Chris Walter (born August 16, 1959) is a Canadian punk rock historian,

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and founder of the independent publishing company GFY Press. His novels generally portray the darker aspects of humanity such as drug addiction, prostitution, and homelessness.

Biography

Born in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

, Chris was raised in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. He became involved with

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

at a very early age and was kicked out of school before leaving home at fifteen, working a succession of menial jobs and collecting welfare for long stretches. Forming his first punk rock band in 1980, Chris soon realized that he was never going to be a musician and began publishing a punk fanzine, ''Pages of Rage'', which gave him his first taste of creative writing, although he wouldn't complete his first novel, ''Beer'', until he was almost forty. His drug addiction raged out of control after moving to

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

in 1991, where he completed several novels but overdosed on heroin and eventually became homeless. Upon rehabilitation in January 2001, he devoted himself to work and to his family. Chris Walter resides in New Westminster BC with his long-time girlfriend and their son.

GFY Press

Specializing in books concerning punks, drunks, junkies and prostitutes. GFY Press has published dozens of titles: more than twelve novels by Walter, his autobiographical trilogy, two collections of short stories, novels authored by Simon Snotface, Drew Gates, and Stewart Black, and biographies of Canadian punk groups Personality Crisis,

SNFU SNFU was a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in Edmonton in 1981, relocated to Vancouver in 1992, and disbanded in 2018. They released eight albums, two live records, and one compilation amid many lineup changes and several temporary breakups. ...

the Real McKenzies The Real McKenzies is a Canadian Celtic punk band founded in 1992 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are one of the founders of the Celtic punk movement, albeit 10 years after The Pogues. In addition to writing and performing origin ...

Randy Rampage Randall Desmond Archibald (February 21, 1960 – August 14, 2018), better known by his stage name Randy Rampage, was a Canadian musician and founding member, bass player and vocalist of the Canadian hardcore band D.O.A., along with Joe Keithley ...

, and the

Dayglo Abortions The Dayglo Abortions (sometimes abbreviated to DGA) are a Canadian hardcore punk and metal band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics reflect a genre-typical disregard for societal norms. The band was formed in 1979 and released their first ...

. Despite their dark subject matter, Walter's books are known for black humour, presented in prose described by critics as "convincing, lively, real, accessible, and wildly entertaining."

Other contributions

Walter has also contributed to a number of publications, including '' The Nerve'', ''Mass Movement'', ''

Razorcake Razorcake is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that publishes the Razorcake fanzine, a DIY punk rock fanzine published bi-monthly out of Los Angeles, California. It was co-founded by Todd Taylor (former Flipside managing editor) and Sean Cars ...

'', ''

The Big Takeover ''The Big Takeover'' is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid. History Establishment Jack Rabid and Dave Stein began publishing ''The Big Takeover'' in May 1980 as a fanzine dedicated to N ...

'', ''

The Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...

'', ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

'', ''Loud Fast Rules'', '' The Republic'', and ''Absolute Underground''. He was featured in

Prairie Coast Films Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

' 2010 documentary '' Open Your Mouth And Say... Mr. Chi Pig'', a film that looks at the life of SNFU singer

Mr. Chi Pig Kendall Steven Chinn (October 19, 1962 – July 16, 2020), known under the stage name Mr. Chi Pig, was a Canadian punk rock vocalist and artist born in Edmonton and long residing in Vancouver. He fronted the hardcore punk band SNFU from 1981 unti ...

Bibliography

;Literary Memoirs *''Mosquitoes & Whisky'' (2001) *''I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk'' (2003) *''I'm On the Guest List'' (2005) ;Novels *''Beer'' (1999) *''Anarchy Soup'' (2001) *''Kaboom'' (2002) *''Punk Rules OK'' (Published by Burn Books 2003) *''Boozecan'' (2004) *''East Van'' (2004) *''Langside'' (2006) *''Welfare Wednesdays'' (2006) *''Rock and Roll Heart'' (2008) *''Wrong'' (2009) *''Punch the Boss'' (2009) *''Sins of the Poor'' (2010) *''Up and Down On the Downtown Eastside'' (2011) *''Chase the Dragon'' (2013) *''Richie Dagger: Life & Times'' (2015) *''Liquor & Whores'' (2016) *''North of Hell'' (2019) *''Copz N Robberz'' (2022) ;Biographies *''Personality Crisis: Warm Beer and Wild Times'' (2008) *''Argh Fuck Kill: The Story of the DayGlo Abortions'' (2010) *''SNFU: What No One Else Wanted To Say'' (2012) *''Under the Kilt: the Real McKenzies Exposed'' (2015) *

: I Survived

D.O.A. DOA may refer to: * Dead on arrival * Dead or Alive (disambiguation) Film * ''D.O.A.'' (1949 film), a ''film noir'' * ''D.O.A.'' (1988 film), a remake of the 1949 film * '' D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage'' (1980 film), a documentary on the gene ...

(2016) ;Short Stories *''Shouts from the Gutter'' (2007) *''Shrieks from the Alley'' (2012) ;Nonfiction *''Tales From The Tattoo Shop'' (2017) ;Also published by GFY Press *''Destroy Canada'' by Stewart Black and Chris Walter (2005) *''Prisoner of Evil'' by Simon Snotface (2005) *''The Crooked Beat'' by Drew Gates (2007)

References

External links

GFY PressLangside Book ReviewDayglo Abortions Book ReviewPersonality Crisis Book ReviewSNFU Book ReviewChase The Dragon Book Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Chris 1959 births Living people Canadian male novelists Writers from Regina, Saskatchewan