Decker moved from Monroe, N.Y., to San Diego in 1986. He worked as a bouncer, D.J. and M.C. at The Bacchanal. His passion for writing and music led him to start writing professionally for SLAMM magazine in 1988.

Decker has written for The San Diego Reader, The Union-Tribune, No Cover Magazine, Modern Drunkard Magazine, Smash Magazine and dozens of alternative weeklies around the country. During his journalism career, he has interviewed musicians and artists such as Henry Rollins, Tenacious D, Al Jourgenson (of Ministry) and Gary Numan, he said. However, it was his time as a bartender and master of ceremonies that provided fodder for what would become the CityBEAT staple. Sordid Tales of a Bartender in Heat first appeared in the monthly music magazine, SLAMM iin March of 1997, according to Decker's Web site, www.edwindecker.com.

The column originally told of bar scene misadventures and comedic stories, said Decker. When San Diego CityBEAT bought SLAMM, the column expanded its scope to include local and national topics and the title shortened to Sordid Tales.

"It became a column about the world from the bartender's eyes. It's highly satirical and on the fringe [since] bartenders tend to be fringe citizens," Decker said.

Through his column, Decker has tackled issues such as gay marriage, eminent domain and religion. He unabashedly pokes fun at the absurdity of society with a dry wit that has made him the object of death threats from time to time, he said. An advocate of individual liberties and free speech, Decker pushes the boundaries of social issues. When most political commentators would handle sensitive topics like homophobia with surgical tact, Decker's affinity for political incorrectness reads like a refreshing dose of blunt force trauma.

The Nov. 2 column pushed the envelope with a searing, insulting, inflammatory and profane rant against President George W. Bush and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for embedding an anti-online gambling measure in a port security bill. But behind the incendiary language lies a well-crafted message, which is the whole point of the column. It's not just fluff.

His liberal viewpoints have gotten him in trouble with the anti-defamation league, he said. Yet pushing the boundaries to get people thinking is what Decker is all about.

I would rather you hate [my work] than just not care about it," he said.

Decker has recently reduced his Sordid Tales workload from a weekly to a biweekly column to accommodate his other writing endeavors, including Barzilla It has given him the time he needed to finish his two novels, he said.

However, Decker hasn't completely left the bar scene for the book club. He can still be found working as the karaoke M.C. on Tuesdays at 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach.

For more information on obtaining a copy of Barzilla through Puna Press, visit www.punapress.com. To read Sordid Tales, visit www.sdcitybeat.com.
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