{"id":3292,"date":"2023-05-03T16:05:53","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T21:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/?page_id=3292"},"modified":"2026-03-02T13:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:57:13","slug":"the-sphere","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sphere: the Nation&#8217;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"uwm-u-py-0\"><div class=\"uwm-l-container--base uwm-l-container--overflow-hidden\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\"><header class=\"page-header\"><h1 class=\"entry-title heading-separator\">The Sphere: the Nation&#8217;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine<\/h1><\/header><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--4 uwm-l-offset--1\"><div class='uwm-file-php'>\n    <script>\n        function changeActionURL( e ) {\n            e.preventDefault();\n            const actionSrc = 'https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/search\/searchterm\/' + document.getElementsByName(\"CISOBOX1\")[0].value;\n            window.location.href = actionSrc;\n        }\n    <\/script>\n    \n    <form\n        id=\"collection-search\"\n        method=\"get\"\n        action=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/search\/searchterm\/\"\n        role=\"search\"\n        class=\"search-form uwm-c-form uwm-u-mb-20\"\n        onsubmit=\"changeActionURL( event )\"\n    >\n        <label for=\"sd-search-field\" class=\"uwm-u-mb-0\">\n            <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Search<\/span>\n            <input type=\"text\" name=\"CISOBOX1\" id=\"searchterm\" class=\"collection-search-input\" placeholder=\"Search this collection...\">\n        <\/label>\n\n        <button type=\"submit\" class=\"search-submit uwm-c-button\">\n            <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Search<\/span>\n            <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"img\" focusable=\"false\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"217\" height=\"222\" viewBox=\"0 0 217 222\" class=\"svg-icon\">\n                <path fill=\"\" d=\"M210.1,198.15c0,4.2-1.5,7.9-4.6,10.9c-3.1,3.1-6.7,4.6-10.9,4.6c-4.4,0-8-1.5-10.9-4.6l-41.7-41.6 c-14.5,10.1-30.7,15.1-48.5,15.1c-11.6,0-22.7-2.2-33.3-6.7s-19.7-10.6-27.4-18.2c-7.7-7.7-13.7-16.8-18.2-27.4s-6.7-21.7-6.7-33.3 s2.2-22.7,6.7-33.3s10.6-19.7,18.2-27.4c7.7-7.7,16.8-13.7,27.4-18.2c10.6-4.5,21.7-6.7,33.3-6.7s22.7,2.2,33.3,6.7 s19.7,10.6,27.4,18.2c7.7,7.7,13.7,16.8,18.2,27.4c4.5,10.6,6.7,21.7,6.7,33.3c0,17.8-5,34-15.1,48.5l41.7,41.7 C208.6,190.25,210.1,193.85,210.1,198.15z M131.9,135.45c10.7-10.7,16-23.5,16-38.5s-5.3-27.8-16-38.5s-23.5-16-38.5-16 s-27.8,5.3-38.5,16s-16,23.5-16,38.5s5.3,27.8,16,38.5c10.7,10.7,23.5,16,38.5,16S121.2,146.15,131.9,135.45z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/button>\n    <\/form>\n\n    <p class=\"size-p-md uwm-c-link--external uwm-u-my-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/search\/searchterm\/\"><strong>Browse this collection<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-notice uwm-p-notice--info\"><i class=\"fa-solid fa-circle-info fa-fw\"><\/i><div class=\"uwm-p-notice--content\"><div class=\"uwm-p-notice--title\">This page has been archived and is not updated<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-notice--message\">If you need assistance with this page, please use this form to make a request: <a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/libraries\/digital-collections\/digital-collections-request-for-accessible-web-content-form\/\">https:\/\/uwm.edu\/libraries\/digital-collections\/digital-collections-request-for-accessible-web-content-form\/<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"uwm-bg-white uwm-u-py-80\"><div class=\"uwm-l-container--base uwm-l-container--overflow-hidden\">\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Published every full moon (approximately) from 1993-1995, The Sphere was a fanzine published in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Mike Koppa and distributed at Koppa&#8217;s Farwell Foods. This digital collection includes the full run of this unique publication, with the exception of Volume 1, Numbers 1, 2, and 4<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"uwm-u-py-80\"><div class=\"uwm-l-container--base uwm-l-container--overflow-hidden\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a0\">The Story of <em>The Sphere<\/em>, by Mike Koppa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"prelude\"><a id=\"prelude\"><\/a>Prelude to <em>The Sphere<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I grew up thinking work was fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My dad bought Farwell Foods on Milwaukee\u2019s East Side from my Uncle Don in 1982. I was thirteen. As an eighth grader, living a completely different life way the heck over by Timmermann Field in the northwestern corner of Milwaukee, I would board the city bus on 92<sup>nd<\/sup>&nbsp;&amp; Capitol Drive with my friend, Alvin, and ride it through the city to work at the store once a week after school. The world became noticeably different when we stepped off the bus on Oakland &amp; Lafayette. The houses were bigger, and older, and closer together. The apartment buildings were taller. The streets were lined with parked cars, and there were people on the sidewalks. The people were different, too\u2014they were adults but they weren\u2019t somebody\u2019s parents, or they didn\u2019t look like they were, anyway. The clothing styles were different. And the air\u2014that east side Lake Michigan air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The experience of being a kid from an almost all white middle class Catholic-School-and-Cub-Scouts neighborhood, sitting on a city bus traveling straight through the heart of Milwaukee, watching the neighborhoods get progressively older, while the ridership transitioned from all-white to all-black (except for us