A Complete run of the nine Tragic Books published by Artichoke Yink Press, 1993-2005

Started in 1993 the Tragic Book series has grown in stature and complexity in the 12 years of its making. Over one hundred different artists and writers from Holland, Germany, Japan, Canada, Spain and the U.S. have contributed to the Tragic Book in its nine incarnations. The stated subject matter has been since its inception, “Things that are so tragic that they are funny or beautiful or poignant”. Sort of a reformulation of the classic Mel Brooks line “Tragedy + Distance = Humor”. First conceived as the opposite of a comic book, a compendium of tragedies large and small. Using the Trojan horse cloak of a comic book style magazine format to present the weird and disgusting, the hilarious and wince-inducing all-in-one cheap-to-make magazine.
These were the heady days of the D.I.Y. ‘Zine revolution in the U.S., so alternative media was a watchword of youth culture. People started their own record labels, publishing houses, and distribution services that were independent of the extant structures. So to put together a magazine and give it away or trade it with your pals was not all that strange an act for the time. As the issues progressed so too did the number of people who wanted to contribute. The fortuitous introduction to the world of Book Arts led to more complex productions and methods of reproduction. Machines were pushed past their tolerances, bindings from the 13th century were updated and utilized to construct heretical texts. In general, it was catch as catch can, with stolen copies and bumped books and counters, hasty and energetic rather than planned and focused, but appropriate for the people who were the recipients. In some cases the artists chose to edition their work for the Tragic Books; in other cases the design work and printing was done by conscripts and mercenaries. The series always was made for the artists and writers, as a nexus of communication. Many of the artists and writers published in the Tragic Book are internationally recognized in their respective fields. Pieces first published in the TB’s have found their way to larger audiences through the auspicious of N.P.R., McSweenys, World War Three Illustrated, and many others.

Tragic Book Number One
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Jeffrey Gilliland, Joseph Dostal, Rob Harless, C.K.Wilde
1993, Edition of 10, 24 pgs, 8 1/2″ X 11″

Started out as drawings in sketchbooks. Two identical black sketchbooks would pass between Jeff and Christopher; Jeff supplying the text and Christopher the drawings. Long hours of mirth were derived from this process. When the books were filled up with these doodles and text fragments the question was then “What next?” ‘Zines were everywhere, every coffee shop, every bar, every crash pad. So it seemed straightforward enough to make a magazine like this with friends. The publisher called Portland, Or. For the lettering skills of Matthew Rudy, AKA Jon Claude Von Sodom, or KING. The texts were read over the phone, tricked out, and sent via post in a collaged package. Then the drawings were redrawn to scale of the books page (8.5″ X 11″) and composite with the texts with the aid of the Xerox machine. The resultant work ranged from the surreal to inchoate. The cover was a collaged drawing made to mimic a comic book cover, with unnecessary text and poor reproductions of the authors in various states of dementia and//or inebriation. Color Xeroxes were made of the cover collage, and rubber stamps were added to verify the product as genuine. As a final gesture to comics, the books were put into stable archival bags along with a plastic magnifying glass, matches, stickers, and a plastic figurine.

Tragic Book Number Two
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Jeffrey Guilliland, Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Rob Harless, Eric Spitz Nagle, Mark Hayward, Enrico Bohrer, April Manning, Matthew Rentchler, David Kelly, Jeff Meth, S.L. Hoche
1993, Edition of 20, 36 pgs, 8 1/2″ X 11″

The first effort to make a magazine was a runaway success. Everybody who helped loved it and wanted to make another. So invitations were given, solicitations proffered and recommendations dealt out. As it was, everyone and their cousin were making magazines with the Xerox. The first two books do not vary from the standard format of half 11″ by 17″ folded in half Xeroxed and pamphlet stitched. Only from ambition and naivete’ are such publications born. Experiments with the Xerox machine yielded interesting results. An attempt at manifesto was placed in the front of the magazine, along with a table of contents. A picture of the publisher’s cat, Puck, is the outro end sheet. The books were put into stable archival bags along with a plastic magnifying glass, matches, and xeroxed stickers.

