Acquired Tastes XLIII:
Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 66
Manhard Books, Part 1 of 6
Today, we'll start taking a look at the Manhard imprint from Surrey House, Inc. / Surree Ltd, Inc. of San Diego and Santee, California. These books were distributed by the same company Trojan Books and Gay Way Books used; the Zorro Distribution Company, also operating out of San Diego.
The Manhard imprint published just under 100 titles from 1973-1979.
The style of the cover art would only change once near the end of the imprint's life. All the black ink line drawings appear to have been done by a single artist, or a pair of artists with similar styles, whose name(s) remain(s) unknown. There are also a number of covers I have been unable to locate.
Here are the first dozen titles:
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Tom Dickin' Harry
Author: Bob Cochran
MH401
Back Cover:
"Not just any man... he had to be big and rough and hung like mad... and know how to use every rigid inch of it. Alone in the timberland, watching for fires... discovering instead the insatiable flames from their own throbbing loins."
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(Cover Not Found)
Dial-A-Dick
Author: D.H. Love
MH402
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(Cover Not Found)
Officer Dick
Author: Jeff Kincaid
MH403
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Pay As You Come
Author: Rich Cummings
MH404
I take it the swarthy buck pictured just got his bill. You know, it's not what you're purchasing that causes one to balk when reviewing one's bill - it's all those damned hidden service charges.
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The Reamer
Author: Jeff Kincaid
MH405
I actually had to look up this term. I have always made incorrect assumptions about it due to it closely mimicking the term rimming. To ream is to "widen (a bore or hole) with a special tool." This is not to be confused with the slang verb 'reem', which means "to scold or reprimand severely." And then, of course, we have the slang verb 'rim' which, well... if you don't know what that means, you have to surrender your gay card immediately. An acquired taste, for sure, but don't knock it until you've tried it. When you think about it... it's sort of cunnilingus for the gay set. Well... don't overthink it.
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Put It In!
Author: Jock Martin
MH406
This will soon be available as an ebook or PDF download at Hommi Publishing for only 1.95!
I just love stumbling on the actual book for sale (in fact, I bought this one over at Hommi Publishing for a price far under the market for this imprint. (I actually saw titles for this imprint for $90 on a site - which hastened my purchase.) I'm still a total newbie when it comes to buying these books, so I really am not sure what I'm doing, except purchasing things that interest me. Like all collectibles, if they increase in value over time - yay! And if not, I will enjoy owning them anyway. At this point my tiny collection lacks focus. My approach seems to be whatever is available that catches my eye and is not outrageously priced. There's still a copy of a Carl Corley book on the market for $120. That's a bit rich for my bi-weekly budget, but... hey, the holidays are coming up. I just might treat myself.
As for this title, based on the cover I thought it was referring to some kind of antiquated sex machine. I mean, it looks like a damn laundromat. But then I stumbled on to the back cover, which, to be truthful, doesn't shed a great deal of light on what is going on, but it apparently has something to do with sailors.
From the back cover:
"They come from different colors and different sizes and no two are shaped alike... or ever ugly. It takes a sailor to know how to take it all in... and a grunt to shove it... hard... mix in the heavy black cat and watch the balls bounce."
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Ride A Hard Cop
Author: Jed Coxe
MH407
I must say, I really like the artwork for this series. This artist has it going on. Not only is his version of anatomy exciting, his over all style appears to walk two lines simultaneously- sleazy and wholesomely pretty. It's like Barbie's boyfriend, Ken and G.I. Joe grew genitalia and decided to schedule a playdate.
I, for one, appreciated all their new outfits and accessories.
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Chicken Plucker
Author: Peter Moore
MH408
In gay circles, the term 'chicken' refers to a very young gay man. When used, it always makes me cringe a little, however, this imprint has no such trepidations regarding its use. I'll let the book's forward, which I lifted from the Hommi Publishing site, do the heavy lifting for this one.
Foreword:
"Dozens of books have been written on prison life, but what about the boy who finds himself sentenced to a term in a reformatory?
During the years when he is maturing, he finds himself surrounded by other youths, also growing up, also discovering their virility, also trapped in the same all-male world. Separated from society and alone, the newcomer quickly learns the written and unwritten rules he will have to live with until he 'graduates': if he breaks these rules, he’ll be punished according to equally fixed laws. He grows accustomed to waking up with the older inmates already hustling to the latrine, naked and balls-swinging with morning hard-ons, and, if he’s old enough, he may show off his prick the same way. In the showers, he checks the way the other youths are built and hung, and he may get his introduction to sex from some horny stud who needs a blow-job or likes the shape of his boyish ass.
Homosexuality? Perhaps, but what other outlet is there for the boy who has been condemned to mature in the hidden world of a reformatory?
At Surrey House, Inc., we were struck by the reality of the problems facing these boys when we received a manuscript titled Chicken Plucker. It is the work of a psychologist at a state reformatory, and for obvious reasons, we have not used his real name as the author of this book. Through a combination of tape-recorded interviews and descriptive short stories, he has given us a picture of what life in a reformatory must be like for the inmates, the guards, the men who work with the boys confined there.
