A-S-C (Anti-Subscription Catalogue)
Creative workers are tired, and our subscriptions have expired.
In response, the Anti-Subscription Catalogue is a community-sourced project with 108 non-subscription, free, open-source, and one-time fee software — organized in 15 categories — which can provide relief from monopolized and financialized platforms. Why? The subscription cost can rise at any time, implement region-based barriers, even train proprietary algorithms for private gain off our own labour, and use deceptive design interactions to entice from 'freemium' to tiered features. Your access to the tools you depend upon for sustenance and fulfillment erodes. You end up paying more over time. A-S-C seeks to grow regionally and globally in third spaces, schools, libraries, archives, tables, booths, parks, and websites — in the form of workshops or ways of self-learning together. A-S-C advocates for a creative diversity of tools, software, websites, and sovereign ad-hoc strategies. Like, share, and… tell all your friends. Say no to creative rent! Just A-S-C instead.
About the maker: Chris Lange is an independent designer, precarious prof, researcher, and writer who recently completed an MFA in graphic design. He enjoys connecting with mother nature, playing chess in the park, and believes he shouldn't have to login to a subscription-based account to access a PDF. His self-publishing arm digs through the muck of restricted tools, gated libraries, and proprietary languages to:
1. Seek relief from a monopolized operating system.
2. Build bridges that span across creative fields.
3. Make work that can be accessed across imaginary lines. And add to the growing conversation of creative workers caring about digital sovereignty.
By Chris Lange, 2024, 127x203.2mm 24 pages, Saddle-stitched, Risograph, Zine Shine 2025