Tragic Book Number Three
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Jeffrey Guilliland, Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Rob Harless, Mark Hayward, David Kelly, Kurt Allerslev, Kent Winkler, Mark Wagner, S.L. Hoche, David Heagle, Andy Ewin, Margaret Weisbrod
1993, Edition of 20, 50 pgs, 8 1/2″ X 11″

20 covers made of Latex and paper with inclusions, were especially editioned by Kurt Allerslev for TB#3. Banana scratch and sniff stickers on the first page mixed with the heady scent of latex upon opening TB#3. The tragic book series takes a massive shift in this book with the attention to materiality as illustration. The fake vomit looking covers dare the reader to touch; the smells and textures, so unlike any book, provoke the reader before they even begin to read. The contents are labeled as ” meticulously rendered paintings and drawings depicting a fascinating and surreal world…” The typography is all but illegible, either on purpose as in the case with Matt Rudy’s fantastic calligraphy; or reduced to 6 point with more concern for the cost of reproduction rather than readability. Layouts for the book generally happened with late night glue stick sessions and beer- resulting in fadeouts, de-centered images, and random juxtapositions. Two window posters made with “registered” tri-tone black/blue/red toner were experiments in multi layer electro static printing. Appropriation is rampant in this issue with found photographs, computer optical trick images, and collaged in magazine texts. The narrative structure of the book is thwarted and challenged by the printing and design- a necessary departure from the ordinary corporate designed publications. There is a very cozy, psychedelic, family vibe going on in this book- an “in” joke for anyone daring enough to pick it up. The one-eyed turkey man wearing sneakers at the end of the book says, “Dig it”, and dug it was.

Tragic Book Number Four
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Jeffrey “El Jefe'” Guilliland, Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Rob Harless, Eric Spitz Nagle, Mark Hayward, Jim Demotropolis, April Manning, Matthew Rentchler, David Kelly, Kurt Allerslev, Steve Wegner, Kent Winkler, Mark Wagner, S.L. Hoche, Nelz Pederson, Matt Tracy, Jon Born, Jake Goeller, David Lundahl, Jon Barwise, Nugent J. Vitallo, Mantalk Flunkie
1994, Edition of 25, 50 pgs, 8 1/2″ X 11″

Mark Wagner designed covers and did the bi-furcated pamphlet binding with sewn in end sheet wings. The frontice piece and title page signal the caustic and humorous contents with a collage of an appropriated painting of an Assyrian warrior with his foot on the neck of his vanquished foe pouring Tabasco pepper sauce on him as he squirms. This issue is image heavy, with lots of fresh fiction and poetry; and easier on the eyes in general then the previous offerings. The Dot-matrix typography is still awful, but printed larger; experimentation with spacing, leading, font, and an obvious affection for hand written calligraphy are in evidence. The spray paint stenciled end sheet wings and Playboy style centerfold were further steps in exploring the book format. The page design is still flipping all over the place, leading to a salamundgundi feel: Mixed up, de-centered, unmoored, coded, and collaged. The drawings are great in this issue: with Rob Harless’s cars and David Heagle Last’s weird mini comics being highlights. This book also reprints the first piece of correspondence the press received about the series, adding a little self-preferentiality in the form of a damning letter from a preacher. The delirious excess of the contents spill from the book; but strangely, all the work energetically co-exists in a symbiotic otherworldly harmony or fractal order.

Tragic Book Number Five
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Mark Hayward, April Manning, Kurt Allerslev Reynertson, Kent Winkler, Calvin Custen, Marshall Weber, Mark Wagner, John Born, Phuong Ngyuen, D.W. Lundahl, Nick Miller, Haig Demarjan, S.S.Schooler, Nugent J. Vitallo, S. L. Hoche, David Heagle Last, Kai Johnson, Nelz Pederson, Jim Demotropolis, Jeff Guilliland, Eric Jensen, George Cramer, Margaret Weisbrod
1994, Edition of 25, 50 pgs, 11″ X 17″

