Ms Valerie Park Distro (Blog!)

To Make the Sun Hurt

2013-08-22T17:20:00.002-07:00

Next month we'll be putting out a new album by Tucker Theodore on our Antiquated Future label. Known for his work in wild post-punk duo Buffalo Voice and his noise folk project Gunmothers Head, this is an album that is the perfect mix of weird and pretty. The album is called To Make the Sun Hurt and there's a couple songs from it streaming on Soundcloud and is up for pre-order on Bandcamp.

New for August!

2013-08-15T14:20:00.001-07:00

NEW

8-Track Mind #102- Russ Forster/Various Artists (Zine) ($3)

8-Track Mind never fails to disappoint and has the ability to make you think about something as seemingly simple as music formats as something expansive, something that carries over into other aspects of life. It even includes an essay from our own Joshua James Amberson.

The Body is a Wild Wild Thing- Tomas Moniz (Zine) ($3)An exploration of the body, one part at a time.Written as poems, but reading more like vignettes or small essays about how complicated it is just to exist in your own frame.

Bury Me Into the Mtn- Eleanor Murray (CD) ($10)

Recorded in a renovated church during a windstorm, with members of Mount Eerie serving as her backing band. An album that's completely unique while also being totally accessible.Give a listen!
Face Value: Understanding and Combating Face-ism- Alice W. (Zine) ($2)

Ideas of normalcy and their relationship to ideas of beauty are explored by Olympia writer Alice W.Get Out- Dogbreth (7") ($4)

A four song 7" from Phoenix's Dogbreth. With healthy nods to Superchunk and Good Luck, these are four catchy pop punk/power pop anthems.
Half-Gifts, Issue 4- Jude Noel (Zine) ($3)Music reviews, interviews, and even an old school indie rock crossword.Heavy Hangs the Head- Taryn Hipp (Book) ($10)The first book from long-running zinester Taryn Hipp (Sub Rosa, Lady Teeth). A well-written rollercoaster with the best author photo in the world.

The Hopeful Telegram- DJ Frederick (Zine) ($1.50)

A short zine about decades spent working in the mental health field. Written with tenderness towards all the people he works with and highly critical of the system itself.How To Be More Creative, More Often- Breanne Boland (Zine) ($3)

A down-to-earth, easy to use, and (best of all) inspiring guide for getting to work on your creative projects.
I, Mirage/My Mirage: A Zine About Body Image- Carlene Ostedgaard, Jonas (Zine) ($3)

A great zine about body image, featuring a wide range of perspectives, all of them fascinating. Contributors from all over the country, including a piece from our own Joshua James Amberson.
I Like It When You Read Bookmark- Kelsey Smith (Miscellany) ($2)
Letterpressed bookmarks with backings from old LPs. And a little piece of ribbon at the top. Made by Olympia zine librarian, Kelsey Smith.
Living Cooperatively in Intentional Community- Dan Copulsky (Zine)
($4)

Within: the many different types of communal living, the economic and social benefits, how to start one or join one, how to use consensus decision making, and how to make one last.
Mood Music- Upside Drown (CD) ($12)

A gorgeous CD release of the Mood Music album (previously available only on cassette).
Offerings of Grace & Mischief- Rachel Lee-Carmen (Zine) ($3)

Late night spontaneous weddings mix with mental health concerns and environmental harm. Communal living and relationships, an interview with Northwest fashion designer Alice Renner, DIY heartbreak kits, Steinbeck's boat sinking, faking nothing.

Pure Pop Poison- Rakehell (LP) ($5)

Years in the making, this is the music project of Russ Forster from 8-Track Mind. Fun minimalist garage pop. Engineered by Larry Crane (Elliott Smith, Quasi, Tape-Op editor).
Rad Dad #23: Making Family- Tomas Moniz (Zine) ($4)

Sex-positive parenting, pre-parent thoughts, a father and daughter facing off (in essay form), and much more. (Also has an essay from our buddy Cubbie Storm!)

Rad Dad #24- Tomas Moniz (Zine) ($4)

Patchwork family, adoption, miscarriage, and more. Editor Tomas Moniz's essay in this is so good that it's almost transcendent.
Suggestions #1- Kelsey Smith (Zine) ($3)
One line suggestions that are humble, helpful, and fun from zine librarian Kelsey Smith.
Suggestions #2- Kelsey Smith (Zine) ($3)
Another batch of suggestions and cute little images. Small ideas and profound truths.
That's Not Ok: Boundaries For The Conflict-Avoidant- Breanne Boland (Zine) ($4)

This guide to setting boundaries is clear, concise, not bogged down by weighty terms or concepts, and a total pleasure to read. Already one of our bestsellers!

Zine Love Button Pack- Mend My Dress Press (Buttons) ($5)
Five one inch buttons to show off your zine love.

RESTOCKED
-8-Track Mind #101- Russ Forster/Various Artists (Zine) ($3)

-Awkward Sex- Various Artists (Zine) ($5)

-Basic Paper Airplane #4- Joshua James Amberson (Zine) ($3)

-Basic Paper Airplane #5- Joshua James Amberson (Zine) ($2)

-Criminal: Writings of Isabelle Eberhardt- Isabelle Eberhardt (Zine) ($5)

-Field Guide to the Aliens of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seasons 1-7 (Zines) ($8)

-Fluffah- Kelsey Smith (Zine) ($5)

-Free to Choose: A Women's Guide to Reproductive Freedom- Eberhardt Press (Zine) ($2)

-Gentle In Carnations- Ariel Birks (Poetry Chapbook) ($3)

-Growing Things: A Guide for Beginning Gardeners- Joshua James Amberson/Various Artists (Zine) ($3)

-Ilse Content, Vol. 11- Alexis Wolf (Zine) ($2)

-Jane: Documents from Chicago's Clandestine Abortion Service, 1968-1973- Eberhardt Press (Zine) ($3)

-Jesus Christ Superzine, Vol. 1- Ariel Birks (Zine) ($3)

-Jesus Christ Superzine, Vol. 2- Ariel Birks (Zine) ($3)

