Eight-Stone Press Baltimore Shopping Guide

Eight-Stone Press

Eight-Stone Press Baltimore Shopping Guide

Well, folks, the time is at hand - it's the holidays, and we're all buying stuff. And even if you're one of those attempting to shun the crass consumerism of the holiday season, as a functioning member of so-called civilized society, chances are you'll inevitably be out there buying something of some kind for someone sooner or later. So, rather than loading up on a bunch of mass-produced plastic made everywhere else but here, why not pick up something unique while helping to support your community in the process?

For this very purpose, we here at Eight-Stone Press - publisher of the award-winning "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" series - have compiled the following "Shopping Guide" to promote goods and services that in some way, shape or form actually have some bearing on Baltimore. Listings are alphabetical, under a series of headings, including:

- BALTIMORE (items that uniquely represent and explore Baltimore's character and history)
- BOOKSELLERS (independently-owned and operated retail stores)
- FILM (independently-owned and operated movie houses and video stores, as well as locally-produced films)
- FOOD (local places that offer good things to eat)
- MUSIC (Baltimore-based bands, singer/songwriters and other artists)
- PHOTOGRAPHY (Baltimore-based and or/-centric photography)
- TATTOOS (get inked in Baltimore!)
- THEATER (locally-based theater companies)
- WORDS (locally-based and/or influenced writers and publishers)

Please note that this shopping guide represents a choice (on our part) selection of entities and individuals, and is not intended as a comprehensive list of all the fine independently-owned and operated businesses and/or products throughout the greater Baltimore area. For more information on the advantages of buying locally, visit www.buylocalbaltimore.com/pages/ind_why.html. In the meantime, without further ado…

But wait! First, allow us to quickly tell you of a few specials that Eight-Stone Press is offering for a limited time:

*** "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" Complete Theme Pack Includes: "Giving Up the Ghost" (supernatural stories); "Infestation!" (rat stories); "Show Me Yours, Show You Mine" (scar stories); "Criminally Yours" (crime stories); "Skin Deep" (tattoo stories); "Intersections" (transit stories). Cost: $16 (price includes shipping).

*** The Complete "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" (No. 1-12) Includes all 12 regular issues of the award-winning zine. Cost: $35 (price includes shipping).

*** In addition, Eight-Stone Press, in conjunction with Leeking Inc., proudly offers the Baltimore "Whistling Past the Graveyard" Gift Pack Includes: One (1) "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" t-shirt; "Giving Up the Ghost" (supernatural stories); "Infestation!" (rat stories); "Rigor Mortis" No. 1 and "Rigor Mortis" No. 2 (horror/zombie-related essays, reviews, etc.). Cost: $25 (price includes shipping).

*** All orders received by 12/31/09 for our locally hand-screened t-shirts will also include a free copy of "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" Cost: $17 (price includes shipping).

Mail check, money order, stamps, cash or PayPal (please send to davida@leekinginc.com) to:
Willam P. Tandy
PO Box 11064
Baltimore, MD
21212 USA

And now, without further ado…

BALTIMORE
AAubreyBodine.com
Regarded as one of the finest photographers of the 20th century, A. Aubrey Bodine's pictures were exhibited in hundreds of prestigious shows, scores of museums, and he won awards against top competition. His photographs were seen in The Sunday Sun from 1927 to 1970. More than 6,000 photographs spanning his career are available online, as is information about licenses, reprints and notecards. [(800) 556-7226; www.aaubreybodine.com]

Baltimore Ghost Tours
Originally centered in Fell's Point, this locally owned and operated business has expanded to offer walking tours of Baltimore's historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood, in addition to its original Fell's Point GhostWalk and Fell's Point Haunted PubWalk. Local actors serve as the tour guides. [(410) 522-7400; www.baltimoreghosttours.com]

"Baltimore's Harbor Haunts: True Ghost Stories"
Baltimore has harbor neighborhoods that have a long and colorful history of industry, immigrants…and ghosts. This spellbinding book - the culmination of a decade of research and first-person interviews by co-authors Melissa Rowell and Amy Lynwander - exposes some of their unknown histories and uncovers 37 hauntings along the waterfront. From the ghost of a drowned boy in Canton to famous ghosts of Ft. McHenry, these tantalizing stories pay homage to the people who remained behind. [www.baltimoreghosttours.com/merchandise.html]