By far the most ambitious publishing endeavor at the time for all involved, TB#5 is a giant format of 11″ by 34″ when open. The size brought new problems and solutions, new materials and processes employed. The covers are photo etched and patinaed roofing copper riveted to Luon boards with sail canvas and black leather straps making the spine. Margaret Weisbrod photo etched the 25 copper covers with a Polaroid image by David W. Lundahl; then Mark Hayward mixed up a patina which he hand painted then set with a tourch; then Haig Damarjan scratched and Die stamped each cover by hand with the publisher for the title, numbering, and design element. Each of the single sided Xeroxed 11″ by 17″ pages were spray mounted onto Meeker paper by the publisher and Kurt Allerslev Reynertson with full masks and ventilator blasting away. The pages were then all hand rubber stamped with the page numbers by Mark Wagner. The books were then bound coptically by Mark Wagner and the publisher. Don, a friend at the local Kinkos would “bump” the counter in the machines (both color and Black and white!) and let the printers nerd out and play; running the paper through multiple times, running printed colored sheets through the black and white machines, Xerox printing on sandpaper, on plastic, on wood, etc. The result of all this freedom was that the printing of such a large edition to be given away was possible. Don- never knew his last name- made TB #5 and a lot of other peoples books happen with his punk attitude and support of the Zine’ scene. When Don received his copy of TB #5 he was flabbergasted: he had no idea we had made so many copies! He quickly hid the book and thanked the publisher; smilingly he said he was glad with what we did. The overall design of TB#5 is “better” than the previous: more spacious, fully aware of the entire spread and cross gutter juxtaposition. The orientation is still swinging all over the place, the typography awful and not unified by font or format; still the texts included are good, and sometimes great like Marshall Weber’s “Swallowing Eye”. The publisherÕs Polaroid portraits of the contributors are included as a full spread. TB#5 is the first book where the press made a rubber stamp expressly for the edition: The image on the stamp is a 1940’s car with a sign on the back that says “Pleasure”, speeding away from the reader. Also the first book in the series including an audiotape featuring poetry and rad electronica produced by David Heagle Last and Kai Johnson.

Tragic Book Number Six
Contributors: Matthew Rudy, Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Mark Hayward, Kurt Allerslev Reynertson, Kent Winkler, Dan Barry, Phuong Ngyuen, George Cramer, Lisa Beth Robinson, Steve Timm, Steve Wenger, Jake Goeller, David Lundahl, Gavin Wilson, Mark Wagner, David Heagle Last, Lewis Koch, Calvin Custen, Nugent J. Vitallo, Eric Jensen, Rolf Lund, Marshall Weber, Dylan Graham, S.S.Schooler, S.L. Hoche,
1995, Edition of 25, 82 pgs, 8.5″ X 7″

TB #6 is the first “proper” book in the series. Covers and binding of this edition of 25 were executed by Shon Sheldon Schooler of Blue Barrel Press; with silk-screened and type written end sheets by Lisa Beth Robinson. TB newcomer Dylan Graham designed the poetry and prose in TB#6; finally the text has a common font, orientation, and high contrast black and white Xerox printing. David Heagle Last drew corner initials for crediting the authors and artists. A score of a Simple Precision 15 Vandercook proof press from Caren Heft allowed the press to include another tool in the arsenal for mark making. The SP-15 was employed to print the “Hell” type covers and a motorcycle air manifold, which when debossed looked like the paths of termites. Jake Goeller editioned the botanical laminations sewn into the binding tabs festooned with David Heagle LastÕs “bacon strips”. Mark HaywardÕs photograph of a road-killed raccoon painted over by the highway safety line encapsulates much of the sense of beauty, humor, and tragedy of the series. Steve Timm makes his first appearance in TB#6 with some great poems including a favorite called “Voices”. Many of the lessons and techniques from the previous five are put to good use in this book. The book feels solid visually and physically; a unified clarity paired with playful and fresh texts and images. David Heagle Last’s tour de force exploration of multiple run Xerox flat color registered printing techniques created the hilarious and beautiful comix that only exist in the printed form. DylanÕs Edward Gorey update “The presents they gave to the children” is excellent drawing and graphically solid work. TB#6 has more comix and text then the previous books in the series, it is a book that wants to be read.