-Pedal Powered Propeller Graph Paper- Eberhardt Press (Blank Book) ($4)

-The Prince Zine- Joshua James Amberson/Rachel Lee-Carman (Zine) ($5)
-Rad Dad: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Fatherhood- Tomas Moniz, Jeremy Adam Smith, Various Artists (Books) ($15)

-Shoe & Tail #11- Rachel Lee-Carmen (Zine) ($3)
-Show & Tell #8- Rachel Lee-Carmen (Zine) ($3)

-Syndicate Product #20: Meta Comics- AJ Michel/Various Artists (Zine) ($4)

-Syndicate Product #22: Six Categories- AJ Michel/Various Artists (Zine) ($2)
-Tiger Pad 3-Pack (Blank Books) ($6)

NEWS

*A reminder that, for those of you in the Northwest, this weekend is the Helsing Junction Sleepover, presented by K Records and Helsing Junction Farm. We'll be there selling merch and hosting the Northwest Literary Showcase on Saturday, so come say hi!

*Eleanor Murray's new video (from her brand new album!) premiered on Tiny Mixtapes a few weeks back.

*Our own Joshua James Amberson recently started a book review Tumblr for the reviews he does for Orca Books.

*Our pal Zach Weintraub was a recent finalist for the Stranger's Film Genius award.

*Support musician/performance artist Poppet as she Kickstarts her first full length album. A lot of work went into this and there's a lot of amazing and creative incentives for donating to the project.

*And congrats to Rad Dad on raising over four grand on their relaunch campaign. We hope this amazing publication can reach an even bigger audience because of it.

Helsing Junction Sleepover & The Northwest Literary Showcase

2013-08-15T12:32:00.001-07:00

This weekend brings the Northwest's best summer music festival, the Helsing Junction Sleepover, put on by K Records and Helsing Junction Farm.

The line-up is always amazing, even (and especially when) it doesn't feature a lot of big name artists. It's beautiful, mellow, and always a good time. An exciting addition this year is the Northwest Literary Showcase, hosted by our own Joshua James Amberson. We'll be there selling merch, so come say hi! More info below.

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The Northwest Literary Showcase presents a broad mix of essayists, novelists, zinesters, and poets from around the Northwest. Combining seasoned award-winning authors with up-and-coming writers, the showcase brings an entertaining assortment of local talent.

Some of the artists appearing this year are:

Kevin Sampsell is a Portland-based author, publisher, and bookseller. His critically-acclaimed memoir, A Common Pornography came out in 2010 on Harper Perennial. For almost 25 years, he’s ran the micropress, Future Tense Books, and for fifteen years he’s worked as events coordinator and head of the small press section at Powell’s Books. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including McSweeneys, Nerve, and Salon. His first novel, This is Between Us, comes out this November on Tin House.

Ariel Birks is a writer and musician based in Olympia, Washington. She is the author of the zine Jesus Christ Superzine, the first issue of which was nominated for Zine of the Year in 2009 by the Utne Reader, and the poetry chapbook Gentle in Carnations, which was released in 2012.

Michael Heald is the publisher of Perfect Day Publishing. His debut essay collection, Goodbye to the Nervous Apprehension, was one of the Willamette Week’s Best Books of 2012. His work has appeared in Runner’s World, the LA Review of Books, Propeller Quarterly, Silk Road Review, Volume 1 Brooklyn, and other publications. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Casey Fuller is a writer and cat lover born and raised in Olympia, Washington and currently based in Portland, Oregon. His poems have appeared in Crab Creek Review, Switched-On Gutenberg, A River and Sound Review, Palabra, among other publications. He’s the winner of the 2009 Here Today art grant and the 2010 Jeanne Lohmann Poetry Prize. His book, A Fort Made of Doors, was the winner of the 2011 Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Contest.

Joshua James Amberson is a writer based in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of the long-running zine Basic Paper Airplane, as well as The Prince Zine, Growing Things: A Guide for Beginning Gardeners, and is editor of the book collection,Everyday Mythologies. His work has appeared in Zine World, American Songwriter, Syndicate Product, Where You From?, Grand, and other publications. He co-runs the Ms. Valerie Park Distro, runs Antiquated Future Records, is an organizer for the Portland Zine Symposium, and is a volunteer event coordinator at the Independent Publishing Resource Center.

Chloe Caldwell is the author of the essay collection, Legs Get Led Astray (Future Tense Books, April 2012). Her nonfiction has appeared in Salon.com, The Rumpus, Thought Catalog, xoJane, The Frisky, The Sun, The Faster Times, The Fix, Men’s Health, and many anthologies including Goodbye To All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving NYC (Seal Press). She currently lives in Portland, Oregon and works at Powell’s Books.

Danielle Ruse is a writer who works in many forms, a publicist for K Records, avid book enthusiast, and a lover of cats. She’s a long-standing fixture of the Olympia community.

Gaia Thomas is part of a collective of artists and poets that have dubbed themselves Team Awesome. In 2011, she appeared in the Godiva Speaksanthology and read with other women poets from Olympia. In 2004 she got sidetracked from a road trip and ended up winning the Mad Linguist Poetry Slam. She is the author of three chapbooks: Bitter Cup, Cut from the Body, and the upcoming Aloft Alight. She is currently authoring a column called “Be the Yogurt” which has nothing to do with yogurt.

Portland Zine Symposium 2013!

2013-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to all of you in the Pacific Northwest that the 13th annual Portland Zine Symposium is this weekend! All day Saturday and Sunday at the Ambridge Events Center (1333 ne mlk jr blvd., Portland, Oregon 97232). 150+ tablers, 20+ workshops, 15+ hours of zine awesomeness, all totally free.

Sat, August 10th 10am-6pm

Sun, August 11th 10am-5pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/419651664788093

There's also a bunch of night-time events Friday and Saturday:

Friday Night: PZS Kick-Off: https://www.facebook.com/events/556723821036482/

Saturday Night: Zine Prom: https://www.facebook.com/events/1396338300580715

We'll be there for all of this! And helping organize! See you there, yes?

