FARFLUNGLAND

In 2010, Iota Press became the medium for access to the parallel world of Farflungland. It all began when I was studying some of the dogma of Bauhaus against ornamentation in printing…when Iota was visited by the hero of Farflung typomythology: Dingbatman. I had no choice but to record his tale of a rebellion against such dogmas in his dimension. A small book was the result, recounting graphically the true story of Dingbatman as the savior of Farflungland’s fleurons, flourishes and, well… dingbats. Since that time other portals opened, enabling publication of their iconiferous lit mag, Farflungfland Review; two of their postal service’s stamp books; & chapbooks of experimental writing by Erst Weill, Ekl Partz, Ag Onesti, Iklipz Dopplur…& the hallucinatory graphic visions of Ab Fulsum. Apparently the pandemic put our worlds side-by-side as Iota was able to publish four of these works in a single year. We will be quite happy if our world crisis recedes without closing the portal to this whole Nother realm.

TAPERED PITCH [2020]

Introduction by C.Z. Inzdep, ffl.F.Qu.. who explains the meteoric path… from obscurity to fame & back to obscurity… of his friend Iklipz Dopplur. Special tipped-in foldout excerpt of his only published work, Tapered Pitch.

Edition: 32

THIS [2020]

This work is by the metal typesetting adept, Ekl Partz, who prefers to compose his literary work directly from the cases of type in the printshop. Here he begins with only the inspiration of the old chapter books that begin “In Which…” and proceeds through a case of Ehrhardt 12-Point type until there are not enough sorts to complete the next word. Partz includes his own line-drawings and blames all the typos and coined words on his brother Otto.

24 pages Edition: 65

THAT [2020]

The prison writer, Ag Onesti, composed That in the prison print shop where he did his time, constantly ruminating on the multiple meanings of the word ‘Sentence” for someone with his experience of the legal sytem of 20th Century Farflungland. Onesti feels that he speaks for the true paroletariat.

16 pages Edition: 36

TYPE DREAMS [2020]

Ab Fulsum had a vision that as he composed type, the surface of the type was revealing a looking-glass world surfacing its messages to him. He began drawing these messages just as they came, everything being reversed and pregnant with those double meanings. He was translating the dreams of type, but in pen & ink.

40 pages Edition: 82

FARFLUNGLAND REVIEW [2011]

A special edition of their inimitiatable lit mag. This Review is where the 9th C. gopher’s dream was first inhumed. Also….best masthead ever: “bandied words, rookie blunder jewels.” Down with irrealism!

8 pages….edition: 63

DINGBATMAN [2011]

Issue #2 of the Iota Press Quarterly in which the existence of Farflungland was first revealed. This is a tale of ancient bookmaking, during the smelting purges instigated by the Bow Wow House typicidal maniacs. The wholesale meltdowns inadvertently created Dingbatman, hero of the persecuted ornaments of Farflungland. Includes his speech to the United Fonts General Assembly with its ringing ending: “We are all completely dingbats !”

8 pages Edition; 74

COULD BE VERSE [2009]

A truly nonsensical book of nonsense poems, illustrusely profulated. Erst Weill would not allow a single straightforward piece of text in any part of this book, even spoofing the Errata & Acknowledgements pages. A nightmare for the proofreaders. So many coined words that one feels the rules of language shudder. In his own words: ‘a book of moombuts”

28 pages Edition: 100

FARFLUNGLAND STAMPS

Two books of stamps issued by Farflungland in the last ten years. Real gummed paper! Real perforations! The tribute booklet explains the oddness of Farflungland’s literary history in which the earliest writers were to our ears very experimental and discordant, while the most recent poets are absurdly romantic and flowery in their diction. But… it’s Farflungland, it’s different.

A survey of Farflungi residents

poetic distance from farflungland

parallel world ? not even that.

“Access to Farflungland is enabled by mega-anapest drive crystals, boosted as they pass San Francisco ”

— Errid Thunq