Berkeley, Manila, Los Angeles

I pick up mail from the Sawtelle shops now and then, and it's not unusual to bring back more than that. Today, I picked up the new issue of Cometbus. Most of you probably know of my fondness for Aaron Cometbus's publication, which is 100 percent punk rock but most often having nothing to do with music.


Longtime readers will be shocked when they pick up issue 51. The insides are typeset. No more paragraph after paragraph of handwritten, uppercase words. At first I was a little depressed, but then I realized what a pain it would have been to write this particular issue by hand. It's a history of various Berkeley institutions, from Moe's to Cody's to Shakespeare & Co. to Rasputin's to Amoeba. (Peppered throughout are the SLA, underground comix, Lookout! records, and other underground touchstones.) Cometbus must have interviewed at least 50 people to piece together the stories, and cobbling together handwritten drafts with scissors and glue sticks would have been a nightmare. The narrative is packed with colorful characters, insightful observations, and interesting facts but remains a fast, lively read full of obvious love for the subject matter. If you have any connection to Berkeley, you'll not only learn a lot about the neighborhood but appreciate it even more.


Down the street at GR2, Tru was going through art show invoices and calling deadbeat customers who had yet to pick up pieces. Half-jokingly, I asked if I was one of the culprits and--wouldn't you know it--I was. So not only am I going home with the brand new issue of Cometbus, but I'm also taking home an original painting by Louie Cordero from last year!