The Return of Well, I Don't See Why Not

2013-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but our music compilation series, Well, I Don't See Why Not started exactly five years ago! The three volumes have spanned a wide variety of music and, after a two year hiatus, we're happy to announce that Volume Four is in the works! The compilation will be released by our sister record label, Antiquated Future and will feature music that fits under the label's theme of "music of the future past." Which is broad and subjective, but a theme none-the-less.

And - in a truly odd incident of planning ahead - the release date is set for October 29th, 2013. We'll be kicking it off with a release party in Portland, Or. with Upside Drown, Will Sprott of the The Mumlers and more to be announced.

Also, we're getting down to the last copies of Well, I Don't See Why Not Vol. Three! And they're now only $1 each! Vol. One is out of print in the physical world, but available for free on our Bandcamp page and Vol. Two is just a $1. If you want to donate to helping make Vol. Four a reality, just use any of the Bandcamp albums as a donation site. It'll let you pay any amount you'd like.

Here's how we describe the series: Well, I Don't See Why Not is an ongoing compilation series of under-appreciated artists. Unsigned/barely signed, unheard of, underheard of, amazing.

And so far, here's all the artists who have been a part of it: Twig Palace, Yes Please, Hail Seizures, If It Ain't Breakfast Don't Fix It, Eleanor Murray, A Collective of Dirt, The Background Front, Pet Club, Ariel Birks, Kleinen Frühstück, My Peach is Pickled, Kite, Hecka Ar, Tapestry, Gumar, Foxdye, Blindfolder, Makeout Hangover, Letters, Poppet, Cock and Swan, Gunmothers Head, Christina Antipa, Christopher Francis, Maxwell Alan, Kendl Winter, DJ Dogwater, Corespondents, Invisible River, Black Tail Dear, Braided, Marlo Eggplant, Jordan O' Jordan, Little Angry, Firs of Prey, Kickball, Broken Water, Legs the Crab, Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets, St. St., S.L.F.M., Abigail Peach Tree, and Polka Dot Dot Dot.

New Zines & New Albums!

2013-07-18T15:36:00.003-07:00

That's Not Ok: Boundaries for the Conflict-Avoidant

This guide to setting boundaries is clear, concise, not bogged down by weighty terms of concepts, and a total pleasure to read. That's right: This zine about boundaries is fun! And it's fun without being shallow or over-the-top. Its analogies are humorous while being totally applicable and it's full of great comics and little drawings.

Living Cooperatively in Intentional Community

A concise guide to living with others and sharing resources. Within: the many different types of communal living, the economic and social benefits, how to start one or join one, how to use consensus decision making, and how to make one last.

How to Be More Creative, More Often

A down-to-earth, easy to use, and (best of all) inspiring guide for getting to work on your creative projects. Humor and small comics keep it fun throughout.

Face Value: Understanding and Combating Face-ism

Ideas of normalcy and their relationship to ideas of beauty are explored by Olympia writer Alice W. Born with a facial condition that puts her outside people's ideas of normal, she shows us a variety of scenes from her life and asks her readers to reconsider, to look at assumptions.

Plus!: Today is the release date for Eleanor Murray's new album, and we recently picked up a piece of post-punk vinyl from France/Olympia band Bitpart, and seven inches of anthemic pop punk from Phoenix's Dogbreth.

July Distro Update!

2013-07-11T13:43:00.003-07:00

Welcome to summer. July is International Zine Month and we're celebrating. We're bringing on a bunch of new zines and replenishing a lot of old favorites with the end goal of: more zines than ever before. Exciting. We got our first zine for kids and our first zine in Spanish, both of which we're very happy about. The 24 Hour Zine Challenge is on its way and in a month we'll be spreading out most our wares at the 13th annual Portland Zine Symposium. A lot going on and a lot to look forward to.

New

A House, A Haunting, A Cabin On The Hill- DJ Frederick (Zine) ($1.50

The story of living in a haunted house with a dead pony in the barn and an upstairs full of dog poop before moving into a cabin off-the-grid and moving out right before the first snow.

Kate Berube Greeting Card Set- Kate Berube (Paper Goods) ($16)Five cards from Portland illustrator Kate Berube. Fun, cute, and able to apply to most occasions. For the kid in all of us.
No Biggie City #1- Jefferson/Various artists (Zine) ($3)Issue #1 of this new Olympia music zine features an interview with Queer Rock Camp, a piece on the band Dogjaw, wonderful art by Camille McCarthy of Sharkpact, and an so much more!

Piensalo: Una Introducción A Los Trabajadores Industriales Del Mundo- Tim Acott (Zine) ($4)

A Spanish version of Think it Over: An Introduction to the IWW, an easy to understand guide to the principles of this long-running labor organization.

Romantic Feelings- Self Titled (Cassette) ($5)

Luscious pop landscapes with surfy canopies. Dubbed on swanky yellow cassettes, Emo skips algebra & goes to the beach.

Taken For A Ride: My Night in the Cash Cab- Matt Carman (Zine) ($3)

Using his real life experiences on and off game shows as the basis for this engrossing collection of essays, Taken for a Ride is part perzine and part pop culture analysis.

Tater Totter #2- Kate Berube/Various Artists (Zine) ($5)

Our very first zine for kids! But really, I think it's for everybody. Put together by Portland illustrator Kate Berube.

Tater Totter #1- Kate Berube/Various Artists (Zine) ($5)

The first issue of Tater Totter, the awesomely fun zine for kids. Comics, games, silly poems, and stories.

Turntable Operator #5- DJ Frederick (Zine) ($4)

Vinyl records, radio culture, and a love for all things oddball come together for this issue ofTurntable Operator.

We Play Quiet- Self Titled (Cassette) ($5)

Five song EP from Olympia's We Play Quiet. Melancholic, fuzzy pop punk.

