Black Mosquito

Black Mosquito is a German not-for-profit mail-order operation that has been running since 2003, describing itself as a 'Mailorder since 2003' with a focus on anarchist, emancipatory and left-radical ideas and practices. It operates as a diffuse collective rather than a conventional company: members work together with different emphases and differing amounts of time invested in the project. After fixed costs such as rent and wages are deducted, all profits flow back into emancipatory projects — either through discounts for infoshops and political groups, through the sale of solidarity ('Soli') articles, or directly through products sourced via solidarity trade. The shop positions itself content-wise as a 'digital infoshop' (digitaler Infoladen). It states that it is generally open to almost all currents, with its emphasis on distributing and making radical content accessible. The collective acknowledges that its own positions are not always entirely free of contradiction, and says that this is not the point. Its policy for the books, brochures and enclosed flyers it carries is straightforward: it selects material it considers relevant or worth discussing and deliberately adds it to the shop; a second route is requests and tips from customers, political groups and comrades. It also states that it has limits, but considers a culture of debate important — including the possibility of informing oneself about certain content first-hand. The same policy applies to its social media presence. The product range spans books, brochures and zines, stickers and sticker mixes, patches and backpatches, screen-printed items, clothing such as socks and unprinted garments, and practical goods such as glasses-cleaning cloths and folding rules. The catalogue is organised around political themes and occasions, including International Women's Day / feminist fighting day (8 March), anti-fascism, anti-AfD material, and solidarity campaigns such as 'Solarkraft für Rojava' (solar power for Rojava). The shop also carries items from a range of external brands, including Sixblox., Limbus Goods, La Révolte, Less Talk Athletics, Mob Action, True Rebel, Fire&Flames, Lonsdale London, Roots of Compassion, Audiolith and trans*fabel, alongside unprinted clothing from Neutral and Earth Positive. Black Mosquito also maintains editorial content: a blog and a digital infoshop, including an 'Antifa 1x1' explainer page covering the definition, logo, history and links relating to Antifa. The operation is small-scale, ideologically driven and explicitly non-commercial in its profit orientation, functioning as a distribution channel and information hub for left-radical and anarchist scenes in the German-speaking world and beyond.

Black Mosquito has operated as a mail-order project since 2003, according to its own 'About' page, which describes it as 'Black Mosquito – Mailorder since 2003'. From the outset it framed itself not as a conventional retailer but as a not-for-profit collective focused on anarchist, emancipatory and left-radical ideas and practices. The collective structure is deliberately loose: members work together with different thematic emphases and contribute varying amounts of time, and the project describes its own internal positions as not always entirely free of contradiction. A defining feature of the project is its financial model. After fixed costs such as rent and wages are deducted, all profits are channelled back into emancipatory projects. This happens in three main ways described by the shop: discounts for infoshops and political groups, the sale of solidarity ('Soli') articles, and direct sales of products from solidarity trade. This model positions Black Mosquito closer to a movement infrastructure than to a commercial business. Over time the shop developed an explicit editorial identity as a 'digital infoshop'. Rather than limiting itself to a narrow doctrinal line, it states that it is generally open to almost all currents, with its emphasis on distributing and making radical content accessible. Its acquisition policy for books, brochures and enclosed flyers combines curatorial selection — material the collective deems relevant or worth discussing — with requests and tips from customers, political groups and comrades. The collective acknowledges having limits but argues for a culture of debate, including the ability to inform oneself about certain content first-hand. The same approach governs its social media output. The catalogue evolved into a broad mix of media and merchandise. Alongside books, brochures and zines, the shop sells stickers and sticker mixes, patches and backpatches, screen-printed items, clothing such as socks and unprinted garments, and practical goods such as glasses-cleaning cloths and folding rules. Products are frequently organised around political themes and dates, including International Women's Day / feminist fighting day on 8 March, anti-fascism, anti-AfD messaging, and solidarity campaigns such as 'Solarkraft für Rojava'. The shop also acts as a stockist for a range of external brands, listing Sixblox., Limbus Goods, La Révolte, Less Talk Athletics, Mob Action, True Rebel, Fire&Flames, Lonsdale London, Roots of Compassion, Audiolith and trans*fabel, as well as unprinted clothing from Neutral and Earth Positive. Beyond commerce, Black Mosquito maintains editorial and educational content. Its website hosts a blog and a digital infoshop, including an 'Antifa 1x1' page that explains the meaning of Antifa, its logo, its history and related links. That page traces the history of the Antifascist Action from the Weimar Republic and earlier Italian precursors such as the Arditi del popolo, through post-Second World War antifascist action committees and their suppression by the Allies, to the student and radical-left movements of the 1960s and later. In this way the mail-order doubles as an information hub for left-radical and anarchist scenes in the German-speaking world and beyond.

• 2003

  Black Mosquito begins operating as a not-for-profit mail-order project.

• The shop develops its 'digital infoshop' editorial identity and blog.

• Publication of the 'Antifa 1x1' explainer page covering definition, logo, history and links.

Not-for-profit, collectively run 'digital infoshop' and mail-order for anarchist, emancipatory and left-radical content; profits recycled into emancipatory projects.

• Antifascist sticker mix

  A themed mix of antifascist stickers.

• Pride glasses-cleaning cloths

  Glasses-cleaning cloths with Pride motifs.

• Neon green screen-print stickers

  Screen-printed stickers in neon green, described as fresh from the print shop.

• Leftist socks (30 pieces)

  Socks sold in a 30-piece pack.

• Folding rule 'Keinen Meter den Nazis'

  A folding rule with the slogan 'Keinen Meter den Nazis'.

• Solarkraft für Rojava

  Solidarity campaign item supporting solar power for Rojava.

1. 1Black Mosquito Mailorderblack-mosquito.org
2. 2Antifa 1x1 ✊ Definition, Logo, Geschichte & Linksblack-mosquito.org
3. 3Brands | Black Mosquito – Anarchistscher Mailorderblack-mosquito.org
4. 4About Black Mosquitoblack-mosquito.org
5. 5Black Mosquitowikidata.org