Help Ultra Mega start a Lansing neighborhood print shop

This is Jimmy “Soup” Coyer, an artist and organizer on the Eastside who is behind Ultra Mega and the Lansing Independent Comics and Zine Fest. I want to buy a Risograph printer to teach and share with the Lansing community.

What is a Risograph printer?

A Risograph (or ‘Riso’) is a kind of copier that is beloved by artists and organizers all over. Instead of toner, Riso uses a soy-based ink which doesn’t require heat to apply. It pushes this ink through a stencil, instead of relying on a tiny print head to do the job. This means that compared to other methods, Riso:

I believe that print is a powerful medium for personal expression and social change. An accessible Risograph machine will make it so much easier for local folks to produce zines, event posters, pamphlets, art prints and much, much more. Personally, I want to be surrounded by this stuff. I’m excited to see how much more colorful Lansing creatives will be able to make our community with a tool like this made available to them.

Where will it go?

In August of 2024, I jumped on an opportunity to purchase a house on the Eastside, because I knew it would be my chance to start building the shared print studio I’d been dreaming of.

Since then, I’ve been taking jobs, picking up equipment from print shops who have closed their doors, building new equipment, and slowly transforming my living room (plus one side room) into that space.

To start, I’ll host “Open Print” days for folks to come by, meet other printmakers, and learn and use the equipment. Once we’ve seen how people use the space, we’ll make some tweaks and start hosting more formal workshops and events as well. Eventually, my aim is to allow folks who have been trained to reserve dedicated time at the space to work on their projects.

I dream of naturally growing our community of printmakers and publishers until we’re too big for my living room. Eventually, (hopefully!) Ultra Mega will be a shared space that encompasses a wide variety of print methods, with an even wider variety of equipment. But it all starts with Riso, one of the most accessible print methods that is locked behind a high cost of entry.

What’s it cost?

The machine itself costs about $1500, and comes with a drum for black ink. But here’s the catch: every additional color you want to print with requires an additional drum, which costs another $1000.

My goal is to start with black, plus an additional three colors. This will allow for a solid foundation for printers to experiment with. Though, even if we don’t make our goal, as long as we make at least $1500 then I will purchase a machine and invite people over all the same.

Breakdown

There are some other known costs, but I have already made enough money under Ultra Mega to cover them. This campaign only needs to cover the machine and drums of ink. Any funds we take in past the goal of $5000 will go toward new, additional colors, and this campaign will be updated to reflect that.

What makes you qualified to do something like this?

Why, I’m glad you asked!

I’ve been a part of the Spartan Housing Cooperative in various different roles for about 9 years. Early on, that meant sharing the house that I lived in with 17 other people, an experience that completely rewired my brain for the better. When I say I want to share a part of my house, you can trust that I know exactly what that means.

Later on, I became the Vice President of Facilities, and eventually the President of the entire organization of 250 members. In these roles I frequently trained new members and managed budgets of over $100,000. Many of the organizational tools, templates, and budgeting strategies I employed nearly a decade ago are still in use today.

After moving out of the co-op, I found that same sense of community once again at the Lansing Maker’s Network, my favorite place in the whole world, where I volunteered for five years. At LMN, I taught dozens and dozens of members and volunteers how to use a wide range of equipment–3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, tufting guns, and more. I also witnessed firsthand how complex and expensive equipment can effectively be used in a shared space.

I hope that it’s clear–the reason that I want to share and teach is because I’ve already done it, and I know that I love it.

So if all this sounds like a good idea to you, hit those “Donate Now” and "Share" buttons to get us all closer to printing together!

Thank you for your support,

Jimmy “Soup” Coyer

Ultra Mega