As always, we are printing this book word-for-word with the expressions, scenes and descriptions which might be censored by other editors. We feel that Chicken Plucker tells it like it is, and that’s reason enough for us to offer it to you cold-cock.
Remember that a reformatory—most states call them 'boys’ schools' - is considerably different from a prison. The typical prison inmate knows what he can expect once he enters the cold, gray walls - the loneliness, the rough and brutal maleness, the need for sex, the men who take other men in place of women, the men who submit to being taken. But in a reformatory, the boys discover sex for the first time, sometimes experimentally, sometimes by homosexual rape out of fear of being beaten or tortured. Always, in the background, are the guards whose job is to control these boys - and who may find them sexually desirable."
There has been a great deal of talk about 'prison reform' since the riots at Attica and other institutions. There have been experiments with 'compassionate leaves' and conjugal visits by the inmate’s wife. But what about the unmarried prisoner? Or the gay prisoner whose lover doesn’t qualify as a 'wife'?
What about the boy in the reformatory? What is his life like? What happens as he grows up? Where does he turn for sexual relief?
Or, perhaps, the young man who graduates from a reform school is better off, knowing male-sex and being unafraid of it.
Foreword:
"Dozens of books have been written on prison life, but what about the boy who finds himself sentenced to a term in a reformatory?
During the years when he is maturing, he finds himself surrounded by other youths, also growing up, also discovering their virility, also trapped in the same all-male world. Separated from society and alone, the newcomer quickly learns the written and unwritten rules he will have to live with until he 'graduates': if he breaks these rules, he’ll be punished according to equally fixed laws. He grows accustomed to waking up with the older inmates already hustling to the latrine, naked and balls-swinging with morning hard-ons, and, if he’s old enough, he may show off his prick the same way. In the showers, he checks the way the other youths are built and hung, and he may get his introduction to sex from some horny stud who needs a blow-job or likes the shape of his boyish ass.
Homosexuality? Perhaps, but what other outlet is there for the boy who has been condemned to mature in the hidden world of a reformatory?
At Surrey House, Inc., we were struck by the reality of the problems facing these boys when we received a manuscript titled Chicken Plucker. It is the work of a psychologist at a state reformatory, and for obvious reasons, we have not used his real name as the author of this book. Through a combination of tape-recorded interviews and descriptive short stories, he has given us a picture of what life in a reformatory must be like for the inmates, the guards, the men who work with the boys confined there.
As always, we are printing this book word-for-word with the expressions, scenes and descriptions which might be censored by other editors. We feel that Chicken Plucker tells it like it is, and that’s reason enough for us to offer it to you cold-cock.
Remember that a reformatory—most states call them 'boys’ schools' - is considerably different from a prison. The typical prison inmate knows what he can expect once he enters the cold, gray walls - the loneliness, the rough and brutal maleness, the need for sex, the men who take other men in place of women, the men who submit to being taken. But in a reformatory, the boys discover sex for the first time, sometimes experimentally, sometimes by homosexual rape out of fear of being beaten or tortured. Always, in the background, are the guards whose job is to control these boys - and who may find them sexually desirable."
There has been a great deal of talk about 'prison reform' since the riots at Attica and other institutions. There have been experiments with 'compassionate leaves' and conjugal visits by the inmate’s wife. But what about the unmarried prisoner? Or the gay prisoner whose lover doesn’t qualify as a 'wife'?
What about the boy in the reformatory? What is his life like? What happens as he grows up? Where does he turn for sexual relief?
Or, perhaps, the young man who graduates from a reform school is better off, knowing male-sex and being unafraid of it.
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(Cover Not Found)
Up & Coming
Author: Jed Coxe
MH409
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Two Holer
Author: Art Smith
MH410
Growing up, I was familiar with the term two-holer, as it referred to outhouses. The title of this book would seem to be referencing the two orifices most commonly employed in gay sexual activity. Well, it's like they say, the universe gave you one mouth and two ears for a reason... hint: the ears serve as handles!
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Rim Rider
Author: Frank Howard
MH411
Now, based on my experience, if the title is suggestive of the activity of focus for this little missive... those boys are taking the wrong stance. I do believe 'easy access' is what we're looking for here.
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Easy To Be Hard
Author: Tom Rogers
MH412
My word, that is quite a train a'coming! You link up those 'cars' and something tells me they will all become The Little Engine That Could, indeed! Although, I'm not sure this is what Watty Piper (Arnold Munk) had in mind when he wrote that story.
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And that's all for now. Next week we'll continue with another dozen or so covers.
Until then...
Thanks for reading!
Easy To Be Hard - Jennifer Warnes
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3 comments:
"CHICKEN PLUCKER" BY PETER MOORE
LOL
Some really neat covers.
I think this is the series my dad bought--and I kept finding (and reading). His favorite place to stash them--under the front seat of the car he drove to work.
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