It was a time when the American Dream was caked in rust, hormones raged, music actually mattered and the one thing that meant more than any other was: ESCAPE! PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS, by Derf Backderf, takes place in recession-ravaged Akron, Ohio, in 1980, at the peak of the Rubber City's unlikely and lively punk rock scene, a pop culture phenomenon that spawned distinctive acts such as Devo, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and so many other groups that Melody Maker referred to Akron as "the new Liverpool." The story follows the triumphs and travails of one colorful young man, Otto, who lives in the family-owned trailer park on the outskirts of the Rubber Capital. He backs into the punk counter-culture by chance and through talent, wit and sheer force of personality soon becomes a local star. Otto chases fame and love and has memorable encounters with punk luminaries such as the Clash's Joe Strummer, Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics and rock scribe Lester Bangs. PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS conjures up the oppressive insanity of growing up in the Rustbelt, the day-to-day weirdness of the trailer parks tucked away therein, the magic allure of sex and the necessary comforts of friendship, the mystical power of the counter-culture to turn outcasts into heroes and, most of all, the transcendant power of music, specifically the punk rock of the late 1970's which redefined, transported, and ultimately, perhaps, disappointed a generation. It's a tale as gritty, raucous and bawdy as punk music itself. PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS is an evocative, hilarious, and ultimately poignant book that will appeal to anyone whose youthful dreams live on.

Derf - creator of the graphic novels Trashed, Punk Rock & Trailer Parks and the international bestseller, My Friend Dahmer - presents the best of his True Stories from the long running The City comic strip, as seen in Best American Comics. It's like Humans of New York, but somewhat stranger. Pressure... Pressure... "True Stories manages to entertain and amuse you the entire time." - Dustin Cabeal.

One shot.

Every week we pile our garbage on the curb and it disappears-like magic! The reality is anything but, of course. Trashed, Derf Backderf's follow-up to the critically acclaimed, award-winning international bestseller My Friend Dahmer, is an ode to the crap job of all crap jobs-garbage collector. Anyone who has ever been trapped in a soul-sucking gig will relate to this tale. Trashed follows the raucous escapades of three 20-something friends as they clean the streets of pile after pile of stinking garbage, while battling annoying small-town bureaucrats, bizarre townfolk, sweltering summer heat, and frigid winter storms. Trashed is fiction, but is inspired by Derf's own experiences as a garbage­man. Interspersed are nonfiction pages that detail what our garbage is and where it goes. The answers will stun you. Hop on the garbage truck named Betty and ride along with Derf on a journey into the vast, secret world of garbage. Trashed is a hilarious, stomach-churning tale that will leave you laughing and wincing in disbelief.