Acquired Tastes LXIII: Gay Pulp Fiction
Part 10 - Late-Hour Library
Today, we finish up examining the remaining gay-oriented titles that were part of Greenleaf Classic's Late-Hour Library imprint. To learn a bit of this imprint's history, visit here. Once again, you'll find the names of the authors and illustrators familiar, provided you've read any of my previous posts on this topic.
Let's dive in and look at this imprint's final offerings, while having a little fun at their expense.
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You remember Gene North, writer of Good-bye, Gay Love...
Author: Gene North
Cover Art: Robert Bonfils
"Rod was every wino's..."
Ha, ha, ha, ha... remember back when people who were homeless were called 'Winos', because, you know... they were alcoholics? And people like Dick Wilson would be in a skit on television where they played the town souse? Wasn't chronic alcoholism hilarious? And now, apparently, it is also a means for romance. Or is Rod just a run of the mill co-dependent in need of a fix, so he searches back alleys to find a man he can prop up and keep afloat with his love? Or maybe Rod just has a thing for back alley hobo sex? Yes, this cover raises way more questions than it answers... including: exactly who is that big tittied blonde sweeping the kitchen?
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Author: Dick Dale
Cover Art: Robert Bonfils
"He was a gay flower child!"
A gay flower child? Just what kind of beatnik butt burglar are we talkin' about here? And that's not a protest sign... it's a sales sign. Oh! He must own a flower shop. Whaaaaat? A gay florist? Why, never has there been such a thing. And in this day and age? Poor little pansy. He got his shop and had big dreams of creating the most unique and original floral arrangements ever seen. Instead? He has to spend most of his days putting together rote FTD bouquets, as seen in the catalog, just to pay the rent.
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Author: Douglas H. Gamlin, Ph.D.
Cover Art: Unknown
"A shocking study of love that was doubly taboo."
Doc be laying down some heavy shit here. Just get a load of that blurb next to the tagline... "In this bold, unashamed work, Dr. Douglas Gamlin examines the darkest realm of deviation, peopled by shadow figures who lead duel existences. Outwardly they are creatures of abject apathy, for only the depravity of incestuous homosexuality can bring the spark of awareness to their inverted minds." Hmm... someone got a thesaurus for Christmas! I keep reading it. I know those are all words, but... for gawd's sake somebody please tell me what he's talking about? He writes like a 1940's hygiene film.
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We came across Lance Lester (George Davies) twice before - here and here. I wonder if Disney ever tried to option this one?
Author: Lance Lester
Cover Art: Robert Bonfils
"Bill's road was paved with gay intentions."
Is Bill auditioning for the lead role in Sweet Charity? Cuz is looks like he's doing a little song and dance number there. Hey, Mr. Producer... he's talking to you, Sir! He don't need a lot. Only what he got. Plus a little cocaine and some real good pot! Tell me... what exactly are... 'gay intentions'? Sounds like something spouted by a lawyer about to invoke the gay panic defense. Hey... wait a minute! That's no Broadway Producer! That's Vice President Mike Pence sitting on that bed. Ahhhh... So this is what happens when 'Mother' is out of the room!
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Author: Chris Davidson
Cover Art: Robert Bonfils
Scrubba Dub! Looks like they are trying to wash that man right into his hair. But hard to say which of our fellas is gonna 'drop the soap'. My money is on the dish in the skirt. I met a 'Gay God' once. I worshiped the hell out of his false idol. We bathed beneath a waterfall in Hawaii, too. It was a magical moment. Followed by a couple of rounds of antibiotics. Yes. The tropics. All that moist heat. You never know what you'll be bringing back as a souvenir!
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Author: Dick Dale
Cover Art: Ed Smith
"He was the dainty darling of the dorm!"
Gives a whole new meaning to the idea of 'going on a panty raid'. Why stop at stealing them when you can wear them? I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. You know boys, out on their own for the first time, never doing laundry. The day comes when they cannot bear to turn those tighty whities inside out one more time? What to do. Go commando? Naw... why should they? They have all those panties stolen from the girl's dorm last night. By Jove! I do believe I've cracked the code on this one... now we know why panty raids really exist. Know what? This is the one I think I want to bring to my next sleepover with the girls. We can all take turns reading a chapter while sipping our cock-tales. You game?
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Ah, Tony Calvano (Thomas J. Ramirez), the writer who dabbled in 'gay'. We've seen his work before, here, and here.
Author: Tony Calvano
Cover Art: Ed Smith
"He called the fellows; she called the girls."
Just... mark... me... present. People sure are tan in Sodom - or California, as we commonly call it. I wonder if they made it a competition to see who could bed the most same sex partners. Or did they each get to invite only one 'very special guest star'? And then, when it was all over - did they stay together, as a couple? And what did the winner actually win? This kind of arrangement must exist in real life, yes? Who could we ask? Is Scotty Bowers still alive?
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This is part of the aftermath of The Man from C.A.M.P. Series. Don Holliday (Victor J. Banis) ended that series after nine novels, but the franchise was so established and successful that spin-off projects, like this astrology guide, kept the brand alive. The others included a gay self-help book and a cook book.
Authors: Lady Agatha and Jackie Holmes
As told to Don Holliday
Cover Art: Unknown
Do you believe in astrology? I don't. I think it's an interesting belief system, you know, like Catholicism and Buddhism and all those other 'isms'. But in the end, like all belief systems not based on fact - as in, how the world really works - it's just another way of escaping having to take responsibility for one's own actions and behavior. "Sorry, boss. I didn't mean to plant that stapler in your skull. It's just that my moon is in Uranus and and then, you ARE such an anus, so..."
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That does it for Late-Hour Library. Next up: the Sundown Reader imprint, with a host of new 'authors'. Did you like what you see? Did I get something wrong? Let me know in the comments section.
Age of Aquarius from Hair
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3 comments:
OMG first things first: when I first watched Hair, this was THE BOP! I wanted to smoke weed to get this kind of experience. Of course, it was not gonna happen, but I LOVE this song!
Treat Williams was yummy.
Now, the covers. I don't even know where to start. They are all so fantastically incredible I can't choose my fav. The most lurid is of course, the one about GaYinCesT. LOL
XOXO
Now you just couldn't resist including my supplemental memoir, Mr Fancy Panties could you?
Great set of titles. The covers are quite creative.
Hair, we wanted to do the show in HS, but of course were not allowed! LOL.
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