DEATH BY PUNK: A Milestone

Today is a bittersweet release of DFP’s first anthology DEATH BY PUNK…

First the sweet before the bitter…About a couple of months ago I put out a call for an anthology that was going to serve as a giant love-letter to the spirit of : punk , DIY and counter culture in general with some fun existential stuff thrown in because why not…some of us never outgrew punk rock and Albert Camus…

I was taken aback by the amount of submissions and support from not only all over the country but all across the globe and what you’ve got is a majestic homage to all the above in conjunction with being the first anthology to be released by Dumpster Fire Press.

It all started out in my head as I was working an uptight corporate retail job when all of a sudden the phrase “Suicide by Punk” shot through my mind and simmered in my brain for days…was this a poem? A story?

Yeah I had a concept, even a loose story about a guy who fit the description above looking to end his existence via the execution from what he once was and maybe that story will materialize at some point but instead you got PUNK ROCK REAPER from me which was published by Punk Noir Magazine and is contained in the anthology.

Actually it was Dillinger, DFP’s official cover artist who really came up with the title…sort of…I don’t know…we may have been smoking an excessive amount of dope and drinking between chats here and there amid zany real life conversations concerning a pilot to a sitcom about 90’s radio that still needs to get fully written…

Anyway the man drew up some fantastic conceptual pieces for DEATH BY PUNK as he, I or both of us put it…(you’ve seen these)

We’ve got several versions essentially… DEATH BY PUNK in all it’s original full color glory and an e-book version that is substantially cheaper.

Also evidently in a cool throwback and more cost efficient tangible manner we’ve got the beautiful DEATH BY PUNK: BLACK AND WHITE…

Now the bitter but don’t worry, more sweetness is coming…

A friend of mine back from the not really distant days passed away, our friendship was first based on political activism and as much as I’d like to share our story and most of the other things we had in common, I’m keeping it mainly private for him and his family. He was a good guy and I wish I could’ve been a better friend and I wasn’t…I’ve only recently stabilized my self over years of reeling from one tumultuous period to another. I don’t know exactly what happened to him and I’m certain I’ll never find out.

My most recent memory of our last in person encounter was a rowdy night listening to our favorite bands, babbling the body politic and sharing a mutual love for one another despite our faults as comrades and friends.

Before we departed, he hugged me and wept after a huge confession regarding things that transpired in his life and apologized for everything that had happened to me over the years, including my mother’s death and everything that came crashing down afterwards. Told me I was a good man which I sometimes doubt, because deep down I don’t think I am.

It felt like a final farewell…of course we still talked. Always a fan of my work which I still grapple with people enjoying…he was thrilled about the upcoming release of DEATH BY PUNK…

Now the sweetness…We were both the same age, and his passing is affirmation for how to live my life and to continue to do so in the same manner, maybe with a little more gusto towards progressive political activism…it’s been more than a while…

I can’t compromise on art and making a living anymore…this a calling and I owe him and others…

Lastly…I’m glad I can give him a send off he’d appreciate as private and reserved as it is…

“Ben, this one is for you…”

Glad to I could spill my guts and hope anyone who reads any format of DEATH BY PUNK truly enjoys it. Normally, I’d share a few excerpts….but this unfortunately isn’t a shameless plug.

Stay surreal…