The new issue is now in the mail! Thanks to all subscribers, first timer’s and  the usual Handbook readers everywhere. Be on the look out for your issue within the next 7-10 days. Here’s another sneak peek at centerfold nude guy Joey. Enjoy!

So until we post the cover issue and copies for sale here is a sample of the the three featured nude guys (Derek, Joey and Caedon). The issue will be available here July 10th.

Walk On the Wild Side
East Coast cruising
by Matt James

Do you suck?

I blinked in disbelief. Could I be reading this correctly? Three hand-scrawled words on a piece of toilet paper passed beneath the divider between two men’s room stalls that read simply… Do you suck? I couldn’t comprehend such a blatant and daring expression of sexuality. Of gay sexuality. Of nameless, faceless gay sexuality. And how could I? I was barely 12 years old. I’d snuck my parent’s copy of the groundbreaking—yet terribly misinformed—1969 sex manual, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) off the bookshelf in our living room and had ensconced myself, and my burgeoning desires, safely in my childhood bedroom. With a voracious curiosity, I devoured every page paying especially close attention to the chapters on gay sex. One particularly memorable passage describes a “typical” encounter in the men’s room of a bowling alley. No names. No introductions. No small talk. Just… Do you suck? Now I’d been in the men’s room of our local bowling alley and had found nothing sexy about it. The locker room at the Y? That I found sexy. The men’s room at Rockaway Lanes? Not so much. Still, as confusing as I found the story, at least it was something. And what it was was my first exposure to what I’d later learn to be called cruising. It was also my first lesson in one of life’s great truths. Namely, that sex, or the potential for it, is everywhere. If you know where to look.
Not long after that, I caught a story on the local evening news about the NYC health department cracking down on sex clubs in Manhattan. A cameraman and reporter were on location outside a club called the Mineshaft a few days before it was shut down. Of course, they weren’t allowed in. But the few seconds of footage they did manage to capture of the leather-clad doorman was all that was needed to plant a seed of intrigue in my brain that would last a lifetime. I distinctly recall, at 14, feeling devastated that I’d never get to visit. The closest I ever got to the Mineshaft was when my high school friend, Mike, who worked at a video rental store, brought home the movie, Cruising. Filmed on location in New York’s Meatpacking District, which was home to the Mineshaft and several places like it, it laid bare, unflinchingly, a world with its own rules, dress code, language and symbols. Even its own morality. In one scene, the detective played by Al Pacino is harshly admonished for sporting a yellow hanky even though he just “likes to watch.” In another scene, he’s ejected from Precinct Night at a bar, because his attitude isn’t sufficiently authoritative. Determined to find whatever was left of that world, it soon became clear to me that, just like Lou Reed sang, “New York City’s the place where they say, Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.” By the time I moved to New York, much had changed since the pre-AIDS days depicted in Cruising. Still, there was a sexy vibe to the city that has been gentrified away in recent years. What is now Hudson River Park with its landscaped bike paths and concession stands used to be an abandoned waterfront. Several decrepit piers jutted out into the Hudson off the West Side Highway, from Christopher Street up to 14th street. A couple of the piers were easily accessible. People rode bikes, smoked weed and sunbathed there. The atmosphere was decidedly PG-13. Frisky but friendly. However a few of the piers were fenced off by the city for being unsafe. Of course fencing off a space in what is already historically a cruising spot just offers additional protection from cops and looky-loos. So, that’s where the action was. I remember once watching a man vacuum pumping his cock, giving a show to a group of curious onlookers. A few blocks north from there on Gansevoort Street in the now-tony and barely recognizable Meatpacking District used to sit a row of parked trucks. During the day they were used to transport merchandise from nearby warehouses and factories. At night they were left open. Guys would cruise the dark, narrow spaces between the trucks and fuck and suck the night away in the empty freight containers on their way to or from the bars nearby. One of those bars, the Eagle’s Nest, was at the corner of 21st St & 11th Avenue. At night, and especially after bar-closing hour, the block of 22nd St between 10th & 11th became popular for cruising. Guys would have sex in doorways and parked cars up and down the street. Today, that block is dotted with art galleries and multi-million dollar loft apartments. Perhaps the most enduring cruising spot in New York is The Ramble in Central Park. The secluded and wooded area has been used for gay sex since at least the early 1900s. (In the 1920s, the lawn at the north end was referred to as the “fruited plain.”) Along with being a peaceful and serene retreat in the city where birdwatchers coexist peacefully with sodomites, The Ramble holds a special place in my sexual history, as it may be where I saw (and sucked) the biggest dick I’ve come across in my life. I once heard an expression that goes something like, “You haven’t actually visited someplace until you’ve had sex there.” So when I began travelling I never went anywhere without my trusty Spartacus Guide. In addition to the standard listings for bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels and gyms, I always appreciated Spartacus’s listing for cruising areas. (Particularly curious to me were the listings noted with an “AYOR” for “at your own risk”—places you were likely to get stabbed or arrested.) Thumbing through an old Spartacus guide with its dog-eared pages and notes in the margins is a bit like a walk down dirty-memory lane… my favorite darkroom in Amsterdam, the sling at The Keller in Paris, the blowjob I got at the Beverly Center in LA. In 1995 cruisingforsex.com came online headed by Cruisemaster Keith. Like Spartacus, it provided listings of real-world cruising spots. However as a website it could be updated easily and included user submissions and reviews. It was single-minded and to-the-point, like cruising for sex is supposed to be. However in the years since, cruisingforsex.com has become bogged down in personals and webcams and ads for Viagra. Not too different from what the Internet has done for cruising in general. Not that I’m anti-Manhunt or anti-Grindr (or anti-anything for that matter.) But before the Internet put every guy in our pockets, we needed to use our eyes, ears and instincts to sniff out the next conquest. And the hunt can be half the fun. See you outside, guys.

