The Screamers' founders Tomata du Plenty (born David Xavier Harrigan) and Tommy Gear first collaborated in Seattle in 1975, where they formed the Tupperwares.

The original lineup of the Tupperwares included Tommy Gear (at the time, using the name "Melba Toast"), Tomata du Plenty, and Rio de Janeiro on vocals, backed by Pam Lillig and Ben witz (later of Girls), as well as Bill Rieflin (later of the Blackouts and Ministry)[2] and a teenage Eldon Hoke (later known as "El Duce" of the Mentors).

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro left the band due to creative differences and they added David Brown and drummer K. K. Barrett.

Artist Gary Panter's logo for the band, a stylized cartoon of a screaming head with spiked hair, became one of the most recognizable images to emerge from punk rock.

[3][4][5] Describing a July 1979 performance, music critic Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times focused on "Tomata's extraordinary power on stage."

His performance reflected the nervous, relentless anxiety of someone whose troubles are even deeper... by the end of the 40-minute set, du Plenty has gone through the same disintegration of the human will that we associate with such books as "1984."

At one point, the group determined they would release their debut album only in video form (a highly unusual approach before MTV existed or VCRs were common), and they devoted time and resources to constructing a small movie studio.

Barrett reunited with Roessler to perform several Screamers songs live in late 2000, in tribute to Tomata du Plenty, who had recently died in San Francisco in August 2000.