Tragic Book Number Seven
Contributors: Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Mark Hayward, David W. Lundahl, Kurt Allerslev, Kent Winkler, Mark Wagner, Joanna Poehlman, David Heagle, Lewis Koch, Nugent J. Vitallo, Eric Jensen, Rolf Lund, Marshall Weber, Dylan Graham, Jonathan Lill, Patrick Joseph Blough Flynn, E.F. Higgins 111, Erica Harris, Sara Parkel, Gordon Borsa, Alison McDaniel, Lawrie Wenner, Peter Spagnuolo, Holton Rower, Kathyrn Gritt, Felice Tebbe, Lenore Thomas, Kay Ward, Scott Teplin, Nick Miller, Gamini Aquinas, Kimberly Zwislak, Amanda Park Taylor, Jane LeCroy, S.S.Schooler, S.L. Hoche, Amy Kavermann, Rob Harless, Bradford Reed
1998, Edition of 35, 100 pages, 7″ X 7″

Dylan Graham drew the cover illustrations and made the color separations, Mark Wagner of the Bird Brain Press printed the zinc plates made from the drawings on the SP-15. Sara Parkel of the Filter Press bound the entire edition of 35 in a traditional French exposed cord binding with varicolored linen thread. Most of the typography was designed by Kurt Allerslev Reynertson of Bleed inc., who also enabled the printing of color Xerox portions of the book with his workday swashbuckling. The books became progressively more complex, so too became the social aspects of working with 33 artists and writers. The collaborative nature of book production was fully explored in this issue of the Tragic Book. Participants could edition the pieces they wished to include in the book however they chose, as long as it fit the final folded format of 7″ X 7″. This lead to a problem when one of the pieces submitted in editioned form offended other participants to the point where they threatened to remove their pieces from the publication. Everybody who contributed got a book; though in the end, not all the work submitted was included in the edition. Shon S. Schooler donated 35 parking tickets from the city of Brooklyn for the edition. A host of processes and machines were used in the process of making the edition. Grommets, check cancellation machines, stencil machines, silkscreen, letterpress, etching, Xerox, bubble jet, Fiery Iris, typewriters, and rubberstamps were employed to make marks in the edition. Scott Teplin’s fantastic, surreal editioned etchings are sumptuous, lush reminders of printmakings’ history. An Audio CD of poetry and music mastered and editioned by David Heagle Last was included in the back pocket of TB#7- the first digital media to be included in the series. A true highlight of the TB series is the interactive kinetic paper engineering by Lawrie Wenner in TB#9: The reader pulls open the little oven door and in so doing causes the women to stick her head in the oven. Mordant, achingly brilliant, and perfectly produced in edition. A good balance between text/image is present in this book; though still uneven and embattled, this book holds together as a book of energetic signatures- bold, unique, different, but somehow related by the hand and eye.

Tragic Book Number Eight
Contributors: Joseph Dostal, C.K.Wilde, Mark Hayward, Kurt Allerslev Reynertson, Kent Winkler, S.L. Hoche, Scott Teplin, Nick Miller, Dylan Graham, Jonathan Lill, Patrick Joseph Blough Flynn, Jonathan Rosen, Samantha Hunt, Caren Heft, Mark Wagner, Jeffrey Morin, Marshall Weber, Stan Shellabarger, Dutes Miller, Adrienne Herman, Karen Switzer (artnoose), Stacy Wakefield, Amber Gayle, Joyce Burstein, The Reverend Bronwyn Pandemonium, Jan Rolletchek, Kevin Pyle, Adam Januz, David McClimans, Kathyrn Gritt, Fly, Eric Jensen, Pumpkin Boy/ Kurbis Junge, Aaron Noble, Steve Timm, Mara Faye Letham, Peter Spagnuolo, Fiona Smyth, S.S.Schooler, Sara Parkel, Lewis Koch, Lawrie Wenner, Ianthe Jackson, David Heagle Last
2001, Edition of 42, 123 pgs, 3″ X 5″

This brick of a book is the smallest format of the series with a 3″ X 5″ page face. TB #8s’ covers features Scott Teplin drawings made into lenticulars by Depthography. Mark Wagner letterpressed Dylan Graham’s mini drawings to festoon the mylar signature tabs bound into the structure. Joseph Dostal braided and soldered 45 silver “eights” that are mounted into the binding as modified place holder/bookmark. Stacy Wakefeild designed the submitted texts into a legiable form in spite of the miniscule format. David Heagle Last included a disk of digital ‘mistake’ noises in the back of each copy. The casing and binding was done by the publisher, Sara Parkel, and Eliana Perez. This book was a challenge to make for many reasons- the largest of those reasons was 9/11 happened right outside the publisher’s windows during the assembly of TB #8. The ensueing chaos and depression stalled the production of this book for more than a year afterword. The content reflects the catastrophe of 9/11 with Peter SpagnouloÕs poetical diatribe entitled “Blowback”. Highlights include Marshall WeberÕs “Feeling inside”, Samantha Hunt’s great story about Beckett, Jon Lill’s ” Angels to Aberfan”, and Fiona Smyth’s hand painted edition of a crying woman. All in all, this book is hermetic and mysterious. The processes utilized in this book are numerous, as are the material used. The mechanical handeling is uneven; the reader must really WANT to read this book, as it resists all but the most intrepid engaugement.

