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Frustrated with blogging platforms and yearning for something a bit more tangible than a glowing screen, Ian Fugett founded The Pub a year ago. Since then, he’s been driving around Chicago, delivering stacks of the paper himself as part publisher, part very committed courier.
Powered by a collective of Chicago and Midwest creatives, The Pub is a print-only publication featuring everything from investigative reporting and cultural critiques to short fiction and deep dives into niche curiosities. The paper is intentionally kept off the grid, encouraging readers to track down physical copies at local distribution hubs or join its “mail club”—a tangible alternative to the traditional digital newsletter. This offline approach is guided by the blunt manifesto found on the publication's homepage: “You’re not supposed to find us online. You’re supposed to go out into the real world to find us. Thanks.”
The first issue of The Pub dropped last May, and the fourth—released in March—boasted 16,000 copies. Inside the most recent issue, you’ll find everything from a deep dive into the Flat Iron Arts Building's impact on gentrification to essays on highway construction costs, plus fiction, comics and even a CTA-themed word puzzle (arguably the most relaxing way to think about public transit). Each run is distributed to about 150 locations across the city, currently spanning from 63rd Street in the south to Devon Avenue in the north. Each issue is free, though donations and subscriptions help keep the presses running.
The Pub is now taking its real-world ethos a step further with its first permanent home: The Pub House, located at 2150 W Armitage Ave. This space serves as a dedicated hub for an eclectic roster of programming—from writing workshops and film screenings to a reading group focused on Midwestern literature—essentially capturing all the activities that benefit from being in a room with other humans.
A cornerstone of this event lineup is the long-running collage night, which Fugett originally began in a DIY space. Designed to foster a cozy, low-pressure community, the series provides all the necessary materials—including stencils, lino cuts and general art supplies—encouraging guests to simply play and create.
"Our collage night is one of the first events we started in our old Logan Square space,” says Fugett. “The community that slowly formed around it inspired so much of how we interact with our audience. People show up just to collage and have conversations with other artists around the table; it's great!”
The Pub House's programming also features some quirky curveballs, like newsprint press-on nail classes and a Bring Your Own Vinyl Night. During these sessions, attendees take turns spinning records based on a loose theme (e.g., “Music for Earthlings: the weirder the better”)—a mix of a curated DJ set and a free-association experiment.
"A dozen different lives all crossed paths and made a pitstop at The Pub House,” event host Eddie Cuevas said of the inaugural BYOV event. “The guests and the music were a total surprise, but by the end of the night, it felt like a gift."
Alongside these highlights, the space will continue to host regular open mics and workshops. The Pub House is open Friday and Saturday from 11am–6pm. You can check out the full event calendar here.