Last Gasp has been publishing for a little more than a half-century, and they're particularly known…read morefor such things as graphic novels & comic books.  I've bought several of their books over the years and the artwork is great, with really good colors & details.  Meanwhile; there was a book I wanted to order and it was nearly out-of-print.  I ordered it from Last Gasp via Amazon because that price was the best - and the packaging was *terrific*; much better than with most books I've ordered from anyone.

I scoff at Chronicle books! Last Gasp is that eclectic uncle who knows everybody and who always…read moregave you $2 bills and things from foreign lands. Their catalog ranges from the respected to the wierd and they truly represent what it means to be an independent label (as well as community focused). In fact, I just came from their holiday party and I 1) played an old-school Elton John pinball machine 2) saw a sheep with two heads and 3) had someone do a magic trick for me. I heart this place.

[Best of 2008: http://www.sfweekly.com/bestof/2008/award/best-free-print-music-magazine-1032587/]…read more It's easy to lose track of what's important in life. http://www.yelp.com/biz/west-coast-performer-san-francisco But every now and again, you're reminded, whether it be from seeing a couple kiss in the cold lamp-lit night or watching some homeless crackhead get hyphy in the middle of Market. And you feel fortunate for your relative lack of disfigurement and abundance of resources. You start hearing uplifting voices in your head. Self-fulfilling prophesies and delusions of grandeur. Motivational momentum. Something a big orange cat said in that Disney film. (Free West Coast indie music news.) I consider myself very fortunate. I quit my job, had enough money for traveling, and came back as an Editorial Assistant position opened at Performer. And while the position offered no money, it certainly wasn't without pay. I didn't have a background in journalism or English and, in all respects, I'm still a pretty shitty reader. Changing careers isn't easy, but then if it were it wouldn't be any fun. (Free live show and record reviews.) I've been reading Performer ever since we first moved into H.I.T. Wall Studios a few years back. The fact that the magazine devotes itself to the independent musician, as opposed to the casual music listener, sets it apart from other trade publications like Rolling Stone or Zero. Because West Coast Performer only deals with the West Coast, all the info proves itself useful and relevant. The longevity of the guides and articles ensures that I always have a copy around from each month. And seeing your name skip over time from "Editorial Assistant" to "Contributing Writer" is pretty cool, too. (Free gear reviews and in-depth tour guides.) From Performer, I ably transitioned to my current editing position, which, as luck would have it, was in the process of moving to a more convenient location. And when I finally went full-time and left Performer as an Editorial Assistant, Performer moved to this shinier but more distant location. It clicked like a jigsaw falling into place, and I feel caressed by the blessing of fine timing... and thus, I consider myself very fortunate. (Free at most places you frequent in attempts of looking hip: Guitar Center, record stores like Amoeba, bars like Edinburgh, etc.) "Remember who you are." A 20-something year-old with ten working digits and a guaranteed meal tonight, taking advice from a dead, cartoon lion.

Juxtapoz is my favorite magazine and the only one I subscribe to. I have well over three milkcrates…read morefull of issues. (It's hard to say exactly how many issues I have; they're oftentimes all mixed up with other printed matter.) Started by legendary artist Robert Williams in 1994 Juxtapoz covers all kinds of low-brow, graffiti, street art, comics, custom cars, tattoo and outsider art. I don't know how many years I've subscribed but it's been many. And though they've cut back from monthly issues to fatter digest sized quarterlies, there's never a question of reupping when I get that notice saying my subscription is about to run out. (I've even shelled out a bit extra for the subscription and a T-shirt deal Jux used to offer with an impressive array of designs from different artists to choose from.) Juxtapoz features outstanding photography, in-depth interviews, often from people who've known their interviewees for a very long time, guides to cities that go beyond the usual touristy stuff, advice for up and coming artists, the lowdown on the latest art books and a heads up on mural festivals. Sometimes there's a discernable theme covered in an editor's letter at the beginning and sometimes I can't see a thread between that issue's featured artists but it's fascinating nonetheless. I could try to name drop a sample list of some of the artists that have been featured in Juxtapoz but it just seems gratuitous and obnoxious. It would go on for a couple paragraphs worth of text at least and later I'd be kicking myself that I forgot so and so. I've learned about hundreds of artists on account of this magazine. If you're at all into non-stodgy contemporary art you really can't go wrong with Juxtapoz.

Did you know that Juxtapoz is 3rd best selling art magazine?…read more It must be true because Robert Williams told me that himself. I love Juxtapoz because: "It keeps applying pressure to the conventional art world- it keeps pressing on those gates." RW Once upon a time all the french impressionists got laughed out of town. They pretty much died penniless and today we consider them masters. One day we will look back on graffiti in much the same way. NO not every tagger is an artist, but not every sprayer is a criminal. Graffiti is not low-class or low-brow. Twist has a piece hanging in MOMA. Juxtapoz is a magazine for people that don't give a rats a$$ that their art doesent match their sofa. You better recognize!

