Be Your Own Backing Band

by Liz Prince

These punk rock humor comics by Liz Prince (celebrated creator of Tomboy, Coady & The Creepies, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet The Bed?) are back in print and better than ever! Still has hilarious, heartfelt, and as embarrassing as the original, this new pressing of Be Your Own Backing Band is the first ever full-color collection of Liz Prince's comics and an essential edition to your LIZ-brary!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Music, Humor, Art, Graphic Novels Comics

72 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2017

About the author

I have been a comic artist and a self-publisher since I was in high school in the mid-90's. In 2005 my book Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed? was published by Top Shelf Productions; it won an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut. Top Shelf has since published two more of my autobio comic collections, Delayed Replays in 2008, and Alone Forever earlier this year. In September my first full length graphic novel, a memoir about adolescence and gender stereotypes called Tomboy, comes out from Zest Books.

I have had comics published in numerous anthologies, drawn stories for the wildly popular Adventure Time series, and I am a columnist for the punk magazine Razorcake.

Currently my cat Dracula is sitting on my lap, and his sister Wolfman is giving him the side-eye.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the truly likeable Liz Prince, the maker of many memoir or diary comics, such as Will You Still Love Me if I Wet the Bed?, Alone Forever and Tomboy, this is a collection of comics from the website If You Make It, and Razorcake magazine. I’m not the ideal audience for this punk-love-fest, as I am one of the previous generation folkies punks love to loathe (and did in some of these very comics!), but I am also of a generation that came together over and through music (you didn’t go to Woodstock? Nah, me, neither)**, so I found this fun. Who doesn’t think Liz Prince’s sketchy diy comix are fun?!

I like all the as usual self-deprecating stuff about her not being able to play music or sing. I like the fact that she clicks her teeth to her fave songs (“Punk Rock is Ruining my Teeth”). I like all the singing of lyrics at the top of their lungs, anyway, and even if I didn’t know them.

I liked "Liz Goes To Fun Fun Fun Fest" – about a close encounter with a fave band. I liked her tribute to women in her life in "Girls Rule." I like some of the collaborative strips done at concerts. I liked it! A Liz Prince comic is always an event for me even when it is a collection of stuff.

**But hey, I did see--with M. S., a former student--The Clash, Scratch Acid, and some other groups, in Detroit, in the eighties. The Pogues were a kind of punk/folkie mixed group I saw in Detroit, too, where punks moshed in the pit [that would have been M. S.] and some people rocked with arms around each other in the back [that would have included me].

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I guess you had to be there," is the sentence that could be appended to the end of each of these comic essays and diaries about punk rock music, concerts, and comic book conventions. The strips aren't bad, but they feature a lot of bands and individuals I do not know and don't do much to help me get to know them.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Liz Prince's work through the DIY punk site If You Make It (which still hosts some excellent comics and albums, if you're into cool free stuff). So, I was delighted to see that there was finally a collection (put out by DIY punk distributor Silver Sprocket) of her music-related comics from IYMI and her later work for Razorcake magazine, another DIY punk outlet. Liz's passion for pop-punk is infectious and I highly recommend you pop on a little Lifetime or The Descendants and read this excellent collection.

FAVORITES:
"Liz Goes To Fun Fun Fun Fest" - Liz recounts the time she got really close to one of her favorite bands.
"I Date Band Dudes" - An exploration of the perks and downsides to dating musicians.
"Girls Rule" - A loving shout out to all the females that made tomboy Liz realize that girls are the best.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Liz Prince, but I don't think I am quite the audience for this book. Be Your Own Backing Band is a collection of strips mostly revolving around music... though specifically punk music. My geekiness doesn't extend in that direction, but there were fortunately other comics that didn't require an understanding of who a bunch of bands were. Still very Liz Prince, but your mileage may vary depending on your music interests.

[J.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short comics about music, friendship and the punk community. I found it a welcome diversion to the onslaught of depressing political news I've been ingesting!

[Meredith Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz Prince's stuff is always a hit in my books.

(Get it? Hit cause it's about music? And book cause it's a book!)

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

And sometimes I find the coolest shit on Hoopla.

[lucy black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I would have liked this punk fan memoir more if it was my local bands or scene? I would definitely have liked it more if it had explored the politics of her scene and the relationship and gendered issues etc
I found it kindof boring and shallow...

