Tucker Teaches the Clockies to Copulate, letterpressed cover – a set on Flickr
Last week Fritz Swanson and I printed these *awesome as Hell* new covers for the “patrons-only” print edition of “Tucker Teaches the Clockies to Copulate.” These covers are handset using a mix of antique lead type and wooden poster type (i.e., the kind used on Old West *WANTED* posters), with a few modern elements (like the graphic on the back, which is a magnesium block Fritz had made a few years back). They were printed using Fritz’s century-old Chandler & Price New Style letterpress–which we hauled back to Michigan from New York a few years ago, and were almost crushed by (long story; immaterial here). (FYI, the letterpress shown in that Wikipedia entry is Fritz’s *actual* press in his Manchester, MI, workshop. NOT SHOWN: Me off in the corner cursing my damn stupid eyes as I realize I’ve once again set all of the type completely backwards.)
This print edition–which runs 70-some pages–has letterpress-printed covers and laser-printed interiors with original illustrations by Chad Sell. Each book has a hand-sewn binding and is individually distressed, signed, and numbered.
If you just want to read the story–which is well thought of, if poorly publicized–you can drop a buck or two and buy it for Kindle through Amazon or pick-what-you-pay for the DRM-free ebook (including a Kindle-compliant mobi file, PDFs, digital extras, and more). But if you want a unique steampunk curio–perfect for giftifying or stashing in a very confusing time-capsule–then the Patron’s Print Edition is the way to go. Want a customized message or dedication? Just mention it in the “notes” when you pay.
As for the story itself:
— Rich Horton, Locus, July 2008 (Recommended Story)