HOLIEST OF WHOLLY...

by Tallulah Lastname, Company Clerk:

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

The Company away team has pulled up its stakes and and is on it's way South to Atlanta. But before leaving Columbus, they made sure to drop by Wholly Craft, to restock the shelves with all manner of M.S.Co. goods.

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

Wholly Craft was one of the first retailers to carry Company merchandise, way back when. Proprietor Olivera Bratich always been a pleasure to deal with, and has become a true friend to many of the travelling misanthropes, opening her home to the weary travellers and often providing them with a place to sleep and work.

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

The store is not just a purveyor of handmade goods, but a strong proponent of handiwork in general; hosting events, workshops in both crafts and business development, and fostering close ties with the community. Bratich is truly a business woman with a mission.

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DOMY A SOLID...

by Tallulah Lastname, Company Clerk:

(photo by Cottonwood Fileds)

The Misanthrope Specialty Co.'s time in the silicone hills is drawing to a close, but the Company is leaving it's indelible stain behind. A little something for Austin to remember the misanthropes by.

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

Domy Books, Austin's impecably curated bastion of zines, special interest periodicals, art comics and video now purveys a select assortment of Company wares. The Company became acquainted with Domy's co-founder, Russel Etchen at last weekend's Renegade. They hit it off immediately, discussing bootleg releases of You Can't Do That On Television, The Vacant Lot, and the Hilarious House of Frightenstein. Truly the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

(photo by Reverend Aitor)

Domy Books also maintains a gallery space, in wherein sundry events and exhibitions are produced, highlighting the stores intersecting ideas and sensibilities.

Presently, the gallery is exhibiting As Above, So Below: The Art of the Secret Society, a breathtaking collection of traditional artwork and imagery from various American fraternal lodges. If you love all seeing eyes and mystical masonic iconography half as much as the men and women of the M.S.Co., you'd be wise to drop by Domy Books. The Exhibit runs until June 9, 2011.

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WALL TO SCRAWL MARKETING...

by Heywood McGillicuddy, Chairman:

"Yukon Honeymoon No.2" by the men and women of the M.S.Co.

Yes, the Company is back in Chicago; now only days away from home. The anticipation is almost unbearably palpable.

As much as the members enjoy spending half their year living like carnies, they are also eager to sleep in their own lumpy beds, with their own lumpy lovers. There is also only so much time the misanthropes can spend cooped up in cars and motels together, breathing in eachother's b.o. day in and day out.

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(photo by Rufus Spaulding)

It has been the Company's unofficial custom in previous years to open up the Clubhouse present a homecoming party and exhibition promptly after a lengthy tour. This year, however, the decision to push the usual summer hiatus back to September will keep the Company Clubhouse doors closed until October. Same goes for the Museum of Natural & Artificial History.

The M.S.Co. assures it's loyal friends and eager followers that it will make it up to them just a little further down the line. Yesterday's motion to host a Hallowe'en / Dia De Los Muertos party and event was passed unanimously.

More details will be forthcoming, pending further deliberation at next week's meeting. There are many a detail to iron out.

* * *

Paperboy's interim exhibition. A work in constant flux.
(photo courtesy of Paperboy Chicago)

Though Toronto audiences are going to have to wait, citizens of the windy city are invited to stand in awe at the Company's contribution to the impromptu group show at Paper Boy.

The misanthropes dropped by the boutique-slash-gallery's yesterday to the staff taping hurried doodles and half-finished sketches up in the gallery space. The scheduled exhibition had fallen through at the last minute, so the intrepid women of Paper Boy were mounting their own eleventh-hour show in its place.

Selected highlights from the art wall thus far (photos courtesy of Paperboy)

The doodles were only there to get the ball rolling. A basket of magic markers and a stack of virgin paper were place conveniently nearby, along with an invitation for one and all to complete the drawings, and/or start their own. It was too much to resist.

The Company spent the rest of the day gleefully scribbling in the gallery, embellishing on or otherwise defiling the groundwork the fine folks at Paper Boy had laid. This fast and loose collaboration was a refreshing departure from the more rigid and protocol-laden work the misanthropes had become accustomed to in their regular Sunday sessions.