"I Heart Bmore" T-Shirts
Award-winning and critically acclaimed designer Nolen Strals finally designed his own T, declaring his love for Baltimore. It's an eyes-wide-open kind of love, though, scars and all…or, at least, the things that can cause scars: bats, knives, grenades, slingshots... Various sizes (including women's) available, as are hoodies. [www.atomicbooks.com]

"I Keee You!! A Collection of Overheards"
What have we overheard in the bathroom? On the street? In bars? In our own homes? In stores? At restaurants? As people talk into their cell phones to their friends and, in some cases, to no one at all. Have we overheard you? Editor Benn Ray assembles an impressive variety of illustrators to illustrate this collection of "overheard" conversational snippets from all around Baltimore. [www.atomicbooks.com]

JohnnyEckMuseum.com
Billed as the "Half-Man", Baltimore native Johnny Eck made a name for himself early in life through appearances on the sideshow circuit and, most notably, in director Tod Browning's 1931 classic Freaks. In later years, Eck became a renowned painter of window screens, a common practice in his East Baltimore neighborhood since the early 1900s. Visit the website for t-shirts, limited-edition prints, photographs and more. [www.johnnyeckmuseum.com]

Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!
From the harbor to the hills, the submission-based "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" collects the tales of those on whom Mobtown has left her indelible mark: polished professional essays; barroom sermons delivered from the sanctity of a favorite stool; the poet's fleeting sentiment captured in both word and snapshot - a slice of Baltimore as told by Baltimore, presented with the time-honored DIY accessibility of a limited-run, handcrafted zine. A two-time Utne Independent Press Award nominee, "Smile, Hon" has also been named "Best Zine" by "Baltimore Magazine" (2008) and "Baltimore City Paper" (2004). Check out the latest issue (No. 12), or pick up back issues that delve into such topics as rats, transit, crime, scars, tattoos and more. T-shirts and related merchandise available. [www.eightstonepress.com]

BOOKSELLERS
Atomic Books
A fixture in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood since 2001 (and elsewhere in the city before that), the one and only Atomic Books is Mobtown's premier independent store specializing in underground, independent and alternative books, comics, art, toys, maga/zines and more. [3620 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD 21211; (410) 662-4444; www.atomicbooks.com]

AuthorsBookshop.com
This online bookstore is dedicated to selling self-published, independently published and small-press published books. AuthorsBookshop.com offers a home for indie books that is friendly, helpful and profitable for authors and small presses. A great place for book-buyers who want to feel good about where their books are coming from. [www.authorsbookshop.com]

Cyclops Books & Music
Owner/proprietor Andy Rubin had scarcely shuttered his previous store, Baltimore Chop Books, when he opened Cyclops Books & Music in Baltimore's burgeoning Station North Arts District earlier this year. Several times larger than Baltimore Chop, Cyclops features a broad variety of books, frequent live music, an in-house art gallery and more. There's plenty of space inside to park your bike, and should you come by car, Cyclops will even pay your meter. [30 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201; (410) 752-4487; www.facebook.com/cyclopsbmore]

Normal's
A stone's throw from the ever-popular Waverly Farmers' Market, this collectively-run independent shop is overflowing with good (and frequently hard-to-find) stuff ranging from books and small-press publications to records and CDs. [425 E. 31st Street, Baltimore, MD 21218; (410) 243-6888; www.normals.com]

Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse
This worker-owned, collectively-managed bookstore and coffeehouse is located in Baltimore's Mt. Vernon neighborhood. Here, you will find books and periodicals on a wide range of topics, with a focus on radical politics and culture. The coffeehouse offers fair-trade, organic coffee and espresso, as well as a selection of vegan and vegetarian food. Red Emma's also features free Internet access, both through WiFi and public-access terminals. [800 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202; (410) 230-0450; www.redemmas.org]

