WICKER PARK -- The longtime owner of Quimby's is calling it quits after decades at the helm of the iconic Wicker Park bookstore -- but he hopes someone else will carry on its legacy.

Owner Eric Kirsammer told Block Club that the decision to sell the store at 1854 W. North Ave. was not an easy one, but he felt the time had come. He said the decision was made slightly easier when longtime Quimby's store manager Liz Mason shared her plans to move on as well.

"I've owned [Quimby's] for 28 years, and it's time to turn it over to somebody who can keep the idea and the mission of the store going," Kirsammer said. "The other big factor is Liz is leaving ... and we're kind of a team. Part of me doesn't want to do it without her."

Quimby's first opened on September 15, 1991, at Evergreen and Damen avenues, founded by Steven Svymbersky. Svymbersky ran the Primal Plunge, a store with a similiar vibe, in Boston before bringing Quimby's into the burgeoning arts-and-culture scene in '90s Wicker Park. Svymbersky's mission was to "carry every cool - bizarre - strange - dope - queer - surreal - weird publication ever written and published."

Svymbersky sold the original store to Kirsammer in 1996, but soon after the landlord announced he was selling the building. Kirsammer then purchased a former painting and contracting company's office and warehouse on North Avenue and brought Quimby's to its current home.

As the owner of Chicago Comics, 3244 N. Clark St., since 1991, Kirsammer had some idea of what he was in for. Some crossover existed between the two stores -- both carry comics and zines, for instance -- but Quimby's was a new dimension of free expression for him, he said.

While Quimby's 1500 square feet of space holds a variety of items -- including the usual bookstore fare like postcards, posters, patches, buttons and gifts -- it's better-known for carrying self- and independently published books, graphic novels and zines, some covering subjects not typically found in your average bookstore.

A brief glance at Quincy's webstore reveals titles like "The Anarchist Review of Books," "Let's Make Bread! A Comic Book Cookbook," the latest issue of "Butt" magazine and "Bubbles," described as an "Independent Fanzine About Comics And Manga."

"I had some trepidation, but I knew what the Quimby's mission was, which was all about the First Amendment and a free press ... I felt very strongly about that," he said.

Kirsammer has had help sustaining the Quimby's mission, particularly from Mason, who has been the store manager for more than two decades. Mason was drawn to Quimby's initially as a publisher of zines herself.

"I was like, 'This is the best place in the world. I would love to work here. Are you hiring?'" she recalled asking previous store manager Hannah Tashijian. Mason was hired and then became Quimby's manager when Tashijian left in 2003. She describes the job as an ongoing learning experience that helped her "learn how to be an adult," but having recently turned 50, she's looking for her next challenge, she said. Possibly something in library and information science, a career path taken by four other former Quimby's employees.

As for the future, both Mason and Kirsammer hope the store finds a new owner who'll honor its past while ensuring its future. Kirsammer said he's especially proud of the fact that many creative people chose to bring their first published works to the store, recalling the extensive roster of both famous and little-known artists, writers, cartoonists and other creators who have passed through Quimby's over the years.

While other independent bookstores in the area have faced strong competition over the years -- including from a new Barnes & Noble in the neighborhood -- Quimby's DIY brand still sets it apart.

Quimby's is "something that could only exist in a few places in the country," Kirsammer said. "And it served its purpose, especially in the '90s, where it was this bastion of free expression.

"It's a store that has played an important part in the literary culture of Chicago, and the country, for a while. It deserves a serious owner to take it to the next step."

Kirsammer said he isn't selling the building, so potential shop buyers would rent the space from him. Parties interested in continuing the store's mission of supporting the small press and independent creators -- the "number one priority," in Kirsammer's words -- are invited to contact [email protected].