Atomic Books Blog

happynewyear2007 , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . See you at the ball drop on 34th St!

I love new magazine day (usually on Tuesdays)! When the new magazine shipment comes in, I quickly make a stack for myself of everything I want to read/thumb-through. In our most recent batch of mags, we finally got the new issue of Venus Zine ( Venus #38 - the one with She & Him on the cover). While thumbing through it we found, of all things, us! Under Sarah Grant's Scene & Unheard section, there's a profile of Baltimore featuring our neighborhood Hampden, and mentions of friends like The Lexie Mountain Boys, Thrushes, the Ottobar, Dan Deacon, (and more!) as well as Atomic Books!

It's almost over!! This week's hours: Mon-Tue 11am-7pm Wed 11am-5pm (Book Club still on at 7pm!) Thur CLOSED Fri-Sat 11am-7pm

So, as I was curiously waiting to hear how Frank Miller 's film take on Will Eisner 's The Spirit did (and rooting for it), I started hearing a weird little voice inside my head. That weird little voice was Frank's, from almost 15 years ago. I seem to remember him not liking Hollywood very much. (But hey, 15 years ago I didn't like sushi or olives.) I'm not sure what any of this means, but I think it's interesting. This illustration is from Overstreet's Fan #24 (June 1997) . Frank Miller from his "Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars Part One" column from Overstreet's FAN #5 (October 1995): "Comic book cartoonists are to Hollywood what illegal immigrants are to California: a source of cheap labor." Frank Miller from his "Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars Part Three" column from Overstreet's FAN #7 (December 1995): "As sorry as the history of comics is in such matters, Hollywood's contempt for source material is the

monkeycookies , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . We're open from 11am - 8pm today and tomorrow. 11am - 6pm on Xmas Eve. Closed Xmas day! Back to our normal hours for the rest of the week - 11am-7pm.

bigspenders , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . A few times a year we pull filled up Big Spenders from the bowl and they win stuff. Winners today: Sean Carton Kasey Evick Jackie ORegan Stephen Phillips Julian Walkley Aaron Oldenburg Come by the store for your winnings!

jumpingtotoro , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . These little jumping Totoros will cheer you up on rainy days like today. On the site soon!

Rest in peace .

Starting this Thursday we'll be open from 11am-8pm every day, except Sunday, which will be 11am-6pm. December 19th, next Friday, will be the last day to place an order online and have it arrive in time for Xmas. Chances are, if you live on the East Coast and you place an order over the weekend, you'll probably get it in time if the items are still in stock...but that's pretty risky. You're a gambler, aren't you?

Tonight is First Friday in Hampden, which means you can get a lot of Xmasy shopping done around here. Stores are having events, sales and staying open later than usual. We still have tons of sale items, and we'll be hanging out playing some Rock Band. I'm in the mood to rock out some Joan Jett tonight. Starts at 7pm. And don't forget, this Sunday is the Mayor's Christmas Parade, which starts at 2pm. I hear that Underdog has a new character this year.

warespread , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . 7pm! See this amazing giant book with your own eyes!

We end our Reading Club's Periodicals Year with Zine Yearbook 9 , an anthology of the past year's best in zine and independent publishing. If you'd like a taste of what's been going on in zines or have lost touch with the scene, this is the perfect handy snapshot of the moment to get you up to speed. 15% off for the month and we'll have our discussion on the last Wednesday of the month, 7pm!

And so it begins! This Friday around the Avenue, a lot of merchants will be open a little early and stay open a little later than usual, some will have some snacks and drinks but we'll all be having plenty of sales! We'll have tons of selected books, comics and toys on sale for 25-80% off! Nolen Stral's MD Black Flag shirts are back, as well as his I Heart Bmore Hoodies . We should have more Obama shirts this weekend as well! This Saturday kicks off the lights on 34th St . And along the Avenue itself you may have noticed some cool street light decorations, too. They've all been created by local artists . Next Sunday is the Annual Mayor's Christmas Parade, which starts at 2pm, and for a few weekends in December, Santa's going to be walking around and will be available for photo ops. Here's a handy listing of these and other upcoming events. So come on down to the Avenue and walk that turkey/tofurkey off!

