MANIFESTO / Main
Mission Statement:
Microcosm Publishing is an independent publisher and distributor based in Bloomington, IN and Portland, OR. We distribute & publish zines, books, pamphlets, stickers, buttons, patches, t-shirts, posters, films, and more! We hope to add credibility to zine writers and their ethics, teach self empowerment, show hidden history, and nurture people's creative side. We began in 1996 with one person doing part time mailorder out of a bedroom.
Our focus is disseminating ideas and information through our catalog. Zine writers and DIY artists are a credible contribution to society and should be respected as such.
We make information and resources that can be seen and understood by the general public not just an insular, elitist, and segregated group of people. That's a large part of why many "activist" scenes fail; their focus is so insular that they don't reach out enough from their community.
The ultimate goal here is connection. We want to connect with people who understand the spirit and goals of DIY ethics and fanzine culture. We also strive to raise awareness about the spirit of these ethics and this community to people who have no access to it. We want to teach kids that they don't have to grow up to be lawyers or businesspersons working jobs they hate in order to pay for their cars, yachts, mansions, etc. We find the social derelicts and teach them how to bond together to find a family amongst their peers.
We want to be able to help people find meanings in their lives without using this project to inflate our own egos. This project isn't just about us, the ones behind the scenes: filling the mailorders, talking to people through letters and e-mails; it's a two way street. Send in your zines, propose your ideas for stickers, patches, buttons, and t-shirts. Tell us what we could do better. Tell us what we do well. Distribute catalogs and flyers in your town. Think of publishing projects that we should develop.
Microcosm provides money for a few people to live on. This is difficult terrain because it is so easy to get caught up in the fact that wealth can cause humans to forget about their ethics and persue greater wealth. We make pay ourselves from this project so it remains sustainable and so we can focus on being creative instead of working other jobs. It's a difficult middle ground a times. The focus is on sustaining ourselves while doing something we enjoy, not making the most money possible. Be sure to drop a line if you have comments.