Dimming the Lights and Locking Up at Coilhouse
Illustration by Star St. Germain. (Larger version here.)
Five years ago, we launched Coilhouse Magazine + Blog: A Love Letter to Alternative Culture.
Six beautiful issues, two grand soirees, and thousands of blog posts later, we’re dimming the lights and locking up. Coilhouse is going on hiatus. Which is not to say that Coilhouse is ending. Quite the contrary, as you can see! There’s no wrecking ball, here. Only a shedding of skin.
We can’t tell you what exactly is coming next, or when; we just know we have no intention of quitting. Potential directions that Coilhouse may move in somewhere down the line: books, apps, limited edition print/art objects, video, fashion collaborations. Smaller, more manageable one-shot projects that don’t break our backs. But first, we will have to re-strategize our business and production plans. Nothing is set in stone at the moment because, simply put, we need a break. We need to rest.
In its current form, Coilhouse is not financially solvent. The tireless and all-too-often selfless efforts of our incredible staff and contributors, in tandem with the generous support of readers and small-business advertisers, enabled Coilhouse to come this far. No small feat, is it? However, the business never had the chance to fully stabilize in such a way that it could remain sustainable long term. For a time, it can feel okay to pour every waking moment into a labor of love, but after a while –five full years, in this case– that sustained effort can take a massive toll on both one’s body and one’s bank account. Health issues have also played a big role in our decision to put things on hiatus. Repeating for emphasis, with astonished glee: five full years. That’s a whole lotta love, a whole lotta labor. And no regrets. But it’s time to step away for a while.
This hasn’t been an easy decision for us to come to. We love doing this so much. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. For those two reasons, we’ve stuck it out for many moons by leaning on each other and our respective families a whole lot. But it’s far beyond time for both of us to take a step back, and regroup.
When we started writing this love letter over half a decade ago, we could not yet conceive of the humbling and inspiring amount of support that Coilhouse would receive. In our first few months, what kept us motivated were the thoughtful, hilarious, vulnerable, and insightful comments on our blog. Thank you, readers, for keeping us going. That was all you. As we hit our stride, in addition to this lively discussion, we were gifted with artistic contributions, valiant volunteer efforts, generous ad buys, and kind words of encouragement from friends. Beloved contributors, advertisers, interns, volunteers, editors, and patrons – Coilhouse wouldn’t exist without you, and it’s an honor to know each and every one of the kindred spirits who have come together to participate in this project. Thank you.
So. To reiterate, the magazine is done, the blog is going into cryogenic freeze… but! This is not the end. As you can see, we’ve cleaned up and redecorated the place to mark this moment in Coilhouse’s continuing evolution. Illustrated by the talented Stuntkid, co-designed by Nadya and Star St. Germain, the new site is a bright and colorful joygasm of some of the strange, beautiful ephemera that we’ve obsessed over together with all of you. We’ve also reorganized the categories, added a “search” feature, and put together a page of our favorite blog posts from over the years.
Have fun exploring those Featured Articles, and be sure to take a look at our newly updated Staff Page, now brimming with dozens of wonderful, dearly loved faces, and hundreds of contributor names. (If you’re a contributor and your name is missing, please just let us know and we’ll add you in immediately.)
To offset the costs of keeping the site up and its massive archive accessible, we’re offering one final round of merch: a limited-run set of Love Letter stationery and stickers, designed by Dorothy Schmidt, featuring Stuntkid’s new Coilhouse art. Half the proceeds will go directly to Stuntkid for crafting these beautiful illustrations, the other half will help us continue paying for web hosting, keeping our Flickr photostream accessible, renewing our domain name, and other random costs. Additionally, there are still printed issues of Issue 06 available for sale, and a small number of Molly Crabapple’s beautiful prints. All these items can be found in our shop.
On a personal level, the future is uncertain and exciting for both of us. Nadya is learning to see the world in a whole new way – literally – and for the first time in her adult life, she finds herself with no future projects. She’s embracing this state of flux, and feeling inspired to turn over a new leaf. Mer, having finally taken the plunge after two decades of being too timid to present herself as more than a session/backup musician, will soon be shooing her own music –both solo and co-produced– out into the world. She’s also eyeing up a potential Coilhouse community-oriented book project, to be undertaken in late 2013. In the meantime, she’ll be working on a couple different DIY projects down in New Zealand.
You can keep in touch with us here:
Nadya Lev – Twitter, New Website/Blog
Meredith Yayanos – Twitter, Soundcloud, Tumblr, Kickstarter
If you’d like to keep tabs on what Coilhouse is doing, please sign up for our mailing list. You can also stay subscribed to the RSS feed, join our Facebook group (we’ll both be keeping an eye on it), and follow us on Twitter. Also, we’d love to hear from you in response to this post! It’s been a while since we all introduced ourselves in the comments thread. Any old-timers still here? Who’s new? What are you all up to, these days? Tell us your story. Link us to your projects. We want know all about them, and all about you. We’d love to keep in touch.
We’d like to conclude this chapter of Coilhouse by offering up one final token of affection to our community, on behalf of the entire core staff, past and present. Since we have no plans to reprint our back issues, we’ve decided to release them as free, high resolution PDFs. You can download the PDFs at the Magazine Page.
