@nosnappers.sgv is an Instagram-based digital archive of the San Gabriel Valley punk scene — from its early days when it was part of the larger Southern California punk scene that started in the late ‘70s to the ‘90s and 2000s when it became much more underground and insular. Much of the content for the page (gig flyers, pictures, music, and videos) is submitted by followers who, like myself, were or are still involved in the SGV scene. The rest of the content comes from my own collection of punk rock artifacts that I’ve been gathering since I was a kid or random things I’ve dug up while scouring the internet.

I should probably explain the name before I go any further since this usage of the word snapper is a super-regional L.A.-area Chicano thing. Ok, so a snapper is someone who’s cool one second and then becomes a problem the next. Or simply, someone who’s an a**hole that shouldn’t be invited to a party because they might wreck it. Back in the ‘90s, it was common to see “No Snappers!” on backyard gig flyers along with BYOB and a crudely drawn map leading to the party spot.

My main goal with No Snappers! is to preserve the history of a subculture that would probably remain undocumented and unexplored. What better way to do that, than to share some truly amazing music with people from my old stomping grounds? After all, that’s who this is for — SGV punks from back in the day, way back in the day, yesterday, and today. Anyone else who digs punk rock would be into No Snappers! as well, but it’s not for them. It’s ours. That’s why I named it after something specific to our scene (and the East L.A. scene, too). That’s why I don’t go crazy with hashtags anymore. And that’s also why I stopped doing tiled layouts (see below) after a while.

The first logo I came up with was intended to be my take on a UK Anarcho Punk logo like Crass or Conflict. That particular type of punk rock has never really been my bag; which I guess is why I couldn’t pull it off very well and ditched it. The second logo had a classic stenciled vibe stenciled version; which I still use occasionally, but then I had a way better idea for a logo. I decided to do what so many of my punk forefathers had done before me –– appropriate something iconic.

What’s more iconic than the California Driving School sign that’s seen from the 60 Freeway in Monterey Park? I don’t know, probably a lot of other things, but this is the one I went with.

After I decided to stop trying to create the occasional IG grid posts, I decided to let the individual posts speak for themselves. Plus, putting up 3 posts a day to keep those things from looking all chopped up got to be too much of a hassle. Eventually, I started posting Monday through Friday and went down to 2 posts a day.

During Spring of this year, I decided to bring No Snappers! into the real world, so I took content from the page and created a Risograph-printed zine about the legendary Black Flag’s shows in the SGV during their original run in the ‘80s. I’m all out of copies at the moment, so grab the digital version here. And I made matching Risographed Black Flag bars buttons.

Around the time I made the zine, I also decided to start treating No Snappers! as a band, since I’m not currently in one at the moment. I was already making buttons, so why not more merch? I made stickers and changed the colors up a little. Then, to keep the cost of printing shirts down, I created a version of the No Snappers! logo that would work on a black t-shirt. I dug the outcome so much that it’ll be the main logo going forward.

Back in September I was asked if No Snappers would like to sponsor a show headlined by Luicidal, a Suicidal Tendencies offshoot band, with all SGV punk openers. So I was all like, “What do you need me to do?” I didn’t have to do much, so I promoted the show on No Snappers! by throwing a flyer for the show in the stories, and then I also added the show flyer in with posts on the main page that were related to the bands playing the show. And I was also given the opportunity to set up a merch booth. I didn’t have any merch left, but I still wanted to be involved a little; so I decide to channel early ‘80s Suicidal Tendencies flyers and shirts and came up with a Risographed gig poster.