October 10, 2014

Beemer Memory 8 ~ Drummer Magazine


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In the late seventies, I modeled for articles in Drummer Magazine. One article in particular I remember was on how to do full body and other body parts casting (couldn't be shy here). Some of the photographers I worked with were Jim Stewart (see Beemer links below), Peter Munekee and Gene Weber whose work can now be found in the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Collection at the San Francisco Public Library.

Drummer Magazine was a publication for the man with an interest in the leather subculture in mind. It was founded by John Embry and Jeanne Barney in Los Angeles in 1975. Due to police harassment, it relocated to San Francisco in 1977 with Jack Fritscher as editor-in-chief from 1977 to 1979.


cover art by Rex
photo of cover by Styrous®


Drummer Magazine delineated leather as a lifestyle and masculinity as an ideal. It featured quality writings about leather but also served as a platform for erotic art and photography. Some of its writers and artists were Phil Andros, Tim Barrus, Scott Masters, Camille O'Grady, Tom of Finland, Robert Opel and Larry Townsend who wrote The Leatherman's Handbook, the bible for the Leatherman.

my well-worn copy of the book




I did the sound design for several exhibition/events at the Fey Way Studios owned by Robert Opel and it was were I met Touko Laaksonen aka Tom of Finland in 1978. Somewhere I have a calendar for that year that he autographed.

 Fey Way Studios 1st Anniversary poster
poster art work by Camille O'Grady
photo of poster by Styrous®



Drummer Magazine held annal International Mr Drummer contests in San Francisco, CA from 1981 to 1999. They were pretty raucous events and tons of fun.

The last issue of Drummer Magazine was published in April of 1999.




Sites for more information:
 
A Hell Of A Run: Leather Publishing And San Francisco
                         from leatherpage.com, archived at archive.org 
The Leather Archive & Museum
Jack Fritcher interview on YouTube  

informaton about Drummer Magazine by Jack Fritcher  
Back2stonewall  
Leather Life 




Beemer Memories  
Memory 4 ~ Leatherneck bar, San Francisco   
Memory 5 ~ Leatherneck bar, S. F., Pt. 2  
Memory 10 ~ 1977 CARNIFAIR ~ Dancin' for the Seamen   
Memory 11 ~ Leatherneck posters  



Those were exciting, wild and intense times in the history of gay S F. 
I'm glad I was there to experience them.



Styrous® ~ Friday, October 10, 2014 

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