Punk Beyond the Music

Punk Beyond the Music investigates where punk has manifested and mutated, tracing its transformation from a music genre into a far-reaching cultural aesthetic. Focusing on punk’s most recurring traits—DIY, attitude, outsider identities, symbols, and politics—the author examines their appearance in various arts and cultural practices.

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Punk Beyond the Music: Tracing Mutations and Manifestations of the Punk Virus expands the conversation about punk from a focus on the musical genre to its surrounding cultural manifestations. Focusing on some of the most recurring practices and characteristics of punk culture —DIY, attitude, outsider identities, symbols, and politics—Iain Ellis engages many illustrative examples to investigate punk beyond the music without losing sight of its significance. Early chapters look at arts that have always existed within the punk subculture (writings, visual arts, films, and humor); subsequent sections examine areas rarely recognized as exhibiting punk characteristics (such as education, sports, crafts, and comics). Taken together, the chapters invite readers on an extensive and unpredictable journey through the evolution of punk’s developments and adaptations.