This week we will close at 6pm on Wednesday. We'll be closed Thanksgiving Day. Friday we'll be open from 10am - 8pm!

It never snows before Thanksgiving around here! Do you know what would be awesome right now? A stack of comics or magazines and a hot cocoa.

Tomorrow (Friday, 11/21), I'll be on our local NPR affiliate's excellent, area arts show, The Signal with some holiday gift suggestions and doing a reading from The Book of Whale Insults (mostly reading insults). WYPR - 88.1FM Baltimore WYPF - 88.1FM Frederick/Hagerstown and WYPO - 106.9 Eastern Shore You can listen live online . The Signal airs Fridays at noon and again at 7PM.

kramersergot7 , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . December 3rd, 7pm at Atomic Books ! Kramers Ergot 7 has already made several Best of 2008 lists and it's not even technically out yet. Come see it for yourself and meet the editor, Sammy Harkham, as well as artists Ron Rege , Kevin Huizenga and John Pham .

mittenproject , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Are you a knitter and can spare some time to knit a pair of mittens for some kids who need them? All the yarn will be provided. Contact me (rachelATatomicbooks.com) and I'll fill you in on the details.

burningbush , originally uploaded by Peter Menchetti . From StickerGuy , a gallery of all the Bush related stickers they've made over the years. Just for you Mr. Bush! Thanks for nearly ten years of good laughs -- now go, uh, "enjoy" yourself. The party is over; it's time for us to take an aspirin and clean up the mess. We're afraid our new President Obama won't inspire as many voices as you have. Here's to Hope, and to hoping that our customers will continue to find something that inspires them as much as you have. The reality is that in a diverse, democratic society, with a leader who can finish a sentence, there isn't as much to raise your voice about. Without you, Mr. Bush, we expect it to be a bit quiet for awhile here at Sticker Guy!

Ugh, it's delayed AGAIN! Sorry, no new Buffy until next week. Hopefully. This wouldn't be happening if it were still a tv show. UPDATE : Damn! No new Buffy until the 26th !

Ever see someone at an Atomic Books event that you didn't get a chance to talk to or didn't have the nerve? Well I've started a group on Facebook for all you single people with similar interests (i.e. Atomic Books) to mingle. Of course not everyone in the group is single but may have single friends they can introduce you to.

Are you getting down to the Xmas present crunch with your crafted items? Come out to the Golden West Bar tomorrow night to work on your stuff with other crafters ! Starts at 7pm.

Some new things we've been reading and enjoying around here: Rachel: 1. Freakangels - I started reading this online , and didn't think I'd care about the print version much, but I was wrong. Reading this in print is inexplicably satisfying. 2. Zine Yearbook - Have you gotten behind on your zines? Well this annual collects the best of the past year and this really is a great overview of the whole scene. 3. The Disciples - I can't stop looking at this book. It is just SO well done. Benn: 1. The Tick: The Complete Edlund - After years of the Tick Omnibus collections going in and out of print - it's now available as an Omnibus of the Ominbuses so to speak. Darker and funnier than the TV shows. 2. The Great Derangement - Rolling Stone's Taibbi journeys through an America on the verge of a mental breakdown under the strain of war, politics and, of course, religion. 3. The Gum Thief - novelist Coupland sets his new in paperback novel in an office supply store whe

Come down to the Avenue tonight for First Friday, where many of the merchants are open later for special events, sales and refreshments! We're hanging out with Henry Owings from Chunklet , who'll be reading from his new book The Rock Bible . And then we'll play some Rock Band 2. Starts at 7. If there are any drummers out there bring some sticks! That Neil Eber broke one of the sticks last time.

electionnightcheer , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . This little video clip from last night at the Hon Bar is one of the many cheers that went on all night, but nothing like the one that went off when Obama was announced the President Elect. I'm speechless, but it was an amazing night. It's still all sinking in. It was great seeing everyone there and spending the historic moments with friends.