Nadya & Mer
November 21st, 2012
November 21st, 2012 at 3:26 pm
I was never able to get my hands on print issues but I’ve been visiting coilhouse periodically since a wee teen, which seems like ages but was probably only 3 or 4 years ago… so much of the bizzare tastes I’ve cultivated are due to you guys. Hope you all have great projects lined up for yourselves, and if Coilhouse never revvs back up I’ll still be amazingly happy to just peruse the archives of my favourite nook of the net! I can’t even think of an obscure sub-culture parting reference appropriate enough for how attached I feel to this site. Bless your butts.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:32 pm
[…] dear friends at Coilhouse announced today that they are going on hiatus. I was honored to be asked to illustrate their goodbye post. In addition, I was lead developer and […]
November 21st, 2012 at 3:34 pm
This is really very sad to hear. Both about the magazine and staffer health issues. So sorry to hear about all that :-(
Hopefully everyone gets healthy soon.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:39 pm
This makes me so sad. Coilhouse has influenced so much of my life since it started, in such unexpected ways. I’m glad to have had a little part in it. I really can’t express how unwilling I am to accept a lack of Coilhouse in my immediate future. It’s like the first stage of grief, guys. Come back soon. We will be here. xo
November 21st, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Sad to hear you go, but also understandable. A huge gigantic giant gargantuan thank you(!!!) for all your efforts in making a home for a community lost. Reading Coilhouse over the years has been a wonder and a delight.
Keep in Touch!
-Shay
November 21st, 2012 at 3:46 pm
So sorry to see Coilhouse disappear. Thank-you for many wonderful moments of beauty; you’ve introduced me to worlds of culture that I probably never would have discovered otherwise.
All the best to you and yours; I shall be holding the issues of Coilhouse that I currently own even closer now.
Myth!
November 21st, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Coilhouse was that cool friend that always knew the strangest things. It was a curio shop filled with random odds and ends that never quite revealed the whole story. It constantly expanded my horizons, and let an odd duck find other duckies. A toast to you, oh mavens of modernity, you oligarchs of octopi.
November 21st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Thank you so much for all of your work over the years. I have all of the magazines and they will be a beautiful reminder of this community. It’s kept me connected to a culture I love even while being located in the middle of nowhere. I hope both of you find wellness and a future that holds more than you can imagine in the way of new adventures.
Thanks for the wild ride.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Wish I’d discovered Coilhouse years ago. Your contributions to alt-culture have been unique and irreplaceable. Sad to hear about your health issues, hope you take enough time to deal with your health problems and stay down long enough to return to whatever you do next with this to ensure that you are truly recovered.
Your financial problems are not due to any lack of merit in your work, it’s that regular print publication is an obsolete business model for anybody who doesn’t have corporate-level deep pockets behind them or is not independently wealthy.
Content distribution via PDF and iOS / Android apps is a lot more affordable for print-style content, and apps can be packaged with “Donate” or “digital subscription” buttons.
What’s missing from your staff portrait? A sales manager. I suspect that readers would be willing to put up with a few ads from advertisers you can stand in exchange for free/reduced price content, and I’m completely unconcerned about your ability to keep your content unaffected by what advertisers want, I trust your integrity.
I suspect that if you were to run a crowdfunding project to finance your future Coilhouse-related ventures, you would have no problem hitting any rational money target.
Coilhouse will be missed, and I look forward to hearing about your future projects. Since I follow both Theremina and Nadya Lev (and others) on Twitter, I am certain I will hear about them.
I wish everyone involved with Coilhouse a great deal of good luck in the future.
Happy Holidays.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Just wanted to say that you did an amazing job with this blog all this years. I’ve discovered so many great things thanks to you.
BTW the new design looks fantastic!
I wish you the best!
November 21st, 2012 at 4:14 pm
thanks for everything! i’ve been reading since around the time the first issue was released. coilhouse really changed the way i looked at and interacted with alt culture. i don’t think i would ever be exposed to so much amazing diverse content if it weren’t for this site. thank you for the hard work and thanks for sharing it with all of us. i can’t wait to see whats next!
ps. thanks for uploading the magazines as pdfs; i recently moved across the country and lost half of the magazines, at least now i can go back and read them!
November 21st, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I once found solace here. Too much, as it happened, but that’s another non-comment altogether. Still, there’s a pang of sadness to see it go (or change). But that’s life. Mutation born out of necessity, as it goes, is part of the wonder I adore in the chaos. So, CoilHouse, happy trails. Thanks for the moments worth remembering. They were not few.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Thank you so very much for sharing such wonders and creating your beautiful magazine. I got my hands on two physical issues and they inspired me to start my own magazine, which I’m just beginning to put together properly now.
Now… go take the world by the horns and blow raspberries in its silly face!
You all rock! xxxxxxxxx
November 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
I’m very sad to see you go, but thank you *so* very much for years of beautiful, bizarre, and fascinating content. It’s been a real pleasure, and I look forward to seeing what you do next.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:33 pm
True change chooses us..
Coilhouse has always represented to me a meeting of th minds turned visible,that were akin to mine,& presented in thee most elegant fashion.