two thirteen year-old boys) to all-white again, was fascinating and empowering. I appreciated having the opportunity to be familiar with a pretty comprehensive cross-section of Milwaukee. It made me feel worldly at a young age, and I think I saw my perspective as an advantage and an asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a short two-block walk from the bus stop to the corner of Farwell &amp; Irving. When we walked in the door of the store, my dad handed us a giant stack of one-sided \u201chandbills\u201d to deliver door-to-door around the neighborhood. First we had to fold them all in half. I think the idea was that it made them tidier and easier to carry, and weighted them on one edge so they could be easily flipped inside every storm door, just like the paperboys did. They also made neat stacks in the apartment building lobbies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My dad drew them with markers, by hand, on templates laid out by the graphic design shop next door. The handbills featured weekly specials, but mostly they were simple and regular reminders to people that the store was in their neighborhood. After the folding, our job was to peddle them, by hand (and foot), around a three-block radius of the store. Very strategic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are very, very fond memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><a id=\"snowball\"><\/a>The Sphere<\/em>&nbsp;as a Snowball<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The story of&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>&nbsp;begins ten years later. It is, maybe, a little ironic that I went away to college in pursuit of the skills that might lead to a career in graphic design, only to gain technical skills just shy of the cutting edge. That led to my first job as a Compugraphic typesetter, where I gained more of the same outdated skills, until I eventually quit\u2014only to return to the store and revert back to the crudest expression of graphic design: hand drawn ad sheets with disposable markers, just like my dad did when I was a kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was lucky to be able to go back to the grocery store, but even more fortunate that I was able to persuade my dad to let me manage it. It took a friend to point it out to me, but let there be no doubt: I was the coach\u2019s son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As silly as it was portrayed, I took the role seriously, and honestly felt like I could use my art degree to help my dad turn the proverbial corner at his grocery store. He had always wanted it to be busier, because he needed the store to make more money. I wanted it to be busier because if there\u2019s one of the seven deadly sins with which I am afflicted, it is pride. I wanted the store to be popular. Or cool. I knew the east side was a hip place, and I wanted the store to be a part of that. It was a grocery store, after all, and it really could have been, or should have been, the one place everyone in the neighborhood would go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a lot of fun at the store. And the fun we had was observed and ultimately shared by the customers, but the percentage of people in the neighborhood who knew what went on inside that store was pretty small. I made it my job to get the word out, and to give the store an image befitting its neighborhood. So I proposed we start making those handbills again, and that\u2019s how I would put that art degree to work. I\u2019d draw them up myself, and run them around the neighborhood just like we used to do when I was thirteen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It didn\u2019t take long before I realized I wasn\u2019t thirteen, and my friend Alvin wasn\u2019t running and jumping up and down steps with me. I also knew my time could be used more wisely working&nbsp;<em>in<\/em>&nbsp;the store. Beyond that, I did learn a few things in college: I had a new awareness of a thing called&nbsp;<em>artist\u2019s books<\/em>, I liked eating delicious sandwiches on State Street, and I enjoyed flipping through the first few years of&nbsp;<em>The Onion<\/em>&nbsp;between classes. All of that could be put to work in a fun way at the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then came&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>. I suggested to my dad that if we turned the handbills into multi-page books, they would become more interesting, and people would voluntarily pick them up in the store. As they got disseminated around the neighborhood, it would result in voluntary word-of-mouth advertising. It would give people something to talk about. I didn\u2019t&nbsp;<em>know<\/em>&nbsp;it was going to work that way, but I thought it might. And it did. Lucky to be the coach\u2019s son. I doubt if anyone else could have talked my dad into it, and likewise, I don\u2019t know if I would have been able to talk anyone other than my own dad into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first issue was a simple 8-pager: two sheets of legal size paper, printed 2-sided, on cream colored paper\u2014making it a little more interesting than white, yet keeping the cost of production down to please my boss. No staples, just folded, and one sheet stuffed into the other. The pages were filled out with content contributed by employees\/friends and customers, and it was billed as \u201c<em>the world\u2019s first and only grocery fanzine.