Friday, December 13, 2013

Still time to submit to issue #2!

The deadline for submissions for issue #2 of Two Fisted Librarians is DECEMBER 31ST! You've still got lots of time to write about a shark who is also a librarian, draw a picture of the library that time forgot, or create a cataloguing method that drives people mad!

Send your submissions, questions, and awesome links to twofistedlibrarians@gmail.com.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Sell Outs and Deadline Updates

We've sold out! Or rather, Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago has sold out of their copies of Two Fisted Librarians #1! However, they've asked for some more (double their initial order!), and they'll soon be arriving on store shelves.

In other news we've been so incredibly overwhelmed with school that even if we got everyone's submissions by Halloween, there is no possible way we'd be able to put the zine together any time soon. So the deadline for submissions has now been extended to DECEMBER 31ST! Yes! You get two additional months to get your contributions in, and we'll hopefully have a launch party at some point in January.

Send your submissions, questions, and awesome links to twofistedlibrarians@gmail.com.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Trading Cards! #003

To thank our super awesome contributors to issue one we made them super sweet trading cards based on their bios. (And just so you're aware, the contributors got actually physical trading cards, not just digital images.)

Of course, nobody actually submitted a bio, so we used theyfightcrime.org, which apparently has gone down since the zine was originally made. Here's an archive.org mirror, it won't generate anything new, but you'll see what it was like.

Anyway, here's the third (and final for now)! Irina Jevlakova wrote Victoria Dexter and the Mechanical Library.



What will we do for future contributors? Who knows! But you should make sure to submit something before the October 31st deadline if you want to find out!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Trading Cards! #002

To thank our super awesome contributors to issue one we made them super sweet trading cards based on their bios. (And just so you're aware, the contributors got actually physical trading cards, not just digital images.)

Of course, nobody actually submitted a bio, so we used theyfightcrime.org, which apparently has gone down since the zine was originally made. Here's an archive.org mirror, it won't generate anything new, but you'll see what it was like.

Anyway, here's the second! Anna Ferri wrote Shelf Harm.



What will we do for future contributors? Who knows! But you should make sure to submit something before the October 31st deadline if you want to find out!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

TFL at Gallery Crawl, Pittsburgh

Two Fisted Librarians is available at events where the  Small Press Pittsburgh pop up zine stall  appears. Here's a photo of TFL at the Pittsburgh Zine Fair on Sept 22, 2013. Photo by Larry Rippel.


The Small Press Pittsburgh pop up zine stall will next be at The Gallery Crawl in downtown Pittsburgh.
Where: Courtyard at the ToonSeum (945 Liberty Avenue)
When: September 27th, 2013, 6-10pm

They also have a thing called Smallpress Roulette, which you can find on their etsy.


Flyer art by Paola Spina.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Trading Cards! #001

To thank our super awesome contributors to issue one we made them super sweet trading cards based on their bios. (And just so you're aware, the contributors got actually physical trading cards, not just digital images.)

Of course, nobody actually submitted a bio, so we used theyfightcrime.org, which apparently has gone down since the zine was originally made. Here's an archive.org mirror, it won't generate anything new, but you'll see what it was like.

Anyway, here's the first! Adena Brons wrote Meta Danger.



What will we do for future contributors? Who knows! But you should make sure to submit something to issue two of Two Fisted Librarians before the October 31st Deadline if you want to find out!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Where can I find Two Fisted Librarians issue #1?


When last we checked Two Fisted Librarians #1 was available in the following locations.

Chicago, Il.
Quimby's Bookstore: 1854 West North Avenue

The Boring Store: 1331 North Milwaukee Avenue

Portland, Or
Portland Button Works: 1322 North Killingsworth Street


Pittsburgh, Pa
Small Press Pittsburgh: Pop up zine stall at various events

Vancouver, BC
Send me an email and we'll work something out.

Everywhere Else
You can now buy Two Fisted Librarians on Etsy.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Two Fisted Librarians at SLAIS!


It's the start of the school year, and recently Two Fisted Librarians was invited to participate in the LASSA (The Library and Archival Studies Student Association) orientation for new students at SLAIS (School of Library, Archival and Information Studies) at the University of British Columbia. Let's hope some of them want to contribute to the second issue!


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Call for Submissions: Two Fisted Librarians #2!

Now that we've had our official zine launch in Vancouver (photos soon to come!), it's time to open up submissions for the second issue of Two Fisted Librarians!

Issue 2 Deadline: October December 31st! 


Yes, the deadline for the second issue of Two Fisted Librarians is one of my favourite days of the year, Halloween! That means you've got almost two months to create something for the next issue of Two Fisted Librarians! (So get started now!)

Not sure what to create? Well, here's some helpful information!

What is Two Fisted Librarians?
A collection of pulp-inspired fiction, comics, and art created by you (hopefully!) concerning libraries and librarians.

