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DESPITE EVERYTHING: COMETBUS
Collected here are selections from the first twenty years of Cometbus, including the ultra-rare and embarrassing early issues, plus new intros, notes, and a scrapbook.
100 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
22 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Cometbus
47 books165 followersAaron Elliott, better known as Aaron Cometbus, is a drummer, lyricist, self-described "punk anthropologist" and author of Cometbus, a seminal punk rock zine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 16, 2011
aaron cometbus is a punk's punk. he scrounges for food in dumpsters, scams his way around the US on greyhound, slips in and out of punkhouses and seems to live off nothing more than coffee and cigarettes. he has the eye of a sociologist and the soul of a poet and the haircut of a fool. inside this book you will find sly analysis of cooperatives, cliques, anarchy, imperialism, political philosophy, and also riotous tales of drunken revelry, crazy scavenger hunts, touring with green day, history of berkeley, hobos, and above all an amazing incendiary PASSION, for exploration and observation and questioning of the status quo. if cometbus has meant anything to me over the years it has meant a curiosity about society that stems from true love of people (not "the people", but people as individuals), & the promise of a life that doesn't revolve around wage slavery or greed or a desire for consumer electronics. i don't live such a life, nor do you; but "despite everything" proves it is possible. if nothing else, the cometbus omnibus will make you want to take a detour the next time you walk past an alley.
September 3, 2015
WARNING: There is a LOT of text squeezed into these 600 pages. I think it reads more like 800 pages.
I've read about Cometbus for years in books and other zines but I've never actually opened an issue of the mag. It was nice to see what all the hype has been about, but I can't help feeling like this omnibus is only a fuzzy reflection of what it was like to actually read the zines. Oh well, I missed out on the real thing. That doesn't mean this isn't a delightful read.
It's really neat to see how the bits of East Bay punk history I've gathered over the years correspond with the stories he was telling in those times. Also very interesting to see the rise of East Bay punk into the mainstream from the perspective of an anti-racket Yohannanist who was actually friends with all those people who got famous. He deliberately avoided any form of fame or even a comfortable living for himself. The irony is that Aaron has now achieved legendary status for doing a hand-made zine for 20 frickin' years!
Hilights for me include: The "Straight Outa A-Town" column written by Lint (a young Tim Armstrong) & the tree fort story written by Cindy(?). I also love all the travel journals. Aaron's stories paint such vivid pictures in my head of him traipsing around America, up and down the streets of different towns & cities, looking for adventure, living the life us working stiffs wish we had the balls to live. Possessions don't matter, money doesn't matter. It's about the places you go and the relationships you make. Yeah right.
Go to hell Aaron Cometbus.
I've read about Cometbus for years in books and other zines but I've never actually opened an issue of the mag. It was nice to see what all the hype has been about, but I can't help feeling like this omnibus is only a fuzzy reflection of what it was like to actually read the zines. Oh well, I missed out on the real thing. That doesn't mean this isn't a delightful read.
It's really neat to see how the bits of East Bay punk history I've gathered over the years correspond with the stories he was telling in those times. Also very interesting to see the rise of East Bay punk into the mainstream from the perspective of an anti-racket Yohannanist who was actually friends with all those people who got famous. He deliberately avoided any form of fame or even a comfortable living for himself. The irony is that Aaron has now achieved legendary status for doing a hand-made zine for 20 frickin' years!
Hilights for me include: The "Straight Outa A-Town" column written by Lint (a young Tim Armstrong) & the tree fort story written by Cindy(?). I also love all the travel journals. Aaron's stories paint such vivid pictures in my head of him traipsing around America, up and down the streets of different towns & cities, looking for adventure, living the life us working stiffs wish we had the balls to live. Possessions don't matter, money doesn't matter. It's about the places you go and the relationships you make. Yeah right.
Go to hell Aaron Cometbus.
February 14, 2019
Reading Cometbus (both current issues and this fantastic omnibus collection) makes me happy. Happy that I found my way to punk rock in my pre-teen years, happy that I found my way to this zine in my teen years, happy to be alive in general. If you like punk rock, traveling, or personal writing in general, Cometbus should also make you happy.
July 19, 2010
Here Aaron Cometbus attempts to condense 20 years of his self-published zine into one mammoth volume, called Despite Everything. Though Cometbus was not easy to find where I grew up, I did get my hands on a few issues in the late nineties. At that time, Aaron's writing really spoke to me about ways to live outside of the usual paths of existence and how life could be a sort of never-ending series of adventures, even if you're stuck in a small town with no money.