XY Magazine was one of the first gay magazines that I came across after fully coming out to myself…read moreas a gay man. This acceptance fully rooted it's change later in life for me. So many young men and women that are coming out in their teens and even before these days but I was so sheltered and isolated(demographically) this probably delayed that acceptance for years. There were not many people in Saratoga,WY that were like me. Those that were gay were confirmed by stereotypes that some people have about gay people. The only gay people in town that I knew or were acquainted with would succumb to AIDS because of being promiscuous or sadly being registered as sex offenders. Coming out to oneself is a gradual thing so while this was happening I wanted to access gay resources and see what the gay world was all about. Back then it seemed like a really big thing but looking back at it now I kind of wonder why. Probably all of it seemed so new was why. One of the resources I started buying and reading was XY magazine. Though I just fell short of it's target demographic range of readers(which was people in their teens and early twenties). I was still very nervous to buy these kinds of magazines at the register and it wasn't even porn! lol! I eventually did a subscription service that the magazine offered. While XY had a great deal to offer on info for me at first it quickly became apparent that it was out of my age range as I was getting more comfortable with myself again and coming out to people around me. Soon many of the issues that the magazine covered just didn't pertain to me anymore. Like surviving high school, queer proms and things like that. I am sure though XY helped a great deal of kids going through the same thing I was going through. Getting out from under their rocks and being comfortable in their own skin, regardless what people think about them. Since the magazine was geared towards gay youth this attracted much controversy. Many people's ideas were that these were impressionable youth still and the magazine was trying to recruit them to the gay rights movement. There was even racy photos of young men but nothing more than being shirtless or showing their underwear. Nevertheless XY magazine was labeled as being something towards a pedophile magazine towards opposing views as to what XY magazine entrepreneur, Peter Ian Cummings was going for. All his point was that you are not alone out there, here are some gay resources, and here is some pics that are trendy and a bit sexy. XY's controversy was not just on that. Michael Glatze, the managing editor for XY fell in with the 'ex- gay' movement and became a devout Christian and condemning gay rights. I have heard this 'bedtime' story before. Some of these 'ex-gay' characters are some of the biggest gay ho's out there. XY also had trouble with giving subscribers address information to other parties. Since many of the readers were not out yet to family and friends this put them in compromising positions when they would get gay themed literature at home. XY always mailed their magazines in packaging that no one was able to detect what the content was. After a while XY became more of an annoyance to me than anything else. I think I renewed this quarterly magazine two or three times ever but it was years before my subscription finally ran out. This was because the magazine ran into delays in getting issues out. So when the finally got one out I would also get an apology saying that they were sorry the magazine did not get released sooner. As a token of their sincere apology they would extend my subscription by three or four issues. I got this notice two or three times so it was forever before it finally ran out. I often would forget about the magazine until one showed up. Somewhere along the line the subscription department messed up again and started sending me two issues of the same thing. In 2007 XY magazine stopped putting out magazines. But that did not mean the end of the company. Apparently they are under new ownership. Whether that means more magazines will be coming at some point I don't know. XY provides a wealth of information on resources and establishes common ground to the young gay man that may seem so alienated that no one is like him. There are plenty of people out there just like you. The magazine does offer lots of info in the big bountiful and colorful gay world but I am glad my subscription ran out finally.

On June 5 they littered my house with their unsolicited paper.I cannot find anywhere on their…read morewebsite to unsubscribe to something I never subscribed to.By the way the litter is again in the street. They have made people customers without their consent,that includes me .

The Beacon is where I always turn to, for reliable local tradespeople…read more.... The editor; publisher..., Paul Kozak, would not have any "second rate" merchants, restaurants, and trades people. The Beaon, and its sister pub, the Richmond Review, have been pillars of the community for 20+ years.

I've worked with Jeff Edwards for printing help in the past at his old company. He just started…read morehis own business and has been amazingly helpful in meeting cost requirements and deadlines. He's saved me twice this month already! He's been coming through for friends who I have referred to him to as well. He's got tons of experience, contacts and finally is holding the reigns to his own business.

I love walking up 24th Street from BART, especially on a fantastic October day in San Francisco…read more I step out of BART make the "Boston Walk" up the hill to Dolores, sweat flowing down my face like Niagara Falls. Cell phone glued to my ear talking crap to my friends back East. My daily routine. Finally flat land approach Sanchez/24th, pass Bay Castle Cleaners wondering if my laundry is done but realizing I don't have money to pay for it, get to the newstand and see a new stack of papers. Pass by only to realize the cover of the Noe Valley Voice is a bit different. Could it be? I read that issue already...no wait...it has been a month my favorite little paper has come out with another issue. Grab it...tuck it in my Timbuktu bag....walk a bit faster only to stop and say hello to my new favorite people in Noe Valley, the staff at Bernie's (please see them you will be happy you did), finally my door. I bolt up the stairs clutching my Noe Valley paper like a Marina girl with a new Kate Spade clutch purse. Finally run into my bathroom and jump on the toilet knowing I will have some peace to tear into this black and white local literary gem. I savor my time with Noe Valley Voice. Reading it cover to cover. Wondering how I could ever dream of moving from my Noe Valley, because if I did the Voice would no longer be my monthly guilty pleasure.

Oh, I love the Noe Valley Voice for their effort to add a little spice to the otherwise "beige-y"…read morefeel of Noe Valley. They always crack me up with the list of most recent crimes in the area. It's not that it's funny to see that people are getting ripped off, I'm just entertained by anything remotely like "Law & Order." The Voice gives a lot of information that is prive only to the locals in Noe, which gives others a little peek into the sometimes strange, always appreciated politically correctness of the neighborhood. Although I find their articles to be a bit long winded and preachy at times, they do a fair job at reporting both sides of the story. If you write a scathing letter calling the favorite Noe Valley neighbor a "douche bag" they'll probably print it...and then the next month they'll print 50 scathing letters to counter what you've said. Promoting the local businesses is only one part of this paper's purpose. They also encourage community building, which is lacking in so many other SF "hoods." There is a specific need for independent papers. Every neighborhood in the city needs a "voice," after all.

Nice community-oriented monthly free paper. Columns from the…read moreallied neighborhoods, school and new business news. Focuses on good news, which is nice.