We'll be hanging out at the Hon Bar tomorrow evening, watching the election coverage on multiple stations and it looks like there are tons of other bars that will be having their own election night events around town. Vote, vote, vote!

Tickets are now on sale for the 15th Anniversary of Night of 100 Elvises here at Atomic Books. Cash or check only! And we have (a very few) Obama shirts back in stock!

obamashirt , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Sorry, but these are all sold out! We may be getting in a limited amount after the election, but if you'd like one I suggest you reserve one. Give us a call or email.

Next year is the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe. It's going to be a year long celebration here in Baltimore.

Bow before my awesome powers of dorkiness! , originally uploaded by Hannahchan . So, um, what are you going to be for Halloween? This might be the scariest Halloween yet. I suspect I'll be seeing a lot of Palins out there.

We have a limited number of passes (good for 2 people each) to see the new Kevin Smith flick, Zack And Miri Make A Porno on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7:30PM at AMC Loews White Marsh. We're giving them out at Atomic Books on a first come/first served basis. Just stop in and ask. If we have any left, we'll give you a pass. The movie stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Justin Long, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Brandon Routh, Traci Lords, and more.

How about you? Tonight !

rockbiblebookevent , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Henry Owings will be here to give a sermon from his Rock Bible , November 7th at Atomic Books. Starts at 7pm! And then, you must compete against his band in Rock Band. It's this coming First Friday!

acmebackcov , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . It's the new issue of Acme Novelty Library ! And Chris Ware gets political on the back cover.

lookatthisdog , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . A year ago tomorrow, I took a photo of this flier Maggie found in the neighborhood. Xerxes still gets visitors every day, sometimes thousands a day on my flickr. He's still being awesome.

Just random - these kill me ! But I think it's only funny if you've actually read these books as a kid.

timetomakethegrilledcheese , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . The grilled cheese cart is real! And they have a house band:

We've been hearing about this for a couple of weeks now - a street cart on the Avenue that serves grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. It appears late in the evenings on weekend nights. And people say it's AMAZING. Imagine: You're leaving one of the bars on the Avenue, probably a bit tipsy, and then like a mirage, there's a street food vendor serving freshly made grilled cheese sandwiches... We'll be on the look out tonight for it! Infact, it's a local tweetup .

Friday, October 31st, from 5-6pm, bring your kids to go trick or treating up and down Falls Rd, the Avenue and Chestnut. Merchants will have treats for the kids in costume! Then, a costume contest, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden-Midtown, from 6:30-8pm on the 800 block in front of Ma Petite Show, 832 W 36th Street. Prizes will be for Prettiest, Funniest and Most Original costumes!

Whoops! Totally late with this (actually thought I'd announced it already) but the Reading Pick for this month is the new Chunklet ! 10% off for the month. We'll be meeting on the last Wednesday of the month to discuss at 7pm. It's a LOT of reading so get on it!

russiancriminaltattooIII , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . The final volume just came in! The first two volumes of Russian Criminal Tattoo are still out of print.

Cafe Hon Economic Stimulus Meals , originally uploaded by curiouslee . We're watching the debates tomorrow night at the Hon Bar ! Come join us! It's the Town Hall format y'all!

IMG_2708 , originally uploaded by ann gav . At the same time as SPX, on the same floor, some Miss Teen USA event was going on.

afewcomics , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . So we picked up a few things at SPX. We'll be sending out a special Post SPX mailer for those of you signed up with an interest in comix. You can sign up here if you haven't already.

The winners for this year's Ignatz Awards - congrats to everyone (many of whom were with us for our party Friday night)!

vegancakes , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Thanks to everyone who came out last night!

First Friday in Hampden means that a bunch of the shops around the Avenue are open late, having parties, sales and special events. Come by tonight for our 16th Anniversary party . We are actually not playing Guitar Hero.

We're all going to the Wind Up Space to watch it! They don't have cable (we'll catch Rachel Maddow later) so it's going to be network tv on a digital projector. Awesome! Starts at 9pm.

wtfpalin , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Coming soon !