So, these many years later, I finally got around to reading this compendium of his work, and it certainly was a major nostalgia trip for me. Some of the writing does not hold up as well as I'd hoped, and some of the contributers don't seem to have much to say. But I can still feel the devotion that went into each hand-written and xeroxed page and Aaron's indefatigable lust for living. And now and again he will hit just the right note of optimism that will redeem several pages of pedestrian anecdotes. Aaron is a relentless traveler, whereas I have always been more of a stay put type of person, so I appreciate living vicariously through his travel adventures.
Cometbus is required reading for those that feel connected to punk culture, and appreciate the DIY ethic the pervades Aaron's efforts. If the reality of the writing isn't quite as beautiful as the memory--well that's true of a lot of things.
So, these many years later, I finally got around to reading this compendium of his work, and it certainly was a major nostalgia trip for me. Some of the writing does not hold up as well as I'd hoped, and some of the contributers don't seem to have much to say. But I can still feel the devotion that went into each hand-written and xeroxed page and Aaron's indefatigable lust for living. And now and again he will hit just the right note of optimism that will redeem several pages of pedestrian anecdotes. Aaron is a relentless traveler, whereas I have always been more of a stay put type of person, so I appreciate living vicariously through his travel adventures.
Cometbus is required reading for those that feel connected to punk culture, and appreciate the DIY ethic the pervades Aaron's efforts. If the reality of the writing isn't quite as beautiful as the memory--well that's true of a lot of things.
September 15, 2007
after much thought i've come to realize that aaron is my favorite writer. i've been reading cometbus for like 13 years and i always come away excited about life again. i still remember the first issue i got. it was about a trip to europe and i remember being totally blown away by reading it. he was the first writer who i definitely wanted to be friends with and i feel like i'm listening to a friend tell me stories when i read him. often, they are really amazing stories. this is a compendium of a zine he has been publishing for like thirty years and it always changes and has great contributors alongside his great varied writing. his writing can be anything from a travel journal, to interviews (although never with bands thankfully), to bridge reviews, anyone with a passing interest in diy, punk rock, traveling, or life in the present needs to read him.
August 29, 2007
A collection of the first 20 years(!) of Aaron Cometbus's extraordinary zine. Imitated by throngs of "per-zine" geeks for the last two decades, this is the original and still the best of the bunch. Of course Aaron has been in a bunch of bands through the years (Crimpshrine, Pinhead Gunpowder, etc...), but the zine rarely focuses on punk music so much as the backdrop of the punk scene itself. The artwork and layouts are great, the writing is great, the occasional contributors are occasionally great (and nearly always at least pretty good), and the whole package is simply great, great, great!!
June 29, 2008
Reading this in bed while healing from surgery, I was able to just frickin' *pretend* I was on a greyhound to nowhere after selling everything I owned and cramming the rest into a backpack. And I didn't want it to end! I always liked Cometbus whenever I could get my hands on it, and I like it even more now after reading the whole omnibus. I just wish there was more...I think there's a few "newish" issues out that I might be able to track down, but for now I just have to re-read the good stuff here and try not to get too ookily nostalgic...
January 26, 2011
It may seem strange, especially for those who didn't grow up fortifying themselves with punk rock, but Aaron Cometbus is one of my favorite writers of all time. The material he covers - the travelling, the heartbreak, the carefree verve, the quasi-destitution - has all been done before, but Cometbus approaches it with a matter-of-factness and a grim levity that prevents his work from coming off like some pretentious nth-generation "On The Road" knockoff. One of the best arguments for DIY culture I've seen.
December 9, 2008
A wonderful collection of Cometbus. I still have all of my copies, none of which I will ever lend out. For those of you that are late to the game of zines and self-publishing Despite Everything is required reading. Cometbus is a great example of not only punk rock culture, DIY and self-publishing, but folklore. This is a great book to have while traveling or on the coffee table.
September 14, 2007
Am I really old enough to remember seeing Aaron's band at 924 Gilman while I was still in high school? Apparently, I am. The band was so-so but the zine was (and is) a must read for aging bay area punks.
November 22, 2018
A master class in writing. Aaron is a Kerouac of a different breed, for a new generation. Coming back to his writing several years removed and it is even more impactful to me. A personal love lever to life. If you're not reading Cometbus' work, you are missing out on one of the greatest writers of our time.
May 30, 2022
Ever since I first picked up a cometbus in high school Aaron has been one of my favorite writers. This is a perfect summation of the punk I love and the lifestyle. He does the perfect job of adding sentimentality and making it relatable. I often think that if I were to sum up my worldview you need to read this and listen to fugazi a lot, although the two are quite dissimilar.
March 30, 2025
Man, this was the best and most impactful thing I have read in years. 600+ pages of Bay Area music history, punk ethos, and adventure. I have so many little snippets of Cometbus wisdom and hilarity pulled from this book, and I just wish that 2025 had an underground community similar to the punk zine culture of the 90s.
