Love For Printing

June 3, 2025

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Take a walk with Bob McCamant, one of the founders of the Chicago Reader. This 8-page comic series explores his love for print media and credits those who helped shape the platform for Chicago’s cultural landscape since the 70’s.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with the static words "Love For Printing" at the top and a photo of Bob McCamant under a bookshelf. Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with the static words "Love For Printing" at the top and a photo of Bob McCamant under a book shelf floats in and out. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style coming in and out of the frame: "While meeting Bob McCamant I couldn't help but notice among his fine book collection a shelf where computer programming and bread baking books share equal spaces. Revealing a blend of patient dedication with a passion for immediate rewards. My personal focus in handmade books is non-fiction, driven by my background as an art director, contrasting with the prevalence of fiction and poetry in the field. My fine press book collection began with my own press, Sherwin Beach Press. Plus sourced issues from book fairs I attended. It is now housed in the Newberry Library and Northwestern University. Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with an illustration of a young Bob McCamant sitting on a book on a book shelf. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style coming in and out of the frame within a text bubble: "I remember a teacher who had us do something like potato prints, you get a potato and make it into something like a stamp. The other thing was, at the time that my grandfather whom I may have seen once or twice died, a huge number of books from his collection were suddenly in our household. I would guess, maybe some fancy books from his collection somehow triggered that passion for collecting books." Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with an illustration of a young Bob McCamant walking on a bookshelf surrounded by books. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style coming in and out of the frame within a text bubble: "I went to a small high school, I was the editor of the yearbook and the newspaper. In summer kids picked berries and fruit, and I just hated it, so I got a job at the local newspaper, then I managed to claw my way into a job at this printing company that printed our yearbook. There, I learned all about letterpress and offset printing." Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with a photo of Tom Rehwaldt & Bob Roth coming in and out of the frame. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style coming in and out of the frame: "I connected with fellow founders of the Reader when I went to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Bob Roth, envisioned a free newspaper serving Chicago campuses. After he witnessed the local Boston alternative press scene bloom, while in graduate school. This concept proved successful, as the Reader focused its distribution around campuses, ensuring access to a large, engaged readership, quickly gaining a substantial and influential audience within the college communities." Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with a photo of Ben Joravsky & Jonathan Rosenbaum coming in and out of the frame. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style also coming in and out of the frame: "The Reader capitalized on emerging printing technology, an advantage over established daily newspapers still using expensive methods. We didn’t have union employees, instead we employed young, college-educated writers eager for opportunities. The paper attracted talent, including some daily newspaper reporters who wrote under pseudonyms to avoid professional repercussions. The Reader became a haven for artists and writers, fostering a unique and supportive environment." Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: A black and white comic gif with a photo of Dan Savage & Chris Ware coming in and out of the frame. The following text is written in a black handwritten font style also coming in and out of the frame: "While the comics and classifieds, particularly the missed connections section, provided a somewhat raunchy and playful element, the cover stories were consistently intellectually stimulating. A free publication one could proudly display on the coffee table, unlike its less reputable counterparts." Created by Carlos Matallana.

GIF: color gif with an illustration of Bob McCamant walking on a Chicago street surrounded by Chicago high rise buildings. The following text is written in a black font style coming in and out of the frame: "I like walking because I enjoy the things that I think while doing it. An iconic Chicago staple, the Reader paved the way for new ideas and fostered creativity in the printed media. This vital platform needs community support to stay in business and serve the city’s rich cultural landscape." Created by Carlos Matallana.

Carlos Matallana Portrait made by his teenage children Marcela and Samuel Matallana, 2021.

About the artist: Carlos Matallana’s (He/Him) illustration tool is ink/pen on paper, He relies on high contrast and its expressionism qualities. Like an anonymous quiet observant, he prefers to illustrate his characters from the back. He enjoys illustrating full body characters standing or in movement, revealing attitudes and feelings through posture or even clothing instead of facial expressions. He published the graphic novel Brea https://manualofviolence.org/ in 2018. Instagram @tropipunk