The next issue will be available April 10th. See Ty, Will and Mike showing off all they’ve got just for you. Check back soon for the new cover image.

A discussion about body image and other things with Andy Bydalek, creator of a queer comedy that will
have you binging and purging for more.

Tell me what sort of film is Skinnyfat and what it’s all about.
As a friend described it, Skinnyfat is a short comedy about two skinny ass gay guys who think they’re overweight. Lead character Chaz, played by Jayson Jaynes, has cultivated a total fear of fat. So he drags his best friend Davy, played by Evan Johnson, on an increasingly insane quest to trim down. At first glance, the story is a kind of silly satire about their efforts to get six pack abs. But there’s a lot going on underneath the surface: internalized judgments, friendship dynamics, the complexities of dating, the gulf between gay social groups, etc. I had a lot to say with this film, but I tried to be subtle about it.
Do you now or have you ever had a six pack? Abs that is?
I once had a scientifically verifiable six-pack. Something to do with flesh drop off angles, shadow casting degrees, etc…I’ve no mind for that sort of thing. I can’t really brag about it though, because most men who grow up stick thin have six-packs by default. Now that I’ve gotten older, I have a bit more padding. So as for the current state of my abs…well, that’s up for interpretation. And appropriate mood lighting.
Do you think it’s important to have a chiseled tummy?
Only if you plan on modeling for Men’s Fitness. Actually, I think six packs are kind of creepy. For most guys past their early 20s, it suggests an unhealthy obsession with personal appearance and “fitness.” Fitness, of course, being a code word for personal appearance.
Why do you think a large majority of gay men obsess so much over the way they look?
Cuz we wanna get laid! Digging deeper, though, I think we all want to feel accepted by others and ourselves. We live in a society where we are still told we’re sick, sinful, not worthy of equal partnership/marriage, we should kill ourselves, etc.. That’s a lot of psychic baggage to carry around. Becoming fabulous, attractive and fit is one means of dealing with it. Getting laid is another. More than the social messages, though, are the media messages. Open any gay magazine—even community-oriented magazines such as Frontiers, POZ, and the BAR—and you’ll see the vast majority of imagery is of the culturally-defined “perfect” body: tight tanned muscles, six pack abs, etc. And padding every issue are advertisements for teeth whitening, personal trainers, weight loss supplements, liposuction, hair removal, hair implants, pec implants, butt implants, and crotch enhancing underwear. Is it any wonder gay men are dissatisfied with their body image? Or that entire communities form around body types?
Who is your audience?
Our audience is primarily gay men, but we’re finding that folks from all walks of life really like the film. Open-minded straight men (yes, I had to qualify that) and women in particular find it funny. Maybe it’s easier for people to watch a comedy about really personal issues that has characters they don’t directly identify with. But that said, the gays are loving it. At every screening I’ve attended, audience members…and usually heavier-set men…have come up to me afterward to thank me for making this film. It’s been very touching and totally unexpected. Here I had been a little worried that the humor might be too sharp! But in talking with folks, I realized the power of making a film about these issues: it isn’t just about my voice or my assessment of the situation, it’s about starting a conversation. It’s about giving people a chance to laugh at something that may have pained them, and showing audiences they are not alone in their insecurities and fear of rejection.
If someone wanted to see Skinnyfat, where could they do that?
The film is currently traveling the festival circuit, but I am looking toward a late spring DVD or release of Skinnyfat. I’ll be putting together a big package that will include a bunch of fantastic extras: behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast auditions, the dirty sexy “ManMilk” short film, and much more.
Why do you think that Skinny Fat appeals to such a wide range of men?
One of the things that makes Skinnyfat such a unique film is that it shows guys on all ends of the spectrum deal with body image issues. I think it’s often assumed that thin men have it easy or that heavier-set men are not considered attractive. The film counters both those ideas in humorous ways, and I think that’s why it’s resonating well with audiences.
Was your film based upon any experiences you or your friends have been through?
Indeed it was! When I began to put on weight, it was very exciting until I realized it was all going to my gut. Actor Jayson Jaynes and I were trying on skimpy costumes for Burning Man a couple years ago when I first noticed the uh…imbalance. Our jokes inspired me to write the story for Skinnyfat. Actually, I didn’t realize at the time there is a whole culture around the term, mostly relating to women. Perhaps that’s why women have been some of the biggest fans of the film! Or maybe they’re just happy to see that guys are finally dealing with the same crap they’ve been dealing with for centuries. Either way, I’m happy to have tapped into a something that is speaking to a diversity of audiences.