The Misanthropes get in on the action (photo courtesy of Paper Boy)

Why not drop by and make your mark? The wall will only continue to evolve and expand over the course of the show's run.

PAPER BOY COMMUNAL WALL
September 1 to September 30, 2010
1351 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

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Limited edition message card by the Misanthrope Specialty Co.

And while you're at it, why not check out the latest in M.S.Co. ephemera? The Company has restocked the store's inventory with all manner of freshly made goods, including a few limited edition cards made using some ultra-rare vintage embossing tapes.

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ALLS WONDERFAIR IN LOVE AND WORK...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:
The Misanthrope Specialty Co. is headed Southwest, after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend in Kansas.

(photo by Tallulah Lastname)

The Company's executive branch was in Lawrence to forge a new alliance with Asteroid Head Art Club; a local art collective with whom the misanthropes had been maintaining a tenuous epistolary flirtation/antagonism. The two parties hit it off immediately, due mostly to a mutual love of Abner Jay. One thing led to another and pretty soon the rest of the available misanthropes were called down from St.Louis and Wichita for an evening of nightswimming and secret exploits.

(photo courtesy of Asteroid Head Art Club)

Asteroid Head subsequently helped the Company gain entry into Wonder Fair Art Gallery; a far more spacious and better equipped space to hold this weeks meeting than the motel room the members originally planned to rent. As a result, the gallery now carries an assortment of M.S.Co. goodies.

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It should be noted that much of the credit for Company's blossoming relationships in Lawrence goes to Sweetie Pie Press. It was via the misanthrope's long-time Toronto ally that the Company was first made aware of the goings on in Lawrence.

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The Misanthrope Specialty Co. has yet another product to sell you.

(Message card made using vintage woodgrain Dymo tape)

It's been nearly three months since the Company hit the road. The temporal and geographic distance from loved ones has inspired the advent of a new limited release message card.

The I Miss You card, in embossed woodgrain tape on maple veneer will be available for sale at Renegade Los Angeles. Due to the increasing scarcity of woodgrain labelling tape, the run has been limited to twenty cards embossed with vintage Dymo brand tape from 1968, and another twenty on the company's own specially developed woodgrain tape. There are no plans for a second run until, possibly, the Valentine season is upon us.

(This one was made with the Company-manufactured woodgrain tape)

* * *

This week's drawing session has been was somewhat hindered by the unexpected loss of many of it Company's art supplies.

(photo by Reverend Aitor)

It seems a full day of the hot sun beating down on the the cars in which much of the Company's supply of pens, paints and paper stock were stored has taken its toll. Everything seems to have undergone a variety of heat-induced chemical transformations.

(photo by Becky Johnson)

Inks clumped, paints bubbled out of their containers, papers buckled and pens exploded. Even after everyone's respective kits and pencil cases had been sifted through, and the members got down to business, a number of pens and markers turned out to have sprung leaks. As a result, a number of this week's works in progress were unfortunately marred. Remarkably, though, a few were slightly improved.

The matter was put to a vote and agreed to curtail the illustrative portion of the evening. It was decided the Company's time and efforts would be put to better use bolstering it's inventory merchandise to peddle at next weeks Renegade show.

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EATING HUMBLE MAGPIE...

by Reverend Aitor, Impresario;

Attention Massachusetts, The Misanthrope Specialty Co. is furthering inroads into New England, staking new territory in the city of Somerville.

An assortment of hand-made Company goods may now be procured Magpie, local purveyors of shiny things for your nest.

(photo courtesy of Magpie)

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CHEESESTEAK HOLDERS...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary;

(photo by Becky Johnson)

As much as the Company has enjoyed its stay in the City of Brotherly Love, the time has come to move on down the road.

(photo by Heywood McGillicuddy)

But Philadelphians need not mourn the too lugubriously, as the Misanthrope Specialty Co is leaving a little piece of itself behind, replenishing the shelves of the Art Star Gallery and Boutique with all manner Company goodies.

(photo courtesy of Sweetie Pie Press)

The Company has also struck up a relationship with the fledgling Nice Things Han Made store, outfitting them with a variety of message cards.

* * *

So long Philadelphia. Perhaps we'll cross swords again next year.

