Punk Comic History, Pt. 3: Dennis Worden

14 01 2011

If you prefer to get your philosophy from inside a dead dog’s asshole like I do, then you need to know about Dennis Worden. In addition to contributing hilarious comics to anthologies like Weirdo or punk fanzines like Flipside in the early ’80s, he made a variety of minis about some old favorite things, like doing acid in the suburbs, and some unexpected new favorite things, like circus freaks fucking. He’s probably best known for his existential solo comic, Stickboy, about a stick figure that attempts to persevere while being relentlessly peed on by rats or tormented by a disembodied brain. Stickboy had a punk attitude, and although not actually a punk, he was named after Kickboy Face (Claude Bessy) from Slash magazine. Stickboy had a lot of the same experiences Dennis had — choosing to be homeless, living with a cult, working shitty jobs — and basically evolved as Dennis evolved.

The Stickboy comic went through four different publishers, due to various things such as better deals, death and companies folding. Everyone I knew who was into alternative comics at the time was a Stickboy fan. All ten of us. After Fantagraphics, he was published by Revolutionary Comics until the publisher, Todd Loren, was stabbed to death. The last issue of Stickboy was published by Carnal Comics — a porn publisher who had worked with Todd Loren. I’m sure more than a few Carnal Comics customers were hurt and disappointed by the lack of dicks and titties found in Stickboy.

Is Stickboy dead? He may be. At least for now. But even though he’s missed, purgatory seems like a philosophically appropriate place for him to wind up. In the meantime, Dennis has continued his art career doing paintings and shows. Once in a blue moon he still draws comics. Recently he did the cover for a mini of “They Saved Hitler’s Cock” and few panels for a European anthology called Puck. He’s been primarily focused on writing a subversive self-help book/philosophical rant — a more in depth continuation of the philosophical stuff in Stickboy. You can buy art and various merch from Dennis’ website: www.dennisworden.com.

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January 14th, 2011 by Janelle Blarg


Record of the Week:
Firestarter “Saturday Night” 7″

12 01 2011

FIRESTARTER – Saturday Night (Is the End of the World) / Rock’n’Roll People 7″

Fuck yeah!! This is brand-fucking-new material from the incredible Japanese powerpop/punk band FIRESTARTER!! For anyone who is not familiar with them, they the group that rose from the ashes of TEENGENERATE with Fink at the helm. FIRESTARTER is as fucking amazing a power-pop band as TEENGENERATE was an unbelievably awesome garage band. The A-side on this sounds like a way cooler version of the BAY CITY ROLLERS if they were Japanese, and the B-side (after a bit of a plodding, melodramatic start) is an anthem of all anthems in the spirit of HOLLYWOOD BRATS or the BOYS. Overall, if I didn’t see the year 2010 on the jacket, I would be hard-pressed to believe that this 7” wasn’t from the ’70s!!! (Shit Sandwich)

—Mike Josephson MRR #333 • Feb 2011


January 12th, 2011 by MRR Web Coordinator


Wow what a show! Draize/Cloud Rat/
Oily Menace/Positive Noise/
Shallow Breath/Xtra Vomit

11 01 2011

Wow, what a show! is brought to you this week by Ryan Cappelletti of Punks Before Profits, with photos by Stephanie Kiewiet. If you take photos and like to write about punk shows (or if you and a friend wanna team up to do this) drop us a line at webzine {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com with a sample review and pics, and maybe you too can be a MRR shitblogger!

Positive Noise (photo by Stephanie Kiewiet)

The first official show at the new diner in Grand Rapids, Michigan, called Bartertown! The diner is expected to be open by March, if all goes right. When we first found the location for the diner we knew the upstairs area was perfect for what we wanted to do, but we had no idea it also came with an entire basement. When punk rockers go look at spaces, we look at them in an entirely different way than the average person. When we look at spaces to live or to do a venture out of, we look at the entire building and all the crazy shit we can do inside of it. We look at basements and instantly dream of all the wild shows we can have, all the illegal gatherings we can make happen with nobody ever knowing any better in the outside world!

Cloud Rat (photo by Stephanie Kiewiet)

It all started with XSHALLOWBREATHX, a new local straightedge band, playing a tough set of heavy, heavy hardcore with all the right breakdowns. This band did their homework on ’90s sXe HC. I had to be out front checking sound during their set, but I did catch some of the moshing going on downstairs. Next up was XTRA VOMIT. This band is fucking perfect every time they play. Fast as fuck, angry-as-shit HC punk — two guys who know how to play hardcore. I feel it would be like seeing ACTIVE MINDS in ’89 or even 2009! POSITIVE NOISE took the floor next to play about eight minutes worth of HC. I looked at the clock before we started and it was 9:22. When we got down it was 9:30!

