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How to Thrive / How to Starve
by Joe Biel
Recently, an artist friend celebrated a modicum of success after five years of hard work. Many people cheered and celebrated but one person felt left out and lashed out in a jealous rage. Why weren't they celebrating a ...
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Biketopia
In a world with an uncertain future, do you imagine for the best or for the worst case scenario? Twelve writers tackle extreme utopias and dystopias—and the grey areas in between—in Biketopia, the fourth volume of the Bikes in Space series of feminist science fiction stories about bicycling. Some find love and fierce resistance in the end times; others imagine an ecological future of saving technology, with solarpunk ecotopian visions, at times paired with crushing social control. Whatever your own future or present reality, these stories will motivate and inspire you to envision something different... and maybe even better.Bikes in Space
A powerful tribute to feminist sci-fi about bicycles, this zine gravitates away from the unfortunately-traditional macho heroes, hurtling through space with giant guns, ready to protect and/or tame their scantily clad space babe. These authors' visions of the future are populated by strong, intelligent, empowered women with complex personalities. And it was a vision apparently shared by many: It's the largest issue of TTL yet! Help us fend off this space shark attack in style! Ieeeee!Learning Good Consent
Curated by Doris editor Cindy Crabb, Learning Good Consent looks at the culture of sexual consent from a standpoint which is both sexy and educational. During the course of 46 pages, Cindy and friends create a well-rounded consent workshop, with all sites set on healing and helping. In the midst of rape culture, "blurred lines," and troubled relationships with power and boundaries, Consent has your back. As says Cindy in the zine's intro, "Talking about our experiences with consent, our struggles, our mistakes and how we've learned, these are part of a much larger revolutionary struggle."Make a Zine
Do you have a passion that you want to obsess about in a love letter to the world? In this new edition of Microcosm’s popular DIY guide to zine-making, Joe Biel updates the information provided in the first and second editions (edited by Biel and the late and great Bill Brent) to address zine making in today's digital and social-media-obsessed world. Covering all the bases for beginners, Make a Zine! hits on more advanced topics like Creative Commons licenses, legality, and sustainability. Says Feminist Review, “Make a Zine! is an inspiring, easy, and digestible read for anyone, whether you’re already immersed in a cut-and-paste world, a graphic designer with a penchant for radical thought, or a newbie trying to find the best way to make yourself and your ideas known.” Illustrated by an army of notable and soon-to-be-notable artists and cartoonists, Make a Zine! also takes a look at the burgeoning indie comix scene, with a solid and comprehensive chapter by punk illustrator Fly (Slug and Lettuce, Peops). Part history lesson, part how-to guide, Make a Zine! is a call to arms, an ecstatic, positive rally cry in the face of TV show book clubs and bestsellers by celebrity chefs. As says Biel in the book’s intro, “Let’s go!”The Prodigal Rogerson
This is the first biography of Roger Rogerson, the original bassist and songwriter for the Circle Jerks. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances and then reappeared a decade later, instigating the band to get back together—and dropped dead two days later. J. Hunter Bennett's oral history includes Rogerson's bandmates and family and contains never-before-published history and photos.Things That Help
Living in the margins of a culture she never felt comfortable in, Cindy Crabb touches on her experiences with feminism, girl-gangs, abuse, and gender identity. With stories, essays, interviews, and more, Cindy writes with fierce honesty and compassion, exploring subjects like consent, abortion, death, self-image, shyness, identity, and anarchism—embracing the complexities of each, finding her anger, her voice, and the things that help in her struggles with addiction, mental health, and intense loss. Along the way she travels the world, helps start a women and transgender health center, and fights against the social norms that made her feel so trapped. Fix Your Clothes
Ever had to say goodbye to a favorite item of clothing because of a busted zipper, fallen hem, or gaping hole? Want to save money and the world by not buying new clothes at the time? Concerned about the labor practices of fast fashion? Learn to repair your clothes from this cheerful illustrated guide. Raleigh Briggs, author and illustrator of the bestselling Make Your Place and Make It Last takes us on a mending journey through stocking your supplies, quick fixes, types of knots and stitches, buttons, mending seams, patching holes, darning holes, hemming, fixing zippers, waterproofing canvas, leather, and nylon, and so much more! Raleigh’s style is simple, playful, friendly, fun, and builds your confidence. You can do it!Indestructible
In her Miami high school Cristy Road valiantly tried to figure out and defend her queer gender identity, Cuban cultural roots, punk rock nature, and mortality. In this graphic novel, Cristy reminds us of the strength and ability of punk youth—for addressing things like rape, homophobia, and misogyny. This is no exception; giving a voice to every frustrated fifteen year old girl under fire from her peers for being queer or butch or punk.Sex From Scratch: Making Your Own Relationship Rules