What is pulp fiction?
Stories that fondly recall the pulp magazines of the '20s, '30s, and '40s, and comics of the '40s and '50s. Mad science, weird fantasy, occult horror, spicy mysteries, noirish romances, thrilling adventures, and whatever else. Want to write about a library that uses steampunk technology, a cataloguing system so obtuse that it drives those that try to use it insane, or a librarian who has to track down a Nazi zeppelin in order to get an overdue book? Go for it!

Still looking for ideas? The Thrilling Adventure Hour or the TV Tropes page for Two Fisted Tales  might be of help.

What is a zine?
A self published, usually photocopied magazine that contains everything from recipes, to travelogues, to thrilling adventure fiction. 

What can I submit to Two Fisted Librarians?
Fiction, comics, illustrations, fake journalistic articles, whatever you want really! Just don't make it too long, and remember that this will be published in a half sized zine, so please format your artwork for 5.5" x 8.5" paper (ie. half a standard North American sheet).

How do I submit? 
Send your submissions, questions, and awesome links to twofistedlibrarians@gmail.com.

I can't wait to see what you create!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Zine Launch Party!



When: Friday, September 6th, 6pm
Where: SLAIS Lounge, Irving K Barber Learning Centre, UBC
What: Finally! The Vancouver launch of Two Fisted Librarians!


Yes, finally people in the city where this zine was born can get their hands on copies of Two Fisted Librarians. We're crashing the LASSA potluck to bring you all the best in steampunk, crime noir, and horror stories about librarians.

PLUS! You'll be able to get your very own Two Fisted Librarian button. How awesome!

Here's the Facebook event.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Two Fisted Librarian Buttons


Check out these rad Two Fisted Librarian buttons that I got made at Portland Button Works! They'll be available at the launch party in September. Wait, launch party? Yep, stay tuned for more information!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Two Fisted Librarians at the Pittsburgh pop up zine stall

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Two Fisted Librarians would be available at the The Small Press Pittsburgh pop up zine stall. Well now I have proof!


Top left hand corner underneath Bad Habits!


Left hand side, around the middle.

Small Press Pittsburgh is also offering a kind of cool thing on their etsy. It's called Small Press Roulette, and you choose a genre and price point, and then you get a mystery zine sent to you! If you look at the photos for some of the prices you might be able to catch a glimpse of Two Fisted Librarians!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Two Fisted Librarians at the Portland Zine Symposium!

I'll be tabling (and helping to run a discussion about zine libraries) this weekend (August 10th and 11th) at the Portland Zine Symposium! I can't wait. I'll see you there!



Friday, August 2, 2013

Review in Roctober!

Check it out! We got reviewed in Roctober.
"Adventure and mystery-filled tales of brave librarians whose skills go far beyond shelving and shooting. Although the most dynamic story draws upon the National Treasure/Indiana Jones school of artifact-worth-killing-over that one might expect from the the previously theoretical genre of Library Action, there's a nice variety of bookish barnburners here, covering sic-fi, psychological thriller territory, and crime drama. Book it!"
Sweet! I believe the review will be in the next print issue (#51, available later this month) of the magazine too.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Two Fisted Librarians: Issue #2!

What's that? You've been inspired to write your own tales of librarian daring-do? That's great! We'd love to have you submit to the second issue!

If you have a submission ready to go, or have any questions, send us an email!

If you're not sure what to write, we've got some hints and guidelines on this page.

If you still want to get a copy, remember we'll be at the Portland Zine Symposium August 10-11th! Come find our table!

Plus, you should join our Facebook page!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Two Fisted Librarians available in Pittsburgh!

The Small Press Pittsburgh pop up bookstand should now have copies of Two Fisted Librarians available! Their next event is on Sunday, so if you're in the area check it out!

Excerpt #5: You Are In Demand!

This is the final excerpt I'll be posting from the first issue of Two Fisted Librarians. I hope you'll check it out!

Stand by for information on how to contribute to issue two!


It's a parody of this image:



Don't forget to join our Facebook page!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Excerpt #4: Shelf Harm!

Here's the fourth excerpt from the first issue of Two Fisted Librarians: Shelf Harm!


Plus, you should join our Facebook page!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Buy Two Fisted Librarians!

If you are interested in acquiring a copy of Two Fisted Librarians and happen to be in Chicago you can purchase one at Quimby's and The Boring Store. It costs $2.50.


Quimby's can be found at 1854 W. North Avenue, Chicago.
The Boring Store can be found at 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Excerpt #3: The Midnight Library!

Here's the third except from the first issue of Two Fisted Librarians! The Midnight Library!


Don't forget to join our Facebook page!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Excerpt #2: Meta Danger!

As promised, here's the second excerpt from the first issue of Two Fisted Librarians! Meta Danger!


Plus, you should join our Facebook page!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Issue #1 in print!