<\/em>\u201d Customers appreciated the effort, and all it took was for my dad to hear a little positive feedback from them to get fully behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"volume1\"><\/a>The first five issues were Volume I. These were published monthly, with dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I:1 = September 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I:2 = October<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/48\/rec\/2\">I:3 = November<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I:4 = December<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/85\/rec\/3\">I:5 = January 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Worth noting is that giving them a volume number from the very beginning set an expectation for more to come, and the mast head note that they were available&nbsp;<em>\u201conly at Koppa\u2019s\u2026for now,\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;suggested there was a bigger picture in mind right from the start, even if it was yet to be determined. This all goes along with the classic marketing strategy that if you say what you have to offer is the greatest thing the world has ever seen, everyone will be curious to know what it is. It\u2019s ubiquitous in grocery packaging, and it\u2019s an easy way to get attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volume II expanded in size and scope. The larger format allowed room for ads of other neighborhood businesses. By inviting other businesses to get on board, the idea of the store being the hub of the neighborhood started to play out. I saw it as strategic cooperation: the news of the store would be shared more widely throughout the neighborhood if other businesses would jump on board; and those businesses would benefit from being a part of&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>, which quickly became a subtle metaphor for the neighborhood. But maybe the bottom line was that I needed advertising revenue to help pay for the larger format. I suppose it was a chicken-or-egg situation. Issues also became available around town: Advertisers were offered a potato chip box modified to hold 25 copies of the zine, with a drop box for the new 25\u00a2 price. We did actually collect some change from those boxes, but it wasn\u2019t a lot, and eventually we bailed out on stocking those before Volume II ran its course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"volume2\"><\/a>Beginning with Volume II, issues were published every full moon (monthly) and dated with the name of the moon, according to the&nbsp;<em>Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/310\/rec\/4\">II:1 = Snow = Feb 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/21\/rec\/3\">II:2 = Worm = March<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/103\/rec\/4\">II:3 = Pink = April<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/119\/rec\/5\">II:4 = Flower = May<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/49\/rec\/6\">II:5 = Strawberry = June<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/140\/rec\/7\">II:6 = Buck = July<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/0\/rec\/8\">II:7 = Sturgeon = August 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"volume3\"><\/a>\u2026and then we rolled into the one-year anniversary with Volume III. This is when I decided the whole enterprise was a little too much work, and rather than sell ads, I would make it ad-free (except for the Koppa\u2019s ads) and sell it for $2.50, which I justified as \u201ccomic book price.\u201d The new cover price was supposed to make up for the lost ad revenue, but it never did. That didn\u2019t matter to me, because, personally, the issues were becoming more interesting, even though the readership dropped off substantially. Only a few hard-core fans felt it was something worth $2.50. In fact, I recall a few people telling me I was getting a little too big for my britches and it was better when it was free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/283\/rec\/11\">III:1 = Harvest = September 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this time the monthly cycle for publishing these full length issues became too much to continue, so I published \u201cintermissions\u201d while I worked on more sophisticated issues to follow, hence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/178\/rec\/12\">Intermission I = Hunter Moon = October 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/292\/rec\/13\">Intermission 2 = Beaver Moon = November 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/169\/rec\/14\">III:2 = Cold Moon = December 1994<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026and now comes the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/258\/rec\/15\">unusual \u201cA\u201d edition<\/a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>, which wasn\u2019t associated with a full moon at all. This was published as a one-off just to keep things interesting and\/or generate interest. It was the only issue distributed by hand, and if I remember correctly, I walked from my apartment at 1811 Warren Street, off Brady, toward the new, recently opened Pick \u2018n Save on Ogden, and slipped them under the windshield wipers of all the cars on the street, and maybe even a few in the Pick \u2018n Save parking lot. This would have been around New Year\u2019s Day, 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/210\/rec\/16\">Intermission 3 = Wolf Moon = January 1995<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026and here\u2019s where the wheels start to come off a little bit and I lose steam. I was also thinking I needed more time for each issue, as I continued to strive to make each issue more of a work of art\u2014something between comic book and magazine. I decided to relax a bit and focus on that instead of pumping out monthly editions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/201\/rec\/17\">III:3 = Pink Moon = April 1995<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026followed by the longest break of all and wrapping up with the last issue, which was the only issue laid out at the drawing table in the new studio suite on the 5th floor of what was then the Milwaukee Antique Center at 341 N. Milwaukee Street. By this time I had acquired a bunch of letterpress printing equipment (the dream come true), and I had to wrap up&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>&nbsp;before I could settle into what would come