[J.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this one 'cause Silver Sprocket put out a colorized version. Pretty sure I left a review for the black & white edition. Liz Prince comics are always entertaining.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz Prince and I don't like the same music at all, but her enthusiasm is infectious and I want to hang out with her.

[Karah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Prince, an underrated graphic memoirist, gallivants across the USA for concerts. A straight, unfeminine woman, Liz wonders how much longer will it be before people cease from stereotypes about gender-nonconforming people. Even though gender atypical people get coverage, I don't believe people will ever fully accept them. The regression of the past eight years saddens me. I thought sexual progressiveness would continue to advance. It saddens me how hatred has exploded. People were faking all that time. I appreciate how Liz confesses to erroneous thinking. Men have told her, "you're not like other girls" more than any other statement. Until she reached adulthood, she considered it a massive compliment. She abhorred girls in her adolescence. Now, she acknowledges and honors the value of other women.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First up, thank you to my fiance for giving me this book for my birthday! I wanted this book so badly, I just adore Liz's comics, and this one promised more punk and more rock. I loved reading about how Liz's life was surrounded by punk/rock, even though she herself couldn't sing/do instruments. I loved seeing her go to concerts in every place, see her travel with friends, see her with her boyfriend (various as the stories take place over a wide range of time), see her do all sorts of things for bands, read how she found out about punk/rock and how she got into the scene. I had tons of fun to read, and I would highly recommend this fun book to everyone. Now I just need Liz's other book: Look Back and Laugh to make my collection complete (for now).

[Diana Welsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Liz Prince's work. Even though our musical taste only overlaps a little, this book still made me laugh because it's full of that Liz Prince charm and humor. Plus, my hubby got it signed by Liz Prince herself when he bought it for me at a small comic convention in Los Angeles, so that's pretty cool!

[Karrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa!!! I have SAD in the summer too!!! I get mostly in the winter and didn’t realize it could happen in the summer but it explains SO much. This year I JUST got over it, so fingers crossed for the summer.

I LOVE Liz Prince’s comics so much. I think I just read all the books available to me so now I’ll have to subtly stalk her online stuff 💜

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of comics mostly about punk, mostly originally printed in Razorcake magazine 2010-2017. Filled with relatable anecdotes, such as the ones about tooth-clacking, and attachment to clunky tech. I love how these comics are informative, but don't take themselves very seriously. A great snapshot of punk/DIY music 1990s-2010s.

[Emilia P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I were cool like Liz Prince.
But *is she cool*? Yes. Yes she is.
Nerd cool.
YEAH. But also this kind of just made me want to read more Snakepit, most meanderingly punky punk of them all -- I think there's a Snakepit sighting in here. :)

[David Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Liz Prince but I feel like this is her weakest work. It's mostly about pop punk, about which I know next to nothing, so that doesn't help. I get the general vibes in that I'm pretty into industrial music which is pretty niche these days, but still.

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep on coming with the cool and goodness. A look at how music shaped the world. Or at least how it shaped Liz and her multiple coming of ages (kid, adult, teen, and everything else). Colored illustrations add to the fun. Made for a magazine and not so much her own social media.

[Potassium · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. I feel like Liz Prince and I would be friends. :)

[Gary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the fantastic long-form comic Tomboy, this seemed more like a stopgap to hold people over until Prince publishes something bigger/better.

[Brian Spath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun collection and a great insight into Liz’s life. Provides great Googling fodder for bands and songs, much to Liz’s dismay I’m sure.

[Katie Ouellette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun memoir of comics about Prince's experiences with concerts, festivals, and growing up with DIY punk scene. Boston natives will rejoice and then sadly reminisce about the local venues that pop up throughout but have since closed.

[Megan Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick & fun. if you like liz prince you'll like these strips.

[Ben Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give it a 2.5 but I rounded up since I'm a nice guy. It was fine. I didn't get most of it because I'm not into punk music at all. But I can appreciate the drawings and the general themes.

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome collection of comics mostly from Razor Cake. It is geeky and sincere work.

[Eric Nagurney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a comic about having Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I have and which has been met with disbelief in the past, so I like it.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz Prince in living color and rocking out! Hell ya!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck yeah

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found a LOT of amazing underground bands through reading this book. The art is adorable and entertaining. And also Liz Prince is awesome. Loved it.

[Carla A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Prince need one say more?