Restocked
*Basic Paper Airplane #4- Joshua James Amberson (Zine) ($3)
*Basic Paper Airplane #5- Joshua James Amberson (Zine) ($2)

*Bravery on a Bus- Alicia LeDuc (Zine) ($6)*The Bourgeois Blues T-Shirt- Kyle Rollins (Shirt) ($12)
*Building: A DIY Guide to Creating Spaces, Hosting Events and Fostering Radical Communities- Neil Campau/Various Artists (Zine) ($4)
*Come on Down: True Game Show Tales By Winners, Losers, Viewers, & Folks Behind The Scenes- Matt Carman/Various Artists (Zine) ($4)

*Criminal: Writings of Isabelle Eberhardt- Isabelle Eberhardt (Zine) ($5)

*Ducks in a Row- Kyle Rollins (Shirt) ($12)

*Free to Choose: A Women's Guide to Reproductive Freedom- Eberhardt Press (Zine) ($2)

*Growing Things: A Guide for Beginning Gardeners- Joshua James Amberson/Various Artists (Zine) ($3)

*How Mystery Science Theater 3000 Changed My Life (Or, 13 Lessons I Learned from the Best TV Show Ever)- Tyler Hauk (Zine) ($3)

*I Love Bad Movies #'s 1-5- Kseniya Yarosh/Matt Carman (Zines) ($5/each)*I Think I Need a New Heart Postcard- Rachel Lee-Carman (Card) ($1)

*Like a Bear in the Woods- Kyle Rollins (Shirt) ($12)

*The Prince Zine- Joshua James Amberson/Rachel Lee-Carman (Zine) ($5)

*Shit's Fucked: A Positivity Guide- Gina Sarti (Zine) ($2)

*Shoe & Tail #11- Rachel Lee-Carman (Zine) ($3)

*Temporary Brothers- DJ Frederick (Zine) ($2)

*Think it Over: An Introduction to the IWW- Tim Acott (Zine) ($4)

News

*In August our own Joshua James will be hosting the Northwest Literary Showcase at K Records' annual Helsing Junction Sleepover festival! Tons of great writers on board for this one.

*Some Olympia friends are turning the long-running New Moon Cafe into a collectively-owned cafe, which is going to be awesome. They are fundraising to make this a reality and we highly encourage people to donate.

*Speaking of collectively-owned organizations, our friends here in Portland are in the process of starting a collectively-owned pub and are hosting a family-friendly fundraiser later this month.

*Our buddy Elisa Hough made an awesome radio documentary for L.A.'s KPFK programFeminist Magazine. Definitely worth checking out.

*Another fundraiser we highly encourage you to donate to is the Rad Dad relaunch project, which will bring the long-running Rad Dad zine onto magazine racks and open up this great publication to a way bigger audience, in a way that's ethical and inclusive (As in, not selling their soul to big publishers).

*Kendl Winter has a feature article (written by our own Joshua James) in the July issue of Performer Magazine.

*Corespondents has a new video for their song "Manifest Destiny's Child" (from their excellent Land of the Low People album). The video is part of Seattle dancer Ezra Dickinson's piece Mother For You I Made This, which is is aimed at activating a conversation about failures in the mental health care system.

*Corespondents' Land of the Low People was also reviewed on SSG Music.

*Upside Drown's Mood Music album was reviewed on the Half Gifts blog.

*An article about Ruby Pins was recently on East Bay Express and a video from M'Lady's Records' 6th anniversary party, with Ruby Pins, is on Mondo Nation.

*Big congrats to the Independent Publishing Resource Center's recent 15th anniversary! The party for it was a lot of fun and their anniversary was written up in the Portland Mercury.

*There's a couple cute new videos from some of our Olympia old time music friends. One for the Pine Hearts' song "Last Man Standing" and one for The Lowest Pair's song "Rosie."

*Markly Morrison, of Skrill Meadow and Lake, was recently interviewed in Impose Magazine.

*Olympia performance art experimental pop friends, Hot Fruit, were recently interviewed onAlibi.

*Portland's own Natasha Kmeto's album dropped a few weeks ago and got mentions (on the day of its release alone!) on Rookie, Refinery29, FACT, xlr8r, Dummy, Pigeons & Planes, and more.

*Our pal Charlie Zaillian did a piece on They Might Be Giants for the Seattle Times.

*We had some words about Cometbus #55 for L.A. Zine Fest's zine recommendation feature.

*The aforementioned International Zine Month comes with fun daily activities, so check it out and participate! Also, if you ask us, we'll send you a printed copy of the day-by-day activities.

*And finally, congrats to our good friends at Herbivore Botanicals on their recent wedding!

Until next month,

Joshua James & Chask'e

Ms. Valerie Park Distro

International Zine Month 2013

2013-07-02T11:17:00.002-07:00

Welcome to International Zine Month! We're excited for a month full of zine obsession. As far as the distro goes, we're going to be building up our zine selection to new heights. There's also this 31 Days of IZM, which you can use to make your celebration more interactive.

Basic Paper Airplane review in the new issue of Broken Pencil!

2013-06-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

The last issue of Basic Paper Airplane got a great review in the new of Broken Pencil, the excellent Canadian magazine of zine culture and independent arts. Seriously, if you don't read Broken Pencil, you really should start. It's awesome.

"If I were a professor marking this zine to hand back to Joshua, it would be full of checkmarks. Thoughtful epigraph? Check. Typewritten text? Check. Train hopping story? Check check. Extra credit: cursive typewriter and colour cover.

This is the type of zine 1 love to read and occasionally try to write: autobiographical short stories darting from different points in the author's past, loosely woven together. The theme has to do with beginnings, which can mean anything from beginning to realize the world is fucked up to a reflection on the Wright Brothers (early flight) and Edward Muybridge (early photographic motion studies). Joshua's goal is not to didactically bore you with details of these figures but to share a personal connection with them. He is more interested in telling you what Gertrude Stein makes him think and feel rather than why she was important, which is to say you experience these texts through his eyes.

I appreciated the sketches of memories and his comparison of certain lo-fi, Peruvian folk music to Kate Bush and P.J. Harvey. The sincere curiosity in these pages will appeal to folks who remember zines such as In Abandon, Grundig and early Doris." (Chris Landry)

The Pine Hearts

2013-06-12T14:07:00.002-07:00

Our old time music friends, The Pine Hearts, have a new cute little video of them playing in a boat. Adorable.