Ukazoo Books
Just across the street from Towsontowne Center, Ukazoo Books features an extensive selection of more than 100,000 new and used books (including tens of thousands of out-of-print titles) to choose from. Ukazoo also buys your used books in exchange for cash, or a slightly higher amount in store credit. [730 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson, MD 21204; (410) 832-BOOK; www.ukazoo.com]

FILM
The Charles Theatre
Located in one of Charles Street's most intriguing historic buildings, the 1,150-seat, 23,000 square-foot Charles Theatre offers first-run specialty films in addition to Hollywood movies, foreign films and cinema classics. [1711 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; (410) 727-FILM; www.thecharles.com]

"Fell's Point Out of Time"
In this 2004 documentary, director/producer Jacquie Greff tells the story of the historic Baltimore waterfront community of Fell's Point, from its early years as the home of the famed privateers to its decline and near-demolition, as well as its more recent (and controversial) rebirth. Residents, friends, and those who frequent the area tell Fell's Point's story using conversational interviews, with overlaid scenes of the community as well as archival photographs. [www.fellspointoutoftime.us]

"The Last Season"
Shot, edited, written, and directed by Charles Cohen and Joseph Mathew, this 70-minute documentary captures the almost ritualistic reaction to the demise of Baltimore's beloved Memorial Stadium. The film features a cast of characters that includes fans, ball players, demolition workers, politicians, neighborhood activists, journalists, a historian, an architect and a cab driver once famous for leading 50,000 fans to a rollicking boil. [www.memorialstadium.org/project_files/buy_the_video.html]

"Livelihood"
In this locally shot and produced zombie comedy, the lead singer of an '80s rock band, a corporate lackey and an evil mother-in-law all die unexpectedly in a bizarre series of events. They come back to life, hoping to pick up where they left off before they died, but instead are confronted by prejudice, long-hidden secrets and the general inconvenience of being dead. [www.livelihoodmovie.com]

Video Americain
From weary young parents looking for a good laugh on a Saturday night to young art-school students who feel that incomprehensibility, in film and in life, is a virtue to seniors for whom two hours with Fred or Gene brings a twinkle back to their eye, Video Americain has the right film for you, and great people to help you get it. Look for the Roland Park location's cameo in John Waters's 1994 comedy Serial Mom. [Roland Park Store - 400 W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21210; (410) 243-2231; Charles Village Store - 3100 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21218; (410) 889-5266; www.videoamericain.com]

FOOD
Brunie's Bakery
Brunie's Bakery is on a mission to prove that vegan baking can be creative, decadently delicious and aesthetically pleasing. Whether you're searching for triple-layer gourmet cakes filled with from-scratch custard or a mouth-watering flaky Danish, look no further than Brunie's. Using only the finest premium, natural and mostly organic ingredients, Brunie's bakes unbeatable cakes, pies, donuts, bars, cookies and muffins. [www.bruniesbakery.com]

Emily's Desserts
This new bakery offers, among other things, fresh gluten-free vegan doughnuts. [4901 Springarden Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209; (443) 858-7045; www.emilysdesserts.com]

MUSIC
The Crawdaddies
The locally-based Crawdaddies' music incorporates everything from the Cajun/Zydeco/Blues sounds of Louisiana to Roots Rock, Americana and Ska, creating a sound that is uniquely their own. Their song "Louise", from the CD "Keep Lookin' Up" was recently nominated for Best Cajun Song in the 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards. [www.thecrawdaddies.com]

The Degenerettes
Influenced by years on the garage rock, soul, roots, and punk rock scenes (as well as obsessive movie-watching), The Degenerettes' bass-driven, jangly fuzz-guitar sounds combine with Rahne Alexander's literary, often humorous songwriting to create multiple narrative universes - from torrid mummy love affairs to teenybopper spies to Baltimore streets. They're the soundtrack of the Velvet Underground and the Runaways on a big gay double-date at a midnight movie. Check out their debut album, this year's "Bad Girls Go to Hell". (Alexander is also a regular "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" contributor.) [www.facebook.com/thedegenerettes]