Xtra Vomit (photo by Stephanie Kiewiet)

DRAIZE from Boston, Mass ripped through the basement next, playing one of the best hardcore sets I have seen in a long time. Just song after song of pounding noise. DRAIZE is a new band with just one LP, on Punks Before Profits. Watching them that night was like getting a shot of life straight into my veins. The great feeling of truly being alive, and the lack of care about anything else going on outside of that room for those 15 minutes. Our local favorites CLOUD RAT played a set of awesome, inspirational hardcore that kept the crowd slamming into one another. At this point we all were sore/bruised and tired, but the hardcore kept coming so we kept moving! The final act of the night was OILY MENACE. The crowd was beat up at this point, and I was truly unsure of how we all could handle another ripping band. They started with their standard old-school grindcore — total NAPALM DEATH-meets-the-FILTHY CHRISTIANS fucking hardcore. They destroyed everybody and ended the night with “Reign in Blood” from SLAYER. The perfect end to a perfect show!

Draize (photo by Stephanie Kiewiet)

No cops, no bullshit, some prob with kids tossing cigs in the toilets. I truly believe one thing and one thing only will bring down hardcore: cigarettes! Yes, that’s right, it will not be the cops, it will not be your parents, it will be the tobacco companies. Kid drops a smoke, half the scene burns up in a small-ass, packed butt-to gut-basement. Kids standing outside illegal spaces just to get that drag, cops roll to see whats going on, and boom! — show is over, space is dead. Stop smoking at shows! Go get some fucking gum for a couple hours.

To all touring bands this summer Bartertown Diner/Roc’s Cakes will open in time for the touring season. We have no idea how many shows we will have after being open, but stop while in town. All touring bands will be treated very well. This is all worker-owned, this is about community. For more info on this growing scene in Grand Rapids check out grscreamer.com, and go to bartertowngr.com for updates on the new space. We will also be doing guest chefs for touring bands, so if you have a day off and want to set up something with us get in touch. 99% of the punks in this world work in kitchens so come by and we will see what you got!


January 11th, 2011 by MRR Web Coordinator


Monday Photo Blog: Angela Owens III — The Fest

10 01 2011

Angela Owens, in her third appearance here on MRR’s Monday Photo Blog, brings us a handful of choice shots from The Fest in Gainesville, FL, last October…

Young Livers at 8 Seconds in Gainesville, FL 10/30/10. (photo by Angela Owens)

Comadre at The Atlantic in Gainesville, FL 10/30/10. (photo by Angela Owens)

Kylesa at 8 Seconds in Gainesville, FL 10/29/10. (photo by Angela Owens)

Paint it Black parking lot show in Gainesville, FL 10/30/10. (photo by Angela Owens)

If you shoot shows and have photos you want to submit for the MRR Blog, send to: photoblog {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com. Be sure to put “MRR Photo Blog” in the subject. Include your name, the band, where and when it was shot. Just send your best photos – edit tightly. Three to five photos is plenty. We like to exercise a little quality control here…not everything sent in will be posted. Please size your photos so they are 600 pixels (72 dpi) at the longest side.


January 10th, 2011 by icki


MRR Radio #1226 • 1/8/11

9 01 2011

MRR Radio is a weekly radio show featuring the best DIY punk, garage rock and hardcore from the astounding, ever-growing Maximum Rocknroll record collection. You can find the MRR Radio podcast, as well as specials, archives, and more info at radio.maximumrocknroll.com. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned!

THIS WEEK: Everybody fucks up their set somehow and the world fails to end. A good time is still had by all though, because all the songs rule. Starring Fred and Tosh and Langford. Fuck God, Lets Punk!

Listen here:  

Download here

Suzi Quatro

Intro song:
SOPORS – It Turns Me On

Fred – It’s the Apocalypse
FIRESTARTER – Saturday Night Is the End of the World
REYNOLDS FAMILY – Eyeball Skeleton
DEFECT DEFECT – Fuck God Let’s Punk
SPECTRES – Pattern Recognition
BRILLIANT COLORS – You Win

Tosh – All Q’s
QUAILS – Atmosphere
QUARANTINE – Boxes of Cords
QUEERWOLF – The Game
QUEERS – Feeling Groovy
QUEEN COBRA – Shake Your Booty
SUZI QUATRO – 48 Crash

Langford – Records of +2 Speed
DESCENDENTS – Coolidge
ZOMBIE DOGS – Nerd in the Pit
ANAL WARHEAD – Destroy the World
ROGERNOMIX – Bacon’d
HOMEOWNERS – Filthy Lips

Fred – My World Is My Mind
SIOUX – Beijing Welcomes You
INJECTIONS – Prison Walls
ROUGH KIDS – Into the 00’s
DERBY DOLLS – Teaparty

