BEND PRESS
Andy Jenkins founded Bend Press with a hand-made zine in 1986, then pushed Bend's progression, issue by issue, until finally publishing his first, critically acclaimed book, "I Check the Mail Only When It Has Arrived," in 1994 (currently, copies of "I Check the Mail..." are known have sold for as much as $300). The follow up was "Valley," by novelist, Mike Daily, which delved into unorthodox typography and layout. Bend has experimented with formats, content, contributors, design and printing techniques throughout the various publications. Jenkins guides each project — be it an off-set printed book, or a limited edition, hand-bound zine — with care, from concept, to layout, printing and marketing strategies.
"WHAT HAPPENED"
"What Happened" (2017) is a compilation of short, written pieces, by author, Andy Jenkins. It is a grouping of relatable observations, lists, foggy recollections and even “Several B-grade Opening Lines For Novels or Short Stories,” in a piece entitled, “For Your Convenience.” The work is a celebration of the typically mundane — from visiting his psychiatrist to buying a used Lincoln Towncar and riding the bus. Jenkins’s writing captures the ordinary moments in a voice ranging from humorous and quirky, to, at times, thought provoking and real. As a bonus, the accompanying illustrations, by the talented Travis Millard, are spot-on interpretations of this oddball collection. A perfect paring.
"Like the red-billed oxpecker, Andy is a rare bird in that he can make you laugh and cry within a single sentence. His writing is deftly honed but gives the impression of being dashed off just this minute. He’s perceptive and honest, and his voice is unmistakable, and it is these qualities that conspire to create greatness. Or, at the very least, cleverness. Or just luck. Or perhaps he’s paying some kid in India to write it for him." — from the Foreword, by Jason Crombie
"VALLEY"
"Valley" is an experimental novel by writer, Mike Daily. Design by Andy Jenkins with a cover photo by Christian Roth and illustrations by Evan Hecox. The release of "Valley" was a special evening event in Los Angeles, featuring a reading my Mike Daily and a set by renowned band, Flogging Molly. Reviews:
"Quite often the form of the book jumps from genre to genre turning the author Mike Daily into a young Dr. Frankenstein, concocting his own literary monster a pastiche of journal entries, newspaper clippings, poetry, and screenplay scenes....It is Daily's trade as an editor that allows him the insight of scrutinizing the mundane, turning a bland, everyday occurrence into a profound revelation. By the book's end you're bound to realize that, yes, we are all crazy in our own special way." — Warp Magazine
"Mike Daily's sensibility is seriously skewed... Valley reads like a travelogue into the space between the ellipses, or into every dense and erratic mechanism and quirk (of which there are plenty, thank you very much) of its author's mind. It's an epic of fragmentation and disjointed thought processes, cutting in fits from genre to genre (screenplay, poetry, journalism, even college science lecture), with deliberately unrelenting commentary in the form of writing in the margins, footnotes, snapshots, bludgeoning headline-size type, and illustrations bleeding off the page. It should logically be a jarring, disjointed read. Miraculously it isn't. The reason is Daily's uncanny fluidity and rhythm." — Blend Magazine (UK)
"I CHECK THE MAIL ONLY WHEN CERTAIN IT HAS ARRIVED"
"I Check the Mail Only When It Has Arrived; A collection of Letters From People I didn't know." Includes illustrations and photos from a wide variety of artists, including Thomas Campbell, Tod Swank, Susan Lapper, Dave Carney, Kevin Wilkins, Mike Daily, Miki Vuckovich, Spike Jonze and more. Cover photos by Mike Ballard. Model, Jeff Tremaine. The book garnered 5 of 5 stars on Amazon. Reviews:
"I was seduced by a certain frankness and time-capsule quality encased in [I Check The Mail's] pages... It records post-college angst at the turn of the decade and thereby documents the 'zine revolution, the Net revolution, [and] emerging changes in language and communication." — Paper Magazine
"The digital experience still has a way to go to catch up with mail art. For proof, just browse the script, art and enclosures which comprise Andy Jenkins's I Check The Mail." — Option Magazine
The letters in this book are as authentic a window into time, place, and group that we are likely to get." — Blur Magazine
"When I received I Check The Mail I thought I'd truly died and went to heaven. This is the concerned third party's wet dream; barely filtered ramblings, boring blurts, true feelings, nasty words, hubris, doodles left by the phone, idiosyncrasies and a few flowers." — the Stranger
"HEAD FACTORY"
Bend issue #15, "Head Factory" A limited edition publication featuring various page sizes, paper types and a 7" single by the band, Factory, nested in an inside-cover pocket.
"BEND HOUSE"
Bend issue #11, "Bend House" featured a fold-out cover attaching two different publications; one by Andy himself, and the other by artist, Rodger Bridges. Artist's bios were sewn onto the back cover.
Various pages and cover imagery, 1988-2013.