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1% INSPIRATION. 99% PERFORATION...

by Reverend Aitor, Impresario:
At long last the this year's edition of Valentimes Funnies, Goofy Cards, and Scary Love cards are ready for the masses.
Hot of the presses after a long, hard evening of hand-perforating, there are but two options for those wanting to get their hands on a sheet or two of these glossy suckers, and they're both in Toronto.The Good Catch General Store retains the right of sole bricks and mortar retailer of Misanthrope Specialty Co. ephemera in town. For those of you unfamiliar with this pirate-themed business, owner Jola Sobolak meets the sundry needs of Parkdale's diverse denizens by stocking her shelves with a little something for everyone.

(photo courtesy of the National Post)

Her wares include guitars, locally grown produce, vintage clothing, neighbourhood arts and crafts, natural cleaning products, independently published books, pet supplies and toys for the kiddies. Need keys cut? They do that too.

Your other option is to buy the cards directly from the Company at this year's Erotic Arts and Crafts Fair, February 13th, at the Gladstone Hotel. Word on the street is there'll be all manner of secret deals for those who know the pass word...

(photo by Erkuden Sakana)

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JOUAL DE VIVRE...

by Heywood McGillicuddy, Chairman:
Yes, my friends, the rumours you've heard wispered on the streets of la métropole are perfectly true. The Misanthrope Specialty Co. has infact wormed its sticky way into the Belgo building.

(photo by Erkuden Sakana)

The Company now counts Maison Kasini among it's bedfellows. And though it's far too early to divulge plans for the future, the fair citizens of Montéal can in the meantime find an assortment of our message cards and open run prints on the shelves of Kasini's ArtShop.

* * *

MISSOURI LOVES COMPANY.

(Misanthrope Specialty Company, that is.)
by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

T-Bone repots another feather in our cap during his stop in St.Louis. It seems the idealistic weirdos at the Cranky Yellow store and gallery now carry select Misanthrope Specialty Co. art prints.Finally, the citicens of St.Louis are no longer forced to pay costly tariffs to have our merchandise shipped all the way from Canada. There will be much rejoicing.

* * *

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:
We are pleased to announce to the people of Ohio that the Misanthrope Specialty Company has oozed it's way into the city of Columbus' foremost retailer of handcrafted treasures, Wholly Craft! T-Bone finally had the chance to drop by the store yesterday with a shipment, making good on the business inroads made by our impresario back in May.Look for our our classic art prints and message cards among the store's wide range of hip, cute and determinedly affordable goods, including clothing, handbags, wallets, jewelry, plush, stationary, zines, baby items, and home décor. They also carry a selection a vintage fabrics, recycled craft supplies, and kits and patterns.

ASSEMBLY LINE.

Not all of our Sunday assemblies are dedicated to the impromptu creation of new and exciting things. Sometimes we need to buckle down and mass-produce our tried and true merchandise to sell to our stores, on Etsy, and at shows.

photo by Erkuden Sakana

For those of us still stuck in Toronto, with the garbage strike in full swing, this week's session consisted mainly of bolstering our inventory of hand-made message cards. These fruits of our labour are being shipped to Los Angeles in time for the Renegade Craft Fair and subsequent tour stops.

photo by Erkuden Sakana

We are also keeping some aside for the Good Catch General Store in Toronto. Our exclusive bricks and mortar distributor of Misanthrope Specialty Co. greeting cards. They also carry an assortment of our art prints.

* * *

CHICAGO FUN TIMES.

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

(photo by T-Bone)

Our goodwill mission to the windy city has resulted in a flourishing relationship with Paper Boy, yet another jewel in Ted Frankel's crown of all things fun.

(photo courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com)

Paper Boy is a stationary store and art gallery purveying and array of small press greeting cards for all occasions, elegant journals, all manner of gift-wrapping accouterments, writing supplies and sundry gift items. The Misanthrope Specialty Co. now boasts a modest display at this fine establishment, where discerning customers may procure an assortment of our art prints, as well as our wood and Dymo Message Cards.

* * *

In other news, Reverend Aitor reports his day as the artist artist in the window Uncle Fun was, in his words, "an interesting success."

(photos courtesy of Fuzzy Gerdes and Becky Johnson)


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