MPLSzine
T H E
B E G I N N I N G
The Beginning - April 9, 2013
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THE MPLSzine STORY
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WHO WE ARE
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GET INVOLVED
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THE HALLOWEEN ISSUE
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GROWING UP Dressing up as her hero for Halloween made Courtney Algeo feel like a villain. THE HORROR Nine scary movies set in Minneapolis
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THE BROKE ISSUE
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A FRESH START Bankruptcy isn’t as bad as it sounds--but what it does it actually mean?
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THE MYSTERY ISSUE
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THESE AREN’t PHOTOSHOPPED Minnesota’s UFO watchers want to believe.
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THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE BUREAU OF MINES Urban explorer Thelma encounters mysteries in an abandoned government center.
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THE FAMILY ISSUE
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MY MOTHER THE REAL COUPON QUEEN Matthew Jacobs recalls his mother’s legendary triumph at Winn-Dixie.
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HOMODOMESTIC Selections from Chad Houle’s photos of and reflections on gay men in their homes.
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TV DAD BY NOAH HARMON
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AWAL’S JOURNEY Student Awal Al-Arsii shares photos from a trip home to his native Oromia.
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THE RESOLUTIONS ISSUE
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Zine by TOM JOHNSON
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TRAVEL DESTINATION: UKRAINE Elberto Mueller shares the delights and tribulations of living in post-Communist Ukraine.
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COMIC BY DREW BROCKINGTON
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THE INTERNET ISSUE
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WORK IS... Photographer Joe Dammel captures a guitar-maker at work.
YOU’ve got nostalgia The Internet was waaay better in the ‘90s.
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comic by drew brockington
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ART BY MILTON UN
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THE ADVENTURE ISSUE
DUNation A decade ago, this message board defined Minneapolis hiphop.
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OFF THE EATEN PATH Kari Schuster takes her taste buds on an adventure, from guinea pig to pork bung.
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THE BEAUTY ISSUE
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BEAUTY QUEENS
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MALOBE NATURAL HAIR SALON
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RETHINKING RESOLUTIONS Eric Hansen says New Year’s resolutions should be creative.
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THE WORK ISSUE
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ART BY NOAH HARMON
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SHARED HISTORY Two Americorps VISTA alumni remember their year together in Minneapolis.
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A FINE KETTLE OF FISH Sarah Brumble recounts a yarn told to her long ago, a tale of oceanic beauty and survival.
Cover by Andrew Casey, Kyle Coughlin and Brian HarT Layout by Clarissa Hamilton Background PHOTOS BY Andrew Casey
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CONTRIBUTORS Awal Al-Arsii Courtney Algeo Robert James Algeo Joe Aschebrock Drew Brockington Ira Brooker Sarah Brumble Victoria Carpenter Lee Carter Andrew Casey Chris Cloud Kyle Coughlin Rebecca Collins Darrin Commerford Joe Dammel Jesse Draxler Caitlin Dvorak Lauren Fechner Shaun Feltz Allison Fingerett Justin Flower Sally Franson Lindsey J. Frey Blaine Garrett Sabina Geylani Paige Guggemos Clarissa Hamilton Eric Hansen Noah Harmon Amina Harper Brian Matthew Hart
Mike Hazard Katie Heaney Raighne Hogan Chad Houle Rich Horton Sarah Howard Julian Sean Howley Matthew Jacobs Stephanie Jarrett Catherine Jensen Jared Jensen Eric Anton Johnson Tom Johnson Kelsey King Kat Kluegal Lars Kommienezuspadt Greg Laden Charlotte Lang Steven Lang Ann Leitel Lindsay Lelivelt Allegra Lockstadt Jason Loeffler Clint McMahon Paul Merrill Elberto Mueller Bethany Nelson Kristin Noehe Kara Nesvig Lisa Olson Ben Peterson
Annie Peterson ZoĂŤ Pizarro Colleen Powers Bill Rebholz Tom Reed Alex Roob Caroline Royce Luke Rusch Rebecca Schultz Erin Sayer Eric Schuster Kari Schuster Katie Sisneros Mason Sklar Nathaniel Smith Grant Spanier Jack Spencer Christaan Tarbox Thelma Diane Teske Adan Estrada Torres Matty Tucker Scottie B. Tuska Milton Un Lauren Van Schepen Amber Verhulst Matt Visionquest Colin Weaver Katrina Wollet Kate Worum Eleventh Wundr
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The Core Team Chris Cloud
MPLSzine is the sh*t. I’ve always been interested in showcasing the creations of the Minneapolis community. Something seemed archaic about doing that in a blog format as we had been doing, thus MPLSzine was started. I help oversee the publication’s growth and success. Previously, I had been doing with MPLS.TV. Wisconsin born and MN raised, I am. A product of the cities we live in.
