I can't tell you how proud and astonished I am that the Germs single "Forming" is both a benchmark and an enduring totem of Los Angeles punk rock, circa 1977. The Germs, along with X, the Bags and the Weirdos stand out as the sine qua non representatives of LA Punk Rock. For years – 30 of them, to be exact, I’ve heard and read how the DIY single, “Forming,” with its murky picture sleeve of the band rehearsing in Pat Smear’s garage are the audio and visual foundation of Everyman’s Perception of LA Punk. Well, that’s my photo they’re talking about! Back in those DIY days, things got done fast and on a thin dime. Sometimes credits didn't get printed, and its happened to the best of contributors, not just me. In fact, I didn't even know the Germs and Chris Ashford actually used the photo - even though I provided a strip of negatives to Chris, hoping one of the images would indeed work out for them. It wasn't Pleasant told me to quickly go find ...