As a lover & follower of Coilhouse since Zoe mentioned th burgeoning idea of it’s impending existence on Live Journal,which turned into a conglomeration of words,idea’s,glorious print scented pages & fragments of various materials i wear proudly..i just want to say Thk you.
x.r
November 21st, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Enjoy the vacation, both you, you’ve earned it. Eagerly awaiting whatever is next.
November 21st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Still here, still sending love, still wishing you many many more exciting new things to come!
It’s hard to believe that it was 5 years ago when you were bouncing around names, and getting ready for that first launch. I’ve been awed, impressed, and humbled by each and every issue… and have distributed them to all my favorite fantastically creative people, whom I knew would truly appreciate them.
You’re fantastic! You’re accomplished! And you’re just getting started! Can’t wait to see you and to see what you’re up to next.
Lots of love,
Shannon
November 21st, 2012 at 4:37 pm
I’ve found Coilhouse a wonderful source of knowledge, fun, enlightenment and friendship for many years.
I loved that one blog post might be about say a quirky musical oddity and the next a thought provoking examination of culture. It covered an amazing range of topics but at the same time the were usually topics that interested me.
I loved that you dared to make a magazine during the so-called death of print. It may have only lasted six issues but they were six glorious issues. The magazine is still the best looking print magazine I’ve ever seen and I’m very happy to own all the issues (including both versions of Issue #1!).
I look forward to future projects from the various coilhouse-folk regardless if they are directly related to the name coilhouse or not. You are a wonderful creative bunch who make great things.
Thank you for making me think, making me laugh, making me wonder, and sometimes making me cry.
-Ben (an old timer!)
November 21st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
I wub you guys.
I’m just delighted that I had an opportunity to be part of the project, both through my own tiny smattering of written contributions and by coordinating the crossover with Geekquality.
You both have worked tirelessly and deserve a chance to regroup and recharge. I also want to commend you on the great emphasis the content has had on covering topics that don’t just entertain and educate, but also enlighten and help us see the flaws in so many things we admire. You may not have set out to do that, but your blog is both a love letter to alternative culture AND social justice.
Also, I flippin love stationary.
Yours with much love and snorgles,
Tanya
November 21st, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Thank you so much for all you have done!
I have loved this place from the beginning. So much inspiration and intriguing discoveries. Such heart and character and love.
Since Coilhouse has been going, I’ve gone from working on web projects overseas, to following my passion in animation back home in Melbourne, Australia.
I look forward to seeing what comes next from Team Coilhouse and wish you all the best.
Cheers,
Seb
http://sebfowler.tumblr.com/
https://twitter.com/sebf
November 21st, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Feels like it was only yesterday the launch party was in full swing. I still remember the assorted faces that night and the general excitement that issue 1 had come to life. Most magazine launch events are cliche and forgettable, but this one had a different soul. In looking at the many pictures that night, one can trace a history of how much has indeed changed. Looking at the issues on my shelf I’m surprised how high the quality hit and how varied each issue was in such a short time.
What was once alt. and lowbrow is now mainstream and pop. Yet through it all the crew here kept eyes forward and reminded us of the past. This is a treasure of an archive that needs to stay up. Not just for nostalgia, but for all those young ones to come. They’ll need something more than the slick social media pandering and celebrity fueled pop culture.
I’ll always have a soft spot for Coilhouse as more than just a great blog and beautiful magazine. I met some great people and made good friends because of it. It came to life in an era that was volatile and ever changing for me. Plus what other blog would put up and humor my insanely long comments at times? Hehe. Even when I stopped commenting I always read, bookmarked, and revisited old posts for info and inspiration. It’s been such a regular part of my news feeds it’ll be weird to see it “blank” for a while.
Whatever you ladies do from here on out will be worthwhile to support and embrace. May your health issues stabilize soon, with your energies stronger and more focused. You’ve both always been kind and generous with your time here and in the flesh. So a hearty toast to you both and whatever comes next.
Cheers!
– Albert AKA: Tequila
P.S. @Nadya – I still have a signed copy of Untressed for you.
November 21st, 2012 at 5:15 pm
I will love you forever and always, Coilhouse!
Although becoming a mama almost two years ago made me a much less frequent haunter of these halls, I never stopped adoring your content and style. I am grateful for all the years of dedication you’ve put in, and often found myself wishing I had more time to peek in and read. I am also honored that I was able to be a small biz advertiser in the gorgeous pages of the print magazine, and I’m thrilled to have copies I can treasure forever. I love you both madly and I’ll be thrilled to see what you glorious lovelies unleash on the world next!
Monster Hugs,
Choklit
November 21st, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Not much to say, but, sorry to see you wind down for the moment, always excited to see what comes next. I hope y’all feel better and enjoy the flux.
But most of all, simply and sincerely, thank you for all your work and your joy.
Much love,
Trey
November 21st, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Well crap.
I’d give you more money all the time, if it would help! I think I’ve got at least one copy of everything you’ve ever sold.
I’ll miss you, I wish you well, and I look forward to what’s next!