Tragic Book Number Nine
Contributors: C.K.Wilde, Kurt Allerslev Reynertson, Kent Winkler, S.L. Hoche, Scott Teplin, Dylan Graham, Jonathan Lill, Patrick Joseph Blough Flynn, Samantha Hunt, Caren Heft, Mark Wagner, Jeffrey Morin, Marshall Weber, Stan Shellabarger, Adrienne Herman, Karen Switzer, The Reverend Bronwyn Pandemonium, Jan Rolletchek, Kevin Pyle, Adam Januz, David McClimans, Kathyrn Gritt, Pumpkin Boy/ Kurbis Junge, Steve Timm, Peter Spagnuolo, Fiona Smyth, S.S.Schooler, Sara Parkel, Ianthe Jackson, David Heagle Last, Henrik Drescher, Ottfried Zielke, Carey Kalimba Acenzo, Alison Brashaw, Robert The, Keith Sirchio, Gerhild Ebel, Gary Panter, Amy Mees, Kidd of Speed, April Manning, Leif Parsons, Elena Wen, Michael Duffy, Laure Parsons, Joe Stauber, Katherine Streeter, Chrysse Everheart, Takashi Suiken, Eliana Perez, M.T. Karthik, Alain Pilon, Shelly Jackson, SFC Red Thomas, Robroy Chalmers, Sean Star Wars, Sara Cook, Robert Munn
2005, Edition of 55, 180 pgs, 11″ X 11″ X 15″

TB #9 is the culmination of the procedures and experiments that began in 1993. The Internet revolution that was starting as the series took form was a full-blown reality by the time TB #9 was finished. Electronic communication in some ways supplanted the necessity for such a book. The goal of “having the most talented people you knew all in one room” is now basically fulfilled in a virtual space. The website as an information kiosk is now an everyday reality for most computer owners; as is the ability to interlink these bodies of information allowing for endless footnote/endnote daisy chained hyperlinks. A website about Chernobyl is redesigned and reproduced in TB #9, as if to perversely underline the outmoded nature of the book while celebrating it. An actual object is only necessary if the material presentation is integral to the ideas therein. So it is with the ideas in this most complicated of communal books, TB #9. Carey Acenzo’s thousands of little copper wire balls were placed in every copy of the books; when the participant first got their book, and opened to that signature the balls fell out of the book, leaving only the impression of their presence in the soft paper. How tragic is that? A book that falls apart as you read it, leaving evidence of its’ own slow destruction? The production of this book was the largest the publisher had ever undertaken at the time and required lots of help. Caitlin “Cat” Glennon, Eliana Perez, and Sara Parkel worked on all aspects of the editioning- from cutting and covering the boards, folding signatures, to executing the saddle stapled spine binding devised by Mark Wagner for the edition. Patrick Joseph Blough Flynn of The Flynnstitute did all the illustration and typographic design for the contributors in this edition. April Manning printed all the electrostatic transfer pages for the books at Hyperion Design. Despite the strange format, many contributors prepared their own signatures- fantastic silk-screens, sad pop-ups; sewn up dreams, and funky frottaged signatures all on different paper stocks hunker together in this book. Keith Sirchio’s clever folding of his Cuban photograph leads the reader to the slow revelation of preparations for a pig roast. Samantha Hunt and Peter Spagnuolo’s writing in this issue is the best the press has published. Robert The cut a book called “Tragic Ground” into the shape of a gun and then took the book apart, sealing a few pages into 55 laminate pouches which were then sewn into the books. The lenticular covers made by Depthography feature Marshall Weber with an animation of a golden horse galloping in his head while he closes his eyes to the title.The melding the techniques and technologies of ‘Zines and Artists books was realized in the Tragic Book series, and its’ culmination, Tragic Book #9.