ORANGE COUNTY ZINE LIBRARY & READING ROOM!

2013-06-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

We're stoked to have quite a few Ms.Valerie Park Distro titles featured in this library! Check it out:

Saturday, June 15 – Sunday, September 1, 2013

Saturday-Sunday: 10:00am-4:00pm

Opening Reception

Saturday, June 15: 1:00pm-3:00pm

The Orange County Zine Library & Reading Room is an exhibition curated by L.A. Zine Fest in collaboration with popular zine festivals in Brooklyn, Houston, Scranton, and San Francisco. The library features over 200 zines from across the country as well as the zine documentary $100 & A T-Shirt.

$100 & A T-Shirt is a cultural analysis of the zine community created by Basil Shadid, Rev. Phil Sano, Nickey Robo, and Joe Biel. The documentary sparks untapped creativity and new interest into zine making and reading.

To celebrate the opening of the Orange County Zine Library & Reading Room, artist Yumi Sakugawa created a free zine for guests entitled ‘How to Make a Zine.’
The Orange County Great Park is located at Sand Canyon and Marine Way, and can easily be reached by the 5 or 405 freeways. For more information: http://www.ocgp.org/2013/06/great-park-artists-studios-welcomes-trio-new-exhibitions/ or call 866-829-3829.

Ms Valerie Park Distro's June Distro Update

2013-06-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

New

Come Out Card -Corina Dross (Paper goods/Cards) ($3)
Styled like a grade school Valentine, Corina Dross recontextualizes the classic Smiths lyrics from "Sheila, Take a Bow" to create a stunning card that works as an inspirational ode to being who you are and finding your fellow freaks. Printed on crisp 110 lb ivory cardstock, bordered in red, with To and From on the reverse side.
More Cards by Corina Dross!: If It's Not Love Card, To Die By Your Side Card, More to Life Than Books Card (all amazing.)
Max Ernst Mini Journal -Eberhardt Press (Blank book) ($2.50)A gothically romantic mini journal.
Max Ernst Notepad -Eberhardt Press (Blank book) ($4)A wonderfully strange scene of mystery and intrigue from Max Ernst's 1941 book, A Week of Kindness or The Seven Deadly Elements Novel.
Max Ernst Greeting Card Pack -Eberhardt Press (Paper goods) ($7)A beautifully strange five pack of greeting cards by Eberhardt Press.These cards are haunting, humorous, and totally unique. Offset print on recycled cardstock paper, with five recycled off-white envelopes. See also Max Ernst Postcard Pack!

Nuts #11 -Ben Trogdon/Various Artists (Zine) ($4)
A HUGE new issue of the Nuts fanzine, the first issue from it's new Brooklyn, NY home. Punk newsprint glory, extra posters, interviews, photos, and so much more.
Paper Radio: A Far & Distant Place -DJ Frederick (Zine) ($3)
A great issue of Paper Radio! Within: FCC shutdown of Radio Ronin; BBC Radio past and future; Radio Moscow history; Radio Romania today, a printer's recollections of the songs of his youth from the 40s, 50s, and 60s; Radio Antarctica; and 50 years of Doctor Who.
Portable Fortitude -Corina Dross (Cards) ($20)
An amazingly beautiful deck of cards by Portland artist Corina Dross. Designed with the flexibility to be anything you want them to be - from a simple, smartly-designed, poker deck to talismans for your altar. Being used for everything from tarot to writing prompts. Comes cello-wrapped in a lovely tuck box with hand-drawn and lettered artwork. View all 54 images.

Selector Catalogue- Hyperfocus (CD) ($10)

The long-awaited new release from Portland's Fkdp Records. Hyperfocus takes old school breakcore stylings and updates it. Intricate, heavy, and melodic. Well-produced post-industrial chip-breaks throughtout.

Restock

All My Fathers -DJ Frederick (Zine) ($1.50)
A sweet personal zine about all the people in his life that have stepped in as a father when he needed one. Talking about his work in mental health care and disability rights along the way. The Best Game Ever -Billy Da Bunny (Games) ($8)The Best Game Ever plays like a cross between canasta and Magic The Gathering and is all about building your own zines.
Ditches -Sharkpact (LP) ($12) One our favorite Olympia bands, Sharkpact is Camille and Jeff from the Hail Seizures making amazingly full, well-crafted, punk songs with just synths and drums. 8 anthems that won’t leave your head or your turntable for days.An Ilse Content Anthology -Alexis Wolf (Book) ($15)
Never ceasing to be interesting and surprising, the first 8 years of Ilse Content is collected for the first time here.
Last Night at the Casino #1 -Billy Da Bunny (Zine) ($2) In Last Night at the Casino, Billy gives us a glimpse at casino life from the eyes of a newbie dealer.Last Night at the Casino #2 -Billy Da Bunny (Zine) ($2)
A series of quick little stories about life as a casino dealer. Fun, engaging, and a great peak into another world.Last Night at the Casino #3 -Billy Da Bunny (Zine) ($2)Unsent letters to employees and gamblers, going to stadium punk shows with a boss and his teenage kids, and many other little stories from inside the casino.Love is Not Constantly Wondering if You're Making the Biggest Mistake of Your Life-Zach, Sarah Miller (Book) ($6)
Brilliantly styled as a Choose Your Own Adventure book, this book is “about being an ace starfighter pilot who has crashed on a planet of malevolent space ants, but it is actually about a four year relationship with an incredibly self-destructive alcoholic.Mend My Dress #9 -Neely Bat Chestnut (Zine) ($2)This issue deals with home, relationships, travel, cleanliness, mental health, Martha Stewart, and death. Heavy, hard and beautiful, in the way that only Neely can.Mend My Dress: Collected Zines 2005-2007 -Neely Bat Chestnut (Book) ($13) A beautiful collection of the first six (long out of print) issues of Mend My Dress - a zine that for years has been constantly impressive in its openness and strength.Miami, You've Got Style: A Little Golden Girls Book -Zach, Scott (Book) ($12) A hilarious coffee table book of commentary on every outfit worn during the first season of The Golden Girls. Shotgun Seamstress Zine Collection -Osa Atoe/Various Artists (Book) ($18) Through essays, interviews, historical portraits of important artists and scenes, reviews, and so much more, Shotgun Seamstress paid tribute and gave a platform for, "Black feminists, artists, punks, queers, and musicians."Slow to Build -Dogjaw (LP) ($12)
Awesomely heavy punk, in a very Northwest way. Hand-screened covers. Plus you get a drawing of the band riding a musk ox on the flipside of the lyric sheet.Summer Soul Vol. 3: A Northern Soul Mixtape -Various Artists (Tape) ($5) An hour of northern soul gems. In these 23 tracks, we find tributes to BBQs, pleas to the DJ, tons of barely-known soul sisters, admissions of guilt, inspirational personal-as-political uplifters, sultry jams, soul stars in their youth, would-be-soul-stars who died too young, and much more. Temporary Brothers -DJ Frederick (Zine) ($2)The follow-up to All My Fathers, DJ Frederick (Paper Radio, Turntable Operator) gives us what he calls, "memory sketches of my temporary brothers and our misadventures." In a small zine, he asks some big questions and tells some heavy stories.
Turntable Operator #3 -DJ Frederick (Zine) ($4)
This is the issue where Turntable Operator really comes into its own. Plus: a Paper Radio-inspired plea for radio engagement; record reviews; a zine review; and an interview with Joseph Carlough of the Record Collecting zine.

