Heavy on the Freak Sauce: Rough Cut

Fifteen years ago, not knowing what I'd gotten myself into, I put out a book of flyer art from the Southern California hardcore punk scene, 1981-1991. Dozens of penpals contributed portions of their collections to the effort and Bruce Licher of Independent Project Press printed the covers. It sold moderately well despite a scathing review in Heart Attack and predated the exceptional Fucked Up and Photocopied by five years. The whole project was assembled by hand, literally cut and pasted together at my kitchen table, a fittingly crude but ephemeral protest against conventional desktop publishing. Here are the original pages, uncut and unadorned. Click on any image to enlarge. Enjoy.

Instant Litter

I simply love old flyers.

I put together Heavy on the Freak Sauce* in late 1994 and early 1995--well before the far-superior Fucked Up and Photocopied came out--and then let my box of collected flyers dissipate into the ether. Some times I regret giving them away, other times I'm excited to share a little fragment of a near-invisible history with others.

Each of these images is embedded with dozens of untold stories. They shouldn't be fetishized or consumed like another disposable product, but enjoyed, reflected upon, and interrogated.

Don't neglect the heart for the sake of the corpse.


by Steve Chamberlain (TTR)


Che Cafe mayhem


The Grain of Strength really took Ullyses-cum-Mao rhetoric to a whole new place


by Drew Gilbert


First Bread and Circuits show. Flyer by Anthony Lew


First Torches to Rome show. Third Street Kids' flyer


Morbid Mark graphics


One hell of a line-up. Not sure what to make of the imagery


*If I can figure out the technology, I'll digitize HOFS and make it available online soon.

No Sleep Till Columbus

Last summer I wrote a pretty long set of interview questions for Dennis Berendts (Black Dove/Solar Funeral) and eventually that interview will be posted here. In the meantime, I copied over a few flyers from he and Matt Miner's exceptional website, Bells of Doom Toll.

Exposed rib-cage: check. Locust wings: check. Intertwined locks of doom: check. Let Haloween commence!

Eery raven atop machinery salvaged from Disney's Black Hole

In utero bomb drop?

Stippling: a fine way to use one's OCD

In addition to Black Dove, Dennis played in Three Studies for a Crucifixion, The Awakening, Dismal, Winds of Saturn (unless I'm mistaken), and Teeth of the Hydra. He may also be currently involved with Paralyzer and the wall of sound known as Nukehammer.

Postscript: Seek Columbus hellfire and tinnitus immediately!

LA Burrito Project: Mama Said Share

For the past four years my very dear friend Todd (above) has been hosting the Los Angeles Burrito Project at his home. The mission is simple: cook, ride, and share. Each week, literal mountain of bean, rice, and salsa burritos are constructed and distributed to the hungry and homeless of Los Angeles. No one gets paid, no one gets famous, but if you're hungry and it's Wednesday night, there'll be a little bit of warmth pedaling up in the night.

Automatic for the people.

For me, this past Wednesday was a chance to put faces to the names of so many of the characters in Todd's adopted community. We don't see one another but a few times a year and it's remarkable to have distance vanish when you're with someone you love.

Four burner love.

Burrito Project is a small endeavor and like so many decentralized, volunteer-run efforts it can feel chaotic. At the same time, having a space that brings caring people together to address a need at a very human level. I met more new kind and interesting people there than I had in a very long time. Unlike hardcorepunk, this is a community powerfully based on what is embraced, not what is rejected. The ritual of Burrito Project has come to touch many lives and I wish all the cooks and riders the very best of luck in the future.

Raul at the controls.

Bike parking for all.

Portrait of the artist as a young man.

Mango hedgehog.


Todd's 'Live After Death' fixie.

The piece from the back cover of Shadow's 'Midnight in a Perfect World' EP, Pico Blvd., LA.