THE WHOLE McSWEENEY’S PERIODICAL FAMILY (COMBO SUBSCRIPTION)

$195.00 $175.00
This is the combo subscription for The Believer, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and Illustoria magazine. To subscribe to any of these on their own, or for multiple variations thereof, click here.

“Ever shape-shifting and ambitious, McSweeney’s has redefined what a literary institution can be.”
—Catherine Lacey

“There are few examples in publishing that equal the care and inventiveness McSweeney’s offers their readers—the industry at large should take note.”
—Bookends and Beginnings, Evanston, IL

“Brilliant and always surprising.”
—Detroit Free Press

We love periodicals. You love periodicals. We could all use periodicals. Available to all for the first time, get all three of the official McSweeney’s-published periodicals in one compact (and economically-priced) subscription bundle: three issues of Illustoria, four issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly, and four issues of The Believer magazine.

From the newly resurrected, twelve-time National Magazine Award finalist Believer magazine; to the always cutting-edge, form-shattering, and award-winning behemoth that is McSweeney’s Quarterly; to the beloved imagination- and inspiration-inciting Illustoria (named a best gift for kids by the New York Times three years and running); satisfy every reader in your life and keep the unforgettable and award-winning content coming all year long.

Readers will receive::

Illustoria #26: Blue
Welcome to the blue Issue! Explore the many hues and moods of this fascinating color, with cover art by Isabelle Arsenault—made with a cyanotype print process using sunlight to create turquoise tints.

Learn how to make blue ink from copper pennies and a slurp-tastic blue Slime Drink with Dog Chef (Illustoria’s in-house celebrity cook). Try a blue-themed fill-in-the-blank writing game, and capture wild ideas in your own story-planning diagram. Learn about dangerous blue creatures like the popevine swallowtail butterfly and the blue dragon sea slug. Read myths about how the sky became blue, written by young authors around the globe. Check out interviews with our cover artist and an ink-maker from Toronto.

Find all this plus ponder how blue feels with our guest poet; revel in all the shades of blue: azure, indigo, cobalt, and ultramarine; find blue-hued music, book, and art supply recommendations from Illustoria’s staff and contributing artists; and that’s just the tip of the (blue) iceberg!

The Believer Issue 150
Inside the landmark 150th issue of The Believer, Shruti Swamy reports on the alleged abuses of her childhood guru Swami Rama, a man powerful enough to stop his own heart; Paul Collins attempts to read the largest newspaper of all time; Rafia Zakaria follows her father on his infuriating quest for water and power in Karachi, Pakistan; and, forty years after he first attended Cru’s Winter Conference, David J. Morris returns to observe the hugely popular evangelical organization that influenced his youth. You’ll also find interviews covering a range of topics, such as furniture protection tips from country star Lyle Lovett; the kinds of books Sheila Heti most likes to read; and what the writer and cartoonist Charles Johnson deems “fuzzy-bunny Buddhism”; not to mention a comic by Maxime Gérin in which a night at the movies descends toward mayhem. We also have columns by Pitchaya Sudbanthad on the sordid tourism of a once mythic Thai beach, Nora Lange on Weekend at Bernie’s, Joan Silber on her daily routine, and Nick Hornby on Susie Boyt’s latest novel.

All this plus, in honor of our 150th anniversary issue, a very special letters section, along with a super-size index cataloging every essay, interview, and schema ever published inside these pages. And, exclusively for print subscribers, you’ll find a wall poster of select portraits by Believer illustrator Kristian Hammerstad. We hope you enjoy this small token of our gratitude.

Thank you for reading the past 150 issues of The Believer. Here’s to 150 more.

McSweeney’s 78: The Maker Believers
In McSweeney’s 78: The Make Believers (guest edited by Thi Bui and Vu Tran), ten writers of the Vietnamese diaspora write from the eclectic hodgepodge that is their shared imagination of what it means to be “Vietnamese.” Packaged in a beautiful foil-stamped cigar box (with art by Bui on each and every surface), and including two booklets, one menu, and a glossary of broken Vietnamese, the work in this issue spans from highbrow to lowbrow, proper to naughty, logical to absurd, and painful to funny. Published on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, its contributors work across perspectives and multiple languages. In this completely singular, nothing-else-of-its-kind anthology, these artists write (and illustrate!) from a place of collective loss and joy.

And then?

Keep a watchful eye on your mailbox as you wait for two more issues of McSweeney’s Quarterly , three more issues of The Believer, and two more issues of Illustoria. The future is full of surprises, but one guarantee is more literary wonderment that McSweeney’s readers have come to expect over nearly a quarter century.

Through June 5, all new and renewed subscriptions to The Believer include a 40% discount on an annual membership to MUBI, helping you pair the finest in literary long-form journalism with the very best in world cinema. The exclusive discount code will be emailed to you after checkout, links dispatching twice every business day.

IMPORTANT LOGISTICAL INFORMATION: This is a one time combo price, all subscriptions to McSweeney’s Quarterly automatically renew after four issues, at 15% off the price of a regular sub (currently $80.75), while Believer subscriptions renew after four issues at a price of $51, and Illustoria after three issues at a price of $40. In the event of any future rate changes, we will notify you via email. If you’d like to cancel any of the three subscription at any time prior to its auto-renewal, you can log in to your account and adjust your subscription settings. Or send an email to custservice@mcsweeneys.net with the subject lines “End Quarterly Renew,” “End Believer Renew,” “End Illustoria Renew,” or “End Family Renew” depending on your desires. Refunds will be accepted only up until the first issue of your renewal is shipped. All subscriptions placed by June 15, 2025, will begin with McSweeney’s 78: The Make Believers, Illustoria #26: Blue, and The Believer Issue 150. Any subscription purchased with the “gift” option marked at checkout will not be enrolled in autorenew.

International shipping costs for the full eleven-publication combo subscription: $75

For Issues 1-8 of Illustoria, and to keep up on the latest news and blog updates, visit Illustoria.com.

Giving this combo subscription as a gift? Click here to download an official printable PDF gift notice.

MORE FROM McSWEENEY’S QUARTERLY CONCERN

MORE FROM THE BELIEVER