Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Eric Stryker

Lost Boys: 

Vintage Images of Eric Stryker

There are looks that are timeless and transcend the tastes of any given age. Eric Stryker processed such a look. Such a handsome sort, if he were just starting out, he would be right at home in today's gay porn industry. Musclebound, with a boyish, killer smile, a picture-perfect mug and always-perfect blond hair, Stryker would win many a heart during his short time at the top. 

And it was short, for reasons that have become all too familiar in this series.

Aka: Mike Kelly, Noel Kemp, Michael John Saunders, Michael Skrzypcak

Height: 6 feet (183 cm)

Weight: 180 lbs. (82 kg)

Birthplace: Erie, Pennsylvania, USA 

Born: September 24, 1954 Birth

Years Active: 1977-1988
Died: February 19, 1988  

Michael Skrzypcak was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on September 24, 1954. He served for a time in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. After retiring from the service, he found work as a construction worker in Phoenix, AZ, before deciding to try his luck in California.

Once in L.A., he began modeling for prestigious Colt Studios under the names Noel Kemp and Mike Kelly. Soon after, he appeared in a number of short films, stills from which were then compiled in magazine form and sold at adult book stores. His popularity in print would, in turn, lead to his casting in full-length films. It's at this point that he would become: Eric Stryker.

1977 

Adonis Cockplay 30

1981 

Tony Prince's Rawhide (Jock Dreams)

1982

Bore 'N Stroke

1983 

Alley Cats
Bathhouse Fantasies
Easy Entry
Good Hot Stuff
Wrestling Meat 2

1984

A Matter Of Size
Knockout
Student Bodies

1985 

Arcade
Asian Knights
Firsts
Sighs
Thinking Big

1989

An Excited State

I was able to verify that Stryker appeared in 17 films and 14 compilations, though many in the industry credit him with over fifty films. The bulk of his body of work happened in a mere five years, from 1980 to 1985. During this time, he worked for a number of the top studios of the day, including Le Salon, Huge, and Buckshot. 

But Stryker's days as a golden boy of gay porn were to come to a quick end.

In 1984, shortly after his lover died from AIDS, Stryker was himself diagnosed with the disease. His response was to focus on activities that had nothing to do with the life of a porn star. He became an activist for AIDS awareness, working with the AIDS Couples Group while lecturing around the country for the AIDS Project Los Angeles. 

Despite being compromised and facing a likely death sentence, Stryker continued his studies in architecture and his regular workouts, refusing to allow the disease to stop him. As he liked to say, "I live for the day." 

In 1987, PBS filmed a documentary about the AIDS crisis called, It Starts With 'A'. Stryker was interviewed and can be seen fearlessly marching in the Christopher Street West Parade in West Hollywood wearing shorts and a tank top, despite his body being ravaged by Kaposi sarcoma, a common symptom occurring during the final stages of AIDS. Kaposi sarcoma, or KS, as it is commonly referred to, is a cancer that causes patches of abnormal tissue to grow under the skin, in the lining of the mouth, nose, and throat, in lymph nodes, or in other organs. These patches/lesions, are typically red or purple and consist of cancer cells, blood vessels, and blood cells. Stryker was one of the first persons with the disease to publicly display its symptoms. 

Here was the once golden boy of porn, a true beauty, now the poster boy for a plague consuming his community.  

Shortly after the parade, on February 19, 1988, Stryker died at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital. He was only 33 years old. 

Now, more than thirty years after his death, he still claims many fans, and remains one of the icons of the classic era of gay porn.

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I owned the skin rag Round 1, featuring stills from Stryker's film Knockout. Now, typically, I don't care for blondes... but there was something about Stryker. He was both boyish and manly and with all that California golden allure? I couldn't look away. I thought he was the Robert Redford of gay porn. I couldn't imagine why such a handsome man wasn't starring on some television program or in a legitimate film, but, at the same time, I was grateful he wasn't shy about sharing his many attributes with me. 

I don't believe I ever saw any of his films, though I do remember shelving several of them at the video store where I worked in the 'haties'. And, of course, I never delved deeper into his history or life story. For that's the nature of paper boyfriends... 

They have no story, except the one you assign them. And tragedy? Well, it has no place in porn's equation. 

Between the covers of that skin rag? He remains forever beautiful, the epitome of health. 

It's a shame this lovely man's actual life ended so quickly and in such an ugly manner.

Beauty has it's price? 

No. 

There's nothing beautiful about AIDS. 

That's all for this week.

Until next time...

Golden Boys - RES

The Golden Boy

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé