About Us
FLAMING HYDRA is a new publication for all kinds of people who like to read and write whatever we want, and to connect in an unmediated way, with no weirdo surveillance or profiteering—like the old internet used to be.
For press coverage, downloads and press releases, please visit our PRESS ROOM.
In 2019, a small group of independent publishers banded together to form a new cooperative called the Brick House. We raised about $90,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, and launched in December 2020.
After three years of publishing at the Brick House, we're investing our combined knowledge and resources in a much more ambitious expansion of our cooperative: FLAMING HYDRA. Each of Flaming Hydra's 60 members agrees to contribute a minimum of one original piece per month to an ingenious, brief and captivating daily newsletter, in exchange for an equal share of the subscription proceeds, payable monthly. Flaming Hydra members retain the rights to their work absolutely.
Subscribers to Flaming Hydra will receive articles and essays, comics and criticism, humor, literature, photos, and reviews, with surprises each weekday. Because there are a lot of us, only a small amount of work is required of each member. We're sharing audiences, work, and resources, so that all can benefit and thrive.
On December 19th, 2023, we published a Holiday PREVIEW SPECTACULAR offering a taste of what we had in mind. Our first real, official newsletter was published on January 30th, 2024.
Here are a few of the pieces we've published since the launch, now free to read:
- Media Proles, by Tommy Craggs
- A Talk With Barbara Smith, by K.E. Harloe
- Love + Work, by jj skolnik
The horrors of modern corporate publishing are eating the public commons alive every day, especially on the internet, with their AIs and LLMs and their busted search engines and draconian terms of service and the monetization of your every move. But at Flaming Hydra there are no owners, no investors and no advertisers, and consequently no malign forces such as those described above in control of our publication. Regular people create every refreshing, interesting and intense thing you’ll see and read each weekday, for just $3/month.
If you love FLAMING HYDRA, please consider subscribing, to help keep independent journalism on fire and flourishing. Thank you!
Lead Editor: Maria Bustillos
Lead Technologist: David Moore
Managing Editor: Shirley Wang
Design & Code: Jacob Ford
Mostly Design: Puriya Mirza
Mostly Code: Norbert Hunyadi