Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 140 - Adonis Classics, Part 25 of 25

Acquired Tastes XLIII

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 140

Adonis Classics, Part 25 of 25

Greenleaf Classic Books, the publishers of  the Adonis Classics imprint, began in 1959 and continued until 1971, when management lost focus on the business due to the government's prosecution of obscenity, which became of major concern. 

By 1974, a new management team and staff were in place, operating out of an office at 7523 Raytheon Road in San Diego and production ceased on all existing imprints. In an attempt to break into mainstream markets, two new imprints were started which used cover art and titles that were not provocative. These efforts failed.

In 1975, with the loosening of censorship laws, the Adonis Classics imprint began production. It marks the end of Greenleaf Classic's Classic Age (1959-1975.) 

Adonis Classics would release a total of 252 titles during it's lifespan. 

The first twenty covers feature white backgrounds (with one exception) and colored drawings or black and white pencil illustrations. After the first two titles, a particular type-face was established, with the title appearing above the illustration. The distinctive Adonis Classics symbol was established with either the seventh or eighth title in the series.

After the first twenty titles, the imprint switched to their iconic red covers (though sometimes pink,) featuring a black and white pencil or ink illustration framed in a black circle which has an arrow attached - the universal sign for the planet Mars or to designate something as 'male.' The book's title at the top of the cover is similarly encased in a white circle with an arrow (the symbol for the planet Mars and 'male'.) 

This week: 2 out of 2 covers were found.

FF Father

Franklin D. Marsh

AC351

Oh, dear Daddy! I've heard of controlling parents before, but this takes it to a whole new level. Now, I'm all for a little ass play between consenting adults - as long as everyone has done their homework, their prep work, and there's plenty of lube on hand (Crisco!) I'm even okay with a parent taking a 'firm hand' with a rambunctious youngster, but this... this seems one parent 'gap' that should remain unfilled. 

Available as a PDF or e-book download at Hommi Publishing. 

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Hot Chicken, Take One

Johnny Ross

AC352

This title makes me think of those rotisserie chickens under the plastic hoods sold at your local grocery store's deli. Back in my pre-vegetarian days, what a tasty treat; moist, flavorful and perfect for those with no time on their hands. If I remember correctly, their limbs, like those of the youngster pictured, were bound by rope; an elastic string which caused me a bit of concern as it was roasted right along with the chicken. But back then the need for nourishment trumped such considerations, which I suppose lies at the heart of this young man's willingness to be tied up. When one's hunger exceeds all reason, you may find yourself doing things to satisfy that base need which puts your in a precarious situation.

Available as a PDF or e-book download at Hommi Publishing. 

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And that's it, folks. The end of the imprint: September of 1985.

And that would be the end of this post, but... as luck would have it, a bit of information regarding our favorite illustrator, Adam, just happened to fall in my lap.

Or...more to the point - in my comments section.

Giacomo ("Jack") Bozzi., AKA: Adam

This from an anonymous commenter, who I am extremely grateful to, for he put me on the right track.

"Adam's real name was Giacomo ("Jack") Bozzi. A slim, curly-haired Italian-American, Bozzi most loved painting watercolor landscapes; to make a living, though, he worked as a fashion and marketing illustrator during the 1970's and as an interior designer in the 1980's. He claimed he only did book covers for extra money to pay his bills. He lived in a small loft apartment (which doubled as his art studio) above Physique Memorabilia, a 'treasures and trash' shop at East 12th Street in New York's East Village, and he sold some of his art through that shop too. A brief interview with him appears in the French gay lifestyle magazine "Gai Pied Hebdo," issue 289 (October 10, 1987)--the interview text is published in French, and someone posted an English translation of it to the Gay Magazine Fiction Google group."

The imprint knew the value of this fellow's work; they went so far as to give him his own book, one we explored in an earlier post - thanks to the kindness of the proprietor of Hommi Publishing - the home of all things pulpy and gay.

The HIS69 Artist's Sketchbook

Some his works reside in the archives of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, which is "A home for LGBTQIA+ artists, scholars, activists and allies, and a catalyst for discourse on art and queerness." Located at 26 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013, they are open: Wednesday 12:00pm - 5:00pm, and Thursday - Sunday 12:00pm - 6:00pm. You can contact them at: 212-431-2609info@leslielohman.org.

Here are a few pieces by the artist that I found in their archives:

Chris Dickerson, Mr. Universe

Oil on canvas

(1970's)

Untitled

Pencil on Paper

(1970's)

Untitled

Color Pencil On Paper

(unknown)

Flexing Youth

Pencil on paper

1975

Back Alley Blow-Job

Pencil on Paper

1975

So, then I went to work looking for the interview mentioned by the anonymous commenter and hit a brick wall. It had at one time been posted on several sites, all of which were defunct or no longer carried it. 

Then I happen to try a second time and found a tumblr site with a link to a fan site which... just happened to have an English translation of the interview. Here it is in it's complete form:

Gai Pied Hebdo, issue 289 (October 10, 1987)

Adam lives in New York. Since the lifting of censorship in the late 1960's, he has made erotic drawings, with guys who are very All-American: blond, healthy, and uncomplicated - but still sexy!