November 21st, 2012 at 6:04 pm
Congratz, that was an amazing run…
Don’t worry about the future, you people got a 30 days vacation before the world EXPLODES, no need to spent it wisely tho.
the new design is a whole bunch of awesome – Stuntkid is a hero, period. but – yeah, I know – the amazingstuff is toofknclose to the text, making it distracting -even for internet standards- to read… if you guys could just take a deeeep breath and EXPAND the white-toraxic-div just a littlebit it’s PURRFECT then… please? then you are free to retire, and never to return again ^_^
xoxo, luvu, takescares
November 21st, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Thank you so much, Coilhouse. I love this blog, and I’ll miss it and the collective “you.” I’ve been here since the beginning, and every week since then, Coilhouse has given me so much to wonder at and laugh over, and has had a more than considerable influence on my growth as an artist, writer, and thinker.
My best wishes to Nadya and Mer, and everyone else who’s had a hand in this venture. You guys have been a delight, and an inspiration.
Also, I can’t stop smiling at this new layout!! What a perfect explosion of the perfect Weird Things.
November 21st, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Please please please come back soon after you collect yourselfves/explore/breathe/etc.
Your mag has been so amazing, and I love you all.
And as a goth of color for over 15 years, you just can’t imagine what a resource and breathe of fresh air you have been since your very first print version until even now.
Keep the lights on, I really REALLY love everything about your collective.
November 21st, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Guh…
All choked up, but just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your kind messages here, and elsewhere. I don’t wish to speak for anyone else, but I think it’s safe to say that they mean the world to both Nadya and I, and so many others who have worked very hard on Coilhouse over the years.
*group hug*
November 21st, 2012 at 8:44 pm
I so wish I’d discovered you 3 years sooner than I did. Enjoyed your blog SO much, and treasure my print copies of Coilhouse. I am so sorry health issues are preventing you from continuing this project you obviously are so extremely passionate about. Thank you for everything you did and all the lovely dark things you shared.
November 21st, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I’m so proud to have been a small part of Coilhouse. And so excited to see the work that the two of you wil be making together and apart, within and without the Coilhouse. You have been, and continure to be, important and vibrant parts of a great international community. You have my heart.
November 21st, 2012 at 9:28 pm
coilhouse has been such a valuable resource for many things: music, memes, art, fashion, literature, humor, politics, friends… i just browsed through the launch party photos, and it makes me remember being so excited that this was actually happening, that this beautiful magazine was being made. i was so excited for you guys! and now when i look at the launch party photos, i see a lot of people i didn’t really know well back then, but who have grown into the friends i have now. and the magazine just got better, as did the posts, and all of us, as people. coilhouse built a community of people that may not have come together otherwise, and that’s something special in itself. thank you so much for providing us with this virtual home, a place where some of us can feel safe and curl up, knowing we’re not alone. [hearts galore]
November 21st, 2012 at 10:09 pm
I love the redesign, my dears. It’s lovely and strange, just like you.
Just case I fall out of the loop: i would love to contribute to a book.
Oh yes indeed.
November 21st, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Coilhouse made me see a new world, and the old world in a new (better) way. I can’t wait to see what you wonderful people can show me next. Thank you for five strange and wonderful years.
November 21st, 2012 at 10:46 pm
We were where you are now in 1996 – our beloved magazine had to close after six years of joy, struggle and dreams. I’m so glad that you are living this time in such a creative, positive way. Life will unfold unexpected joys for you, as it did for us. Hugs and every good wish for the future.
November 21st, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Hi, everyone.
I am completely overwhelmed by the incredible emotion here today.
Rickie, Albert, I feel exactly the same way about the launch party. I too recently looked at the photos, and it amazed me how many wonderful people I still keep in touch with, how many people I barely knew then, who are all still in my lives and whom I know a lot better know.
Everyone, thank you so much for your support. It is so exciting to know that Coilhouse has influenced people’s lives in an unexpected way and that it’s inspired people to do their own thing (Lee, please post a link to your magazine in this thread when it’s out).
I am really grateful to be here with all of you. <3
November 21st, 2012 at 11:21 pm
You made the last 3 years of my life wonderful.
I remember hungrily going through Coilhouse’s backlog when I first discovered it, enjoying every word, every image, every second of it.
One of my dreams was being a Coilhouse contributor one day.
A girl can (well, could) hope, no :D ?
I’m sad to see it go on hiatus – but here’s to the future!
Thank you so much for releasing the PDF versions – purchasing anything is quite a problem with my country’s regulations.
Oh, and I am Ana of The Zeka tumblr (http://thezeka.tumblr.com/), a 20 something Serbian girl trying to write her own little love letter to alternative culture (who came up with that? genius!).
See you, somewhere, someday.
November 21st, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Well the only thing thats permanent is change. Thanks for all the work you’ve done and best of luck in your next endeavours.
November 21st, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Thank you, good luck, best wishes & see you soon :- )
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:48 am
It never got weird enough for me.
Coilhouse introduced me to some very beautiful and important tangents at a very tangential point in my life. All I can say is thank you. The effects of your Information, Inspirations, and Infections were most certainly felt on this end.
To the future. Be well. Climb the Highest Mountain, and Punch the Face of God.
November 22nd, 2012 at 2:32 am
I still remember that first time all those years ago, when Nadya told me about the magazine she was going to do in the future, with creative friends (who also happened to be awesome writers), and I knew at that moment, it was going to be something very special indeed! I fully believe there will be vast amounts of new creativity/energy surging from both of you, as well as all of the rest of the Coilhouse family of contributors in the future… The sabbatical is well-earned and the world should watch out for whatever you independently unleash unto it once you’re fully recharged!
