SCAB is an online literary/art journal focusing more on a certain atmosphere and certain topics than on specific literary genres or art styles.
It is interested in pieces that are hard to define, pieces that are experimental, self-analytic, wild, heavy and generally fucked-up, one way or another. Erotic, especially homoerotic, pornographic and/or queer content is more than welcome. So is anything by or about junkies, prostitutes, people battling mental and/or emotional disturbances, etc.
The first issue came out in September 2017. It can be downloaded for free here: https://scabmag.wordpress.com/issues/
As the issue speaks for itself, it’d probably be quite pointless to try and explain the above mentioned “atmosphere”. Instead, I decided to put together a little collection of the things and persons serving as forever-inspiration when I think about and work on SCAB. Obviously, the list keeps growing and growing but some core elements remain. Here goes.
PERSONS
Brian Molko
Elias Bender Rønnenfelt
Danny Noriega/Adore Delano
Sylvester Ulv
Richey Edwards
MUSIC
Slackerbitch – Placebo
Wrong – Depeche Mode
Hustler’s Tango – Lewis Furey
If You Think This Song Is About You It Probably Is – D.R.U.G.S.
Lover I Don’t Have to Love – Bright Eyes
Car Crash – Courtney Love
Dead Finks Don’t Talk – Brian Eno
Untrust Us – Crystal Castles
The Rubberbandits – Dad’s Best Friend
I’m Alright (You Gotta Go There to Come Back) – Stereophonics
You Know You’re Right – Nirvana
This performance of Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
MOVIES AND CHARACTERS FROM MOVIES/SERIES
the absolute entirety of Suicide Room (dir. Jan Komasa)
Jarrod from Gummo (dir. Harmony Korine)
Like Cattle Towards Glow (dir. Zac Farley, Dennis Cooper)
Body Without Soul (dir. Wiktor Grodecki)
The Basketball Diaries (dir. Scott Kalvert)
Heaven Knows What (dir. Benny & Josh Safdie)
Candy (dir. Neil Armfield)
Tom from Tom á la Ferme (dir. Xavier Dolan)
Party Monster – The Shockumentary (dir. Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato)
Velvet Goldmine (dir. Todd Haynes)
Jesse D’Amato from the series ‘In Treatment’
BOOKS & CHARACTERS FROM BOOKS & 1 CHARACTER FROM A MANHWA
Dennis Cooper – The Sluts
Kris Kidd – I Can’t Feel My Face
Kathy Acker – Blood and Guts in High School
S. Westwood – Suicide Junkie
Juliet Escoria – Witch Hunt
Zachary German – Eat When You Feel Sad
Nikki Sixx – The Heroin Diaries
Julian from Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Yoon Bum from Killing Stalking by Koogi
ARTISTS & ART
Christin Pietzko (https://christinpietzko.tumblr.com/)
Blame201 (http://blame201.tumblr.com/)
YDK Morimoe or xhxix or Hi (http://xhxix.tumblr.com/)
RANDOM
MORE ABOUT SCAB HERE
https://scabmag.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/SCAB_Magazine
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p.s. Hey. We have a super treat of a weekend what with the blog being given over to the birth of and introduction to the great writer, editor, and distinguished local Dóra Grőber’s new online literary magazine SCAB. You can check it out via a link up there and also pleasure yourself by exploring some of SCAB’s muses. It’s a really great project/magazine if you haven’t foraged through it yet, and I encourage you to do that this weekend for your own benefits. And please share comments, thoughts, reactions, or anything with Dóra between now and Monday, okay? Thank you! And thank you for the tremendous honor, D! ** Armando, Hi. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi, David. Dima’s a sweetie. And, yes, what a paragraph. Some of these guys could be great experimental writers if they weren’t so busy with other things. Yes, RIP Harry Dean Stanton. It’s one of those things one knew was inevitable and not so far in the future but which it really seemed like he could magically avoid. A legend. ** Steve Erickson, Hi, Steve. Eek, 100 reggae albums. I’d have to bring some garlic and a cross with me into your apartment. Yeah, I just can’t stand the stuff. But, yes, I do like dub. The more experimental sort at least. I think I’m seeing ‘Good Time’ tomorrow, so, if I do, I’ll report back. Ha ha, you think guys should be model gays even when they’re having fantasy sex? Ah, cut ’em some slack, Steve. They’re just exploring. ** Sypha, And think how