March 12, 2008
i'm sure anyone else who has review 'Despite Everything: A Cometbus Omnibus' has mentioned its massive size [over 600 pages] and, hopefully, how incredible it is to have all the zines together. it is perfection.
i'm usually a fast reader but this took me some time to get though because i just did not to to finish it. [i borrowed it from my brother and i knew i'd have to give it back when i finished it.*]
cometbus has such a firm grip on the punk rock scene and on humanity that it's hard not to be dawn into his stories. there are the fan favourites, like 'punk rock love' and my person favourite 'what goes down' and 'touring is...'. [and no, they aren't my favourites just because of the green day theme but i won't deny that it held a certain fasination to hear from a trust worthy voice who was there from the start.] he writes about real life and real experiences. he lives what he writes.
he inspires restlessness and a heart wrenching desire to move anywhere, do anything with friends and strangers. [and he might have got me addicted to coffee too.] there is such passion and fury and a sense of fun in his stories that he can even make the greyhound bus seem glamours.
he seems to find just the right people who are saying just the right thing to be contributers. some more well known than other ['lint' is better known as tim armstrong, for one] but all equally as important. all saying something different in the same vein. we're alone. we're together. we're alone together and we all love the ramones. let's go for coffee/get drunk...do both.
i've read this through twice now and each time it inspires the same feelings, the same excitement. there is always something i missed last time or didn't understand then but now i know...
*it's really cheap from amazon or interpunk so i have no excuse for not buying my own copy. [i will, i swear!]
i'm usually a fast reader but this took me some time to get though because i just did not to to finish it. [i borrowed it from my brother and i knew i'd have to give it back when i finished it.*]
cometbus has such a firm grip on the punk rock scene and on humanity that it's hard not to be dawn into his stories. there are the fan favourites, like 'punk rock love' and my person favourite 'what goes down' and 'touring is...'. [and no, they aren't my favourites just because of the green day theme but i won't deny that it held a certain fasination to hear from a trust worthy voice who was there from the start.] he writes about real life and real experiences. he lives what he writes.
he inspires restlessness and a heart wrenching desire to move anywhere, do anything with friends and strangers. [and he might have got me addicted to coffee too.] there is such passion and fury and a sense of fun in his stories that he can even make the greyhound bus seem glamours.
he seems to find just the right people who are saying just the right thing to be contributers. some more well known than other ['lint' is better known as tim armstrong, for one] but all equally as important. all saying something different in the same vein. we're alone. we're together. we're alone together and we all love the ramones. let's go for coffee/get drunk...do both.
i've read this through twice now and each time it inspires the same feelings, the same excitement. there is always something i missed last time or didn't understand then but now i know...
*it's really cheap from amazon or interpunk so i have no excuse for not buying my own copy. [i will, i swear!]
November 8, 2013
Generally, I steer clear of books about punk rock. Most focus on the drugs, riots, mohawks and other garbage stereotypes of the movement. It's all been done to death and none of it seems to have anything to say, other than partially chronicling a short historical period in music and culture, albeit without any of the manic energy that makes punk so interesting.
Aaron Cometbus started putting out the Cometbus zine back in 1981. This collection, Despite Everything, pulls excerpts from about 20 years of the zine in one 600 page volume. Without hesitation, this is the only book on punk rock you'll ever need to read if you have any interest in the subculture. The highlight of the book is easily the writing of Aaron, as his thirst for life and adventure is documented in subtly brilliant short stories detailing his travels, his relationships, and punk rock itself. His insight into the world of punk is often beautiful and heart-breaking, but always honest.
The other contributors aren't quite as great, but their writing and art generally does a good job of breaking up the tone, always keeping the collection fresh and interesting.
I may hate myself for saying this, but this is a book that could change your life.
Aaron Cometbus started putting out the Cometbus zine back in 1981. This collection, Despite Everything, pulls excerpts from about 20 years of the zine in one 600 page volume. Without hesitation, this is the only book on punk rock you'll ever need to read if you have any interest in the subculture. The highlight of the book is easily the writing of Aaron, as his thirst for life and adventure is documented in subtly brilliant short stories detailing his travels, his relationships, and punk rock itself. His insight into the world of punk is often beautiful and heart-breaking, but always honest.
The other contributors aren't quite as great, but their writing and art generally does a good job of breaking up the tone, always keeping the collection fresh and interesting.
I may hate myself for saying this, but this is a book that could change your life.
August 10, 2007
First of all, this book is such a deal! 12 bucks and change on Amazon for 608 pages of Cometbus! That's two pounds of zine!
This is the best of 48 issues of Cometbus, the famous zine by Aarron Cometbus, in all its hand written, 3rd generation xerox glory. And it's great!
