but it works for her.
The pictures are great, the recipes are good, and the books is tons of fun. You don't have to be good at entertaining to throw a party Amy's way.
Benn read Let Me Finish by Udo Grashoff:
Dear R,
Some of us are voyeurs, praying off of the despair of others as if they are watching some reality TV show. I just read LET ME FINISH, a collection of suicide notes because I realize I am one such person. I admit that I got a perverse thrill seeing these words of desperation in the form of 45 letters left behind, some clearly insane, some surprisingly rational. And while editor, Udo Grashoff, provides some much needed context for the notes, his introduction reads more like a rationalization of how this book isn't exploitative so much as informative. I still think it's exploitative. But it also gave me ideas. Terrible ideas. Tell them all it was an accident. Please remember, dear R, this is not a reflection of my feelings for you. I have simply come to realize there is no place for me in this world anymore.
B
Okay, just kidding.
Now out in paperback, this collection of short stories is totally spooky, clever and haunting. Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of fantasy or sci-fi, these stories will still charm you. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's not so much the vampire mythology that hooks you as it is the characters, the writing and how real it feels and yet, yeah, there's magic in it.
Eric read Wax Poetics #19:
There's no better evidence that the hip-hop generation can age with dignity than Wax Poetics -- and after a few "themed" issues, with #19 they return to the variety that makes them such a great publication. The sumptuously detailed interviews dealing with such artists as Dr. Alimantado, Joe Bataan, and Azymuth are all lovingly conducted and rendered. As a Baltimorean, I wished the oral history of Baltimore club were a little more substantial, but as an introduction to the genre for the casually curious, it still works well. Wax Poetics has a unique perspective, as it's a magazine for omnivorous music lovers by omnivorous music lovers that assumes that its readers became omnivorous music lovers through hip-hop and then worked their ways backward in time -- but you won't be lost if you didn't follow that pattern of exploration, since discussion of the hip-hop genre is generally kept to the margins. But best of all, it's that rare magazine about record collecting that fetishizes the ecstatic grooves encoded within some of those those vinyl slabs -- and the people that made them!! -- more than the physical records themselves (or the prices they command on ebay).
Lauren read I like You by Amy Sedaris:
I've been waiting for this book forever and snatched it up the very minute it came in. In case you don't already know, Amy Sedaris(of Strangers With Candy fame) is a very funny lady. This is a book about how to have fun above all. Sedaris gives so many great ideas for theme parties like Blind Dates and Out of Town Guests. She also tackles grieving and a party for the elderly. All are done with a little bit of humor but it works for her.
The pictures are great, the recipes are good, and the books is tons of fun. You don't have to be good at entertaining to throw a party Amy's way.
Benn read Let Me Finish by Udo Grashoff:
Dear R,
Some of us are voyeurs, praying off of the despair of others as if they are watching some reality TV show. I just read LET ME FINISH, a collection of suicide notes because I realize I am one such person. I admit that I got a perverse thrill seeing these words of desperation in the form of 45 letters left behind, some clearly insane, some surprisingly rational. And while editor, Udo Grashoff, provides some much needed context for the notes, his introduction reads more like a rationalization of how this book isn't exploitative so much as informative. I still think it's exploitative. But it also gave me ideas. Terrible ideas. Tell them all it was an accident. Please remember, dear R, this is not a reflection of my feelings for you. I have simply come to realize there is no place for me in this world anymore.
B
Okay, just kidding.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
It's Like Book Week Or Something
photo by Baltimike
Hodgman was in town last night at UB. Tonight we'll have a slew of McSweeney's authors over at Pop.
Wednesday is our Reading Club meeting at Pop.
Thursday is Lord Whimsy and Dame Darcy.
Then it's Halloween. And we'll be giving out free comics to the kids who'll be trick or treating on the Avenue this Saturday! That's between 5-6pm.
I'm going to be a unicorn! Oh wait, that's not literary.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Fate Of The Pink Flamingo
Could this be the end for the classic Pink Flamingo lawn ornament?
(thanks for the link, ej winter!)
(thanks for the link, ej winter!)
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Boson Wins!
He won the figures and he's happy about it.
Thanks to everyone who came out last night! 
Just minutes before our party the vinyl was finished.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Pop On The Radio
Tomorrow at Noon, you can hear Benn on The Signal, on WYPR, talking about the new store, the new book and whatever else they got out of him. Maybe he'll talk about his mustache.
Camille Rose Garcia Give Away
At our Grand Opening for Pop tomorrow night, which starts at 8pm, you can meet Brian Ralph, who'll be signing copies of his new book Daybreak. Also, you can hobnob with a lot of the artists and overheardsters (just made that up!) who contributed to our new book, I Keee You!!, and...
If you buy anything tomorrow, from the moment we open at 11am until 10pm, you'll be put into a drawing to win a WHOLE SET of Rose Camille Garcia Vinyl Figures. That's right, all four. Drawing will be around 10pm. You must be present to win.
