Tuesday Titillation: Your Best Foot Forward

Tuesday Titillation: 

Your Best Foot Forward

Let's see if this passes the sniff test.

Here's a little something for the fetish crowd...

I say, always lead with your strengths.

In other words, put your best foot forward.

You'll make a strong impression.

A bit forceful? Intimidating? 

Perhaps.

But there are a lot of men who know that men like myself also like to be put in their place.

Firmly underfoot, even.

So why not play both sides of the equation? It ups your odds of getting some, son. 

Just be sure to put...

Your best foot forward.

This little piggy went to market.

This one stayed home.

This little piggy went to the bathhouse and had a ball!

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

Best Foot Forward - Martin Plaza

Best Foot Forward - Kidz In Space

Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 220 - Power Force Series, Part 5 of 6

Acquired Tastes XLIII:

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 220

Power Force Series

Part 5 of 6

Today we take another look at the Power Force Series.

The Power Force Series was an imprint published by Arena Publications, who operated out of a facility at 12011 Sherman Road in North Hollywood, California, 91605. They published a total of 64 titles under this imprint between 1983 and 1986.

Arena Publications motto should have been "Everything old is new again." You'll see why in a moment.  

The book covers feature either dreamy, idealized artwork or, later in the imprint's history, photos from porn magazines. The background is a solid color with a white 'sash' near the top featuring the title in all-caps and the imprint's name, also in all-caps, floating above it. The author's name appears in the body of the sash in smaller print just below the title. Now, if the artwork looks familiar that's because you have seen it all before... when we took a look at the Blueboy Library imprint. And that's not the only thing borrowed. The books themselves are reprints from other imprints. And this is not the only imprint that Arena would use to republish these titles. Some of these books have been published under as many as four imprints, using different artwork for the cover.

My hunch is that Arena bought the rights to a bunch of previously published titles from imprints (The Blueboy Library, HIS69, Stud Series, RAM-10) on the wane or going out of business. They then maximized profits by republishing the books under several different imprints. Fortunately, they are upfront about this recycling; some of the other imprint books carry a 'sash' in the lower right corner warning the buyer that this contains previously published material.

Given that, imagine the frustration of the average buyer. Most people do not want to be in a dirty bookstore. And when they are, they want to grab something and get out as soon as possible. Let's say they don't bother to read the fine print. Imagine they get home and get ready to indulge in a bit of reading, only to discover it's a book they have already read or own? Now imagine that happening more that once. After a point... who isn't going to be buying books at dirty bookstores? Did this 'republishing' play a role in the extinction of paperbacks in dirty bookstores? 

Back Cover

These books currently sell for between $15-$25.

Here are the next twelve titles. This week, I found something for ten out of twelve.

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Hard Hat Hunks

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985

 PF-141

(Cover not found.)

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-205.

 

--- ---

Lusting Lifeguards

  Author: Stu Johnson 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-142

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-435.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

 Buddies in Training

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-143

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-190.

 

--- ---  

 Our Sex Island

  Author: Stu Johnson 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-144

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-229.

 

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

 Hunky Trade

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985

 PF-145

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-236.

 

--- ---

  New Meat

 Author: Stu Johnson 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-146

This was originally published as part of the HIS69 Series as HIS69-434.

 

--- --- 

Truck Stop Slave

 Author: Norm Peters 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-147

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

Apprentice Gay

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-148

 This was originally published by Lambda Press as LB-106

 

--- --- 

 Gay Brotherhood

 Author: Norm Peters 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-149

This was originally published by Lambda Press as LB-110.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

 

 Two Hunk Lovers

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-150

This is a five-timer: published by Lambda Press as LB-108, Barclay House as  BH-6119,  and then, again, twice, by Arena Publications as part of the Driveshaft Library as DS-144 and DS-188.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

 YM Weekend

 Author: Norm Peters 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-151

(Cover not found.)

This was originally published by Golden Boy Books as GB-124 and then, again, by Arena Publications as part of the Driveshaft Library as DS-103.

--- ---

 Loving Brothers

 Author: Brad Rowen 

Power Force Series

 1985 

PF-152

This was originally published by Golden Boy Books as GB-123 and then, again, by Arena Publications as part of the Driveshaft Library as DS-104.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

--- ---

And that's all for now.

Next time: the final twelve tantalizing titles from the Power Force Series imprint.

Until then...

Thanks for reading.

My Island Home - Christine Anu

Wonderland Burlesque's Down The Rabbit Hole: Voyage

Wonderland Burlesque's 

Down The Rabbit Hole: 

Voyage

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 a look at the international-blending music of euro-disco/pop group Voyage.

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From Wikipedia and other sources:

Voyage was a French disco and pop group, consisting of André "Slim" Pezin (guitar/vocals), Marc Chantereau (keyboards/vocals), Pierre-Alain Dahan (drums/vocals) and Sauveur Mallia (bass). On the group's first two albums, Voyage (1977) and Fly Away (1978), British  singer Sylvia Mason-James sang lead vocals. After that, as the group's sound evolved from disco to pop, Pierre-Alain Dahan became the lead vocalist for their next two albums, Voyage 3 (1980) and on One Step Higher (1982). Unlike many Euro Disco acts, they found success on both sides of the Atlantic.

It all began in 1975, Pezin, Chantereau, Dahan and Mallia worked together in a band called V.I.P. Connection. The group released two singles, but generated little interest. To make ends meet, they also served as session musicians for a wide variety of artists of the day, such as Cerrone, Michel Legrand, and Stéphane Grappelli, to name but a few. As session musicians they were much in demand, travelling the world supporting other artists.

By 1977, they had morphed into Voyage and, with singer Sylvia Mason-James on board, secured a recording contract with Sirocco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records.

In the US, they found instant success on the dance charts. On the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, two of their albums, Voyage (1978) and Fly Away (1979), hit #1. They also enjoyed a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 with Souvenirs, which peaked at #41.

In the UK, the group enjoyed three chart singles. A double A-side, From East To West/Scotch Machine reached #13 in 1978, while later that year Souvenirs peaked at #56. Their final chart appearance came in 1979 when Let's Fly Away peaked at #38. .

In their home country, France, they were successful in the nightclubs of Paris, and featured on radio and television. However, chart-wise, they only managed three singles - From East To West peaked at #20 in 1978, while Souvenirs peaked at #53 and Tahiti - Tahiti peaked at #43 in 1979. In France, they were unable to replicate the album sales they'd generated in the US and as disco was on the wane, they turned their attention to more pop focused material. That is when Sylvia Mason-James and the group parted ways.

After their next two albums failed to generate any heat, the group disbanded, although individual members continued to work with one another on various musical projects, including several movie soundtracks.

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Lady America - Voyage

Fly Away - Voyage

East & West - Voyage

Souvenirs - Voyage

Tahiti, Tahiti - Voyage

I Don't Want To Fall In Love Again - Voyage

I Love You Dancer - Voyage

Nowhere To Hide - Voyage 

Weekend Onesie: Stay Healthy!

Weekend Onesie:

Stay Healthy!

People who check in on this blog on a regular basis know that I am a huge fan of graphics. Some of the finest? From various government agencies around the world. I adore their big, broad use of color and presentation of iconic ideals, characters and images.

Government agencies are responsible for any number of initiatives - suggestions brought home to the people by use of posters. Today, we'll take a brief look at the effort to stay healthy - such as washing one's hands. And while people may not have always heeded their advice, they did get their message out, boldly, colorfully and sometimes humorously via brilliant posters.

 

Some things never go out of style.

Like washing your hands!

Do your body some good, today.

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

Hands - Jewel

Hands Clean - Alanis Morissette