''fab'' was a Canadian

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

that published biweekly issues in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario from 1994 to 2013. It published alternate weeks to the city's other biweekly gay publication, ''

Xtra! ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'' The publication's official spelling uses a lower-case F: ''fab''.

History

''fab'' was established in June 1994 by No Fear Publishing,"RIP Fab Magazine (1994-2013)"
''

NOW Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Na ...

'', March 12, 2013. originally as a publication focusing primarily on the city's gay party and club scene. In 1996, ''fab'' also launched a national edition, known as ''FAB National'' to distinguish itself from the local Toronto publication. The national magazine struggled to build an audience, and was sold in 1998; its new owners ceased publication of the magazine within a few months. In 2006, under editor-in-chief, Steven Bereznai, ''FabStyle'' — a special issue devoted to fashion and design — was launched as a quarterly publication. However, only two issues were ever produced. In February 2008,

Pink Triangle Press Pink Triangle Press is an independent, Canadian media organization specializing in LGBTQ2S+ journalism, television and online interactive media. Founded in 1971, Pink Triangle Press is one of the longest-publishing LGBTQ2S+ media groups in the wo ...

publishers of ''

'', ''

Xtra! West ''Xtra Vancouver'' (), formerly ''Xtra! West'', was a gay bi-weekly newspaper, published by Pink Triangle Press in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Printed on newsprint in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format from its establishment in ...

'' and '' Capital Xtra!''purchased the assets of ''fab''. The magazine began publishing under the PTP banner in March 2008. Due to downsizing efforts, Pink Triangle Press announced the magazine's discontinuation on March 12, 2013; the magazine's April 24, 2013, issue was its last."Fab magazine to close, gays across GTA dress in black"
''fab'', March 12, 2013. Its past web content and many of its contributors were expected to be integrated into DailyXtra.com, an expansion of ''Xtra!s online presence which debuted later in the year.

Content

Described as a "gay scene magazine", ''fab'' covered popular Toronto gay culture, including music and clubbing. Feature articles are usually news-related and deal with literature, AIDS, real estate, music, and other current-affairs topics. Photo spreads were common, and ''fab'' covers typically feature sexy and provocative male models. Covers also occasionally featured a public figure, when a major feature interview with that person appeared in the magazine — David Miller appeared on the cover in a leather jacket,

Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian politician and academic who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on T ...

and

Olivia Chow Olivia Chow (born March 24, 1957) is a Canadian politician who has been the 66th and current mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Previously, Chow served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina fro ...

appeared together flanked by a

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

officer in dress leathers, and

Julian Fantino Julian Fantino, , (; born August 13, 1942) is a Canadian retired police official and former politician. He was the Conservative Party of Canada Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-ele ...

posed in his police uniform with a row of otherwise anonymous models dressed as

The Village People ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

.Issue 252
Exclusive celebrity covers have also included musicians

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

, Blake McGrath,

Joel Gibb Joel W. Gibb (born 28 January 1977) is a Berlin-based Canadian artist and singer-songwriter who leads the "gay church folk" group The Hidden Cameras. He was born in Kincardine, Ontario. Career His first involvement with the music scene was a ...

Neko Case Neko Richelle Case ( ; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case's singing voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower", "a pow ...

and

Hawksley Workman Hawksley Workman (born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...

, actors Kate Moennig, Scott Thompson,

Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings. After beginn ...

and Adamo Ruggiero, and local activists

George Hislop George Hislop (June 3, 1927 – October 8, 2005) was one of Canada's most influential gay activists. He was one of the earliest openly gay candidates for political office in Canada, and was a key figure in the early development of Toronto's ga ...

and Brent Hawkes.

Editors

The magazine had several editors prior to 1998, then John Kennedy took over. Over the next four years, he increased readership and advertising revenues. After 100 issues, Kennedy was replaced by Mitchel Raphael in 2002; Raphael left the magazine in January 2006 and was replaced by Steven Bereznai. In April 2007, Bereznai stepped down and was replaced by Paul Gallant. With the purchase of ''fab'' by Pink Triangle Press in February 2008, Gallant was replaced by Matt Thomas and Drew Rowsome. The magazine's final editor, Phil Villeneuve, started in 2012.

Contributors

At different times during its run, ''fab'''s regular columnists included Rolyn Chambers, Drasko Bogdanovic, Daniel Paquette, Paul Bellini, Max MacDonald, Heroine Marks, Todd Klinck,

Nina Arsenault Nina Arsenault (born January 20, 1974) is a Canadian performance artist, freelance writer, and former sex worker who works in theatre, dance, video, photography, and visual art. Early life Arsenault grew up in a trailer park in Beamsville, Ont ...

, Richard Burnett and Brad Fraser.

Distribution

The magazine was distributed as a free publication in Toronto,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, and was available in some other Canadian cities for a cover price of $4.50 per issue.

References

External links

''fab''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fab (Magazine) 1990s LGBTQ literature 2000s LGBTQ literature 1994 establishments in Ontario 2013 establishments in Ontario Biweekly magazines published in Canada Defunct LGBTQ-related magazines published in Canada Defunct magazines published in Toronto LGBTQ-related magazines published in Toronto Defunct gay men's magazines Magazines established in 1994 Magazines disestablished in 2013