Hot Male Review (December 1988), Part One

Beginning in 1986 and ending in 1999, Hot Male Review was among the many of Casey Klinger’s publications, the ranks of which included Dream, Jock, and Torso. While Jock and Torso experienced relatively long lives, Dream and Hot Male Review did not, with the latter’s demise, despite its re-branding in the early 1990s to a more simplified and trendy abbreviation of HMR, caused primarily by its inability to separate itself from the bevy of other magazines offering the same exact content. This December 1988 issue (which has been broken into two parts) is proof of that, with the first half offering photo spreads of models Douglas Faber, Christopher Lance, and Rex White, many of whom have appeared in other publications.

Torso (November 1989), Part Two

Breaking from his usual erotic fiction, Perry Brass’ contribution to the November 1989 issue of Torso (which had been broken into two parts) provides a breakdown of basic dating manners for gay men and, during the discussion, offers a Marxist examination of how etiquette is a social construct utilized to deliberately separate the upper and lower classes. When paired with the issue’s seven photo spreads (four of which are featured in this second half), the piece, although touching on an intriguing concept, is fairly out of place; however, it’s reminiscent of the more intellectual articles found in homoerotic magazines during the 1970s, as the publications, along with other facets of the community, worked to establish a sense of gay identity. 

Torso (November 1989), Part One

Breaking from his usual erotic fiction, Perry Brass’ contribution to the November 1989 issue of Torso (which has been broken into two parts) provides a breakdown of basic dating manners for gay men and, during the discussion, offers a Marxist examination of how etiquette is a social construct utilized to deliberately separate the upper and lower classes. When paired with the issue’s seven photo spreads (three of which are featured in this first half), the piece, although touching on an intriguing concept, is fairly out of place; however, it’s reminiscent of the more intellectual articles found in homoerotic magazines during the 1970s, as the publications, along with other facets of the community, worked to establish a sense of gay identity.