Clarissa Hamilton
I was born in Queens and moved to Brooklyn Center when I was a kid. I pretty much hated it here because it didn't feel as vibrant as New York, but when I moved to Minneapolis to study Illustration and Graphic Design at MCAD my attitude changed a little. My main reason for being a part of this magazine was to be exposed to the things that make Minneapolis unique and worthy of love. As the layout director of MPLSzine, I take all the submitted content and turn it into the zine you see twice a month. I enjoy it because I get to see all the interesting stories and work that make Minneapolis what it is.
Zoë Pizarro
I am MPLSzine's current intern. I get to organize submissions and thank everyone for submitting their lovely work. I run the Tumblr account and assist with choosing themes for the issues. I'm learning a ton about how to run a publication (and I love it)! I am currently attending the University of Minnesota, working on a BA in journalism and hoping to double major with art. I've lived in Minneapolis my whole life and I still find it amazing. I can't get over our abundance of artistic talent or the way seasons transform the city from tundra to paradise.
Colleen Powers
I grew up in Rockford, Illinois and came to Minneapolis to attend the U of M, where I majored in journalism and cultural studies. After college, I interned for Mpls-St.Paul Magazine, The A.V. Club and Twin Cities Runoff. I helped launch MPLSzine last year. As Editorial Director, I reach out to potential writers and artists to grow our
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contributor base, manage and edit our written submissions, and help plan the layout for each issue. I love the challenge to find and share stories that might not otherwise be told and the chance to connect with creative people all over the city.
Brian Hart
I am one of the Visual Directors for MPLSzine. I work on sourcing visual creative from artists, illustrators, photographers and anyone working in two-dimensional expression of ideas for the pages of our publication. I love the opportunity to connect with so many amazing visual creators in our fair city. I am myself an artist who strives to communicate my own ideas through the mediums of photography and drawing and various other two-dimensional (and recently three-dimensional) constructions.
Andrew Casey
I am a Minneapolis photographer who migrates towards street photography. I have a long held passion for graffiti and street art and have documented the under exposed artform in MPLS for nearly a decade under the alias “Urban Camper”. MPLSzine’s appreciation for community and creativity are the reasons I love working as Visual Director. The issue to issue connection with the creatives that make this city the amazing place we all know it to be is wonderful. I’m genuinely excited to see what the community of artist connected with this beautiful city have in store for issues to come.
Kyle Coughlin
I am a Minneapolis-based designer and illustrator. I have lived in South Minneapolis for almost my entire life with the exception of a four-year stint in Phoenix, Arizona. As the Illustration Director of MPLSzine, I help locate local artists to provide illustration and artwork for each issue as well as the cover. I am proud to be a part of this group and to help spread pride in our great city.
Matthew Couri Jacobs
I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. I came to Minneapolis for grad school and fell in love with the culture of this city. The local support for creative endeavours is unlike any place I have lived. I joined MPLSzine because I believe in this ethos of inclusivity. Everyone has a fascinating story or an artistic talent to share. As the Social Outreach Director, I not only connect readers with content, but I also work to convert them into contributors.
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How To Get Involved Send us your stuff. We accept submissions at submit@mplszine. For upcoming issue themes and other guidelines, check out our submissions page: Pitch ideas to us. If you have something in mind but aren’t quite sure whether we’d like it or don’t know if it fits the current theme, tell us about it. We’ll do our best to work with you to develop your idea and help you bring it to life. You can send pitches to submit@mplszine.com, too. Hit us up. Do you love MPLSzine, want to get involved, but just aren’t sure where to start? Say hello at hey@mplszine.com. We’ll ask you more about yourself and add you to our email list. You can also contact us if you think you might like a bigger role with the publication. We will occasionally be looking for layout, editing and social outreach help, and we hire interns seasonally. Email hey@mplszine.com if you see a long-term commitment to MPLSzine in your future. Come meet us in person. Our first Mix-Up is at Clubhouse Jäger on Saturday, April 13. These occasional gatherings let readers and contributors (past and future) get together in one space. Whether you’re planning a collaboration with someone you’ve just met, doodling on bar napkins with the artist whose illustration you loved three issues ago, or just shaking some new hands, Mix-Ups are a good way to become more involved in the MPLSzine community. Join us online. When we’re not hanging out in real life, our community largely exists on social media. Give us a poke on Facebook (well, not literally--who does that?) to become part of our private MPLSzine group and to join the “call for submissions” events we create for each issue.