The Diamondheads
"Diamond Head at Dusk", the most recent release from "Baltimore's Favorite Surf Guitar Instrumental Band", features 15 original instrumentals influenced by the likes of The Ventures, Link Wray, Duane Eddy, The Shadows and Freddie King, to name just a few. Plenty of splashy reverb, twang and thunder here! [www.thediamondheads.com/cdinfo.html]

Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad
This band of interstellar misfits made their way to Baltimore in 2005 after their makeshift cardboard banana spaceship overheated, and eventually crashed into a Party City in Towson, Maryland, USA, Earth. Since then, they've run the gamut of opportunity in the indie rock world, self-producing, promoting and marketing everything they do. They've seen glorious successes and earth-shattering failures - but when they fail, at least they do it cheaply. Check out their magnum opus, "Die Humpin!", and related merchandise. [www.flutesquad.com]

The Hilltop Hightops
Together, Captain Ryan, Space Pirate Extraordinaire, Professor Doktor Von Science, Drumbot, HorsePower and Mathstronaut are on a mission to save Earth from boring and bland children's music. Check out their debut album, "Super Galactic Space Banana". [www.facebook.com/hilltophightops]

Reptilian Records
Looking for amazing, rare punk, hardcore, industrial and more? Look no further. Since closing its bricks-and-mortar retail location, Reptilian Records has converted to a completely online platform. While there, be sure to visit the home of Scapegoat Publishing, dedicated to producing fine art, fiction and non-fictional works of quality for a discriminating audience, focusing on the dark, sometimes-sinister, often-controversial endeavors of intrepid explorers of our cultural underworld. [www.reptilianrecords.com]

Sahffi
An all-original, Baltimore-based musician, Sahffi offers a spontaneous blend of rock, folk and blues, all stemming from her early love of classical music. Her second album, "Turning Tides", features her regular band as well as many special guest artists, including Rene Hernandez of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Jason Love of the Columbia Orchestra, Rob Thorworth and Ken Gutberlet. [www.sahffi.com]

The Sound Garden
Consistently rated Baltimore's best music store, the Sound Garden buys and sells new and used CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays and video games. This Fell's Point institution also features a large collection of new vinyl and DJ equipment, as well as periodic in-store appearances by a variety of artists. [1616 Thames Street, Baltimore, MD 21231; (410) 563-9011; www.cdjoint.com]

PHOTOGRAPHY
AAubreyBodine.com
Regarded as one of the finest photographers of the 20th century, A. Aubrey Bodine's pictures were exhibited in hundreds of prestigious shows, scores of museums, and he won awards against top competition. His photographs were seen in The Sunday Sun from 1927 to 1970. More than 6,000 photographs spanning his career are available online, as is information about licenses, reprints and notecards. [(800) 556-7226; www.aaubreybodine.com]

Wild Leek Photography
Wild Leek Photography specializes in portraits of sanctuary, rescued, wild and companion animals. Some of the animals pictured on the Wild Leek website are residents of United Poultry Concerns, Peaceful Prairie, Poplar Springs and other sanctuaries; a portion of the proceeds from the sale of any such prints purchased from Wild Leek go to the sanctuary where the photo was taken. [www.wildleekphotography.com]

TATTOOS
Baltimore Tattoo Museum
As featured in "Skin Deep", a special tattoo edition of local zine "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" (www.eightstonepress.com/hon/hontattoo.htm), the Baltimore Tattoo Museum functions as both a museum dedicated to the history of electric tattooing and a functioning tattoo street shop all in one! Tour the exhibits and artifacts on display at no charge, or talk to the counterman about which of the Museum's artists is best-suited to your Old-School Traditional, Japanese, Kanji, Black & Grey, Portrait, Flash or Custom-Drawn design. On Saturdays, the Museum accepts walk-in clients. [1534 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21231; (410) 522-5800; www.baltimoretattoomuseum.net]

THEATER
The Strand Theater
Located in the city's Station North Arts District, the Strand Theater is a community theater dedicated to providing opportunities for women artists, writers, designers and directors. With a focus on producing original works, the Strand hopes to foster a love of theater for a new generation of patrons. [1823 Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; (443) 874-4917; www.strandtheatercompany.org]