In the very exclusive club of gay erotic cartoonists, Adam is the result of a strange parentage. While completely sentimental like Dauphin and so many others such as Tom of Finland and Etienne, his drawings are closer to the work of fringe artists such as Harry Bush, the American artist known for the quality of his pencil work and for the sweetness that almost prevails over the erotic content of the drawing. All erotic artists, especially those in the last half of the twentieth century, seemed to be marked by disappointment, theft, and the lack of recognition they suffered. Adam is no exception to the rule, and his humility is sometimes mistaken for bitterness. An Italian-American, Adam lives in New York in an apartment-studio filled with painted stucco columns and tables in the garish style of Louis XIV. His work as a designer takes perhaps more than of his energy than his erotic drawings. However, his style is unique. Adam is the cartoonist of the golden age of the 1970's, of the sexual awakening of blue-eyed boys with big asses, who seem to fall in sex-parties by chance or by luck.

*DL: First of all, the silly question: How did you get started with the erotic drawings?*

Adam: It dates from the end of the 1960's - 1968 or 1969. I was working as a commercial artist, meaning fashion or advertising illustrations. Of course, it bored me. And Stonewall then arrived, and almost the next day, the government's censorship was lifted from photos, drawings, all that was visual. I had never before done erotic drawings, except for my own amusement, but I started to consider doing commercially, because obviously there's a huge market for gay erotic drawings. I brought a few of my drawings to Jim French, who now operates Colt Studios. He asked me to prepare a portfolio of drawings. In the beginning, the business of being an erotic artist was pretty discouraging, and then people started to look at my work and, as a result, I started receiving a few commissions from customers.

*DL: Did everything happen fast at that time? The artists made the gay designs, and customers bought them?*

Adam: Yes. In the 1960's, there was really a need. I personally started doing these drawings for money. But it did not really work as I would have liked. Since the beginning, it was very sporadic. I did some exhibitions, and Rob in Amsterdam now has the majority of my work.

*DL: Why have gays never really invested in erotic art?*

Adam: There are very few buyers of erotic art indeed. I think this lack of a response is what slowed my work. I think it's the same in art; there are slow periods. For example, my last exhibition in Amsterdam was not what could be called a success. But I continue to do designs for paperback covers.

*DL: I know those books; I have bought them just for the covers! Does it not bother you to be so little-known?*

Adam: I don't know. I have spent a lot of time doing these drawings, and I did not get much in return. On the other hand, artists like Tom of Finland or Blade were pirated all their lives. Of course, I was inspired by the drawings of Tom, and I still find his work very erotic. Tom is a genius; he created a fantasy and a specific style of drawing men. He took dreams and really fleshed them out. That touch of genius was something that I have never had, and that very few possess.

*DL: However, your drawings have a special erotic charge. They can be very sexy and very soft at the same time.*

Adam: I think I've never gotten to the bottom of what I've wanted in a drawing. My job as a decorator takes a lot of my energy right now. But I'm sure I will come back to it.

*DL: Your drawings are also very 1970's: long hair, clear eyes ...*

Adam: Yes, I like the All-American look--blonde and fit. I like people who are smiling, healthy, and uncomplicated.

*DL: How are things with the gay press? Do you think your drawings are too nice for them?*

Adam: I think mostly the printers have reproduced the pencil work very badly! This is almost always disappointing. The printing - my drawings are just pencils and watercolors; they're too subtle for the way printers reproduce them. It's annoying! (Laughs.) Actually, my drawings are created to be seen as art prints, instead of being printed using mass-reproduction print methods.

*DL: At times, you look very disappointed.*

Adam: No, no, I think I'll end up doing what I want. But I have had a lot of art stolen from me too, which has made me quite disheartened by this line of work.

*DL: I know that you have kept very few of your original drawings. Do you regret it?*

Adam: I especially feel that the way my cover drawings have been treated is not among the best. Over the years, I have made hundreds of drawings for book covers. And it's true: I've managed to retain only a few dozen originals over the years. But it does not matter. These are drawings, and they were printed. That is what matters.

*DL: What do you think of the sexual liberation of the 1960's today?*

Adam: It was important. A good form of expression. There is a lot of 1960's innocence and fantasy in my drawings. The viewer does not look at a drawing in the same way he looks at a photo. The purpose is completely different. If you have a photo of Jack Wrangler, it is a picture of Jack Wrangler. A drawing can go much further.

*DL: Do you think that there is a kind of cult around you?*

Adam: Yes, a small cult. I still get mail and visits from the fans who come to New York to see me. Some ask me to draw their personal fantasies. But sometimes it's really a little too complicated or too S-and-M for me!

Untitled

(posted on fan site)

(Date Unknown)

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And that completes our look at Adonis Classics. 

Twenty-five weeks worth!

I must say, I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't learn more about the authors. That would seem to be the thing that intrigued me the most when exploring past imprints. Given that, I wanted to thank you all for putting up with my blithering ways. Each week, I'd take a look at the cover and type whatever fell into my head. 

And if you think we're done looking at imprints, you'd be very wrong. I'm not sure how much information I'll find on them, but I have scores of files filled with book covers to share. So, we'll start on a new one soon.

And again, I have to give credit to Hommi Publishing - home of all things pulpy and gay. Their site has become an important resource for the info gathered on these books and will continue to be for future posts. I'd share a link to his site, but whenever I do, the powers that be at Blogger swoop down to slap my hands (I've asked them to slap something else, but it seems that is against company policy, too.)

So, until next time...

Thanks for reading!

Adam's Song - Blink-182