Outro song:
OUTLOOK – Turn It Off


January 9th, 2011 by Fred


Maximum Rocknroll #333 • Feb. 2011

7 01 2011

It’s the February issue of Maximum Rocknroll — #333, halfway to the Number of the Beast! This issue’s cover stars are the WELDERS out of St Louis. Formed in 1975 by four teenage girls, they were arguably that city’s first punk band, and their recent, never-before-issued 7″ is exciting stuff… We also have an extensive interview with RAI KO RIS — raging, feminist, anarchist punk from Nepal — a report from ESKAPO‘s  recent tour of the Philippines, and an interview with long-running Balkan hardcore heroes HITMAN. There’s a look at the recent  Touch & Go fanzine book with Tesco Vee, an interview with another teenage girl band from the 70s, the UK proto-twee pioneers DOLLY MIXTURE,  Australian garage maniax STRAIGHT ARROWS, and a look at punk-run record store Celebrated Summer. We also have two great scene reports: one that covers the Venezuelan punk scene from a historical and current perspective, and an Olympia, Washington scene report that, in old school MRR style, includes interviews with tons of local bands from that area, including MILK MUSIC, HPP, WEIRD TV, BROKEN WATER, GUN OUTFIT, RVIVR, HAIL SEIZURES, SON SKULL, WHITE BOSS, and the HYSTERICS. All of that plus the most extensive review section in punk! Get it or regret it…

Go to our BACK ISSUES page to order this issue.


January 7th, 2011 by MRR Web Coordinator


RIP Four Letter Word 1991-2011

6 01 2011

… Looks like one of the UK’s longest running bands are finally calling it a day. FOUR LETTER WORD from Cardiff in South Wales are hanging up their boots after 20 years in the game. Readers unfamiliar with the band will no doubt be familiar with frontman, Welly, who has been producing the UK’s premier fanzine Artcore since the mid ’80s. The band was strongly influenced by melodic UK hardcore, not unlike Articles of Faith, Naked Raygun, and the Adolescents, but with fiercely political, uncompromising lyrics. In their time the band produced five LPs, seven EPs, did 200 shows and managed to tour the US (a feat few UK bands have managed). Personally, the band were always an inspiration to me, showing that coming from a city where being punk was and is no mean feat, Welly and crew managed to soldier on releasing quality records with real songs year after year. Welly also showed me that being 40 and a responsible Dad doesn’t mean that you need to leave the punk scene and your politics behind. Their demise will leave a huge hole in the UK music scene. Everyone at MRR salutes them for their time at the coalface. Gone but not forgotten!!

Have a listen to:
“Sub Zone” by FOUR LETTER WORD


January 6th, 2011 by Tim Brooks


New Band Spotlight: Throwing Up

5 01 2011

Photo: Clare James Clare Perfect proof that 2011 is gonna hurl some exciting new sounds across my city, THROWING UP is a brand new band from London, England. This vomitous triad only formed in September, have been sharing their songs with the world for less than 24 hours, and I’m lovesick already.

Formed of Claire and Camille, formerly of all-girl rage troupe Headless, and world famous fashion photographer (wait I turned into Tyra Banks for a second there) and excellent mosher Ben Rayner, Throwing Up make super cool snarly stripped-down punk that sounds to these ears like a catchy post-grunge echo of DC’s Chalk Circle mixed with a bit of that lo-fi Messthetics-style hustle bustle.

Photo: Clare James ClareTU has plenty of vomexperience on which to draw, as bassface Clare recalls, “I woke up in the middle of night and projectiled all over my bedroom. That included my ex-boyfriend’s face, dick, slippers, and all the clothes on my rail. When I finally made it to the loo there wasn’t even any vom left in me.”

We can but hope that this is not the case for Throwing Up and that they do indeed have plenty left to spew forth. No release plans as yet — first show “soon!”

I’m feeling a little lightheaded with all these sick metaphors, time bow out here and just say LISTEN (and here’s their Tumblr.)

Throwing Up – “Mother Knows Best” MP3


January 5th, 2011 by Bryony


Wow, what a show! Natural Law/
Dystrophy/Trapper/Dethroned Emporer/Burma

4 01 2011

Wow, what a show! is brought to you again this week by Will Butler of To Live A Lie Records / Fastcore Photos. But why let him hog all the glory? If you take photos and like to write about punk shows (or if you and a friend wanna team up to do this) drop us a line at webzine {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com with a sample review and pics, and maybe you too can be a MRR shitblogger!

