Nerdcore rap pioneer MC Frontalot has teamed up with comics legend Jhonen Vasquez for his new album cover. Known for his dark classic comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and cartoon Invader Zim, Vasquez’s most prominent recent projects have been his collaborations with the band Mindless Self Indulgence,  although you can follow his mordant Twitter stream.

Frontalot is a regular at comics and nerd related gatherings, and will play at the upcoming PAX East show.

More deets and Frontalot’s tour schedule in the jump.

MC Frontalot is the progenitor of nerdcore rap, having coined the term himself in early 2000. Since his first forays into music—online, via the songwriting and recording competition Song Fight!—his popularity and influence have continued to spread as his work has matured. Growing audiences seek him out at comics and gaming conventions like Penny Arcade and Blizzcon. He has garnered attention The New York Times, Newsweek, SPIN and The Wall Street Journal, and he was prominently featured in the documentary Nerdcore Rising: The Movie. MC Frontalot’s forthcoming Zero Day finds him displaying a fully realized artistry. The album reveals not only his centrality in the nerdcore movement, but also his resonance outside his genre. The recording features guest appearances by the rock singer-songwriter Mike Doughty and the Daily Show humorist John Hodgman as well as the rappers YTCracker, Dual Core, Schaffer the Darklord and Beefy. Together, they expound on a variety of topics, rhyming over funk and electro beats and eclectic instrumentation, including saxophone, flute, kazoo and a banjolele. The album includes odes to online MMORPG Kingdom of Loathing (“Council of Loathing”), a theme song for author and former Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton (“Your Friend Wil”) as well as self-scrutiny (“A Little Bit Broad” and “Front the Most”). Zero Day also features artwork by graphic novelist Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac).

Frontalot will take his singularly energetic live show, featuring a full band, to cities across the country this spring. An itinerary of confirmed shows is below. More dates will be announced soon.

MC FRONTALOT TOUR DATES

February 7 New York, NY Piano’s
February 8 Allston, MA Harper’s Ferry
February 15 San Francisco, CA Café du Nord
February 20 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
NC Comedy Arts Festival
March 11 New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
March 17 Austin, TX TBD
SXSW Showcase & Panel
March 26 Boston, MA Hynes Convention Center
Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East