The magazine includes this disclaimer on Chunklet.com: "Chunklet comes out with little regard to a set schedule only because the contributors are busy with their other activities such as being in bands, work, family, putting out records, habitual laziness, television, our lord and savior Jesus Christ and internet porn.
Content generally includes interviews with comedians and indie rock musicians, tour diaries, cartoons, prank correspondence, satirical essays, lists, hipster how-to guides, and advice columns.
Some issues contained premiums like CDs, 7" singles, or in the case of Chunklet 17, blank checks made out to "Your Shitty Band."
Owings cites three main comedic and visual influences: Dave Eggers’ Might magazine, MAD, and National Lampoon.
Musically, Owings says the fanzines Conflict (published by Matador Records co-owner Gerard Cosloy), Siltbreeze Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, Forced Exposure, Your Flesh, Touch and Go, Slash and Search and Destroy "were all I ever cared about."
In a 2008 interview with Rob Harvilla in the Village Voice, Owings explained, "I think we live in a time right now, especially with the Internet, and especially with comment sections on blogs, where everybody can take their potshots—everybody can post anonymously and get their dig in.
"[3] Harvilla further explains, "To create the illusion that you hate everything, you have to know everything, and if you're bothered enough to know everything, then you actually must love everything… Henry likens a Chunklet insult to a "Weird Al" Yankovic homage: Grit your teeth and take it as a compliment."
Owings lifted the name Chunklet from an ice machine next to which the redneck proprietor was receiving a mani-pedi from his wife and daughter at a run-down convenience store west of Athens.
[4] By 2003, as Chunklet celebrated its tenth anniversary, Owings developed hipster ennui with respect to the "regular" rock or indie circuit and expanded his scope to include the budding alternative comedy movement.
The Chunklet 10th anniversary party "was where a lot of the stars aligned" as comedians Patton Oswalt, David Cross, and Greg Behrendt were on the bill.
Henry Owings: Heimlich the Bastard, Lisa Brown: Noser, John Burrows: Jason Slatton, Jerry Fuchs: Dinglefairy, Jezz Thorpe: Lucky Ducky.
In addition to his work as a freelance journalist and magazine publisher, Henry Owings is a prolific concert promoter (with over 1,000 shows to his credit), label owner (releasing albums by Olivia Tremor Control, Servotron, Oblivians, Man… Or Astro-man?, The Minders, Azusa Plane, I Am Spoonbender), tour manager (Comedians of Comedy, Man... or Astro-man?, Servotron) and Grammy-nominated graphic designer and record producer.
Chunklet 20: "The Last Magazine Ever Printed" contains a best-of feature with photos from matches with The Arcade Fire, Torche, The Hold Steady, Mogwai, Death Cab for Cutie, Magnolia Electric Co., Deerhunter, Isis, Les Savy Fav, Swearing at Motorists, The Black Lips, The Shins, Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins, Underoath, Qui, Battles, Fatal Flying Guillotines, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
The following bands have actually performed concerts at Whirlyball Atlanta: The Black Lips, Dark Meat, Diplo, Noot D'Noot, Fatal Flying Guiloteens, Mogwai, Growing, Torche, Melvins with David Yow, Big Business, Les Savy Fav, Liverhearts, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Birds of Avalon, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Coffin Bound, Carbonas, The Coathangers, The Selmanaires, Deerhunter, Monotonix, Matt & Kim, The NEC, All The Saints and Man… or Astro-man?
Comedians of Comedy 3" CDs (OOP) One 3" CD each from Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn, and Eugene Mirman.
Second Anniversary: October, 1995 Venue: The Landfill, Athens, GA Performers: The Olivia Tremor Control, Thee Speaking Canaries, Joe Christmas Third Anniversary: August 31, 1996 Venue: Q-Zar Laser Tag (Athens) Performers: Servotron Tenth Anniversary: April 1–3, 2003 Venue: 40 Watt Club Performers: Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Greg Behrendt, Har Mar Superstar, Oxes, Neal Pollack Thirteenth Anniversary: October 27–28, 2006 Venue: Variety Playhouse, WhirlyBall Atlanta and the 40 Watt Club Performers: Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt, Harvey Milk, Melvins with David Yow, Big Business, Elf Power, puppet show Fifteenth Anniversary: October 10–11, 2008 Venue: 40 Watt Club Performers: Brent Weinbach, Brian Posehn, Deerhunter, Gentleman Jesse and his Men, Twin Tigers, Mastodon