Acquired Tastes XLIII:
Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 48 -
101 Enterprises, Part 4 of 4
Information regarding 101 Enterprises is in short supply. Given the censorship laws at the time and the subject material, perhaps they knew better than to leave much of a paper trail.
101 Enterprises operated out of New York from 1967-69. During that time they published 48 titles. The books were not bound, nor did they have a spine. Instead, they had a graphic wrap (a cover) and were held together with centered staples.
The artwork varied greatly, and included crude drawings, and 'borrowed' images and illustrations. The authors, with a few exceptions (Carl Corley, for example), wrote under pseudonyms in order to avoid prosecution. Many of the pseudonyms were one-offs and, therefore, untraceable.
Next week, we'll be taking a look at the first chapter of one the books published under this imprint. I've also read one of the books listed below and will be writing a review on it in two weeks time.
And now, on to the final dozen!
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Flip Side
Author: Mark Leonard
101-37
This is not a bad cover, although I doubt 101 Enterprises paid for the rights to use the images. That could have something to do with their demise; for I am certain they were served with a number of cease and desist orders, which they ignored, which, in turn, led to a number of lawsuits piling up, also ignored. That could be part of it. The other part would be that the Feds were closing in. Trafficking in smut in those days was a tightrope walk in light of the censorship laws in place at the time. So, if you're breaking one law... why not two? But choosing such a strategy came at a price - a short life span. Of course, you could always simply move operations to a new office and resume life under a newly assumed name: publishers did it all the time.
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Battle Of The Bulges
Author: Floyd Carter
101-38
This cover is clearly a 'borrowed' image from Tom of Finland. I looked on-line to try and find the original, but failed. If you find it... send it to me! I don't understand the inset pic (surrounded by the title.) What is that? Oh... it's the illustration showing through. It looked like a pair of chicken cutlets. Weird choice all around. Though it's clear to see what those bulges are battling over! Quite the prize, indeed.
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Larry
Author: Peter Zupp
101-39
Larry seems a tad young, if the cover model is any indication. If you've read the other posts regarding 101 Enterprises, then you're very much aware of the this publisher's penchant for material dealing with boys on the edge of 'manhood' (or adolescence). Not my cup of tea. In fact, it's a gay porn trope that I typically avoid, not because adolescents are not sexually active or homosexual, but because, over the years, conservatives and homophobes have used the idea of older gay men recruiting or preying on the young as part of some diabolical 'gay agenda', and I would rather not feed into that loathsome ideology in any way. Oh, and the author's pseudonym... get it?
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Next, Please
Author: Peter Zupp
101-40
Oh, it's artwork by our favorite creepy artist. The Eek Police have been notified. That said... the title? Used to be one my mantras at the prairie! Sigh. Those were the gays... er, I mean, days.
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Sea Food
Author: Pudgy Roberts
101-41
Pudgy! One of my favorite classic drag queens. We took a look at her other title under this imprint a few weeks back. You can also learn more about her, here.
Pudgy Roberts
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Gay Vampire
Author: Davy S.
101-42
I'll be writing a review of this little opus in two weeks. Let's just say, this cover? Has nothing to do with the actual plot. In fact, it looks more like a photo from a community theatre production of West Side Story.
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Boy Farm
Author: Peter Zupp
101-43
Oh, dear. I can imagine the state of that barn! The number of glory holes alone must be staggering. And that cover? I can't imagine the thought process that would have led to it's approval. I guess carefully staged cruelty is all the rage at Boy Farm. You know... come to think of it... I believe my parents sent me there one summer instead of Boy Scouts. Cruel summer, indeed!
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Strange Desire
Author: Paul Ritchards
101-44
A tale of 'brotherly love'.
Another gay porn trope. I don't have an issue with this one, really. NOVA studios trafficked in this sort of stuff and produced one of my all-time favorite gay porn shorts entitled His Little Brother. The implication, of course, is that the actors are high school students, but the short is still in circulation and sold, so NOVA must have been able to provide proof that the actors were, in fact, of age at the time they made the film. NOVA films will serve as an Acquired Taste post some time in the future.
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The Triangle
Author: Bruce King
101-45
Hmm. Don't tell me this is another holocaust saga. I don't understand how such a thing was ever considered suitable subject material for this kind of novel. Some taboos exist for a reason.
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Carnival
Author: Norman Howard
101-46
That is some weird ass, high school spank worthy artwork. Odd fashion choices, but then I assume they've confused carnivals with circus big tops (aerialists). Still, the dude on the left? Is he suffering from hydrocephalus, or what?
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Special Service
Author: Bob Ruffner
101-47
I would not want my 'bob' roughened, thank you very much (see author's name). That is not the kind of special service I am interested in. As artwork goes? This isn't bad. I love the socks. Always a sexy choice.
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Hand To Mouth
Author: Brad Campbell
101-48
Well, better than ass to mouth. Been there. Done that. It's not always as much fun as some folks lead you to believe. I'm looking at you, Felching Pisser.
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Well, that's it for this time. And we only have two more posts before we bid adieu to 101 Enterprises. Next week, we'll be reading a chapter from one of this imprints offerings - so excited. And after that, I'll be reviewing Davy S.'s tome, Gay Vampire.
Yes, you know it's quality writing when the author uses only his last initial.
Thanks for reading!
Thank You, Next - Ariana Grande
3 comments:
I cannot imagine what trafficking on smut was back in the day! And you are right, probably they never even stop to think that those 'borrowed' covers would get them into MORE trouble.
The Tom of Finland cover is a collage. They blew up some images and cut and pasted them together.
Pudgy Roberts!
And I laughed so hard at that community theater production of West Side Story comment! I like the leads, though...
XOXO
Some of these covers depict under-agers, which might explain even more the need to hide as deeply as possible. Looking forward to the chapter. And your review.
Sea Food and Boy Barn sound interesting.
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