Mp3s

Sharkpact- Ocean (off of Ditches)

xOhNo- That Fire (off xOhNo)

News

This is a busy month for events hear in the Pacific Northwest! So, to start:

*Tomorrow is the Olympia Comics Fest! Which has such fine folks as David Laskyspeaking at it and tons of tablers. See you there.

*Tomorrow is also the Women of Color Zine Symposium! Which takes places in Portland and is an amazing, ever growing, event.

*June 15th brings the Independent Publishing Resource Center's 15th anniversary party in Portland, Or.

*June 18th is the Bike-In Movie, an annual event put on by the Portland Zine Symposium as part of Pedalpalooza. This year we're watching the 80s BMX movie Rad.

*And in upcoming news, the 24 Hour Zine Challenge is next month. In Portland, it will happen at the Red & Black cafe on July 27th and be hosted by the Portland Zine Symposium.

*And mark your calendars for August 16th-18th when there will be the always amazingHelsing Junction Sleepover on the beautiful Helsing Junction farm in Rochester, Wa.

*In other news: An Ilse Content Anthology & Basic Paper Airplane #6 were reviewed in the new issue of Xerography Debt.

*Our Olympia electro-pop-all-star-friends, xOhNo, have put out their first album. Which is available on their Bandcamp.

*Ashley Eriksson's new video (filmed in the Olympia Timberland Library!) was featured onRookie. Her band Lake also had a song on a recent episode of Adventure Time.

*Michael Heald (from Perfect Day Publishing) was featured on the latest episode of the Zine Scene.

*The Seattle fast food workers' strike is going strong, from what we know. Big support to them.

*Our buddy Zach Weintraub's new film, Fresh Starts for Stale People, just came out and looks really great.

*The ever-amazing Patti Miller just started her advice column! Ask away.

*Osa Atoe (from Shotgun Seamstress) was interviewed in the latest issue of Bitch Magazine.

*The new Iji album was reviewed in The Stranger.

*Seattle cartoonist (and one of the first zinesters we carried here at the distro) Drew Christie did an Op-doc in the New York Times!

*Portland's awesome Natasha Kmeto (from Dropping Gems) had her new single featured onSpin.

*There's just a little over a week to go to donate to the IPRC's 15th anniversary Superzine project.

*Our "post boy band" friends IBQT have a pretty great live video from their recent performance at Ravin' for Rights, filmed by Brian Echon and Nate Midgley.

*The new Kendl Winter album just went up for pre-order over at K Records.

*The premiere of Valencia, a series of short films (one of them by the amazing Jerry Lee!) based on Michelle Tea's book, is coming to San Francisco on June 21st and hopefully the rest of the world soon.

*Briana Marela recently put out a great new 7" single.

*Our friends at Paper Doll Circus Distro are getting their shop up and running.

*Olympia bands Dick Binge and Fucking Dyke Bitches are on tour and were recently featured on TV news feature in North Carolina for their names being deemed offensive on a marquee. Pretty hilarious.

*Marlo Eggplant is doing a small European tour soon.

*Olympia specialty vinyl label, People in a Position to Know, are having a huge moving sale.

*In other vinyl news, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry says last year was the biggest year for vinyl sales in 15 years! Which is awesome. In honor of this (not really, but by chance), we've been building up and restocking our selection of LPs and7"s over the last month.

*The LA Zine Fest has just started a Zine Recommendations feature, where zine makers and distros give their latest favorites. In the next week or two we'll be contributing to it, which will be fun.

*Speaking of zine recommendations, DJ Frederick's One Minute Zine Reviews has been doing some great zine reviews of late.

*And finally, we're putting in our vote for Mend My Dress as the best distro of late! They're an amazing press, of course, but have built up an equally amazing selection in their distro. Definitely check it out.

Until next month,

Joshua James & Chask'e

Ms. Valerie Park Distro

Max Ernst (1891 – 2013)

2013-06-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Notepad

We're very excited here at M.V.P.D headquarters to have recently added some new goods from Eberhardt Press.
I remember first seeing some of the postcards Eberhardt was putting out featuring selected works by the German surrealist Max Ernst , it was around 2009. We happened to be tabling right next to each other at a media convergence in Portland, OR, (I was immediately drawn to the fever dream imagery, & near flawless collage work, blending fashion magazine art with nature journals & romantic novels!)

Mini-Journal

Painter, print-maker, collagist, and sculptor, Ernst is considered one of the major figures of Dada and even more so of Surrealism.
The Mini-journal, Postcard set, Greeting card set & Notebook feature works from Ernst's 1941 book, A Week of Kindness or The Seven Deadly Elements Novel
You can find them all here!

Greeting Card Set

Postcard Set

New to the Distro from Corina Dross!