So come on by! It's a party. There's drinks and stuff.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Lord Whimsy & Dame Darcy
Next Thursday, at POP, 7pm, Lord Whimsy shall delight us all with a reading from his Affected Provincial's Companion V1.
Dame Darcy is going to be there, too, signing all of her latest releases.
Her band Death by Doll will be playing at the Talking Head (203 Davis St) later that night with:
FLAMING FIRE
ANTONIUS BLOCK
MC TRACHIOTOMY
and more!
Come to our event first and get a $1 off the Head Show!
Dame Darcy is going to be there, too, signing all of her latest releases.
Her band Death by Doll will be playing at the Talking Head (203 Davis St) later that night with:
FLAMING FIRE
ANTONIUS BLOCK
MC TRACHIOTOMY
and more!
Come to our event first and get a $1 off the Head Show!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
McSweeney's Night
Next Tuesday, Oct 24th, we'll have the author of The Children's Hospital, Chris Adrian, along with Kevin Moffett, Believer contributor, and Eli Horowitz, editor of McSweeney's. Issue 21 should be here any day now.
At POP, 7-9pm!
Monday, October 16, 2006
Books, Sort of
Too little too late is a laughable understatement. What you see here are 38 copies of our new book.
The title is too apt for how we feel about this whole book printing fiasco.
BUT they ARE here, and the rest should be here by our book party this Friday.
There are far worse printing disasters than just missing one of the biggest East Coast Small Press events. And we heard quite a few stories this past weekend, which was still fun even though we didn't have our new book and Flake flaked.
Friday, October 13, 2006
I KEEE YOU!!
atomic POP opening and book party for I Keee You!! and Brian Ralph's Daybreak, Oct 20th 8-10pm.
Consider yourself invited!
Friday Review - 13th
Benn read Best American Comics 2006:
These days, the measure of any good comics anthology seems to be the Chris Ware-edited volume of McSweeney's 13. The early issues of Fantagraphics' Mome came close to recreating this greatness (although, sadly, recent issues seem to be a tad more inconsistent), and this newest edition to The Best American series, comes as close as any traditionally formatted book can get (McSweeney's has a knack for design that, though often imitated, is hard to surpass). Part of that might have to do with the fact that 3 of the stories here are compiled from McSweeney's, and 2 from Mome. The rest, as is the tradition of the Best American series, uses a multitude of quality source material. Editors Anne Elizabeth Moore and Harvey Pekar's selections are, as anyone familiar with Pekar's aesthetic, mostly reality-based. There are no representations of mainstream superhero greatness or Kramer's Ergot-style rich, indulgent artistic flourishes. Presented here are simply the best comics, or excerpts of, that fit the realm of alternative and/or underground comics.
My only real gripes are the dates of eligibility (from January 1, 2004 - August 15, 2006 - does this mean we'll have to wait a year and a half for the next installment?) and the hardcover format which feels rather, um, decadent. Perhaps the hardcover helps to reassert the literary importance that McSweeney's Vol. 13 achieved, and it does do that. This book feels substantial. It feels and reads like quality. And it is, easily, the best comics anthology of 2006.
Eric read Television by Jean-Philippe Toussaint:
This Belgian book, a comical novel with a slight dark edge, memorably deals with work avoidance. As a scholar struggles to avoid television while he works on his thesis, he ends up obsessing over tv, setting elaborate rules for himself regarding where and when he can and can't watch it. In the process, he does just about everything except get any work done, alienating many friends, colleagues and neighbors along the way. I'd read one prior novel by Toussaint called Monsieur, and both make for good, quick reads that remind me of Peter Handke's great run of novels from the 70s; Toussaint might be a little less diabolical in his outlook, but like Handke he has lots of fun presenting absurd and irrational thoughts and actions through deceptively simple, rational prose.
Rachel read Craft:
Craft sort of reads like a craftster who's who/yearbook. If you've been in to crafting for a while there aren't a lot of things in this first issue that you probably haven't seen already (crafting blogs being as ubiquitous and as active as they are), but it's nice to have pretty photos, interviews with successful crafsters and how they got started, and cool projects saved in a handy portable format that sits on a shelf.
There are still people out there who think crafting is something grannies do (yes, it's true) and this is the perfect introduction to what's been going on in the new world of DIY makingstuffedness. I can't wait for the next issue.
These days, the measure of any good comics anthology seems to be the Chris Ware-edited volume of McSweeney's 13. The early issues of Fantagraphics' Mome came close to recreating this greatness (although, sadly, recent issues seem to be a tad more inconsistent), and this newest edition to The Best American series, comes as close as any traditionally formatted book can get (McSweeney's has a knack for design that, though often imitated, is hard to surpass). Part of that might have to do with the fact that 3 of the stories here are compiled from McSweeney's, and 2 from Mome. The rest, as is the tradition of the Best American series, uses a multitude of quality source material. Editors Anne Elizabeth Moore and Harvey Pekar's selections are, as anyone familiar with Pekar's aesthetic, mostly reality-based. There are no representations of mainstream superhero greatness or Kramer's Ergot-style rich, indulgent artistic flourishes. Presented here are simply the best comics, or excerpts of, that fit the realm of alternative and/or underground comics.
