Dirtbag

Richard Johnston and Sean Phillips brought a raw, punk-rock sensibility to Dirtbag, a seven-issue series from Twist and Shout Comics that ran from 1994 to 1997. Chronicling the grimy exploits of a disaffected slacker navigating a world of bad decisions and worse company, the book captured the nihilistic undercurrent of mid-90s alternative comics. With Phillips’ gritty, expressive art grounding Johnston’s sharp, unglamorous dialogue, it stands as a cult artifact of the era’s small-press rebellion.