Reading Frenzy ~ An Independent Press Emporium

Shoppe ~ Other Media

A selection of hand-picked gems from our downtown Portland store. Minimum order of $8.

Actaeon at home cover

Actaeon at home

By Vladimir

The newest and most riveting of Vladimir's infamous viewmaster stories.

$20.00

 
Franz Kafka Vladmaster Set cover

Franz Kafka Vladmaster Set

By Vladimir

4 reels, 4"x4" box

In addition to well-known longer works such as The Metamorphosis, The Penal Colony, and The Castle, Franz Kafka wrote a series of parables. These parables are brief and enigmatic re-imaginings of traditional mythic and historic figures. Poseidon grows bored with the sea; Alexander the Great is overcome by the weight of his own body; and the desecration of a temple becomes a ritual event for its worshippers. When Vladimir was much younger she painted the words to several of these parables, in English and German, inside of the storm drains of Corvallis, Oregon. Due to the fact that she used water-based paint, they have almost certainly been washed away by now.

This set consists of four handmade Vladmaster reels and a charming box in which to keep them. The reels feature 3D images of dioramas and characters designed, photographed and hand-assembled by Vladimir. The disks and boxes are printed and die cut by Pinball Publishing. Each reel retells a different parable. The parables retold are: Couriers, Alexander the Great, Poseidon, and Leopards. Each image is accompanied by text from the parable printed on the reel.

The reels are viewable in any Viewmaster viewer.

$18.00

 
Italo Calvino -- Vladmaster Set cover

Italo Calvino -- Vladmaster Set

4 reels, 4"x4" box

In Italo Calvino's novel Invisible Cities Marco Polo entertains an aging Kubla Khan by recounting tales of cities that he has visited in his travels. Marco Polo describes fifty-five such cities and the novel revels in the interplay between the different cities so that the reader is left to wonder whether the cities actually represent different aspects of a single city, different internal experiences of place, or something else entirely. Unfortunately, these Vladmasters which recount excerpted tales of only four such cities, cannot hope to recreate the resonances and complexities of the novel. Instead they offer pretty three-dimensional pictures assembled out of small household objects and the hope that those who have not yet read the novel might feel compelled to do so.

This set consists of four handmade Vladmaster reels and a charming box in which to keep them. The reels feature 3D images of dioramas and characters designed, photographed and hand-assembled by Vladimir. The disks and boxes are printed and die cut by Pinball Publishing. The four cities included in the set are: Zirma, a city which mysteriously repeats itself; Valdrada, a city built on a reflective lake where every person and action is mirrored; Argia, a city with dirt in place of air; and Baucis, a city elevated high above the clouds on thin stilts. Each image is accompanied by text printed onto the reel describing the city.

The reels are viewable in any Viewmaster viewer.

$18.00

 
Jeremiah Barnes -- Vladmaster Set cover

Jeremiah Barnes -- Vladmaster Set

4 reels, 1 mini cd, 4"x4" box

On March 19th 1992 a recreational airplane flying low over the Cascade foothills noticed an unusual number of orange forms dotting the forest floor. Further investigation revealed 86 earthmoving vehicles, idle and overgrown with weeds, spread over five acres of forest. The Public Life of Jeremiah Barnes is a Vladmaster investigation of this occurance and the man who may or may not have been responsible for it. The story is told in dioramas built from tiny model railroad men and 55-cent plastic bulldozers. Almost none of the objects are larger than one inch in any dimension. Narration is included on a mini-cd accompanying the reels. It features sound effects, music, and a wonderful ding noise to cue the change from image to image.

This set consists of four handmade Vladmaster reels, the box to keep them in, and the mini-cd soundtrack. The story was written and photographed by Vladimir. The disks and boxes are printed and die cut by Pinball Publishing. Toussaint Perrault narrates the story and also wrote and recorded the accompanying music.

The reels are viewable in any Viewmaster viewer.

$20.00

 
Lucifugia Thigmotaxis -- Vladmaster Set cover

Lucifugia Thigmotaxis -- Vladmaster Set

4 reels, 1 mini cd, 4"x4" box

Lucifugia means light-fleeing. Thigmotaxis is the need for pressure on all sides of your body in order to feel safe. Together these two words describe the essential nature of the cockroach. Our story concerns the adventures of one such cockroach named Stanley and the events that transpire when he dares to leave the safety of his home behind the refrigerator. Stanley's story is told on a mini-cd accompanying the reels. The soundtrack features narration, sound effects, music, and a wonderful ding noise to cue the change from image to image.

This set consists of four handmade Vladmaster reels, the box to keep them in, and the mini-cd soundtrack. The story was written and photographed by Vladimir. The disks and boxes are printed and die cut by Pinball Publishing. The narration on the soundtrack was read and recorded by Scott Sloan who also played the organ music. The human star in the pictures is Toussaint Perrault.

The reels are viewable in any Viewmaster viewer.

$20.00 $20.00

 
The Whale & Thrift Store Odyssey cover

The Whale & Thrift Store Odyssey

This DVD has 2 stories to tell and includes a one of a kind, small, flat puppet for your own use!

$15.00