D.B.Tarpley's Amazing Ass Blog - Part 5
Greetings people and peoplettes.
I am a Splatterpunk.
It is what I am most comfortable identifying my writing with. And I consider my book Lick the Razor to be a Splatterpunk book. But what exactly is this identifying label I so callously slap on myself and my work?
Splatterpunk—a term coined in 1986 by David J. Schow at the Twelfth World Fantasy Convention in Providence, Rhode Island—refers to a movement within horror fiction distinguished by its graphic, often gory, depiction of violence and "hyper intensive horror with no limits." It is regarded as a revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive horror story".
It is a dated term. The last real point of literary merit for it was an anthology called Splatterpunks II released in 1996. It was this collection, as well as its predecessor Splatterpunks, which first introduced me to the movement.
I aim to bring it back.
For me it means freedom, the ability to push away the fences and to let a story go where it will. I read the stories in those collections and was blown away by the impact their concepts and ideas had on my psyche. I instantly knew that I wanted to make people feel the same with my work.
The term and the movement have come under fire since then and have basically splintered off into other terminologically fractured subgroups. But I have always stuck true to the label as a pure representation of who I am as a writer.
Basic criticism of the movement has come in the form of focusing on the shock and the vileness usually apparent in the remarkably inventive gore. But it is often a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. To my mind’s eye, a true Splatterpunk story has some form of social exposition and the artistic merit should be obvious in the quality of the writing.
I have a tattoo on my right bicep which reads from top to bottom:
____________________________________________________
Splatterpunk
(A symbol composed of a capital "A" and a capital "T" superimposed and made of swords.)
Fornit Sum Fornus
____________________________________________________
Everything I write, every moment I live, every breath I take I strive to be Splatterpunk to the core.
It is that ugly honest thing of beauty which you don’t want to see but which you know you must to regain your sanity. And it was with this great love and care that I crafted the stories of Lick the Razor.
It is my goal that reading them is akin to being surprisingly slapped in the face by a huge meaty erect cock.
Until next time, try to live a Splatterpunk existence and, as always, have an amazing ass day.
D.J. Tarpley's Lick the Razor is available on this website as a downloadable eBook or from other sites such as Amazon, iTunes, etc.
Comments
On Monday, September Sep 2013 Cornelius said...
“Is Jack Ketchum splatterpunk?”
On Monday, September Sep 2013 D.B.Tarpley said...
“While Jack Ketchum is certainly one of the most visceral and disturbing voices in horror today, I would be hard pressed to believe he would describe himself as 'splatterpunk.' There is a certain rock and roll reality that is brought with the form, and it is often fast loose and out of control. Mr. Ketchum's works are very calculated and methodical pieces of art, but not in the splatterpunk vein. Artists of any kind usually hate to label their work and pisgeonhole it as such into any one form or genre even. While not everything I write can be described as splatterpunk it is the movement I most clearly identify myself and my work with.”
On Monday, September Sep 2013 CyrusFoible said...
“Never heard of the term. Is it used for movies too? Haven't sen a decent scary movie all year. Any suggestions? The last decent thing I saw was The Devil's Rejects.”
On Monday, September Sep 2013 D.B.Tarpley said...
“Scary is a subjective term; what scares one person, another person will find funny. But here is a decent list of good horror films within the past several years: Severence The Cottage The Signal Murder Party VHS VHS2 Trick or Treat Aftershock The ABC's of Death Red State Rec (1-3) House of the Devil Tucker and Dale vs Evil The Girl Next Door The Woman The Innkeepers Let the Right One in I Sell the Dead A Serbian Film Irreversible Martyrs Oldboy Audition Frontiers Funny Games(either version.) Just a quick list of the top, but there are many, many more. You just have to seek them out. ”
On Monday, September Sep 2013 Tilda said...
“The French seem to be really good at making gory/scary/torture movies. Don't know where that's come from but I notice you've included Martyrs which got me hooked on the whole scene. There's plenty of others too.”
On Tuesday, October Oct 2013 D.B.Tarpley said...
“Yes Tilda I would agree. The French independant scene has always ridden the edge and so naturally, they will take horror a step further than their American counterparts. Also, the stories are meaner. I think that sometimes helps horror have a bite. Because sometimes bad things happen to good people and they don't get away.”
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