Wonderland Burlesque

Monday, November 24, 2025

Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 221 - Rough Trade Part, 3 of 19

Acquired Tastes XLIII:

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 221

Rough Trade

Part 3 of 19

Today, we take another look at the Rough Trade imprint.

Brought to you by the good people at Star Distributors, LTD., the Rough Trade imprint published 224 titles, from 1974-1990. Star Distributors, LTD. operated out of a P.O. Box at the Canal Street Station in New York City.

The imprint's numbering system begins with RT-401, and continues thusly. The book number only appears on the spine of the book.

All the books feature the imprint's distinctive Rough Trade logo in the upper left of the book's cover. The books cover design consists of an all-caps (typically) title in a banner of orange or baby blue near the top. A frame is created by two white stripes descending from the top banner to a thin banner (orange or baby blue) containing the word 'Illustrated' - for the books are, with drawings throughout. At the center of the cover there is an explicit illustration - some ink/pencil, some woodcut/etching - all by various popular gay artists of the time, including Craig Esposito, Adam, Michael, etc.

Oddly, the early books in the series do not have a publisher's page. Price point for the books began at 2.25 and increased (by various increments) to $3.95. Typically, you can buy these books today for between $25-45.

The back covers sometimes feature a synopsis of the book to entice readers or advertisement for one of Star Distributors' other imprints. Ads also appear at the front or back of the book - offering books, videos, and sex toys.

Here are the next dozen titles. I came up short once this week. And there are a couple of quality control issues I have to point out.

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Sweetass Little Brother

Author: Ken Brewster

Rough Trade

1975

RT-425

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Teenage Rider

Author: Brad Rulen

Rough Trade

1975

RT-426

(Cover not found.)

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The Brotherhood

Author: Gregg Diamond

Rough Trade

1975

RT-427

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Road Gang

Author: Paul Eberhard

Rough Trade

1975

RT-428

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Chicken Delight

Author: Stuart Bernard

Rough Trade

1975

RT-429

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Sergeant's Boys

Author: Chuck Spinner

Rough Trade

1975

RT-430

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Boy Masters

Author: Harry Steele

Rough Trade

1975

RT-431

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Hot Hole Boys Club

Author: Bruce Churchill

Rough Trade

1975

RT-432

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Dirt Bike Orgy

Author: Perry Vance

Rough Trade

1975

RT-433

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Boot Licking Slave

Author: George Wilson

Rough Trade

1975

RT-434

The name Barth Pannard is listed as author on the spine.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Hard Loving Brothers

Author: Len Sabin

Rough Trade

1975

RT-435

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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Highway Humpers

Author: David Glenn

Rough Trade

1974

RT-436

The name Smokey Mimms is listed as author on cover.

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And that's all for now...

Up next: a dozen more tantalizing titles from the Rough Trade imprint.

Until then...

Thanks for reading!

Yo, Little Brother - Nolan Thomas

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Wonderland Burlesque's Down The Rabbit Hole: Flip The Frog Part 4 of 5

Wonderland Burlesque's

Down The Rabbit Hole:

Flip The Frog

Part 4 of 5

Down The Rabbit Hole merely places a spotlight on something slightly unusual that's caught my interest. With the help of Wikipedia, YouTube, and other sites, I gather information and learn something new.

Today, we take another look at the Depression era cartoon, Flip the Frog.

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From Wikipedia and other sources:

Flip the Frog is an animated cartoon character created by American animator Ub Iwerks. He starred in a series of cartoons (38 total) produced by Celebrity Pictures and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1930 to 1933.

Ub Iwerks was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios and a personal friend of Walt Disney. In 1930, after a series of disputes between the two, Iwerks left Disney and went on to accept an offer from Pat Powers to open a cartoon studio of his own, Iwerks Studio Iwerks was to produce new cartoons under Powers' Celebrity Pictures auspices and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The first series he was to produce was to feature a character called Tony the Frog, but Iwerks disliked the name and was subsequently changed to Flip.

Ub Iwerks planned to release the series in both color and black and white versions through Celebrity Productions, Inc. The series attracted public attention in England by being the first color sound cartoon series. After four shorts had been produced MGM picked up the series. MGM decided to produce the series entirely in black and white, releasing the ones produced in color in black and white versions only.

After the first two cartoons, the appearance of Flip the Frog gradually became less froglike. This was done with the encouragement of MGM, who thought that the series would sell better if the character were more humanized. Flip's major redesign is attributed to Grim Natwick, who made a name for himself at the Fleischer Studios with the creation of Betty Boop. Natwick also had a hand in changing Flip's girlfriend. In earlier films, she was consistently a cat, but Natwick made Flip's new girlfriend, Fifi, a human who shared distinct similarities with Betty Boop. The series had a number of recurring characters, including Flip's dog, the mule Orace, and a dizzy neighborhood spinster.

The frog's personality also began to develop. As the series progressed, Flip became more of a down-and-out, Chaplin-esque character dealing with everyday conflicts in poverty-stricken atmosphere of the Great Depression. The shorts also became increasingly risqué due to an influx of animators from New York City.

By the autumn of 1933, Flip the Frog had worn out his welcome at MGM. His final short was Soda Squirt, released in August 1933. Subsequently, Iwerks replaced the series with a new one starring an imaginative child named Willie Whopper.

Here are the next eight cartoons.

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