Not dead, but dreaming…
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:30 am
Thank you thank you thank you! Coilhouse has been such a source of fascination and inspiration for those 5 years. I’m sorry to see this hiatus and sorry to hear of the health troubles and other issues you both have been dealing with, but very excited to see what you do next.
x
November 22nd, 2012 at 8:17 am
Thank you folks for wonderful years of beautiful and bizarre posts. I’m sorry to see the announcement, but I certainly understand. I hope everyone’s health improves soon. I look forward to seeing what each of you create in the future.
November 22nd, 2012 at 10:50 am
[…] announced that it will be going on hiatus & shutting down the Coilhouse […]
November 22nd, 2012 at 10:52 am
Thank you, ladies. This blog I’ve been enjoying daily for the last four years (when I landed into the 21st century), and I discovered a lot of gems thanks to you. I hope all’s well during the vacation and many successes to come. Take care!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:29 am
I count you all as friends, and it makes me kind of embarrassingly saddened to see this. More than anything, I’d like to just say thank you for everything, for being some of the greatest and most inspiring influences I’ve known. Wherever life takes you guys, never, ever, discredit just how much you’ve touched the lives of some, and what a beautiful thing you’ve managed to build already.
PS: I hate to be that guy, but would there be any interest in a Coilhouse page on Reddit? Just somewhere fans can gather to share the strange and wonderful things we stumble across?
November 22nd, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Well . . .
To keep things positive, thank you all for the issues that made it to press, for the many excellent blog posts and everything else. I look forward to the eventual reawakening!
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Sorry to see the end of this fork of the road for y’all. The mag (and site) was truly a changing force in my life, and I will always wear my t-shirt with pride.
It’s a pity I could never get my hands on a print issue of #4 (since it’s packed with all my favorite things), but I guess a .pdf will have to do.
And now to peruse the shop with a tear in me eye. Get better, make shit, and continue to be awesome. I’ll be waiting when you get through it all.
November 22nd, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Thank you for the years of hard work you have put into this wonderful, insane, pursuit. Coilhouse will forever have a place in my heart.
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:27 pm
‘I has a sad’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about this. While I haven’t been as regular a reader of the site in recent months (and was clearly never much of a commenter) Ever since the Issue 1 launch party (which was my introduction to this here haus of Coil), Coilhouse has been one of my primary ‘what cool esoteric stuff is going on?’ web destinations and was a big part of getting me out of my shell and learning to clean myself up a bit lo those many years ago (feels so weird to realize that it has been YEARS). I’ve bought every issue of the magazine, own the t-shirts, even bought the candy dishes, and I was so looking forward to Issue 7 (I assumed it was being worked on in a SUPER SECRET LAIR somewhere)! And now it’s not coming ;_;
Best of luck to you all! Don’t forget to let Ross out of sub-level 12!
(also, not to be THAT GUY, which I know automatically makes me him, but the PDFs are not super well formatted for e-readers/tablets, assuming that what’s happening on my Nook holds true for other devices (portrait shows the two page spreads zoomed out, landscape shows a four-page spread). I changed Issue 04 so it works, would it be cool if I did the rest, and would you want the e-reader compatible versions, or would you prefer they not be touched?)
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:51 am
@Broody I don’t frequent Reddit a lot, but if you think that a Coilhouse page would be useful there, I would totally do it! Do I set that up, or should someone who is on Reddit a lot do that?
@Dave L: I know the PDFs don’t look great on Nook. If there is a way to fix that, I am all for it. I would love your help! Email me at nadyalev at gmail. Thank you so, so much. <3
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:59 am
Thanks for all you’ve done. Stunning and interesting, and the place online where I could find my interests represented. A sad day, but understandable. I hope you both find good health!
besos,
Kai
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:04 am
I never commented much here, but was a reader for most of your existence. Thankyou for your beauty and wierdness. And that is all. Xx
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:20 am
What you have accomplished so far is more and better than any other publication I have found on the net or elsewhere covering alternative culture. It is sad reading when you tell about Nadyas and Mers health problems but it also proves your commitment which I admire. I promise to sacrifice to the old gods for your soon recovery.
It is stunning that the problems you have dealt with seems to have had no effect on the quality of your work. The width, stylishness and sheer enthusiasm you lot have communicated has been a joy and centerpiece in my explorations.
I am looking forward to what you will come up with next and whatever it may be, it will be worth waiting for.
November 23rd, 2012 at 6:20 am
Thanks for the ride!
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:43 am
Sad to see Coilhouse belly up on a slab. Thanks so much for allowing me to pontificate on all sorts of crazy stuff, like how a lack of infrastructure and generally poor urban planning would soon lead to a flood in New York City: http://coilhouse.net/2012/06/where-have-you-gone-lando-calrissian/ Thanks also for posting the first four films I’d ever made on the site.
It’s been a real thrill to be part of this project.
See you in the future!
Jeffrey Wengrofsky
http://www.humansyndicate.com
November 23rd, 2012 at 9:44 am
I love you guys so much.
I am so sorry there’s been so many rough patches behind the scenes and I’m sending you all the good vibes I can possibly.