My only real gripes are the dates of eligibility (from January 1, 2004 - August 15, 2006 - does this mean we'll have to wait a year and a half for the next installment?) and the hardcover format which feels rather, um, decadent. Perhaps the hardcover helps to reassert the literary importance that McSweeney's Vol. 13 achieved, and it does do that. This book feels substantial. It feels and reads like quality. And it is, easily, the best comics anthology of 2006.
Eric read Television by Jean-Philippe Toussaint:
This Belgian book, a comical novel with a slight dark edge, memorably deals with work avoidance. As a scholar struggles to avoid television while he works on his thesis, he ends up obsessing over tv, setting elaborate rules for himself regarding where and when he can and can't watch it. In the process, he does just about everything except get any work done, alienating many friends, colleagues and neighbors along the way. I'd read one prior novel by Toussaint called Monsieur, and both make for good, quick reads that remind me of Peter Handke's great run of novels from the 70s; Toussaint might be a little less diabolical in his outlook, but like Handke he has lots of fun presenting absurd and irrational thoughts and actions through deceptively simple, rational prose.
Rachel read Craft:
Craft sort of reads like a craftster who's who/yearbook. If you've been in to crafting for a while there aren't a lot of things in this first issue that you probably haven't seen already (crafting blogs being as ubiquitous and as active as they are), but it's nice to have pretty photos, interviews with successful crafsters and how they got started, and cool projects saved in a handy portable format that sits on a shelf.
There are still people out there who think crafting is something grannies do (yes, it's true) and this is the perfect introduction to what's been going on in the new world of DIY makingstuffedness. I can't wait for the next issue.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Business Laments Lame Tag
When Atomic Books Office Manager, Margaret Sabo, 27, came in to work this morning, the last thing she expected was to see her building poorly tagged.
"It's just so badly done it's embarrassing," she scoffed. "He didn't even use Krylon. He left his can of Rustoleum SATIN. I use that on my lawn furniture."
Joseph Benson Ray IV, 38, co-owner of Atomic Books and also a cultural studies professor at Towson University remains baffled. "I just don't understand the style or the message. He's no Banksy."
Rachel Whang, 37, also a co-owner, says, "Call me when we have knittas."
The city is scheduled to remove the tag in one week.
Monday, October 09, 2006
SPX This Weekend!
This Friday starts SPX 2006 and we'll be there with our Lulu Eightballs and (Canadians willing) I Keee You!!
It's a giant room of comic artists and small indie publishers. Come say hi!
It's a giant room of comic artists and small indie publishers. Come say hi!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Decemberists Book Plate
The Decemberists sent us some book plates that we'll put in your orders for free!
Perfect for all the great music books coming out right now.
Friday Review - Haiku II
Benn read SNAKEPIT #15 by Ben Snakepit:
When every other
city seems cooler than yours,
it is time to move.
Lisa read King Dork by Frank Portman:
Teen angst is still hip
A half-century after
Catcher in the Rye
Eric read American Splendor #1:
Vertigo debut--
huge Playstation ads aside,
Splendor's still the same
Rachel read The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel:
old sharp memories
lost souls held dear but not close
dogs are more loyal
Maggie drank Zombie Juice:
Zombie Juice is not
part of a healthy breakfast
Fizzy cherry pain
When every other
city seems cooler than yours,
it is time to move.
Lisa read King Dork by Frank Portman:
Teen angst is still hip
A half-century after
Catcher in the Rye
Eric read American Splendor #1:
Vertigo debut--
huge Playstation ads aside,
Splendor's still the same
Rachel read The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel:
old sharp memories
lost souls held dear but not close
dogs are more loyal
Maggie drank Zombie Juice:
Zombie Juice is not
part of a healthy breakfast
Fizzy cherry pain
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Atomic Knit Night Tonight
Knit Night is back on Tuesday nights, 7-9pm, at atomic POP, 3620 Falls Rd.
Come on by with any portable crafting you're working on.
Come on by with any portable crafting you're working on.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Review Feature Dismantled
We've taken down our review feature on our Atomic Books site because we've encountered some major technical difficulties. Like the fact that it led Google to blank pages instead of actual items in our catalog.
We doubt it will be back. Most of your reviews were for Cialis anyway.
Ok, some of them were for Viagra.
We doubt it will be back. Most of your reviews were for Cialis anyway.
Ok, some of them were for Viagra.
Last Minute Book Switch!
Well it looks like Cinderalla is between printings right now so we'll have to switch out the Reading Club selection to Palestine.
As always, 15% off for the month!
As always, 15% off for the month!
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