Just to prove that it really exists, here are some copies of the first issue of Two Fisted Librarians! Awesome!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Are you ready for some two fisted librarian action?

We're finished! Submissions have been edited. The zine has been laid out. And copies are being printed! Just in time for the ALA conference next week!

If you are interested in acquiring a copy of Two Fisted Librarians you should come by the Zine Pavilion at the conference. Maybe during the zine swap that's being held on Friday, June 28th from 5:30-7pm!

Of course it will also be available at the booth whenever I'm around (which should be a lot).

I'll also be at the Iowa City Zine Librarian (un)Conference July 13th-14th, the Portland Zine Symposium August 10th and 11th, and lots of other places. Plus you'll be able to order a copy online at some point.

Just to prove I'm not lying about the zine existing, I'll be posting excerpts every Friday for the next month. Make sure you come back to see the others!

Here's the first: Victoria Dexter and the Mechanical Library.


Don't forget to join our Facebook page!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Deadline Extension and Zine Availability FAQ

Can I have a deadline extension?

Okay, so we've gotten some great content already, but we also have some people who have asked for deadline extensions. After checking our schedules we've decided that we will be able to extend the deadline to May 15th.

If you've already submitted you can continue to tinker with your piece and resubmit it, but whatever we have by May 15th is what's going in the zine.

Also, please submit a bio with your contribution. This can contain pretty much whatever you want, but should include the name you want printed with the story. Other info could include email, Twitter, or website addresses, where you work or go to school, and how awesome you are.

Remember to send your submissions and bios to twofistedlibrarians@gmail.com.

How long should my submission be?

We don't have any strict guidelines for length, but try not to make it too long. If we feel your story is too long we will ask you to try to shorten its length.

Remember that this is going to be a half size (5 1/2" x 8 1/2", the size of a sheet of paper folded in half), so if you're creating artwork try to format it for that size.

How short can my submission be?

As short as you want! If you want to create something that's less than a page long, that's totally fine!

Where will I be able to get the zine?

So far there are three events where you'll be able to get a copy of Two Fisted Librarians.

June 27th - July 2nd The Zine Pavilion at the ALA (American Library Association) Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

July 13th - 14th The Iowa City Zine Librarian (un)Conference in Iowa City, Iowa.

August 10th - 11th The Portland Zine Symposium in Portland, Oregon.

We're open to attending other events, so if you think there's one we should go to let us know and we'll see if we can make it!

The zine will also be available to order online at some point later in the summer, we'll let you know when we have more details.

Do you have any other questions? Please send them to twofistedlibrarians@gmail.com.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Deadline Reminder

Remember that the deadline to submit to Two Fisted Librarians is April 30th, that's just three weeks away! Of course you still have plenty of time to write or draw something spectacular for the zine (and now there are no classes getting in the way of your creative endeavours!).

Just hearing from contributors about what they're working on is enough to make us want to be able to read their stories now! Clockwork octopus, laser beam battles, dinosaurs? We have no idea how these things might relate to librarians but we're confident in your ability to deliver the goods in regards to awesome pulp genre fiction.

If you're having trouble figuring out what to write we've been brainstorming some possible titles, here's a selection of some of the better ones.

666: The Call Number of the Beast
Infomagic Overload
Tales from the Stacks
Catalogic Failure
Shelf Harm
Referenemies Desk
Readers Adversary Group
Subject Terminal Velocity
Sinister Indexter
Indices Exposure
Libraryinth
Full Metal Book Jacket
The Black RDAhlia
The ReFEARance Question
Terror on Database Station One

If you want to use one of these titles, go for it! (Though maybe shoot us an email first so we don't end up with 12 stories called "Shelf Harm".) But we're sure you can come up with titles that are even better!

Now it's time to get back to writing! And remember to tell your friends!

Monday, March 4, 2013

The Cover!

I keep tinkering with this, but hopefully this is the final version.


Though maybe I'll add more crease marks.

What is Two Fisted Librarians?

What is Two Fisted Librarians?
A collection of fiction, comics, and art created by you (hopefully!) concerning libraries and librarians.

What is pulp fiction?
Stories that fondly recall the pulp magazines of the '20s, '30s, and '40s, and comics of the '40s and '50s. Mad Science, weird fantasy, occult horror, spicy mysteries, noirish romances, thrilling adventures, and whatever else. Want to write about a library that uses steampunk technology, a cataloguing system so obtuse that it drives those that try to use it insane, or a librarian who has to track down a Nazi zeppelin in order to get an overdue book? Go for it!

Still looking for ideas? The Thrilling Adventure Hour or the TV Tropes page for Two Fisted Tales  might be of help.

What is a zine?
A self published, usually photocopied magazine that contain anything from recipes, to travelogues, to thrilling adventure fiction. We'll put it together and organize a launch party, all you have to do is write a story, draw a picture, or show off your creativity in some other way. (Though we might ask you to help fold and staple zines.)