We have several free passes (good for 2 people) to see the new Bill Maher film RELIGULOUS tonight at 7:30 at Landmark Harbor East (646 President St.), Baltimore. Wanna go? Just stop in and ask for the passes. While supplies last.

diary080929 , originally uploaded by Jesse_Reklaw . Jesse Reklaw is keeping a Tour Diary . We're on his stop this Friday !

Sorry, but Buffy #19 has been delayed. No new Buffy today.

takingbaseball , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Hey, kids, it's Baltimore Comic Con this weekend! By kids, I mean all of you 35-55 year olds.

At our Atomic Anniversary/SPX kick off party next Friday , we'll also have the Nerdlinger Awards . Did we say this night will be jam-packed? Packed with jam?

I'd been meaning to write about Domo at Target (their Halloween theme) for a while but Eric Nakamura says everything I meant to say. "Domo pinata. Bad. Bad. Bad. What happened to 3d? This is two pieces of cardboard, and crappy tissue paper sides. My fart would rip it open."

This weekend is the Baltimore Book Festival and we'll be there on Saturday in the Radical Book Pavilion along with a bunch of other great stores and publishers. At our table, signing their recent books, will be local authors: 1pm Hanne Blank 2pm S. Muralidharan 3:30pm Shawna Kenney Come by and check it out!

youdontneedglasses , originally uploaded by sugarfreak .

spxplosion , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Yes, Atomic Books is in its 16th year of existence! And to celebrate we're having an SPX kick off party on October 3rd. That's next First Friday here in Hampden! We'll have drinks and snacks and plenty of young, indie, Ignatz Award Nominee talent, on hand reading their comics and playing their music.

knittin&drinkin , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Tuesdays are Knit Night over at the Golden West Bar, 1105 W 36th St. starting at 7pm. Bring your knitting, crocheting or whatever portable crafting you do. $2 margaritas until 8pm!

squidfire , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Thanks to everyone who came out to Hampdenfest yesterday! We're glad that you all love Atomic's new combined space on Falls Road (except for a couple of you skater kids - "I don't care if your new space is bigger, the old space was cooler!"). In our old space, of course, Squidfire has opened! Hampdenfest is traditionally a big Grand Opening day and Puffs & Pastries is also now officially open, as well as True Vine in their new space over on Hickory, just south of the Avenue. Thanks to Susannah Siger of Ma Petite Shoe for taking on the monumental task of putting on the festival!

RIP .

Saturday, September 13 FREE. 11AM-7PM. Hampden , Baltimore. 36th St. between Falls Rd. & Chestnut. ATOMIC BOOKS STAGE (36th & Falls Rd) 11AM - The Jennifers 12PM - The Lexie Mountain Boys 1PM - Thrushes 2PM - Secret Crush Society 3PM - Ed Schrader 4PM - Squaaks 5PM - The Ubangis 6PM - Pulaski THE CITYPAPER STAGE (36th St. between Roland & Elm) 11AM - Degenerettes 12PM - Harlot 1PM - Baby Aspirin 2PM - Impossible Hair 3PM - lo moda 4PM - HAMPDEN IDOL (interested in performing? email here .) 5:30 - 7PM - The Oranges Band BALTIMORE MESSENGER STAGE (36th & Chestnut) 11AM - Barrage Band Orchestra 12PM - Art Department 1PM - Susan Alcorn 2PM - Tritons 3PM - Courtney Dow 4PM - K Love The Infinite with DJ Nett & Reina Williams Also, Atomic Books will be giving away free graphic novels (by Steve Niles, Gary Panter and others) and free CD compilations (featuring The Death Set, Matt & Kim, Acid Girls and more) while supplies last. Also, with every $20 purcha

Congrats to the winners of our online toy raffle: Kimberly Bush Rob Thompson Mary Beechy You should all have received your prizes by now! Are you on our mailing list? Sometimes we have special raffles when you place orders! Join in the fun .

HAMPDENFEST08 , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . This Saturday! Stage schedules, vendor line up and more info at Hampdenfest.com !