For more than a few years now, Coilhouse has been a constant source of inspiration and entertainment for me (even if some of the videos have been a bullet train to Nopesville YOU KNOW WHICH ONES I’M TALKING ABOUT) – I’ve thrilled to the print issues (which I keep close at hand) and the PDFs (which I keep on my tablet) . Even if I don’t comment all the time, there hasn’t been a single day that’s gone by where I haven’t stopped in here.
I am so grateful for the space you’ve made here, and the awesome things that you’ve shared with us all.
Nadya, Mer, Ross (did you let him out of the subbasement before you left?) – everyone. THANK YOU.
Drop me a line if you ever need a foot soldier on tumblr – I’ll be happy to do whatever I can for you ^_^;
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:06 pm
OH NOOOOOO
So. Um. Hi? I really don’t ‘write’ or ‘talk’ much on the Internet. I read… I read a lot. I read articles and I look at pictures and I listen to songs and I watch videos and I am informed and inspired and infected and I do my best to pass these sacred memes out into the real meatspace. I lurk. I don’t do what I am doing now — post things. Buuuuuut I have been in love with Coilhouse for a couple of years now so I am quite shocked to see it end. Thank you for adding so much to my life. I wasn’t really aware that there were so many people like me until I found this website. Thank you.
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:17 pm
You guys have done an amazing thing here, I’m looking forward to whatever comes next!
<3
November 23rd, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Much love and many thanks. Since I picked up the first issue on a newsstand, Coilhouse has been my number one magazine love (and that’s a tough spot to claim). Best wishes to all involved, and I look forward to supporting future projects. I’ll still proudly wear my t-shirt, scarf, and hoodie, and I’ll even more proudly regale anyone who asks about the glory that was/is/shall be Coilhouse. Coilhouse is dead! Long live Coilhouse!
November 24th, 2012 at 12:12 am
[…] Dimming the Lights and Locking Up at Coilhouse: Coilhouse, that love letter to alternative culture, has closed down. It was a really good site and magazine and one of the first places that many of us heard other people talk about the death or mutation of alt culture. […]
November 24th, 2012 at 2:38 am
I’m still too wiggly-in-da-brains to articulate anything past THANK YOU right now, but seriously. Thank you, all of you. And gobs ‘o lurve. And… well… remember, should you need us…
November 24th, 2012 at 7:52 am
Well, toodles for now then. I just can’t handle any more grieving this year. So I’ll say congratulations on this amazing body of work, and congratulations on getting your lives back and transitioning to new projects!
Of course, like everyone else, I can’t quantify the joy it has given me reading and linking along with you from very early days. Luckily, I’ve missed much of the last year and a half or so, so I can look forward to trolling back through the site and pretending that there’s plenty more to see, at least for a while.
I’m so happy that I was able to contribute in some way to print issue #5. I’m really looking forward to your future projects, and maybe collaborating some day.
Now please, for the love of cornflakes and bananas, take care of yourselves and your health, and keep us posted. <3
P.S. Love the new background. You should get it printed as fabric on Spoonflower or something, I'd be all over that.
November 24th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
oh….first zoetica then this!! I am so sad.
November 24th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
I too am a lurker and coilhouse has definitly been a reason to participate. It is one of the few invitations I have ever accpeted (on the internet) and one of the few “comunities” i have ever felt apart of. Thank you for enriching my life coilhouse.
November 24th, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Long time reader, and I’d just like to say I love the work put forth here. You filled a vital niche, and I am sad to see an end to an era. Coilhouse to my mind goes up there with the best of zines, the best of underground mags. I have enjoyed the thoughtful and enlightening pieces here and in print form. I however will not weep for the loss of Coilhouse, but instead look forward to hailing the new flesh in whatever form it may take in the near future. I wish you all the greatest of luck!
November 24th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
As a long time lurker and reader I have to say Im very sad to see this, my favourite “grown up goth” corner of the internet go. Many thanks, youll be missed.
November 25th, 2012 at 9:56 am
Thank you Nadya and Mer for everything you’ve done over the years. I have followed you since the beginning and loved you every step of the way. I’m so sad to see you go!
To my fellow Coilhouse lovers, if anyone wants to buy my incomplete set of Coilhouse issues, I’m listing it on Ebay. I’ve loved them tremendously but the digital issues are more practical for me.
November 25th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
“The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you’ve burned so very brightly…”
I will say I’m not that surprised, as something done this well and with this much obvious love and affection can take a lot out of one, and may need to change form to be sustained.
But as a (print) magazine-ophile (not sure if there’s an actual term), I am sad to see it go, as there’s not much I find interesting out there nowadays. I was hooked with the first issue, and through it found this website where I pored through the dozens and dozens of pages that I had missed, invariably finding something I loved, or something I was happy to discover (foremost among them the All Tomorrows feature, but many others as well). Coilhouse was a desperately needed presence, and it will be missed.
I was sorry to hear of health troubles for you, as I have been going through them myself. I wish the best for you Nadya and Mer and thank you and everyone who worked on this project for all the inspiration.
November 25th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
wow! feels like the end of an era! Well what to say but thank you for being a source of comfort and inspiration throughout my young adult years, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
<3
-Nadia G.
November 26th, 2012 at 8:21 am
This has been my favorite source of entertainment/inspiration in the last year (yes, I’m a newbie!), and I’ll definitely keep visiting to mine the archives. Thank you for being you.
