Author Topic: Aaron Cometbus?  (Read 4194 times)

Dammit

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Aaron Cometbus?
« on: March 30, 2018, 01:15:57 AM »
Hi FOT Friends,

Had Has Aaron Cometbus ever come up on the show? I mean this person: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Cometbus

I used to read the Cometbus Zine in college, and I remember such delights as the Cometbus Scavenger Hunt (get yelled at by a cop, punched in the face), along with practical tips on how to save money (tear your postage stamps in half, mail fake complaints to companies to get free stuff) and how to save your teeth while traveling around the country (put a tooth brush on a neck chain and gently scrub your teeth when you're bored).

Anyway, I ran into Aaron once at a local dive cafe years ago. He was really nice! I think he said something about his cat, Pollution, and a his pet gold fish that was 113 years old.

Regards,
Dammit

Carver

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2018, 05:33:16 PM »
I don't think there's a connection(?) But I'm glad you brought this up as I love his writing and really never hear anyone talk about him.

My favorite is Bestiary of Booksellers, about his time in the used book trade. https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/5915

Also, if you like his type of zine, I'd recommend the SCAM omnibus, a wild handwritten zine about squatting in an abandoned hotel in Miami https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3124/

Dammit

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2018, 11:27:42 PM »
I thank you very much...I needed an evening something....

Clsn

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2018, 06:34:13 PM »
Pretty huge Cometbus fan myself -- when I find a new issue in the wild, I try to buy it and read it the same day...  If you like Cometbus, you might like Al Burian's Burn Collector zine; it's similar, and I love it.

ted_

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2019, 03:15:26 PM »
Cometbus as a zine author is good, but I always felt he made his greatest cultural contribution as the drummer for Crimpshrine, maybe the greatest pre-Green Day Lookout! Records bands--besides Operation Ivy, of course. I can't imagine Crimpshrine or Lookout! would come on the Best Show except as the butt of a joke. I would imagine Tom would call it "pop punk" for kids or something--ironic considering how central kids cartoons are to the show now.

bovio

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2019, 10:52:07 AM »
I doubt there's much crossover. Heard Tom mention Larry Livermore one time, I think that's the extent of Tom bringing up east bay punk.

I like Cometbus a lot. The one he put out several years ago about book stores on Telegraph was terrific, as well as his tour journal with Green Day from their 21st Century Breakdown tour. I've seen him drum live a couple times, once with Sweet Baby and another time with Pinhead Gunpowder.

Dammit

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Re: Aaron Cometbus?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2019, 12:27:17 PM »
Ah, my favorite Operation Ivy song is probably too obvious, but I'll post it anyway: Take Warning -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd5YhwbxL5I

I think that I'm repeating posts at this point, but another Lookout! artist that I enjoy (and still do) is the Mr. T Experience, particularly I don't Get it (edit: I still don't get it) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrsVXZ2dHmI

I remember one of Aaron's zines covered his tour with Green Day and their parting of ways. I couldn't decide if it was that unfortunate "going commercial" v. "staying real" trope, so I just enjoyed the story as literature.

Anyway, thanks for jarring some memories. I happened upon this interview with Aaron and others on the zine-scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px0Y_cuWMZk