Pogo Dosenbier Patzke has a tough life. His parents are punks and take their punk identity very seriously. For example, Pogo is not allowed to do well in school because that's not what a real punk does. However, Pogo is a clever little guy with good grades, which often leads to trouble at home. Additionally, Pogo is not supposed to eat too neatly, listen to loud music, or ever clean his room. That's when his parents are proud of him. One day, a girl named Vanessa moves in next door with her father. She is a bit strange; she likes to play police officer, is overly correct, constantly complains, and writes self-made tickets for all sorts of things. It turns out that Vanessa's father is actually a police officer - "the natural enemy of every good punk," as Pogo's father always emphasizes. This creates a lot of potential for conflict in the neighborhood.