Parking lot after the show

Perfect timing for a slightly out of town show… I had Friday off for New Years so a show an hour away wasn’t a stretch. This was originally going to be in a Raleigh basement but due to some roommate issues it got moved to a Greensboro show space called CFBG. Word is that the place is a dance studio, and it had some cool artwork up. Appears to be a business where the owner is nice enough to have bands come play.

Matt White of Burma (photo by Will Butler)

Technical difficulties caused a short delay… I think a PA needed to be brought or found or set up and a large bass cab was set up for vocals.  BURMA went on shortly after. They share members across Raleigh and Greensboro so they are a perfect band to have already been booked to play in Raleigh and to also play this night in the other town. They pumped out some jams to room of smiling faces. I think I must have been spoiled by Matt’s antics at their last show when he went off..  tonight he wasn’t as energized and bloody, although a guitar was swung fairly close to his head a few times. There were shouts for a Minor Threat cover but alas no cover. The great thing about Minor Threat is the fact that is really hard to ruin their songs, they are both solid and sloppy, so I always enjoy seeing one covered.

Tom Murphy and Greg Bueno of Dystrophy (photo by Will Butler)

Following Burma was DYSTROPHY. I was really hoping this was the Cali thrash punk band who put out We’re Nice Kids, but it turns out this Dystrophy still rules AND also contains my friend Matt Thompson… quite a pleasant surprise. This Dystrophy is a NJ area death metal band. Lots of riffage which had quite a few people jumping around and getting wild. They played a solid long set and even covered a Death song.

Dethroned Emporer (photo by Will Butler)

This next band I had never heard of before, but based on their look I was highly interested. DETHRONED EMPORER took stage (took floor). The guest vocalist during the Dystrophy set is on drums and their singer as the guy  I noticed wearing a Cryptic Slaughter jacket earlier in the night. His guitar setup was super loud and crunchy on sound check. Later on I noticed he has two instrument cables coming out of his guitar and each cable was connected to a different head connected to the same stack. I talked to him later as I was super curious and he gave me an overly technical answer that I forget most of, but I know he was running each pickup to a different amp head and he mentioned taking off his volume pot and running 1 Ω out to overdrive the whole rig I believe. The sound of this two piece death metal band was more familiar to me than the previous band, they obviously draw a lot of influence from early grind. They had a few parts containing what I call the mince beat… that really awesome slowed down grind beat that Agathocles is known for.

Lee Milsaps of Trapper (photo by Will Butler)

Second to last band that played was TRAPPER. Their second guitar player was nice and talked to me earlier in the show and I was in kind of a quiet mood so I felt like a douche, so I wanted to make sure to get some good pictures of them. The band hails from Charlotte and the other guitar player helped make the whole show happen at this venue.  Trapper had a definite hardcore sound but did have some darker guitar tone which was crunchy at times and I noticed sludge influence. I spent most of their set trying to get a picture of the singer who wouldn’t slow down… lots of bounding around and bending backwards. Some of this stuff falls off my radar as I write it off as Bridge 9/Converge type jams… in actuality they are  probably more along the lines of Doomrider or Nails… definitely not bad for a local area band.

Natural Law (photo by Will Butler)

The final band is one I had heard so much about but had not actually heard, NATURAL LAW. The fine folks from Double Negative talked about them in high regards and Ira wouldn’t shut up about their Slump EP, so I was excited to see them. The band shares members with Black Kites and seems to be a scattered New England/DC crowd. Their bass player lives with two members of Deathrats I later found out. The band played non-stop hardcore jams that definitely gives a nod to Double Negative but with its own originality. I think this is where my ability to describe music drops off. You really should just track down their demo or 7″, not many people will be disappointed.


January 4th, 2011 by Will Butler


Monday Photo Blog: Paul Curran Special

3 01 2011

I thought we’d kick the first photo blog of the New Year off with a batch of photos from our esteemed Web Coordinator, Paul Curran!

Broken Spells, Provo, UT, August 3, 2010 (photo by Paul Curran)

Snarlas (from Athens, OH) @ Shady Acres, Pittsburgh, PA, August 19, 2010 (photo by Paul Curran)

Long Pigs, Boston, August 15, 2010 (photo by Paul Curran)

Crazy Spirit, Boston, MA, August 15, 2010 (photo by Paul Curran)

Punks gone wild at Fangtasia in Long Beach, CA, June 2010 (photo by Paul Curran)

If you shoot shows and have photos you want to submit for the MRR Blog, send to: photoblog {at} maximumrocknroll(.)com. Be sure to put “MRR Photo Blog” in the subject. Include your name, the band, where and when it was shot. Just send your best photos – edit tightly. Three to five photos is plenty. We like to exercise a little quality control here…not everything sent in will be posted. Please size your photos so they are 600 pixels (72 dpi) at the longest side.

Looking forward to a year of killer photos!


January 3rd, 2011 by icki