Homoerotic Archaeology

Friday, November 8, 2019

Playgirl (November 1983), Part One

End-of-the-year reviews, where publishers highlight the best features offered in the magazine’s year-long span of issues, are a popular concept in the publishing world. Although Playgirl did not intentionally market itself as a gay-themed magazine, its regular showcase of nude men generated a gay audience that helped boost its popularity, readership, and sales. Offered here – and in the two upcoming posts – is the 1983 recap, which exhibits a range of nudes, from Missing Persons' lead guitarist Warren Cuccurullo to the Benson twins.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Blueboy (November 1984)

In the late 1960s, Wakefield Poole and his partner, Peter Schneckenburger, began experimenting with multi-modal artistry which led to an exhibition at the Triton Gallery in New York and, in 1971, the release of the pornographic film Boys in the Sand. The following year, the feature was joined by another movie, Bijou, which established Poole as a pioneer director in the realm of gay pornography. Although the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s prompted the artist to abandon the field, he did create a sequel to his famed initial production in 1984, Boys in the Sand II, an advertisement for which is found in the November 1984 issue of Blueboy. In addition to an advertisement for Boys in the Sand II, the issue also features advertisements for the Sheer Delight Sheet Company's sensual sheet and a video recording of the 1984 Blueboy Man-of-the-Year contest along with photo spreads of models Bill, Cody, Robbie, and Tony.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Mandate (October 1976)

The October 1976 issue of Mandate is filled with artistic showcases, from the poster art of Richard Bernstein and the songwriting of Rick Kinscherg to the dancing of Don Crawford and the rising stage career of Robert Nuzum. Two major points of interest are the second half of an article on cinema’s portrayal of homosexuality and a photo spread of Marco Mann, who also appeared in the August 1980 issue of Playguy. Additionally, this issue presents advertisements for Falcon and Man's Image along with a photographic celebration of construction workers.

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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.