I've been thinking about this all day. I know John McCain will lose in November. How do I know this? Because McCain nominated a woman who tried to fuck with librarians . If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you do not fuck with librarians. Ever. Seriously, they intimidate me more than the mafia.

dunny5shipment , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . For those of you who aren't big comic book fans, you may not know that Wednesdays are comic book day, nationwide. Every Wednesday, every comic book shop, or bookstores like ours that carry a lot of comics, get the new comics. But on weeks that start with holidays like Labor Day, the shipments come in on Thursday. So you won't get your new Buffy until Thursday this week! Also, this Thursday is the release of the new Dunny series, Series 5. Come by at 7 to eat some donuts, hang out and have a beer and trade your duplicate blind box toys. Or just come by and hang out and see what the new series looks like as people open their boxes! Believe it or not these toys will go fast! They will go on sale on our site on Thursday.

battsbaby , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Our Reading Club pick for September is Bizarre Magazine . The beautiful April Flores is on the cover and it just reminded me of when she and Carlos Batts came to Atomic and posed with Baby Doll . Bizarre will be 10% off for the month. Our group meets the last Wednesday, 7pm!

The new issue of Kramers Ergot coming later this Fall is not for the faint of heart. Just look at the list of contributors! Look at that size! Look at that price! We can't wait for it.

The new issue of Imbibe Magazine (#15) hit our stands today. Its cover story is "100 Best Places To Drink Beer In America," and Baltimore happens to house 2 of them. Congratulations to our friends over at Brewers Art and the fine folks at Mahaffey's Pub. We're big fans of The Brewer's Art's Resurrection Ale (and The Ozzy!), and you'll find Brewer's Art under the "Best Bottle Lists" "Best Belgians" category: The Brewer's Art 1106 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201 410.547.6925 belgianbeer.com The Brewer's Art is three establishments in one: dark, hipster-packed rathskeller; gilt-edged upstairs bar; and formal, Tudor-inflected dining room. In any, however, you can munch on garlic-rosemary fries with mayo and order one of many Belgian brews or one of the bar's own Belgian-style house-made beers. (Try the Resurrection.) And under the "Best Kept Secrets" category: Mahaffey's Pub 2706 Dillon St., Baltimore, MD

Oh no! I guess this isn't news but I just found out that they're making one of my favorite books into a movie !

Some upcoming events are now listed on our Events Page . It's going to be a jampacked Fall.

simpsons , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Just released today and they're pretty cute !

By G. Willow Wilson / M.K. Perker .

We've got tickets on sale right now for this weekend's Roller Derby ! VIP tickets as well as Ottobar tickets for the Endless Summer Festival on the 31st.

matteo , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . We love it when we get to meet our longtime online customers in person. Matteo came all the way from Italy to visit us and Baltimore for the first time! For those of you who frequent our site and our blog, if you come by the actual shop, don't be shy and introduce yourself! It's great to put faces to the names.

sweetiepiepressbuttons , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . We just got in some more buttons from Sweetie Pie Press! And in more sweetish news, Puffs & Pastries should be opening soon!

Hampdenfest is coming September 13th! Band line up should be up soon so keep checking Hampdenfest.com !

newstuff , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Mark Ryden and Marion Peck's children book, Sweet Wishes , new Astonishing X-Men with Warren Ellis now on writing duty and so much more stuff coming soon !

We're getting a bit of a late start this month, but the magazine selection is the new Mojo . Unfortunately it has a Beatles cover...but what can you do. It's 5% off for the month! And we meet on the last Wednesday of the month to discuss. Well, and drink whatever Messick discovered at the Asian market that day. Starts at 7pm!

unicornasaurus , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . On sale today , along with the new labbits !

zines&magazines , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . We're still rearranging and moving stuff around the store but things are beginning to make more sense around here. We're still unpacking btw, so don't hesitate to ask about where something is. We'll help you find it!

loricrissy_072007_fountains12 , originally uploaded by Patty Boh . It's that time of year again. This weekend the Inner Harbor gets taken over by these people !

