Filth was described as "one of NZ's most popular minicomix in the 1990's... a ferocious series of guerrilla attacks on the complacent hypocrisy of that decade" and (in stark contrast) containing "an intelligence, a politicality and a gentleness to his work which makes for a rare and rewarding blend."

Filth was a vehicle for personal catharsis -  an angsty outlet of disillusionment and dumb-ass, punk-rock attitude. There was no game-plan. No structure. No coherent 'storyline'. It was comix by the seat of my pants. The stories, editorial rants, 'poems', everything was inspired by the burning I felt inside me, and the emptiness I saw outside of me. 

It was a relief when the angst eventually burnt itself out, but creatively it was confusing. I had always relied on it to produce comix, but now that it had faded I had nowhere to turn for inspiration. It was around this time of searching for a new direction that I realised I hadn't yet finished with Filth.

After aborting several other comic projects, for lack of any real passion or connection with them, it dawned on me that until I put Filth to rest I wouldn't be ready to move on to the next project, whatever that may be.

So for the next two years (and more) I set out to write "the Filth story to end all Filth stories." It seemed like a simple idea - by making some sense or order out of the chaos of the Filth comix, I would be able to write a 'proper' story encompassing the whole journey through that particular period of my life. Of course real life is a lot more complex than fiction, and figuring out how to mould an unwieldly pile of experiences into a coherent story, with a beginning, middle, and end was no easy task. 

Life is what we make of it, right? So the question that I struggled with was this:"What was the point of all of that anyway?" The theme of the story, I figured, would be related to whatever it was I gained from my past experiences. But the thing with life is, there are lots of themes going on all the time in our lives... intertwining, conflicting, resolving. Fiction needs this too, if it is going to be anything other than mere caricature, but in all good fiction there is a central theme. And it was the discovery of this theme that was essential to my new project making any sense at all. 

So anyway, I think I eventually unravelled it. The title was inspired by Keuroac's The Dharma Bums, and that may or may not be indicative of anything (I haven't read the book, but the title came to me as I watched a documentary on Keuroac).

My aim was to create a work which is entertaining, intelligent, but most of all, resonant. Emotional truth and power are the elements which, for me, makes the difference between 'good' and 'great' art. The Dharma Punks ain't perfect. I'll be the first to admit that. But I hope it has enough passion, honesty, and conviction to find a place in your hearts, memories, and lives." 
   - Ant Sang, 2001