next:&nbsp;<em>CRUX<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collections.lib.uwm.edu\/digital\/collection\/p17272coll3\/id\/245\/rec\/18\">III:4 = Hunter Moon = October 1995<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Heh. Yep. Better when it was free and when I was doing it all with passion and love of art and creativity, rather than trying to actually make it pay for itself, let alone pay me a dime for the effort of producing it. For some, maybe, but for me the final issue was undoubtedly the best. Good thing the store gained popularity during this time and my dad was still willing to help pay for the more expensive issues. I\u2019m sure he doesn\u2019t remember it this way, but that\u2019s definitely one thing he did do to show support of my creative spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the beginning, the stage was set for&nbsp;<em>The Sphere<\/em>&nbsp;to grow to unknown bounds, and it most certainly did, before it hit the wall and disappeared. What an awesome trip down memory lane. It was a great experience and a great time in my life. I remember it all so dearly. Thank you for listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And thanks to 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries for digitizing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mike<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/heavydutypress.com\/\">Heavy Duty Press<\/a>, Mike Koppa\u2019s private press, for news about current and other past projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--4 uwm-l-offset--1\"><nav aria-label=\"Sidebar\" class=\"uwm-p-navigation-list uwm-p-navigation-list--gold-border \"><div class=\"uwm-p-navigation-list--title\">Navigatiton on the page<\/div><ul>\n<li class=''><a href=\"#prelude\" class=\"\" rel=\"\" target=\"\"><span>Prelude to The Sphere<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=''><a href=\"#snowball\" class=\"\" rel=\"\" target=\"\"><span>The Sphere\u00a0as a Snowball<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=''><a href=\"#volume1\" class=\"\" rel=\"\" target=\"\"><span>Volume I <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=''><a href=\"#volume2\" class=\"\" rel=\"\" target=\"\"><span>Volume II<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=''><a href=\"#volume3\" class=\"\" rel=\"\" target=\"\"><span>Volume III<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1071,"featured_media":3462,"parent":0,"menu_order":52,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-3292","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Sphere: the Nation&#039;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine - 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Sphere: the Nation&#039;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-02T19:57:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/620\/2023\/05\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Sphere: the Nation's First and Only Grocery Fanzine - 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/620\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-03T21:05:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-02T19:57:13+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/620\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/620\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Excerpted image from cover The Sphere zine\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/the-sphere\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Sphere: the Nation&#8217;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/\",\"name\":\"51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/0template-webid2\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/541\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/0template-webid2\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/541\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"width\":225,\"height\":224,\"caption\":\"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/lib-collections\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Sphere: the Nation's First and Only Grocery Fanzine - 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Sphere: the Nation's First and Only Grocery Fanzine","og_url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/","og_site_name":"51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections","article_modified_time":"2026-03-02T19:57:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/620\/2023\/05\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/","name":"The Sphere: the Nation's First and Only Grocery Fanzine - 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/620\/2023\/05\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-03T21:05:53+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-02T19:57:13+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/620\/2023\/05\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/620\/2023\/05\/sphere_landing-1500-400.jpg","width":1500,"height":400,"caption":"Excerpted image from cover The Sphere zine"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/the-sphere\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Sphere: the Nation&#8217;s First and Only Grocery Fanzine"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/","name":"51ÁÔÆæ Libraries Digital Collections","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#organization","name":"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/0template-webid2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/541\/2020\/11\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","width":225,"height":224,"caption":"University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1071"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3292"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4856,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3292\/revisions\/4856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lib-collections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}