November 26th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I’ve only known about you for a year or so, but I’m a big fan. I hope you find a way to keep in touch with all of us because we’d love to see what you do next.
November 26th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Not the best with sentimental stuff… I am humbled and honored to have been able to contribute to Coilhouse. A little over two years ago, I stumbled upon this glorious magazine in Barnes & Noble and instantly fell head over heels in love with it. Nadya and Mer, you’re inspiring, amazing women. Here’s to an even brighter future!
November 26th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
I’ve known about Coilhouse since the beginning. I can’t believe it’s been this long. I don’t know what to say other than thank you for making me feel like being into weird and strange things is totally cool & rad! I’ve always wanted to be a part of this community. I only wish I had participated instead of lurked for so long. I look forward to Coilhouse’s future. Best of luck to you all!
November 27th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the hard work, dedication, and passion you brought to Coilhouse. Fiercely and defiantly creating this love letter to alternative culture. Whether you were aware of it or not, seeing that print totem appearing in a bookstore was not only a source of entertainment for many, but a refuge for some. I still remember the day I found issue one and the effect it had. I had just moved across the country away from family and friends for an opportunity to pursue music, and was freshly in a state I didn’t like, sleeping on a floor, and felt pretty damn alone. Coilhouse was a comfort and catharsis knowing that there IS more out there, amazing people, and a beautiful reminder to stay weird…stay connected to what makes us all *need* to create. I have every issue, and was feverishly reading both the blog and the print mag while struggling to stay afloat and continue this crazy pursuit of music. Flash forward to now, and I’m about to release album #4, appear in numerous movie trailers, traveled the world jumping around on stage for some insanely cool people (whom I always loved talking to and continuing the spirit of “It’s okay to love the weird, unique, and niche” that you both displayed so well). Thank you, Nadya and Mer for your (continued) passion and infectious inclusiveness. I’ve no doubt that this is all merely part of the cornerstone, a building block of long careers and artistic fulfilling endeavors for both of you! Through it all, know that there are many out there (whether they write in or not) who fully support you, and cherish the work you have already done.
I wish there was more I could offer as a thanks for all the tireless efforts, but making noisy music is the only thing I’m good at. So here’s a few songs for everyone, people who supported the print mag, to everyone dedicating themselves to providing this incredible content for the world to enjoy and learn from. Thank you.
http://www.mediafire.com/?39a996vxgr4k3sb
Bret / Blue Stahli
November 27th, 2012 at 8:58 pm
I stumbled upon Coilhouse in my first year at university (4 years ago) which was, to put it simply, not a good time. This place helped me to feel less alone, and proud of the awkward, geeky person that I am. I think it’s also fair to say that it’s positively impacted the way I think and look at the world. I’m happy to have been able to share in it (though I wish I could have been more a part of it), and look forward to any new things in the future.
Thanks for everything <3
November 30th, 2012 at 4:56 am
As sad as this is, I really just want to mention how grateful I am for this crazy, fevered dream that was Coilhouse magazine. Starting a magazine at a time when magazines weren’t doing so well, about alternative culture at a time when alt culture was hard to define and somehow you guys made the best publication I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I guess you realized (or believed) that somewhere out there there were people who wanted to read about the Manhattan Project and then go on to future fashion and oil paintings.
Every issue was a full experience and I loved setting aside a night to just immerse myself in the content. Every feature felt personal, heartfelt and endlessly engrossing, from the contributors’ content to the editorial direction. I’ve been a reader since issue 1 and even the irregular release dates felt like part of the experience; like waiting for dispatches in a Coilhouse cargo cult.
I doubt there will ever be another Coilhouse. It was too weird, too well made. By conventional wisdom there should never have been a Coilhouse, but there was, and we got to share in your unconventional wisdom for 4 fantastic years.
So thank you for everything.
November 30th, 2012 at 7:47 am
I found out about Coilhouse just before Issue #4 came out in print. If I remember correctly I was sent over this way by Warren Ellis. I loved how Coilhouse covered so many diverse topics. I will miss the blog and magazine. Now whenever I wear the Inform Inspire Infect hoodie I scored from the store on the 2 run I will feel even more awesome, and I felt pretty awesome wearing it to begin with.
Coilhouse in part helped me muster up the gumption to go through with some projects that I had been thinking about. I crowdfunded a writing project and set off across America riding almost entirely by Train s and public transportation. I wrote about the experience on my blog http://skippyofthewired.posterous.com/. Currently I am working on turning the project into a book that I will self publish. I am also working on starting a business with my sister. We are going to run a Used bookstore in Lowell Massachusetts. If all goes well we will be opening our doors within a year.
Thanks so much for informing me, inspiring me and infecting with with a desire to continue to inform, and inspire others.
Skippy
November 30th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
It’s a sad day. I started reading Coilhouse from the beginning, when I was in high school. It’s had such a formative influence on me and I will always appreciate the strange and wonderful worlds it has shown me. I wish the Coilhouse family the best! Take care, Nadya and Mer!
