Jonny DeStefano and Krysti Joméi met in Capitol Hill, Denver in 2013 where they ran their donation-based comedy / music / activist venue, Deer Pile. With a shared love for tangible art forms, a background in community radio and independent magazines, and a deep-rooted comedy and punk rock spirit, Jonny and Krysti set off to create a paper space that would document their fellow creatives and own art in real time. Their mission was to amplify the voices of those who were building the counterculture and creative scene in Denver and beyond. With their partner Kayvan S. T. Khalatbari and then designer Michael David King, they launched Birdy in January 2014 with a few advertisers and one month of content. Fast forward 10 years and Birdy is now 121 issues deep, with free distribution spots across Colorado and in select spots in California, Brooklyn, the Greater Seattle Area, New Orleans, Chicago, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Tennessee and New Orleans. They’re core creative team includes Julianna Beckert (Designer), Cristin Colvin (Web Designer), Megan Arenson (Ad Designer) and Mark Mothersbaugh (North Star); a roster of house artists and writers: Brian Polk, Hana Zittel, Joel Tagert, Tom Murphy, Nate Balding, Zac Dunn, Ray Young Chu, Moon_Patrol, Dave Danzara, Jason White, Eric Joyner, Nick Flook, Ali Hoff and many more; and a distro team that quite literally allows Birdy to soar: Mariano Oreamuno, Hana Zittel, DS Thornburg, Phil Garza, Cristin Colvin, Zac Dunn, Maggie D. Fedorov and Conrad Franzen. Thanks to their dedicated readers and fans, friends and families, and the compassionate businesses that support them — Meow Wolf, Frontière, Hex Publishers, Sexy Pizza, Monkey Barrel, Benny Blanco’s, Off The Bottle Refill Shop, Denver Art Museum, Astro Tours, Toxoplasma Arts and so many others — Birdy is able to give our shared communities the fundamental right of access to art and information.
To learn more about Birdy, head to our ABOUT section. Peek Birdy ISSUES of the past check or head to our SHOP to snag Back Issues for your collection.