“If you fake the funkyour nose WILL grow...”

- George Clinton

1MAY ‘06 •$2

One of the best memories I have of my adolescences is traveling in a school

bus listening to rap music. I didn’t recognize it at the time but this was

true meditation. All of my senses were being stimulated. One had to sieze

a window seat on the school bus inorder to get the best visual experience

to accompany the audio. Hip-hop music was in perfect harmony with the

streets of Chicago’s north side. The pistons that fired the bus’ deisel engine

were in sync with the syncopated beats. Slang ridden lyrics presented the

stories of the Chicago streets. Melly Mel could narrate the tragic scene

of a pan handling bum sitting in a puddle of his own urine. 3rd Bass’ MC

Serch and Pete Nice could present a drunk stumbling though past the Polish

bakery to an old blues guitar riff. Then, to punctuate the street opera, came

the texture of cracked sidewalks and crackling excerpts of forgotten music.

These sights and sounds have stuck with me all my life. The experience

was so immersing that diesel fumes and the irratic vibration of the bus

became numbing white noise. In this state, I got a hold of my psychological

bearings; fear, hopes, dreams, and mysteries. This started when I was eleven

years old and now I am twenty six years old. My brother Peter was there too.

These years of getting bused to inner city schools, learning the visual arts

and falling in love with hip-hop music have inspired my brother Peter and I

to tell a story. The themes are identity and integrity; who am I and how can I

be happy. We are artists. Hip-hop is art. Enjoy the “Funk”!

This book was made possible by: Eric Billingsly, mom, dad, Pete, Beth,

grandma, nana and the whole 7000 B.C. crew!Story Peter & Paul Ziomek

ArtPaul Ziomek

“Talent show” pt. 1

FAKIN’ THE FUNK ©2010 PETER & PAUL ZIOMEK

“FAKIN’ THE FUNK”CREATED BY

PETER & PAUL ZIOMEK

Looks like Keenan’s gonna get jumped..or maybe not. Find out in Fakin’ the

Funk #2!*

*Available at baaadasssscomics.com/store/index.htm