Alan Abel Hoax

Press Release

Alan Abel (19224-2018) was a serial American prankster who concocted many personas and aliases to infiltrate traditional news media. He first gained international attention for creating and promoting the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (SINA) in the late 1950s. SINA was widely covered in newspapers, wire services and major media outlets, including CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. Abel's SINA co-conspirators included Jeanne Abel, his wife, and the then-unknown actor/screenwriter Buck Henry, who portrayed G. Clifford Prout, the organization's fervent leader.

Hoax compiles select documentation of some of Abel's best hoaxes alongside his uproarious undercover appearances on talk shows and other televised platforms. In addition to this video, CvsD will present a sampling of Alan Abel's archive in the McPhee, focusing on original materials related to the SINA campaign. This screening and selection of ephemera is presented in conjunction with the release of a comprehensive book entitled Inside SINA The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, edited by Andrew Lampert, with text by Alan and Jeanne Abel. Available here at the gallery and at a fine bookstore near you.

Various dates, various sources, various media, 56:12 min