Aarron is from Berkely, but this book hops all over the US. I had a great time visiting cities I know (Like Richmond Va and D.C.) through the eyes of someone else, and the places I haven't been (a LOT) were very well evoked by the writing.
And how could you not love stuff like "Punk Rock Love?"
http://squaredancekid.blogspot.com/20...
This is the best of 48 issues of Cometbus, the famous zine by Aarron Cometbus, in all its hand written, 3rd generation xerox glory. And it's great!
Aarron is from Berkely, but this book hops all over the US. I had a great time visiting cities I know (Like Richmond Va and D.C.) through the eyes of someone else, and the places I haven't been (a LOT) were very well evoked by the writing.
And how could you not love stuff like "Punk Rock Love?"
http://squaredancekid.blogspot.com/20...
August 28, 2007
As a former zinester, I have the upmost respect for Cometbus. He's the zine master. My favorite issues are when he's traveling around Europe, or writing about his relationships. I also love "Cereal News with Mike" :
"Post Raisin Bran has hired the California Raisins...In order to compete with the California Raisins, the Capn's Crunchberries now have faces...
"Post Raisin Bran has hired the California Raisins...In order to compete with the California Raisins, the Capn's Crunchberries now have faces...
Read
June 23, 2008It's a large collection of zines, but not very heavy. Makes a great traveling companion. Once a guy came into a coffeeshop I worked at in Tahoe and said he was taking the Greyhound to the east coast. I gave him this book, thinking I would never see it again. But he returned months later and gave it back! No one rides the greyhound anymore, but you can read it on Megabus and pretend it's smellier.
October 11, 2012
An extensive retrospective collection, weighing in at more than 600 pages, featuring comics, interviews, low-budget trips through Europe, stories of hitchhiking, reviews of coffee, cereal, bookstores, and lots of punk rock adventures. Cometbus remains a testament to what can be done when an artist rigorously applies DIY punk ethics to his own life. Inspiring.
January 19, 2013
cometbus was one of the first zines i feel in love with, and when i was 15 i used to look for him in the window of any kinkos i passed by. while his original zines, of course, are best to read, this anthology captures much of his best writing - including hard to find early stuff. no one described punk love (for people, cities, and music) better than aaron cometbus
April 17, 2012
This is a compilation of shorts from my favorite zine back in the 90's, although it's been around for years before then. Cometbus throughout my teens represented punk in a way that the broader pop culture has always failed so miserably. Obviously, points for nostalgia, but also just fun to read.
November 8, 2016
This book is huge! The pages aren't numbered, so I can't say exactly how huge, but trust me, HUGE! I skipped around, reading bits and pieces of it here and there. I'm sure I ended up reading the whole thing.
The writing is mostly great, and I enjoyed reading.
The writing is mostly great, and I enjoyed reading.
January 22, 2008
I loved the hell out of this when I was in high school (and slightly beyond). Overall, AC's work has not stood the test of time for me, but there are still some very decent and evocative bits here and there. Great for Bay Area reminiscing. Lew is a better writer.
January 24, 2008
this is an interesting retrospective of cometbus's work. the beginning zines are really hit or miss, as he is still figuring out his voice, but if you're a fan then you should read this, if you havent already.
October 28, 2008
It's amazing how much you can get out of a zine. This book is part adventure, part fiction anthology, and part anthropological study. All of it is awesome.
Aaron is publishing Cometbus again, by the way. Support this guy, he's a rare gem indeed.
Aaron is publishing Cometbus again, by the way. Support this guy, he's a rare gem indeed.
December 6, 2008
though there are quite a few articles I read in issues of cometbus which found themselves omitted from this compendium, this still serves as an amazing introduction to what I think is the best zine ever written.
December 9, 2008
Awww, Aarron. A true Luddite, he is an inspiration to good hearted folks of all walks of life. This is a great big book, full of every Cometbus attainable. (I think there are a few missing. But he had a LOT to work with.) Love the Gilman St stuff! Great bathroom book.
February 4, 2011
As always, a really fine read. This diverse set of stories, a few poems and some snide letters kept me still during a flight on the plane. I felt uncomfortable (with choices I've made and haven't made,) sad, curious and relieved as I often do after reading finely written perzine tales.
July 30, 2015
I. Love. His. Writing.
He makes me laugh, shake my head, frown, etc, but most of all, he makes me THINK.
The only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because I didn't like some of the comics, and because I wanted more (Though that's not really the books fault.)
He makes me laugh, shake my head, frown, etc, but most of all, he makes me THINK.
The only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because I didn't like some of the comics, and because I wanted more (Though that's not really the books fault.)
August 10, 2012
a huge collections of most of essays and stories from the zine COMETBUS, is 75% awesome, if you discount the dodgy early stuff. A great read if you are a fan of punk rock, travel stories or just good writing in general.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews