Acquired Tastes XLIII:
Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 218
Selbee Associates
Today we take a look at a series of four books, (possibly) the complete gay male output by Selbee Associates. We will also take a brief look into the history of the imprint's founder, one of the pioneers of fetish media, publisher and photographer Leonard Burtman.
Selbee Associates is the brainchild of one Leonard Burtman and his story is worthy of a movie, or at least the lengthy article Richard Pérez Seves wrote about him which can be found at the byNWR website. Pérez Seves really did his homework. He examined the facts, culled from existing government documentation as well as a massive FBI file petitioned through FOIA (The Freedom of Information Act).
Me? I'm going to give the lowdown in a few paragraphs, borrowing from Richard Pérez Seves' article and Wikipedia.
Although photographer Isadore 'Irving' Klaw was first in entering the fetish art business in 1948, it was Leondard Burtman who envisioned going beyond mail order and creating the first fetish-inspired publishing enterprise with nationally distributed magazines and books.
In the case of Burtman, this innovation was the mother of necessity. You see, he'd held a government job for many years, but had a habit of getting arrested, which put an end to that and other similar opportunities.
Ah, let's start at the beginning.
Born in Nebraska in August of 1920, Burtman was raised in NYC. His father was a one-time newspaper owner and editor. An initial fascination with electronics bloomed into a promising career. Burtman was educated at a number of technical schools, including the California Institute of Technology, the Philco School, and Bell Laboratories School for War Training. He held positions at the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, ITT, and RCA. He returned to the California Institute of Technology where he worked “as a member of the research staff in the development of telemetering devices for the atom bomb.”
Burtman eventually landed a civilian job as a radio technician at a military base. And that's when life soured for Burtman. His first arrest was for stealing government property. He was then arrested for failing to appear before the draftboard - though he got out of that by claiming "he was employed by the Office of Scientific Research and Development; the Unit had the code name (Camel), and was concerned with Atom Bomb Research." However, his luck ran out with his next arrest; for transporting stolen goods and check fraud. He pleaded guilty to six counts and served a year in federal prison.
Upon release, he returned to the east coast. Disgraced and unemployable, he turned his attention to one of his other passions - photography, namely that of nude females. Under various alias' he built a reputation and was a frequent contributor to the publications of 'Pin-Up King' Irving Klaw.
Operating under 17 alias' and starting in 1954, Burtman built his publishing empire, which eventually included film (Satan In High Heels and Cinderella's Love Lesson featuring cabaret/burlesque legend Lily St. Cyr). He worked with the best models in the business including Bettie Page, Roz Greenwood, Baby Lake, Brandy K. and Burtman's future wife, Tana Louise (they divorced in 1960 and Burtman would marry three more times).
Burtman was also a huge fan of transgender, transvestites, and female mimics. He was the first to create full-sized magazines dedicated to them. Yes, according to one intimate, Kim Christy: "He loved the lady boys."
Problems with the law surfaced between 1957-1959. In May of 1959, on the basis of evidence obtained during a 1957 warehouse raid, Burtman and Himmel were found guilty of “possession of obscene booklets with intent to sell.” And so Burmel Publishing Co. would become Kaysey Sales Co. Inc. which then became Selbee Associates.
Selbee Associates would collapse in 1963 under the weight of a 66 count indictment and the bankruptcy of their major distributor, All-State News Co. (who owed them $180 K). Burtman and Himmel would continue publishing under various names, using secondary distributors, but never achieve the height reached in 1963. Oh, and that 66 count indictment? It never went to trial, but did manage to tie up Burtman and HImmel's time, money, and energy.
Burtman would soldier on alone and the 1970's proved much more accommodating to his brand of fashion fetish. Unfortunately, the competition eventually did it better, bringing a final end to his fever dreams. He died at his desk in 1989, unable to reinvent himself one more time.
Here are the four titles published by Selbee Associates, along with two titles published by other Burtman-associated imprints. All artwork is either done by Eric Stanton or Gene Bilbrew.
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Queens In Drag
"Female Impersonators... on parade!"
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: S-K Books
1964
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: S-K Books
1964
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Mr. Muscle Boy
Selbee Associates
Author: Donald Evans
1965
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The Gay Jungle
Selbee Associates
Author: Donald Evans
1965
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Beach Boy
Selbee Associates
Author: Donald Evans
1966
According to Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List, this one is about "gay tourists in Miami Beach".
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Male Madam
Selbee Associates
Author: Donald Evans
1966
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Female Impersonator's Handbook
Author: 'Pudgy' Roberts
Publisher: Capri Publishers
1967
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And that's all for now.
Next time: more tantalizing titles from another vintage gay pulp fiction imprint.
Until then...
Thanks for reading!
Satan In High Heels - Movie Trailer
(1962)
More Deadly Than The Man
from the 1962 motion picture
Satan In High Heels