far his tongue would stick out if you were his longed-for choking daddy? No, I’m not a big fan of ‘Salo’, you’re right. ** Dóra Grőber, Hi! There it is! I hope I put it together okay. Thank you so, so much again! I’m thrilled that the blog can play a small part in the momentous occasion. How cool about you being interviewed. Please give me and everyone an alert as soon as that’s online if it’s going online. Yesterday was, yes, sound work city, and, yes, it went well. Now it’s becoming the time to externally add some sounds that are missing like … the sound of three guys playing a video game together on Nintendo DSes, the sound of a piñata blowing in the wind, etc. etc. So we’ll bring in props for those. And it’s also time to call in two of the actors who need to re-record some lines from a scene that takes place by/in a river and where the recorded sound is unusable. Stuff like that. It’s getting there. How are you spending your weekend? I hope ecstatically. Tell me what happened. And I hope the blog part of your weekend is a great pleasure. ** _Black_Acrylic, Good eye, man. And good eyes, etc. regarding your ultra-successful driving lesson! What’s up with and for you this weekend? ** Dries, Hi, Dries. Welcome. You can get in touch with me by email at denniscooper72@outlook.com. Take care. ** Misanthrope, Hi. Crepes were kind of a fad in the US, oh, thirty years ago? There used to be several big chain restaurants whose thing was crepes. And then they all went defunct at about the same time, I don’t know why. Crepes are staple-like. I must have taken you guys to the ‘best crepes in Paris’ place. I think they’re considered best because they’re unusually huge. I’d love your mac ‘n’ cheese, naturally, but, yes, no shellfish please for god’s sake. Have a huge blast at the concert, and let me know how it was. ** Damien Ark, Hi, Damien! It’s excellence itself to see you, my friend! That last slaves post was a lucky one, I think, yeah. What you wrote made sense, and I agree. Wow, you are insanely busy. How are you managing all of that? I consider myself crazy busy right now, but my busyness is milquetoast relatively. 85% done is pretty good. When you get that far, finishing is an inevitability. Really exciting to hear that, man. I’m good. We’re in the final phase of work on the film, doing the sound editing and mixing. Then it’ll be complete in a couple of weeks, although we’ll need to do sundry stuff like make a trailer and blah blah. It’s all good. The film is fucking great, I swear to god. You take too, okay? And come back soon. ** Right. Begin or continue luxuriating in Dora’s magazine and its tentacles. Thanks. See you on Monday.
Now available in North America 
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I was half joking. My own fantasy life is pretty politically incorrect, although I’m not going to go into detail about it here.
@Steve Erickson
“I find this ironic because I wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about how we need to get to a culture where politicians can talk honestly about their drug use.”
And yet when someone does exactly that your reaction is to compare the situation to stupid songs; even when that someone isn’t addressing you at all… Very, very “ironic” indeed…
“You’re putting words in my mouth.”
No, I did not.
“what you said really did remind me of rappers who do lyrics like “I’m popping molly, Xanax, percs, sipping lean” etc. constantly”
Yeah, that’s not my fault or concern or business at all and it says a whole lot more about you than me. I don’t talk “constantly” about my drug use whatsoever, and the quantities and strength of the drugs I regularly use are nowhere near those of the drugs your “rappers” sing about. The quantities of drugs I took the other day are not representative of the doses I use regularly. I did it because my mental state was quite bad with my severe, suicidal depression, severe anxiety, PTSD and whatnot, and I’m still suffering the consequences. Maybe you should just focus on minding your own business (in that original post, I was *OBVIOUSLY* addressing Dennis; *NOT* you) and living in real life in the real world, not in the stupid songs of stupid rappers whom anyone with the slightest bit of common sense can tell are lying about their supposed drug use/abuse.
