Credit: Physique Pictorial Kickstarter
One of the first homoerotic magazines is returning and we couldn’t be happier.
There’s currently a kickstarter running for Physique Pictorial. This was a magazine that arrived in 1951 because of gay pioneer Bob Mizer.
Remember, the 1950s were a time when being gay was still considered a crime and distributing porn was as well.
Mizer however didn’t care. In fact, he was imprisoned at a work camp in California for doing so, but he kept moving anyway.
He then found a way around the issue by first presenting the magazine as a men’s health and fitness magazine. That way, it could be distributed out in the open through newspaper stands and stores.
This then led to all of those stories of young gay men discovering their sexualities by taking a peek at magazines in these spots. Because of this, Physique Pictorial is very much a piece of gay culture and gay history.
Later, laws around pornography lightened and Bob Mizer saw that as an opportunity to introduce naked shots of men to the magazine. In addition, this is one of the first places where gay icon Tom of Finland distributed his Beefcake artwork.
Sadly, in time both Mizer’s death and the magazine’s discontinuing struck the gay community. But, photographer Dennis Bell has bought the rights to Mizer’s work and is now trying to bring the magazine and Mizer’s legacy back to life.
Plus, for those worried about diversity, yes the original magazine was pretty white. But, Dennis Bell assured Unicorn Booty that the newer issue will include diverse models.
“Times have changed, and while we will remain true to Mizer’s ethos in Physique Pictorial, we’ll also show the many men of color that he photographed. It is a major misconception that Bob didn’t photograph black men, in fact, he even ‘dated’ one for decades. Our modern portfolios will showcase [men of color] as well.”
So, if you’re interested in bringing back this piece of gay history, which will include some of the late Mizer’s unreleased photos and new photos with diverse models, then back the kickstarter in the last few days that it has left.
h/t: Unicorn Booty