WORDS
Apprentice House
Apprentice House is the country's only campus-based, student-staffed book publishing company. Directed by professors and industry professionals, it is a nonprofit activity of the Communication Department at Loyola College in Maryland. From politics to veganism to the media, the various topics and authors published by Apprentice House help to educate students about the book publishing process. [(410) 617-5265; www.apprenticehouse.com]

"Flightless Goose"
Gilbert enjoys the usual pleasures of pond life...until an accident changes his life forever. In telling Gilbert's story, this locally published, full-color hardcover children's book - written by Eric D. Goodman, with illustrations by Nataliya A. Goodman - tastefully teaches tolerance without drawing attention to it. [www.rungoose.com]

The Future Generation: The Zine-Book for Subculture Parents, Kids, Friends and Others
Published by the locally-based Atomic Book Company, The Future Generation compiles nearly two decades worth of the at-times hard-won wisdom of China Marten's zine of the same name. This primer on compassionate anti-authoritarian parenting is crafted to make the reader think about how to deal with children and respect them as human beings. Rooted in an underground publishing tradition, The Future Generation gives voice to an underrepresented and much-needed point of view - especially relevant to the countercultural community, but interesting for everyone. [www.atomicbooks.com/index.php/future-generation-zine-book-subculture-parents-kids.html]

The Hungover Gourmet: The Journal of Food, Drink, Travel and Fun
Despite having recently published its final printed issue, this indie stalwart, published locally by editor/contributor (and regular "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" contributor) Dan Taylor, lives on through regular updates to its blog, www.hungovergourmet.blogspot.com. Visit the website for back issues and related merchandise. [www.hungovergourmet.com]

Lulu Eightball, Vols. I & II
Here, the Baltimore-based Atomic Book Company collects the comics from alt-weekly star Emily Flake. Flake's cartoons deal with a variety of subjects, including - but not limited to - life and love and the foibles involved in both; drinking; smoking; bumble bees; monkeys; arm flab; and bad decision-making when it comes to sex. [www.atomicbooks.com/index.php/lulu-eightball-volume-1.html]

Rigor Mortis
Edited and published by Baltimore's own Leeking Inc. imprint, this horror zine has heavy zombie leanings, offering stunning all-original artwork, reviews for zombie movies, books, graphic novels, websites and more. Its recently published sophomore issue includes an appreciation of Kinski's Nosferatu; an exploration of the zombie-comedy subgenre; and an essay comparing Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead" with the 1990 remake. [www.leekinginc.com/rigormortis/index.htm]

Mendicant of the Hidden, Votary of the Sepulcher
Released earlier this year, Susurrus Din's "Mendicant of the Hidden, Votary of the Sepulcher" contains dark poetry inspired by the Masters of the Macabre, Gothic Horror and Ancient Myth/Folklore, as well as recent thanatological photography from various cemeteries, including many around Baltimore. [www.susurrusdin.blogspot.com]

Scapegoat Publishing
Dedicated to producing fine art, fiction and non-fictional works of quality for a discriminating audience, Scapegoat Publishing focuses on the dark, sometimes-sinister, often-controversial endeavors of intrepid explorers of our cultural underworld. While perusing its online home, be sure to check out the Reptilian Records site, rife with amazing, rare punk, hardcore, industrial and more. [www.reptilianrecords.com]

Sommer Marsden
If you're over 18, come play in "Smut Girl" Sommer Marsden's sandbox, where you'll find all sorts of top-notch erotic literature from the Baltimore-based writer (and regular "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" contributor). Visit her blog, www.smutgirl.blogspot.com, for all of her latest doings. [www.freewebs.com/sommermarsden]

The Vegan Monologues
There's nothing funny about being vegan, unless you're humorist (and regular "Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!" contributor) Ben Shaberman. From dog chases to fornicating grasshoppers to chicken stock sabotage, Shaberman explores the lighter side of the meat-free lifestyle. His reflections will put a smile on the faces of vegans and omnivores alike. [www.benshaberman.com]