Brutarian is a popular culture magazine first published in the USA in 1991 by Dominick J. Salemi, in collaboration with New York artist Jarrett Huddleston. It's name is a play on the philosophy of "art brut" (raw art) as defined by Jean Dubuffet, and hence it focuses very much on fringe and alternative sub-cultures. After publishing the first issue in 1991, Salemi purchased a mailing list and distributed 1,500 copies per issue free in an attempt to build a niche market for the magazine. It has since been picked up by such major distributors as Tower Records, Desert Moon, and Ubiquity.
In addition to articles and interviews, Brutarian regularly included short fiction stories by authors such as Dennis Etchiso, Graham Joyce, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Dedman, Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little, and T.M. Wright. The themes have ranged across most fiction genres, including science fiction, horror and fantasy. Another feature of the magazine has been its liberal use of cartoons included single-panel cartoons, comic strips, and multi-page comics done in a comic book or graphic novel way, very often with very mature or adult themes.
Among the array of people interviewed for Brutarian were rock and punk music artists and bands from the virtually unknown to internationally famous acts like Iggy Pop, Kiss and The Cramps. Others included John Carpenter, John Waters, Michael Moorcock, Clive Barker, Al Adamson, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
The Ubiquity Magazines website describes Brutarian in 2011 as "the last word in bad taste" and a "Mad magazine for adults." It goes on to note: "Brutarain is a sardonic guide to the seamy and unseemly underbelly of pop culture. Showcasing the work of some of the finest comic satirists in the country, it draws upon the talents of writers from publications ranging from Wrestling World (the ridiculous) to the Village Voice (the sublime), as well as on an array of renowned cartoonists. Brutarian is the magazine to read if you want to help yourself to what's wild, weird and wonderful in the world of art, literature, film and music" (ctd. "Brutarian").
