George Tabb
Author/Musician
Finally, someone has the balls, or whatever, to but pen to paper and write a story that captures the feeling of Punk Rock’s “Hardcore scene” from a woman’s point of view. And that woman is none other than Natalie Jacobson, a true original, who was not only just part of the original scene, but someone who helped drive and create the entire genre!
Pamela Des Barres
Legendary groupie, author, journalist
Zowie! What a laugh-riot, poignant, inner-circle tale of exactly what goes on during a road trip with a struggling band. Our lead goddess grrrl, Maxi doesn't let anything stand in the way of making sure the band members get what's coming to them. She's roadie/security guard/driver and ersatz muse. The cops and FBI are perfectly depicted, in fact, every single character is wickedly spot-on. A salacious romp in the (backstage) hay! Can't wait for more!
Jason Heller
The Onion A/V Club
There’s a ragged, scattershot quality to Outlaw Efforts (Swamp Road) that makes perfect sense, considering it’s a fictionalized chronicle of life in the rock underbelly of San Francisco as written by a veteran of the New York punk scene, Natalie Jacobson. Rather than rehash anecdotes about the good-bad old days, though, she and artist Joey Maltese craft a narrative that’s more gonzo, in the vein of Repo Man, than merely another sex-and-drugs rehash of the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle—up to and including criminal subplots and curiously inhuman-looking law-enforcement officers. That said, Outlaw Efforts is one of the best subcultural chronicles in graphic-novel form in ages, one that wallows in all the requisite squalor while showing the complexity, sexual politics, and dreams of brighter things at the core of such hardcore desperation. Maltese’s cartooning is stiff and thin in spots, as is Jacobson’s on-the-nose storytelling, which relies too heavily on expository prose. But the book’s clarity, sharp dialogue, and dark charm more than make up for it.
Penelope Houston
The Avengers
Thanks for the book. It's an enjoyable read. Looking forward to the sequel. Cheers.
Lew Dimmick
InEffectHardcore. com
I always think of Natalie Jacobson as that well-spoken smartass that appeared on the Phil Donahue and Regis and Kathy Lee shows in 1986 and argued intelligently in defense of punk and hardcore, challenging misconceptions and putting the old folks in check. There’s a famous image of her outside CBGB’s with Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy’s Law, her boyfriend at the time, that appears on both the back cover of the New York City Hardcore Together 7” and the front cover of the photo book “Making A Scene”. She drew on her experience in the hardcore scene for her 1997 novel, “No Forwarding Address”, published by 2.13.61, Henry Rollins’ publishing company. She is highly regarded for her spoken word performances, having shared the stage with the likes of Patti Smith, Jim Carroll, and Jello Biafra.
John Holmstrom
PUNK Magazine, The Ramones
I have to be honest, I enjoyed Outlaw Efforts very much. I couldn't put it down! Natalie Jacobson and Joey Maltese did a great job. Joey's work reminds me of 1970s underground comic books, while Natalie's writing has such a strong structure of being true. I felt like a friend from back in the day was telling me RNR tour "war stories." I also thought that each character was well-drawn and had a very unique, individual identity. The intersecting storylines worked really well.
Having worked under Will Eisner, the master story-teller, I have to say: Can't wait to read the next one! Hey--the world needs more good stuff like this.