This First Friday, August 1st, we're having a book signing for Eamon Espey's Wormdye and Leah Hayes' Funeral of the Heart . Plus musical performances! 7-9pm! Come check out our new space! There's tons of sales, too!

Our phone number here at the store will remain 410-662-4444 BUT it will not be in service for a few days starting in August. In the mean time, to place orders or for questions, you can call us at 410-366-1004, but by next Monday the old number should be back. Sorry for the complications, but that's the phone company for ya!

The Best of Baltimore issue of Baltimore Magazine is out and Benn won Best Balto-centric Blog for the Shank ! Tons of other Hampden shops, residents and friends are winners as well - check it out because it's too many to mention!

Atomic Books at 1100 W 36th is now closed. But we are fully stocked and open over at our new location, one block West, on 3620 Falls Rd! We're still settling in and some items are still in boxes but come on by anyway, and we'll help you find what you're looking for. And yes, we are out of the Watchmen , but we have plenty coming in on Wednesday!

The Rock Bible is coming! Vice gives it a nice review, commenters not so much, but they're pretty funny. Benn's a contributing editor for Chunklet , and the NEW issue will be out later this Fall as well.

fillingin , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . We are still in the middle of moving! Come on by and check it out. It's a little confusing but most sections of Books are over at POP now and there are sale items in both places. Just ask if you can't find anything!

fph2makelove , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . by Actus

An interview with Emily Flake in the New Yorker's Cartoon Lounge . And for our friends in the New York area - Crocodile Tears opens at the Giant Robot Gallery (437 East 9th St.) on Saturday (July 19th) at 6:30pm, and runs through August 13. It's a group show of small works (5 x 7) and features 50+ artists including our very own Eamon Espey who will be trekking up for the opening. Also in this show is C.F., Vanessa Davis, Noel Freibert, Jenny Hart, Molly Colleen O'Connell, David Sandlin, William Schaff, Matthew Thurber, Eric White and many more.

Atomic Books will be on our local NPR affiliate's arts show, The Signal, this month to provide some reading suggestions. The show airs locally at 88.1FM on Fridays at Noon and again at 7PM. The new segment is Friday, July 18th . Mag performs a dramatic reading from All Known Metal Bands and has some other picks for you. You can listen live online.

fpsupercrazycatdance , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . by Aron Nels Steinke

I've completely lost track of everything happening this weekend - there's just SO much going on! Not only is there Artscape , a huge arts festival on its own with satellite art shows in various galleries and music all over town (I totally want to see Joan Jett !), but there's also Whartscape (ticket sales end today!), the Erotic Arts Festival , and don't forget about our Saturday afternoon event with Gary Panter, Steve Niles and Dr. Revolt for The Lost Ones - it's free!

Closed Caption Comics 7 , originally uploaded by Mobtownshank . We love showing up in comics. In Closed Caption Comics #7 , in a story by Ryan Cecil Smith, a character makes it's way to a futuristic H-town (which stands in for Hampden) to consign some handmade cards at a store (which looks just like Atomic Books). And the fish guy that works there is named "Eamon" (which we figure is Eamon Espey in a cool shirt - and looking like a fish). Just in case all our figuring is right, thanks, Ryan!

We have tons of sale books over at POP, 3620 Falls Rd, starting right now! Also, selected sections at Books, 1100 W 36th St, are now 30-50% off, like all bagged and boarded comics! Come in and check them out! More sections will go on sale as we progress through our move.

robotspeople2 , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . An anthology of comics about robots, Robots are People, Too #2 .

lostones , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Come by on the 19th to get a FREE graphic novel signed by the author of 30 Days of Night, Steve Niles , artist Gary Panter (of Pee Wee's Playhouse and Jimbo) as well as Dr Revolt (an original member of the historic New York City graffiti crew The Rolling Thunder Writers)!

watersmail , originally uploaded by sugarfreak . Update your address books Waters fans! The new address to send your mail is: Atomic Books 3620 Falls Rd Baltimore, MD 21211