Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 157 - Gaytimes Book Club, Part 3

Acquired Tastes XLIII

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 157

Gaytimes Book Club, Part 3

Today, we continue taking a look at New Male's Gaytimes Book Club imprint.

Unsurprisingly, very little is available in the way of information regarding the imprint's history.

The books were distributed by Star Distributors, LTD., which held a P.O. Box (#362) at the Canal Street Station in New York, NY, zip code 10013,

The imprint published 208 titles during its run from 1979 to 1992, all credited to Anonymous.

Publisher's Page

The covers went through four distinct cover changes. Initially they displayed facial or upper torso with face portraits of masculine gay archetypes presented in a stylistic manner all done by the same artist. The publisher chose to switch cover designs starting around book #60 in 1983. At that point the portraits, typically of a single figure, although there were exceptions, featured a three-quarter portrait of a male, typically clothed. The drawings, all done in a comic book-like style by the same artist, appear somewhat amateurish, though colored nicely in an array of flat, solid colors. A third style would be introduced, featuring a black background, creating a domed frame with an amateurish colored drawing. By that point the books were under the heading of New Male, with the Gaytimes Book Club name not mentioned at all. Near the tail end of the imprint's history, they would feature a colored drawing with a bit more artistic merit, minus any framing device or background.

Examples of the back covers. The first example was used for books #1-60. After that, the back covers were used to advertise the most recent offerings from Star Distributer's Rough Trade imprint.

But the covers were not the only thing to change. The books now advertised ten pages of personal ads and an assortment of sexual enhancement products. Below is a partial description of such a book from Gay's The Word Bookshop, "the UK's oldest LGBT+ bookshop, opening in January 1979 at 66 Marchmont Street."

"Very rare pulp paperback published in 1984 by the GayTimes Book Club (New York). Read and worn, with creasing to spine and on lower cover, but intact with no loss and in solid condition. Yellow sticker on upper cover showing "R" rating: "(a) not to be sold or exhibited to minors, (b) Not to be available for perusal by minors, (c) Not to be displayed in any place to which minors have access, (d) Not to be advertised." With advertisements for "Stallion Slo-Cum Spray" and "Anal Ecstasy" on inside covers, personal advertisements in the final pages ("TEN pages of ads from people who want to meet you!"), and a further catalog of gay erotica available from Star Distributors."

Books #1-60 also feature ads, about nine pages worth, at the back of book - things like subscriptions to The Gaytimes News (12 issues for $18), payment to be sent to P.O. Box 101, Murray Hill Station, New York, NY 10016; Rough Trade, Male Photo, and Stud Series books; and an assortment of 'Butt Tinglers', 'Pocket Pussies', and alarming-looking dildoes.

Oddly, the book's catalog number does not appear on the cover of the book (only on the spine), nor do the words 'New Male' appear anywhere on this first batch of covers, yet that brand name is later associated with the books.

As previously mentioned, I'm not sure how many of the 208 covers I will be able to track down, but here are the next ten covers I could find. We'll just take it one post at a time...

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 Stud Model

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-025

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 The Boy Next Door

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-026 

According to a note on Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List this one is about neighboring boys spying on each other!

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 Dad’s Discipline

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-027

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 Quarterback Lover

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-028 

Reprinted as JS-140 for the Jocks imprint.

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 Master Mechanic

 1981 

NM-029 

Reissued as NM-172. 

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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 Foreman’s Fury

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-030

Reissued as  NM-131.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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 Leather Fists

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-031

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 Brute Biker

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-032 

Reissued as NM-180.

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 Savage Sailor

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-033

So, have you noticed how some of these have a rounded lower left corner? 

I'm not sure of the significance. 

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 Dock Boys

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-034

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 Gas Jockey

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-035 

Reprinted as FIN-136 for the Finland imprint.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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 Street Punk

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-036

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 Tough Trucker

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-037 

Reprinted as HT-124.

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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 School Jock

Author: Anonymous

 1981 

NM-038

Available as a downloadable PDF or ebook at Hommi Publishing.

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And that's all for now.

Next up: Ten more Gaytimes Book Club covers!

Until then. 

Thanks for reading.

Quarterback - Wallows