ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the humor in geek rock to address various apocalypses. Nerf Herder, the self-proclaimed geek rock band, wrote the theme song to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, thus literally heralding the apocalypse each week. In “Re: Your Brains,” geek rock singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton sings about the zombie apocalypse from the perspective of the zombies and, in “The Future Soon” and “Skullcrusher Mountain,” about the mad-scientist-world-domination apocalypse, from the perspective of the mad scientist. Using Nerf Herder and Coulton as my focal point, I demonstrate how humor in geek rock serves to solidify geekiness while also commenting on how geekiness is situated within the larger mainstream culture.