November 30th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
I loooved Coilhouse….followed it as well since Zoe introduced it on her livejournal….I was so excited about it’s launch and always looked forward to waking up the next day checking every lunch hour just to see updates and looking forward to purchasing the new issues… =( YOU ALL ARE SO AWESOME. Best Wishes, GodSpeed and sending the most positive vibes to you both…I hope the health issues get better.
~Leo
December 1st, 2012 at 11:56 am
Sad times. Thank you so much for years of wonderful posts. I’ll miss you like crazy.
December 1st, 2012 at 2:24 pm
*hugs*
I, and many others, will continue posting compulsively in the Coilhouse Facebook group for many moons to come, I’m sure. Come and visit!
December 2nd, 2012 at 5:00 pm
I know how hard this was for you to decide, lovely ladies. Belatedly wishing you all the luck in the world in new projects, and musing over how Coilhouse has touched my life, and in many ways run parallel to it. You are both amazingly talented women and I am sure have many exciting things to share with the would in future. LOVE.
December 10th, 2012 at 6:59 am
I’ve been reading since the beginning, and I love you guys. Coilhouse has been and constant and epic reminder that there were and are so many magnificently awesome things existing in a world that wants to trick us into banality. Being connected to this community, even via silently reading the blog to myself, always made me feel like everything I was seeking was out there, and we were all going to be okay. We are all going to be fantastic, we are going to do fantastic things, and we are going to spread the word. It is going to be beautiful.
Be well.
xoxoxo
December 12th, 2012 at 6:10 am
I’ve ony just found you, so I’m really sad you’re going on hiatus, but you clearly need a break, so – thank you for everything you’ve given us so far, and best of luck with whatever projects you prusue in the future.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:04 am
if things are started up again…. let me know if I can be of any help, no matter what it is. This blog has brought humor, culture, and pure nonsense to my life, I would love to give back. Enjoy the break, I appreciate all of your efforts so much.
December 18th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Sad to see coilhouse go; glad to have seen it.
December 25th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
I discovered Coilhouse quite by accident shortly after the publication of your first print issue and have followed it closely ever since. It is truly with sadness that I note its movement into the eternal night of internet history, and indeed I hope that your health issues are resolved successfully and soon. I also wish you the best in your new endeavors which, doubtless, shall rise phoenix-like from the glorious embers of the flame of creativity that was Coilhouse. I am an archaeologist, I deal in bones and dead things, and so this sadness is tinged with a respect for a crystallization that will lend itself to interpretation and re-interpretation in the years to come, giving birth to new stories of the joy that was Coilhouse. Echoing april’s comment, if ever you need aid in a new endeavor, contact me. Need a mummy head for a photoshoot? I’m your guy. Or at the very least I can proffer a panoply of ridiculous stories of sand, sun, and the acrid taste of death mixed with knock off coca cola. Will miss you guys, more than I can say.
January 1st, 2013 at 11:40 pm
Thank you so much for this inspiration and intriguing discoveries.
January 5th, 2013 at 9:36 pm
I am still waiting with baited breath to see what happens next. Best of luck to the entire coilhouse cadre in any and all future endeavors.
You women are goddamn inspiring.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:10 am
Found this page through Gothic Charm School archives and will be looking towards to digging through archives of Coilhouse too :)
While I’m sad that such place is closing down, it’s understandable. Life moves on and I keep my fingers crossed that your health issues will get better and you all will have wonderful future.
February 5th, 2013 at 10:05 pm
[…] Jessica Joslin for instance) and still browse trough my print issues every now and then. Sadly Coilhouse dimmed the light last november, and the blog (and magazine) has been on hiatus ever since. Fortunately the website is still online […]
March 12th, 2013 at 4:48 pm
NO! I just found this site like yesturday :( why must i be so supper tarty for the party?
April 1st, 2013 at 9:22 am
[…] alternative culture magazine and blog Coilhouse is shutting down, though the creators are promising that this is a mere hiatus and that Coilhouse will return in some form in the future. Quote: “We can’t tell you what […]
June 7th, 2013 at 2:40 am
Sad to see Coilhouse closing down. One of the original Coilhouse devotee here (my introduction from 2008, http://coilhouse.net/2008/07/who-is-on-the-other-side/). But the future is bright and may I just suggest you using your Twitter more often? I like it more than Facebook, and would like to have your feed in my inbox every morning. Thank you all for great 5 years! and see you all soon.
June 16th, 2013 at 5:58 am
Coming back to this post six months after I first read it, still brings back a sharp stab of emotion. Hence the post… Coilhouse has been a constant inspiration for me since the age of 16.
For a shy, bi-curious, slightly odd teenager in a fairly conservative environment it was a breath of oxygen. I don’t want to be too dramatic, it was a South London boy’s school, not a Madrasa. Still, I acquired the confidence to love the art I love. Love the music and the parties I love. Love the dark, the curious, the intelligent and the literary. I think that Coilhouse has had no small part in the development of the happy, successful and willfully independent individual I am today.
I want to thank everyone who was ever involved in this project. I miss Coilhouse madly. If there is ever a way I can pay my debts to this site, you can count on me.
July 2nd, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Oh my goodness! Thank you, Meredith! These are the kinds of messages that remind us it was all worth it. HUGE hugs and love to you.
May 11th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
[…] an collection of all things weird, steampunk, futuristic, nerdy, alternative, and queer is closing shop after a five year […]