TCAF '09

Today we hit up the much anticipated Toronto's Comic Arts Festival. The capacious Yonge Street Reference Library was literally brimming with anxious nerds in pursuit of the latest and greatest in comic book art. Some subjected themselves to lengthy line-ups for a Yoshihiro Tatsumi or Adrian Tomine signature, while others mingled amongst the crowd. I on the other hand, happened upon a sweet little five part series by Jim Rugg titled, Street Angel. Afterward, I had the chance to meet Rick Spears, talk about the Pirates of Coney Island delay, his upcoming new project with James Callahan, and even got him to sign my newly purchased Teenagers From Mars book.



TCAF is still on for one more day, don't sleep.

Punk Rock & Trailer Parks

Typical small town backdrop, alienated by top 40 radio, narrow minds and white trash with only punk rock to turn to... Gee, sounds awfully familiar.

Punk Rock & Trailer Parks is a coming of age story that parallels my own, but with a little less gloom and self-pity. A lighthearted look into the first wave punk scene in Akron Ohio, home of protopunks Rubber City Rebels and legendary rock venue The Bank. Derf presents a charming, band geek protagonist self titled "The Baron", an overgrown wimp equipped with a weird but genial brand of wit. The Baron takes us on a ride in his beat up black Mercury Cougar through uncle Elmo's trailer park, to the church basement bowling alley where Lester Bangs and Joe Strummer are putting back beers and bowling pins. Along the way we meet Wendy O Williams, The Ramones, Klaus Nomi and others with amusing and believable outcomes. Derf's upbeat tone and accurate references to the setting and soundtrack of this incredibly intoxicating period of punk rock history make this book a must-have.

Check out Derf's other works here.