SCRATCH MAGAZINE
Ruben Blue
Publisher/Editor/Photographer
SCRATCH MAGAZINE
©
1983 - 1986
SCRATCH Magazine was a Weekly Hollywood Rock Fanzine
Published, Edited, and Distributed by Ruben Blue. SCRATCH was originaly started when Ruben was hanging out with Germaine at her and Violet's apartment and discussing how the scene needed some press coverage, so they teamed up with Iris Berry, who lived up on the fourth floor, and the rest is history
Ruben Blue - - - Germaine Pompeii, Violet Liquori, Iris Berry, & Jeff Bozem
Ruben drew the first cover with a felt marker, and bought a Polaroid Camera to take pictures of all the Hollywood scenesters. The first issues were put together on Germaine and Violet's kitchen table. Germaine's friend Allison's mom worked at UCLA,where the pages were copied on the Xerox machine and then stapled together. The next day Ruben went down to Melrose and dropped off stacks at all the cool stores, and then to every club and passed them out to all the cool kids who wanted to see who was in it. After a few issues, Iris, Violet, and Germaine withdrew and it became only Ruben.
Two books now available . . .
SCRATCH MAG 1983 A & B
with every page of SCRATCH
(below are some pages)
SCRATCH was a photojournal of the local Musicians and Bands in Los Angeles, and was distributed to all rock businesses, record companies, record stores, fashion stores on Melrose, Sunset Blvd, Hollywood Blvd, and all local nightclubs throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. SCRATCH continued thru 1986 and featured photos by Ruben Blue, Denise, Moshe Brakha, and David Hermon.
Below are the four "BEST OF" editions with the actual covers on their covers, and some of the issues that followed later
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SCRATCH MAGAZINE
©
was the
FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA
before the internet was even invented
It was also the first "FACEBOOK"
SCRATCH Magazine was a Hollywood "YEARBOOK" of sorts, where all the musicians would see
their gigs, their faces, their friends, and all the new bands
and events around town. Everyone looked for next week's edition to see if their
picture was in it and what the comments would be.
Brenden Mullen & girl - Connie, Merrill & Modi - Chili Peppers w/Michael Stewart
Danny Shades & Christina - David Jove, John Doe, Jane Cantillon
Keith Levine, John Pochna, and Louie Lista - Don Bolles at Rajis
Flea, Nancy, Mark Mothersbaugh, & Ruben - Fur Hillbilly and Janet Cunningham
Matt, Frank Infante, Rodney Bingenheimer, and Clem Burke of Blondie
Germaine and Jeff Bozem - Gexa X & Tomata - Henry & Joseph of Vinyl Fetish
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SCRATCH MAGAZINE
©
was
THE FIRST
To Discover and Cover all the Best Bands
and the Latest Clubs in Los Angeles
Always on the Cutting Edge of Music
Keith Morris of Circle Jerks, Kat of Legal Weapon, Jeff Drake of The Joneses
Lee Ving of Fear, Henry Rollins of Black Flag, and Rozz of Christian Death
Ruben Blue, through SCRATCH Magazine, was first to promote the new "Rap/Scratch/Hip Hop Music that was suddenly all the rage. It was also the reason he named his magazine SCRATCH, and he was a regular at the Rhythm Lounge where all the first rappers started, and then at the RADIO which was actually the first rap club.
Then Ruben started the second rap club ever, the CoCo Club downtown L.A. with J.C. and brought all the old school party hippies, the New Wave and Alternative kids, the Punks, the new Goth Kids that were hanging out at Vinyl Fetish on Melrose and their club, The Fetish Club, and the new Rappers and Scratchers from the Hip Hop scene, together.
The pages of SCRATCH were the glue that tied it all together, plus since Ruben now lived with the Downtown Artists in the arts district, that was now a big part of SCRATCH too. So now add Melrose Fashion Stores to the mix, with SCRATCH promoitng Melrose every issue and producing the first Melrose Fashion Shows, and of course, all the 50s Rockabilly kids from that craze that had already taken over Hollywood, it's clear that SCRATCH Magazine was the nucleus for the explosion that started the greatest music scene ever.
Ruben was also The First to discover, interview, and feature such bands as Guns and Roses, Poison, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, The Blasters, and many more, plus: L.A.s first after-hours clubs, the beginning of Melrose Ave and the famous Hollywood and Sunset Strip clubs
Ruben also organized several large BENEFIT SHOWS for the Zero One Club, Telekin, Keith Morris, and more at the Music Machine, with the help of good ol' English Frank
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Ruben Blue Presents
SCRATCH TV
©
SCRATCH TV was a TV show that featured the First Melrose Fashion Show,
numerous interviews with local bands and celebrities, live professional video shoots of
The Joneses, Tex and the Horseheads, Legal Weapon, The Screaming Sirens, and more,
plus skits and extensive footage of the inner workings of SCRATCH MAGAZINE at the office.
THE SCRATCH VIDEO CLUB was a weekly public event featuring live band shootings and featuring large screen band showcases from the previous week, held at Êat different large venues on Sunset Blvd - 1985-1986
SCRATCH produced over fifteen Hollywood Trivia GAME SHOWS on Communicom public access television featuring Hollywoods most notorious scenesters, and hosted by Ruben Blue
Over thirty SCRATCH TV SHOWS featuring some of the best talent of the past few years
on Communicom CH 34. Ruben has also been mentioned on Two on the Town, Entertainment Tonight, Hour Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, Bam Magazine, the L.A. Weekly, and was an actor in Alan Sackss skate-punk movie THRASHIN in 1985
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Ruben Blue Presents
SCRATCH ART SHOWS
At the Attack Art Gallery on La Cienega Blvd
The Trendiest Art Gallery Street in Los Angeles
SCRATCH Magazine produced and curated ART EXHIBITS at the Attack Art Gallery on La Cienega Blvd, complete with gala openings with red carpets and local celebrities
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Ruben Blue Presents
THE SCRATCH OLYMPICS
THE SCRATCH OLYMPICS was SCRATCH magazine's Hollywood tribute to the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 and featured multitudes of local musicians and bands competing in various sporting events,
and was complete with trophies and ribbons for the winners, held at the famous Pan Pacific Park
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SCRATCH MAGAZINE
Presents
ANGELYNE
SCRATCH was also the first to feature Angeline of Hollywood billboard fame as a Celebrity Hostess at various SCRATCH EVENTS, and published numerous photos of her within its pages.ÊÊ
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Ruben Blue Presents
The Girls of Hollywood
SCRATCH CALENDARS
Early calendars were shot by photographer Moshe Brakha, and later calendars were shot by Ruben Blue. They featured local girls from the rock scene and birthdates of famous musicians as well as local musicians and people involved in the music scene.
MOSHE BRAKHA AND RUBEN BLUE
- - -
BOBBI BRATT AND JENNY PRICE
THE LAME FLAMES - IRIS, MANDY, AND LISA
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SCRATCH inspired and contributed to a story called THE ZERO GENERATION in ROLLING STONE Magazine, which was the first national exposure for the exploding L.A. music scene. Ruben Blue and Dave Thompson organized the story and selected the local characters, who were couples in the LA scene, including Marc Rude and Iris Berry, Modi Frank and Merrill Ward, K.K. and Trudie, Anthony Kiedis and Jennifer, and John James and Penelope Spheeris
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SCRATCH MAGAZINE
Presented
The Weekly Artwork of
Atila Sikora
On The Inside Back Cover From 1984 - 1986
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