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“I was basically working off my experiment of digitally revamping the old pulp magazine process of illustration printing. With all those old magazines and comics, prior to computers, they essentially did the drawing/inking first, then handed off a converted to blue-line version of it to color in, which they would proceed to watercolor/ink in the colors for that drawing. After that, they would be converted into litho style color plate mixing at the printers, with the initial black ink drawing printed as a final color on top of all of it. It's the reason why when you see these old magazines the colors often look so grimy and jacked up, because between the colorist, the printer, and big runs on the machines, a lot of mistakes happened. When I heard about the history of that process I felt like some sort of destiny. Between my love of those old pulps and my grimy style, it was like I was hearing the ghosts of old Zap Comics and Men's Illustrated calling my name, and I basically took it upon myself to do all those steps on my own.� - Julian Sean Howley
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“This was the second issue of MPLSzine, and the first issue that Andrew and I were brought in on as Visual Directors. As MPLSzine was still in its infancy, Andrew and I were charged with coming up with the cover for the BROKE issue. Time was tight, our budget was whatever we had in our pockets and this was a relatively new process for us – collaborating on photography for a publication. We aimed to visually represent as many aspects of BROKE as we could come up with. We brainstormed ideas, concepted and gathered materials, MacGyvered a shoddy but workable photo station in Andrew’s apartment, got our shots and put it all together in less than 48 hours.” - Brian Hart
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“I had recently taken photos of a walking bridge that crossed 35W just south of DowntownMinneapolis. Brian Hart and I had a few conversations on cover ideas for the Mysteryissue, and the images I had taken came to mind. Brian and shot the images on a weekday evening, cold and late. The darkness and the inability to see what was beyond the sloping walkway brought a feeling of the unknown or mystery.� - Andrew Casey
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“I have been practicing painting over old photographs and prints for a while and figured it would work with the theme of the family issue. I spent some time finding a vintage black and white photo with the stereotypical family cast. I then recreated facial expressions which I felt might express the true feelings these characters were feeling. After a little color was added digitally, the image was ready for print.� - 11th Wundr
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When I first came out, my father’s first reaction was fear for my health—as if unprotected sex and AIDS was inevitable. Thirty years after the outbreak of AIDS and its unfair characterization of it as a gay disease, you would think the facts would be cleared up. I came to realize that my anxiety surrounding domestic life, family, and settling down were purely linked to a lack of examples of gay men defying the “supposed odds.” I am determined to infuse the world and fill the void with what I never saw at a critical point in my life, because what I needed to see is what much of the world still needs to see. This is what led to my body of work and senior thesis, Homodomestic, photographs of gay male couples in their homes. Photos and words by Chad Houle
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ILLUSTRATION BY NOAH HARMON
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“For the Resolutions cover, I knew I wanted to do something with typography. There are a lot of visuals that come to mind when you think of resolutions, but I didn’t want to get too literal with the design. I picked a font that I liked, split it up and decorated each letter to give some character. I made connections between each letter to keep a fluid legibilty and to create a pleasing shape to the final piece. This was one of my first projects with MPLSzine, and I was very pleased with how the final product turned out.” - Kyle Coughlin
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“The drawing for the cover of the Work issue was inspired by the image of hydrothermal vents found on the deep ocean floor. These vents spew super-hot, mineral-rich water that supports thriving ecosystems of biological life. The image of these hydrothermal vents comes to mind when I think about how communities thrive, grow and are dependent on forces that make it easy for us to make a livelihood.� - Nick Howard
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The vast majority of our year together was spent in one fluorescently lit room on Lake Street. Friday morning trainings consisted of Hipshaker hangovers, bagels and coffee only made drinkable by excessive cream and sugar. But they were also our time to swap stories from the week, take countless personality tests and wax poetic about wanting to change the school system as we’d come to know it. While nondescript, this place is most important of all.
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“Work can be both a joy and a burden--generally a bit of both. In my case, it is mostly a joy because I love wood and music and because I feel that I am contributing to more music in the world.� --Charlie Hoffman, Hoffman Guitars
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“I wanted to create an illustration that evoked mystery and exploration within Minneapolis. I hoped to do this by coupling the city’s amazing sense of nature integrated within the urban limits alongside Immanuel Kant’s idea of the Sublime, where nature is portrayed as vast, mysterious, overwhelming and unknown. As someone who isn’t native to Minnesota or its brutal winters, for me, Minnehaha Falls stirred up this feeling of the sublime: of awe and wonder that a place can offer so much. I can’t believe that this exists here, within the immediacy of the city, and that we get to experience it year-round with each season offering its own variety of splendor.” - Allegra Lockstadt
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“Haha, fun fact the first web page I made in 1995 was a Dragon Ball Z fan page” -Matt Visionquest
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“The cover of the Beauty issue was inspired by a deeply personal, intimate and oftentimes confusing love. There was an abrupt departure between us more than a year ago. In the year that followed, I was haunted by reminders of her. As I ambled through downtown Minneapolis, my GPS mocked me by having me turn on to ‘Laurel Avenue’ and with subtle day-to-day reminders of things we'd shared. Eventually, through a dramatic turn of events, we connected again, rekindling a fire that had burned down to embers, but hadn't gone out. When MPLSzine offered me the opportunity to shoot the cover of the Beauty issue, I couldn't imagine anyone that would express my interpretation of beauty more accurately than her. The shoot for this issue was the start to another complicated and passionate chapter in our history together, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to document this relationship in such a meaningful and expressive way.” - Lars Kommienezuspadt
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