Modern life calls for modern relationship advice. Sex From Scratch: Making Your Own Relationship Rules is a love and dating guidebook that gleans real-life knowledge from smart people in a variety of nontraditional relationships. Instead of telling people how to snag a man and find “true love,” the book sums up what dozens of diverse folks have learned the hard way over time—life advice from people making open relationships work to people who’ve decided they’re never going to have kids—that is helpful to anyone, in any type of relationship. This is an essential, fun, insightful resource whose time has come.Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution
Julia Alekseyeva's debut full-length graphic novel, Soviet Daughter, tells the story of her great-grandmother Lola, a free spirit who lived in the Soviet Ukraine. She survived the Russian Revolution, raised children, took care of her large family, worked hard (including a stint as a secretary for the secret police), fled the war as a refugee, was persecuted for being Jewish, and throughout it all fell in love with a number of men and took on everything she did with passion and kindness.Making Stuff and Doing Things
Edited by Kyle Bravo, this classic collection of "DIY guides to just about everything" is now in its fourth edition and better than ever. Now you can make your own everything, do all the stuff you need for yourself, and never be bored again!Out of the Basement: From Cheap Trick to DIY Punk in Rockford, IL, 1973-2005
This is the story about the power of underground music in Rockford, Illinois, at the heart of the post-industrial midwest US, from the 1970s til recent times. This is the third volume of Microcosm's Scene History series, where we showcase the stories of people making their own music, culture, and mayhem.In The News
Punkscription
Subscribe to all of Microcosm's music books, as they come out. Scene histories, punk memoirs, journalism and cultural commentary about DIY music, in-depth looks at record labels... you'll get 'em all. Good Life BFF
Your sustainable living toolkit! Subscribe to all of our most popular books, as they come out: Cookbooks, DIY project books, books about healthy relationships, bicycling, fermenting, building, mending, growing, and generally living the life you want in every way.Business of Publishing
Here's how to make books like we do: Profit & Loss Statement / MetaData / Am I Stealing Your Art? / Title Development / How to Pitch Your Book / How to Pack Books / The Economic Case for Traditional Format Offset Printing / Distribution Question (with infographic) / The Print Run / Working with The Printer / Formatting for Print / Organizing a book tour / Social Media for Authors / Self-Promotion for Authors / What a Publisher Does / Paralleling the Dinosaurs / An overviewMicrocosm In Your Town!
We're on the road! A lot. Find us!- April 29: Snag a bunch of local publishers' books, including ours, for half off at Another Read Through's Independent Bookstore Day sale! 3932 N Mississippi Ave, Portland
- May 12-14: Toronto Comics Arts Festival
- May 20: Crafty Wonderland Spring Art & Craft Market, Portland
- June 15-18: Allied Media Conference, Detroit, MI
- June 17-18: Pride Northwest, Portland
- June 30-July 2: BlerDCon, Arlington, VA
- July 15-16: Find us at the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride finish line at NE 11th and Holladay, Portland
- July 22: We'll be selling books and t-shirts and enjoying the festivities at Pedalfest, at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA
- July 26-30: Rollercon, Las Vegas
- August 11-13:Why Not?!? Fest, Minot, North Dakota
- September 8-10, 2017: Rose City Comic Con, Portland, Oregon
- September 9-10: Crate Digger author Bob Suren will be slinging our books at STAPLE! Austin, Texas
- September 16: Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair
- September 17: Brooklyn Book Festival
- October 14-15: We'll have vegan cookbooks and more at Portland VegFest at the Oregon Convention Center
- Check out these photos from tabling!
- Put Your Road Rage to the Page Tour 2018 w/ Joshua Ploeg (This Ain't No Picnic), Joe Biel (Good Trouble / Aftermass), and Elly Blue (Bikenomics)
Calling for submissions for the Scene History series!
Are you stoked about the history of your town? Do you find out interesting nuggets by talking to those who came before you or by scouting out details on Google and Wikipedia? Do you want a reason to hunt out some people you respect and fill in the gaps? Well, the Scene History series is an opportunity to do just that. Like our Simple History Series, we will publish a paperback each year of the Scene History series that tell the story of a particular city's scene. (the series does not profile individuals, albums, or bands, but really must be framed around a real scene, no fiction!) Suggested length is 15,000-30,000 words. Get as creative as you find gratifying. Learn about your favorite places and how things developed. Check out the existing Scene Histories here! Submit or ask questions to joe at microcosmpublishing daht comBFF Book Subscription
Be our Best Friend Forever (BFF)! For 6 months you'll receive every new title we publish. The subscription is sliding scale price $10-30/month, and you can either pay in one sum upfront here or pay-as-you-go here. Thanks for your support! Google+
Relationshipping: Love Differently, Because Rules are for Games 
This is Your Brain on Anger