2013-05-29T00:39:00.001-07:00

Portable Fortitude is an amazingly beautiful deck of cards by Portland artist Corina Dross. Designed with the flexibility to be anything you want them to be - from a simple, smartly-designed, poker deck to talismans for your altar. Being used for everything from tarot to writing prompts.
Printed on eco-friendly, recycled card stock, and coated to be fully playable. Printed in the USA. Comes cello-wrapped in a lovely tuck box with hand-drawn and lettered artwork.

Here are a few
images from Within! (the deck)

May Distro Update

2013-05-15T21:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some things for this month:

*This weekend we'll be tabling at Amazine Day, a small press and zine fair that we're also helping organize and leading workshops at. If you're in Portland, come by and say hi!

*It's the third month of our Fan Club and it's going incredibly well. We're having fun with it.

*Thanks to the advice of our dear pal Bob Schwenkler (and thanks to our fierce dedication to always being five years behind the times), we're now on Twitter.

*Our buddies at the Olympia Timberland Library and the Pierce County Library just picked up a lot of MVPD titles, so all you South Sound library patrons should go check out your library shelves sometime soon.

*And we're also working on updating our Links page, so please check out all our awesome friends.

New

Come On Down: True Game Show Tales By Winners, Losers, Viewers, & Folks Behind The Scenes -Matt Carmen/Various Artists (Zine) ($4)

This wonderfully unique collection features essays from game show winners, losers, writers, producers, and fans. This interesting assortment of unlikely zinesters spans a huge range of ages and backgrounds.

A Dream of Books (Zine) ($2)

A short story about starting a short-lived bookstore. A lifelong relationship with books told in the span of a few pages.

Duck in a Row T-Shirt -Kyle Rollins (Shirt) ($12)

Designed and Screenprinted by Kyle Rollins in Olympia, WA. Available in Medium and Large. (Two other designs also available here!)

How Mystery Science Theater 3000 Changed My Life (Or, 13 Lessons I Learned from the Best TV Show Ever) -Tyler Hauck (Zine) ($3)

From one of the most intellectual, nerdy, and low budget cult television shows every made, Tyler Hauck chronicles some pretty sincere life lessons.

I Know You Know My Heart #1-Kneeotini McNett (Zine) ($3.50)

Setting fire to the page, Kneeotni makes sure you feel life. Even when it hurts. These memoir pieces look back years into her past and bring to life hard stories of family and friends, love and loss, travel and adventure.

J.O.C.K. Patch (Patch) ($3)

A black screenprinted dinosaur patch from Olympia queer punks, J.O.C.K.

Quickest Flipest Magazine Compilation-Various Artists (Misc) ($12)

A superb compilation CD from the folks at Quickest Flipest Magazine, with a song for every month of the year. With contributions from the likes of Ruby Pins, Karl Blau & more!

Restock

Basic Paper Airplane #4 -Joshua Amberson (Zine) ($3)

D.I.Y. Magic -Anthony Alvarado (Book) ($13.95)

J.O.C.K- No Assumptions (Tape) ($3)

Ms. Valerie Park Distro Sticker Pack -Rachel Lee-Carmen ($1)Paper Radio, #11: A Media & Radio Zine -Dj Frederick (Zine) ($3)

Paper Radio, #12: A Media & Radio Zine -Dj Frederick (Zine) ($3)

Summer Soul Gift Pack -Various Artists (Tapes) ($25)
Truckface #16 -L.B (Zine) ($3)

News

***Our dear friend Sarah Geo Walton was profiled on SCRAP's blog.

***Corespondent's excellent Land of the Low People album was written up on Burning World and the Seattle Weekly.

***Portland's Perfect Day Publishing is on an east coast tour!

***In other Perfect Day news: Love is Not Constantly Wondering if You're Making the Biggest Mistake of Your Life was reviewed on Slate and Martha Grover recently appeared on The Writer's Block radio show.

***Our good buddies at Calliope Farm in Olympia, Wa. have their CSA going strong as usual. Sign up!

***The awesome A.M. O'Malley was just guest blogger for the week on The Detail Collector.

***Blindfolder's Artifact Effect album (one of the releases on our Antiquated Future label) was reviewed on Cassette Tape Gods.

***The Brooklyn Zine Fest (and zines in general) were written up in the New York Times recently.

***Conceptual artist Lenae Day has a new art show/performance piece coming up.

***Olympia friends Hot Fruit went viral recently for their bizarre and amazing video.

***Shit's Fucked: A Positivity Guide was mentioned in the Bluestockings Magazine article on feminist zines.

***Chicago's Laboratory Dancers are working on a performance piece that utilizes Tapestry's Lassen album (another Antiquated Future release) and they have been sending us the rehearsal videos.

***Seattle writer Charlie Zaillian (and guitarist for Chung Antique) has been getting a ton of great music journalism articles published of late.

***Eleanor Murray and Ben Kamen's collaborative project AANTARTICAA recently put out their debut album.

***Seattle friends Cumulus got a write up in Spin.

***Olympia friend Kim Langston is doing a tiny house fundraiser and benefit album, which you can now donate to.

***Ruby Pins has a new video and a new album coming out on M'Lady's Records.

***Our buddy Chris Estey's talk from the 2013 EMP Pop Conference is now up on YouTube.

***KDVS' annual Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom festival is almost here.

***Olympia's Arrington de Dionyso was interviewed by Impose Magazine.

***Jordan O' Jordan was interviewed on Sad Mag about music, performance, and queer spaces.

***Congratulations to Portland's long-running Reading Frenzy store for making their relocation fundraising goal!

***And mark your calendars to come celebrate the Independent Publishing Resource Center's 15th anniversary with us on June 15th in Portland, Or.!

Rumbletowne Records! We're all ears...

2013-05-06T15:18:00.002-07:00

"Belly" by Erica Freas

Starting in 2007 in Olympia, WA, Rumbletowne Records has been cranking out some of the best punk rock the Northwest (and beyond) has to offer. Bands like RVIVR (long time Olympia staples) and Dogjaw are the humble mast heads for this indie label, sounds extend through punk and pop's borders without a second glance.
Working along side with them has been an honor, and an inspiration! Please check out there site at rumbletowne.com

and feel free to peruse our selection as well.

