Homoerotic Archaeology: Stars (December 1984), Part One

Friday, December 4, 2020

Stars (December 1984), Part One

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, magazine illustrator Mike Miksche, working under the pseudonym Steve Masters, established himself as an underground purveyor of homoerotic imagery. Specializing in uniforms, particularly sailors, and participating in sadomasochistic recordings for the sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, Miksche, like many of his homosexual peers before the Stonewall Riot of 1969, led a double life which proved exhausting, prompting a mental breakdown and eventual suicide. Despite his death, Miksche’s legacy continues and his work paved the foundation for future artists like Etienne and Tom of Finland. This December 1984 issue of Stars (which has been broken into two parts) attests to this influence with a biography and showcase of the artist’s work. Also included in the first half is a spread of cover model Nick Jarrett.

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What is Homoerotic Archaeology?

In 2016, I discovered several discarded boxes at an estate sale. Under their flimsy flaps were hundreds of well-worn issues of homoerotic magazines from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I purchased them out of mild intrigue and, as I perused their pages, I was startled to realize that something commonly disregarded as pornographic smut earnestly chronicled the evolution of gay culture: the social and sexual liberation of the 1970s, the crushing devastation from AIDS during the 1980s, and the gradual strengthening of the community in the 1990s. As a gay man, I was touched by the subtle narrative these publications told. As a historian, I was motivated to digitally preserve their content. And, as an educator, I was driven to create a platform to share that information freely with others interested in the progression of gay society. Homoerotic Archaeology is that venue. Here you will find the advertisements, articles, short stories, and (of course) pictures found in these magazines lovingly preserved and presented for future generations of gay men to enjoy and study.

Why Preserve Homoerotica?

As early as the 1970s, scholars such as June Rook have stressed the need to preserve homosexual history in an effort to combat repression and establish a cultural background for future generations. Much of the preservation process admirably focuses on the substantial works of homosexual artists and thinkers; however, it sadly ignores other elements quintessential to the community’s history, particularly homoerotica. Although frequently labeled obscene filth, homoerotica has, just like the significant creations of artists and thinkers, been a prevalent part of the group’s culture and has played an integral role in shaping identities and perceptions (consider how influential Tom of Finland’s hypermasculinity has been in molding the body ideals of modern gay men). Due to this factor, the conservation of homoerotica is just as essential as the preservation of major artistic and theoretical homosexual works.