Please don’t talk about, address or mention me ever again. Thank you.
LOOKIN’ GOOD DORA!
Thank you so much!!
Dora Grober, I’m liking what I see a lot. I’m very happy for you getting this out into the world. Thanks for it. I also see that we like a lot of the same things. Btw, what’s up with Molko these days? Last I heard, he was a father and all.
Dennis, Thanks, Big D. I’ll give you a full report.
I’m such a weird dude sometimes. Whenever I have anything planned -a concert, travel, a night out, etc.- I’m filled with dread until it’s happening. Then I get there and my first thought is, “I can’t wait to get home.” Then I end up having a really great time, finally get back home, and am very happy that I did it. I don’t know why, every “event” is like that for me.
I often wonder why some of your stuff -the theater pieces and such- haven’t been done in DC. Lots of art venues, some of which are pretty progressive. Bernard would know better than I what they’re really like around here, of course. Maybe they’re just not artsy and progressive enough.
Thank you so much!! I’m really glad you like it and it’s especially uplifting that there are more of us out there drawn to the elements of what I call the “SCAB atmosphere”!
Honestly, I don’t really know much about Brian’s personal life. I do know he’s a father, yes, but that’s about it. I went to a Placebo gig last year – he seemed pretty high and/but the show was phenomenal. One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Downloaded mine a few days ago Dora, yet to read but will. Congrats and stick at it!
J
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll like what you read!!
Dora, SCAB looks great. Congratulations.
I see it’s the thing to make art projects in the form of escort profiles, Dennis. (I think.) A Brian Eno fan! The Haunted House boy badly needs a guestbook entry; perhaps you could arrange something when you’re in LA?
In case no one has noted, sugarb0y’s pic is actually by the Norwegian photographer Torbjørn Rødland:
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/art/torbjorn-rodland-turns-the-inside-out
I think it’s called Midlife Crisis.
It’s been a grueling week. And I have to start preparing for a little gig coming up soon. Yikes.
Bill
Thank you so much!!
@ Dora, congratulations on the birth of your zine! I’ve been dipping into SCAB since it was first posted earlier this week and I love what you’ve done. Kudos for using Party Monster – The Shockumentary as a reference also.
@ DC, my weekend’s been kind of a quiet one. Was trying to organise a Yuck ‘n Yum video conference thing but everyone happens to be scattered all over the world right now – South Africa, Florida, Venice, Skye… but most of us congregate at the Vision building in Dundee on the 29th, so I look forward to that.
Did Tai Chi this morning and then followed the football. Leeds lost to Millwall but wait, it’s the 1st defeat in 8 games and the 1st goal conceded in 800 minutes so we’re still top of the league.
I was prescribed some steroids by my MS nurse and got them in the post today. I’ll pick them up from the chemist’s next week, apparently they can cause insomnia so I’ve to take them first thing in the morning for 5 days. The main doctor guy reckons there’s a good chance they’ll have no effect at all but I figure hey, may as well give it a shot.
Thank you so much!! I’m glad you love it!! And oh yes – The Shockumentary is a rich and endless source of inspiration! I first saw the other Party Monster (starring Macaulay Culkin) and it wasn’t entirely what I was looking for. Then I watched The Shockumentary. And it was.
Hey Dennis, I’m 30 pages into Pinocchio in Venice, after your Coover day. I’m afraid I may be missing a lot of the jokes; I’ve never read the original Pinocchio, and only have a vague memory of Death in Venice. Should I do my homework first?
Bill
Hi!
First of all, thank you so so so much for this opportunity! It’s an absolute honor and I’m beyond grateful and proud! Truly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
And also: thank you to everyone who commented! I’m thrilled to see so many of you found SCAB noteworthy and interesting enough to pick up! Thank you!!
“The sound of a piñata blowing in the wind” – I love this so much, I mean what an awesome tiny detail of your job, haha! Working with some of the actors again after all the meticulous and admittedly “reclusive” work you’ve done so far will be a welcome refreshment – or at least I would think so. Are you looking forward to it?