Photography Post #2

2013-05-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

We're proud to have Incandescent issue #3 now available for order!
It features stunning images from the world over, all working under the theme of "Other(s) Memories," make up the third issue of Incandescent. A color film zine based right here in Portland, Or.
65 pages, full color, solid wax ink, 6.5" x 8", perfect bound,
part the first pressing of 100 copies.
-M.V.P.D

2013-05-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

go to our...
NEW WEBSITE!
(this site is now the Ms Valerie Park Distro blog and not a place to order)

Hot Fruit

2013-04-26T13:48:00.002-07:00

Our dear friends (and longtime nextdoor neighbors) Hot Fruit have had their video blow-up on Reddit. Which means two things:

1. More people know about these truly interesting, exciting, and fun female performance artists. Some people are praising the shit out of it. This is good.

2. A ton of people are making awful misogynist comments about our buddies (see Reddit link above). This is fucked.

While awful comments on YouTube and Reddit is sadly to be expected, the fact that the comments are almost entirely based on cultural norms of female beauty is, at the very least, annoying. And when they turn into violent threats, scary and disgusting.

Hot Fruit is not for everybody, sure, but they are important. They are female artists crossing lines and pushing buttons, confusing the status quo. Watch the video and, if you want to talk some shit on misogyny and support our friends, we highly encourage you to do so.

...What the electric eye saw.

2013-04-22T20:08:00.001-07:00

Photography books/zines featured on Ms.Valerie Park Distro:
Sans Titre et Sans Reproche,
Issues 1 & 2
A French photography zine of the interesting and the weird. Perfect for fans of Hamburger Eyes,
The wacky, the weird, the absurd, and everything in between. Photos from all around Europe.

The Cartography of Farmers' Wives: Photography from 1915-1976

In The Cartography of Farmers' Wives, Colleen Weber Borst explores the westward immigration of her family through photographs taken by her grandmother and great-grandmother, Grace Shaw Weber and Emma Heckner Shaw. From Salt Lake City, Utah, to Alberta, Canada, to Eastern Washington State, these photographs are a haunting meditation on place and history. Black & white and color photos.

Without Words & Without Kneeling: The Final Six Issues

2013-04-22T19:56:00.002-07:00

Just Added!
The final six installments of Tomas Moniz (editor of Rad Dad) 's
serialized novella about “five characters who are all part of an anarchist study group that meets once a month, and how their lives intertwine with each other and the books they read.”
The final six installments of Tomas Moniz (editor of
Believable characters, unveiled through their separate first person perspectives, all joined together by the books they read. A great storyline that’s at once funny, thought-provoking, and a great examination of the personal-as-political. Trade paperback, 96 pages.
The first six issues are collected in zine form!

Also, recently Restocked!
Without Words & Without Kneeling: The First Six Issues:

Honey is Golden, It comes from the Bees. Birds go Tweet, And so do We!

2013-04-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

Go ahead follow us on Twitter, & send us lovely spring poems.
https://twitter.com/msvaleriepark


Ms.Valerie Park's own Joshua Amberson reading w/Orson. (Art by Chask'e Lindgren).

Shotgun Seamstress Restocks:

2013-04-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite zines in stock Shotgun Seamstress has been, well...

Restocked! maybe for the last time in zine form!
get em' while they're warm off the press.

Shotgun Seamstress #1

Shotgun Seamstress #2

Shotgun Seamstress #4

Shotgun Seamstress #5

Shotgun Seamstress #6

Shotgun Seamstress Zine Collection

National Poetry Month

2013-04-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

In a not-so-exaggerated way, poetry used to be my life. There never would have been a year that it took me half the month to realize it was National Poetry Month.

Interests change, but most of the books that I call my favorites are still poetry books. A book of poems can be so distilled, concentrated, that it is able to work in a way that a novel or nonfiction work almost can't.

From 2001-2004, I co-ran the non-profit publishing company SSO Press with Cole Cunningham and a small group of dedicated poets, writers, and artists. One of our main goals was to break people's conceptions around poetry and spread the idea that poetry can, in some way, be for everybody. Acknowledging that there is a lot of bad poetry in the world, but that there's a lot of bad everything, and poetry is not one thing - it's not static, but ever-evolving. It could be anything.

I still believe that, too. So, if you feel a little baffled by poetry's appeal, I would recommend first to stay away from "Collected Poems" or "Selected Poems" or "Complete Works." This is just way too much poetry, all at once. I feel the best poetry experience is in a very focused and intentional book. Everyone's style preference is different, but some of my favorite poetry books are: The Dead Lecturer by Leroi Jones, Blind Huber by Nick Flynn, Antebellum Dream Book by Elizabeth Alexander, Useful Knowledge by Gertrude Stein, What the Living Do by Marie Howe, Ultramarine by Raymond Carver, Slanky by Mike Doughty, Honey and Salt by Carl Sandburg, How to Paint Sunlight by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gentle in Carnations by Ariel Birks,

Here at the distro, we don't have a ton of poetry, but the poetry we do have is really good. Casey Fuller's book A Fort Made of Doors combines real depth with humor in a way that only the best poets can pull off - i my, this one of the best poetry books of the last few years; Craig Oare's The Garfield Nature Trail Versus the Motorcycles on Brawne St (and other poems from the last days of the empire) is funny, political, spiritual, and a great meditation on the natural world; Peaches & Bats is a long-running literary journal of the more experimental/nontraditional side of poetry, Marisa Malone's Lost Among These Wonderings is a peak at the microscopic moments of daily life; and Alexis Wolf's work is a nice world between poetry and prose, for those of you that aren't quite ready to dive head first. There's also a Poetry Pack on our Etsy site that puts some of these things together in one, for cheap.

Happy National Poetry Month,

Joshua James
MVPD

A few more images from The Collective Tarot

2013-04-10T15:51:00.003-07:00

NOW AVAILABLE!

The Collective Tarot