Let’s be honest with ourselves. I’m sure that a lot of us from suburban areas considered ourselves to be “punk rock” (at some stage of our adolescent development). Perhaps it was the allure of unadulterated rebellion, the raw energy or the off-the-wall fashion, but nonetheless, the mystique was there.
I’m sure that the “real” punks just thought we were a bunch of posers. By “real,” I mean they were more dedicated, and were “punks” 24/7, rather than the typical nine to five shift. It is for these “real” punks that Mitch Clem dedicates his wonderful comic “Nothing Nice to Say.”
Like a lot of comics these days, “Nothing Nice to Say” started out on the Web. Yes, the infamous Web comic. But now it is in a lovely collected volume, printed by Dark Horse.
This first collection in print is volume two, but through a series of strange events, volume one may never be printed. Confusing, I know, but the comic reads just fine by itself. Hey, it’s comedy here, not a continual narrative!
Clem’s comic is centered on two punks from Minneapolis, Blake and Fletcher. As Clem describes them, “Fletcher’s favorite bands all broke up in the early ’ 80s. Blake’s favorite bands all sound like Screeching Weasel. They both have a lot of growing up to do.”
The comic centers on poking fun at the general humorlessness that the punk rock scene generally has. From safety pins to dumpster diving, mosh pits and yes, even hating the government, all are poked fun at in this great comic.
Clem also pokes fun at other music genres and scenes too, from emo and indie kids to psychobilly. Be warned: Hardly any music scene that takes itself the least bit serious is safe in this comic. So if you are generally insecure about your choice in music scene, you may want to steer clear of this comic.
The great thing about this comic is that even though Clem ridicules the majority of the tenants of punk rock, it is obvious it comes from his love for the genre and scene. Clem just enjoys making fun of all those who take themselves too seriously and have no sense of humor.
If you like to play your music loud enough to wake up the elder god Cthulhu, I know that you will love “Nothing Nice to Say.” Even if you hate punk rock and you wish it would have never existed, you will still probably like it. Be sure to check out Clem’s Web site, and the origin of this comic at www.mitchclem.com/nothingnice.
Now I know I promised that I would do something a bit different this week, but I’ve just been really into this comic. As promised, I will do a review of one of my favorite comic book writers and illustrator’s first book, “Good-Bye, Chunky Rice” by Craig Thompson. That book is so cute, it almost makes me want to die.
Jon Monteith is a history senior and the Mustang Daily’s comic book columnist.