Honestly, yes. My weekend revolved around SCAB, almost entirely, and I am ecstatic. So many people contacted me to tell me they like it and I’ve already received new submissions for the second issue too! I couldn’t be happier! Truly, Dennis, thank you so much for all this!
I hope your weekend was just as thrilling and awesome! What happened?
Congrats Dora – just caught the Nirvana video – I had never seen that one before – wow! Loved it!
Dennnis, thought 2 or 3 times about going to Brooklyn today for the Book Fair…Mark Doten and others will discuss David Lynch’s influence in a panel…wish I could be there, but can’t miss a nice afternoon in the park…I’ve been so busy there.
Thanks for giving the shout out the other day.
Thank you!! I’m glad you loved the Nirvana video – it’s one of my all-time favorites!
Barbara Steele pays tribute to Curtis Harrington
@Dora:
congratulations on the new magazine !! i look forward to going through this in the next few days. i liked the pornographic/sexual aspect of some of the stories and poems — i don’t always read too much of that in literary magazines, and i think it’s cool to see. i’ll keep my eye out for the next issue !! it looks really cool
@Dennis:
hi !! how’s the film going? what do u think is the most boring aspect of making a movie, if there is one?
earlier today i was listening to some recordings of Burroughs reading parts of naked lunch and other books, he had such an amazing reading voice. did u ever see him read? who do u think is the most impressive/coolest reader that u ever saw? i guess that could be kind of a double sided question, b/c that could mean who was the coolest writer that u saw in person, or it could mean who was the best performer. anyway i would have liked to see burroughs read, but i’m glad he made all those recordings. (some of them are kind of corny but) his voice is so distinctive and it fills out the writing so much.
hope everything is going well !! sending hugs, take care
Dora – This looks great! It’s going to be keeping me company on my morning commute for the next couple of days. Congratulations! Love the format of the launch post too. Slackerbitch is a blast from the past!
Dennis – Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was spent checking out a load of new art shows.
Wow, what a pleasant atmosphere in one of the few places on-line I considered anything approaching a “safe space” right now, especially considering I’ve discussed my problems with addiction and mental health at great length here!
I saw Frederick Wiseman’s EX LIBRIS tonight. It’s typically great. What I didn’t expect is that a film about the New York public library would be as much about racism as GET OUT and about technology as MARJORIE PRIME. Wiseman really shows how the modern library system has expanded to cover a huge range of functions, including providing a platform and space for everyone from Richard Dawkins to Elvis Costello to a group of African-American activists discussing wildly inaccurate history textbooks. He also suggests how the library is keeping pace within a world where everyone is addicted to technology – librarians discuss the merits of E-books and how many they should buy. There are zero images of people checking out conventional books here, but many scenes of writers of all sorts talking about their work. Wiseman has started focusing on institutions he actually thinks are benevolent over the past 10-15 years, and scenes like the angry rants of WELFARE seem to be well into his past. The film’s 3 hours and 20 minutes fly by.
Although I’ve already seen three films playing in the New York Film Festival, official press screenings begin tomorrow, and I’m seeing “Berlin School” director Valeska Grishebach’s WESTERN, which Michael Sicinski called a masterpiece on Twitter and said was “like BEAU TRAVAIL, but prose not poetry.”
Hey,
How are you? How’s the sound editing going? Any plans for today besides that?
I’m really sorry; I’m pretty sure I’ve asked you this before, but I’m stupid and shit. What was your movie’s budget if you don’t mind me asking?
Well, the *KUBRICK* retrospective is over. It closed with ‘The Shining’. It’s things like these that prevent me from killing myself.
Saw ‘The Turin Horse’ again the other day. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it. Definitely around 25; maybe more. I’d like to watch it once a week.
So, ‘The Sluts’ has to be your longest novel ever, right? Do you, by any chance, know/remember what the word count is?
What’s the longest novel you’ve ever read AND liked?
If you don’t mind I’d like to ask you something I’m dying to know. What’s my revered Benning’s ‘Measuring Change’ like???
Take good care,
Good day; good luck,
Your friend,
A.