By Svetlana Fedotov
Ask any hardcore punk fan and they will say that on the Seventh Holy Day, God did not rest, but, in fact, created punk rock. Spurring cultural movements and getting anti-social kids laid since Joey Ramone’s ugly mug became the face of rebellion, punk is more than just music, it’s a whole fucking lifestyle. With Image Comics’ Punks The Comic hitting the shelves like a brick to a poser’s face, we once again get to relive that youthful fallacy that all you need in life is music, friends, and a dog. Though to be fair, this isn’t a comic about punks as much as comic written by punks about things that punks think are funny, so if you ever were a punk, you’ll dig it, if not, well, fuck you then, we don’t follow your rules! Down with the man, up with drugs!
Punks The Comic is pretty much a series of short misadventures about a group of guys who all live together. Though essentially nameless, the characters can be described by their appearances, who are normal looking fellows with bizarre, talking heads stapled onto their bodies. This includes a bulldog, Abe Lincoln (who I think is the actual Abe Lincoln), a Ghost Rider-type flaming skull, and a fist. Sharing witty exchanges and bourgeois musings – with the fist mainly participating by holding up signs with his thoughts on them – the group finds themselves dealing with girls, depression, and kicking each other in the crotch. Yeah, it’s that kind of work. Reeking of found zines and skunk beer, it’s got more cheap laughs than you can shake a junkie at.
Obviously, the most notable thing about Punks is the art style. Forgoing the traditional comic route of penned illustration, the creators instead opt for a more homemade, overexposed Xerox vibe. The artist, Kody Chamberlain, goes all out on the concept, cutting and pasting the entire work together from various pictures and magazines. Don’t get me wrong, the guy can actually draw, having done work for BOOM!, IDW, and Marvel, and with his beautiful layout on Punks, it merely shows the diversity of his talent. In fact, it feels like the story was written around the visuals, focusing more on the imagery of tossed aside concert flyers and that weird tingle of nostalgia, than on the actual words.
Speaking of words, this is a pretty funny comic as well, but it’s a very particular type of humor. There’s a heavy focus on absurdist, underground street comedy that screams subculture that if you weren’t really part of it, it would appear amateurish and kind of boring. The comic doesn’t make any pretense as to what it is and that’s a punk comic for punk fans. While it’s definitely accessible for all readers, it’s like picking up old Slave Labor Graphics work but never being a goofy Goth kid. Sure, you can snatch it up and read it, but it’ll probably come off as, well, dumb. Of course, it needs to be noted that Punks The Comic was originally created for MTV Geek and has always been aimed at music fans instead of comic fans, so you’ll have to give it some leeway. The fun part though is that if you’ve ever spent any time around punk kids, you can definitely identify with it.
Goofy, reminiscent, and self-deprecating, Punks The Comic may not be for everyone, but I’m pretty sure that was the point.