The iconic Silver Sprocket is no ordinary comic book store. You won’t find mainstream publications like Marvel or DC in San Francisco’s Mission District.
Avi Ehrlich, founder of Springman Records, founded Silver Sprocket in 2007 as an independent record label and comic book publisher. The company has since expanded to include a gallery, artist group, and comic book store. Silver Sprocket publishes comics, graphic novels, and related art, and also supports independent musicians and community initiatives. Ehrlich describes the company as a “radical indie comic book publisher” that represents the work of historically marginalized artists.
Perhaps nothing embodies the indie and DIY spirit of the store quite like the zines you’ll find there. Zines are small-batch, self-published works that are usually non-commercial. They’re similar to magazines or graphic novels, but often consist of easy-to-find, inexpensive materials — like clippings, text, found objects, and original drawings. One big difference between zines and regular, large commercial publications? They’re usually created by an individual out of interest and passion, rather than for profit.
In this first episode, FTG’s host Kayen leads a motley camera crew and intrepid contestants Kit and Gemma to the SSC, where they learn that ACAB means: All comics are bisexual and encountered the store’s very own wheel of consequences… and boy, did they face them. Who will win? Who will die? (Wait, someone dies?!) Find out by tuning in The Field Trip Game: A ridiculous adventure game with mediocre prices!