What sort of physical attributes of the male form do you find attractive?
Attraction is an interesting subject. Besides childhood influences, there are a lot of deep-layered, self-image factors that affect what we are into, esp for gay men. And “hot” is culturally defined. In SF, we are lucky enough to have subcultures for almost every body type and look. But in mainstream media messages and porn, we are definitely in a time when dark featured, hairy and uber-masculine is highly valued. If you look at media from 25 years ago, you’ll notice it was more about smooth and blond. I admit I’m a sucker for a nice chest…but I’m not talking about a six pack, haha. More of the v-shaped thing. I might describe the overall effect as “balance,” which is something I seek in all areas of my life.
Do you discriminate physically or are you pretty open when it comes to your male attraction?
My tastes evolve a lot with time and experience. I think it’s healthy to be open to the world around you. I definitely have some favorite types, but that’s best discovered rather than announced.
Describe in detail your most perfect gay lover. (What you would currently go for at this very moment.)
Decisions, decisions. Well like many guys, I’ll make it easy by focusing on the physical. I was just at the gym (believe it or not, I try to work out) and saw at least five guys I found really hot. They varied in age, race, build and look. I have no idea if any of them had six packs, and I honestly don’t care. I AM hoping they’re all hung, though. (Duh.) This isn’t easy. Let’s just say James Franco. He’s incredibly sexy and I think he’d be so much fun to hang out with. Wait, he isn’t gay? What?
When speaking of body dysmorphic disorders I can’t help but think of a large number of gay men who need to spend five to six days at the gym. Pumping iron all day and still feeling like they are small in muscle development. Have you known anyone like this?
Oops, did I just say I was at the gym pumping iron? I was actually shopping…for a new therapist. Yeah, I have met a number of well built guys who are convinced they’re way too thin. It’s interesting because I usually find this out as we’re having sex. It sends very mixed messages to me as a skinny guy; so I usually choose to ignore the messages and focus on the sex. Fortunately, so do they.
Did it take a few good friends to help out to finish the film?
Yes!! Although I’d written, filmed and edited small projects in the past, Skinnyfat was my first true narrative short and the most ambitious project I’ve ever done. It’s funny because it was originally intended to be a very simple creative exercise between friends, but it snowballed into a mini-feature as more people came on board and I got more excited. I am forever grateful to everyone who helped bring it to fruition: the actors and extras, the production crew, the Comfort & Joy community, the sound mixing facility, etc. I also had particular support from my associate producers Jayson Jaynes and Chris Forbes. Jayson (also the lead actor) was with me right from the start and wore a lot of different hats over the last two years. For most of us, this was the first time undertaking a project of this scope or nature, and I’m really happy with the results.
Was it a big challenge bringing the body dysmorphic disorder issue to your audience in a 40 min film?
Oddly enough, no. The story and the themes came pretty naturally. The challenge was more in trimming it down, no pun intended. There was so much good material from the actors, I had a hard time parting with any of it in the editing room. I now really see the value in having someone else do that for you.
How long did it take for you to complete the film?
I started writing the screenplay in early 2009. After months of intense planning, we went into production that summer. I started editing in the winter, and it was a fairly long and arduous process. Graphics, music, sound mixing and titles were completed in the spring 2010. Then Skinnyfat made its world premiere at the Frameline Film Festival in June! So all in all, it was about 18 months.
Can we expect a full length queer based feature film from you in the future?
Absolutely! The fuller and longer, the better, I say. I’m developing ideas for a few different projects about the world of gay sex and relationships. After living and loving in San Francisco for 15 years, I have quite a lot of fodder.

(image by Jose Guzman Colon)

Populated with equal parts sailors, cops and “island natives,” the early Athletic Model Guild films and photo shoots are beautifully delirious escapist fluff, if fluff and being mightily fucking hot aren’t mutually exclusive. Founded in 1945, Bob Mizer’s AMG was the benchmark for what gay porn would become, while still being able to be sold relatively openly (albeit with Mizer getting his share of fines and legal harassment) by keeping its boys in “posing straps” and forsaking actual fucking for boyish hooliganism (wrestling and such). The AMG boys of the ‘40s and ‘50s were Herculean adonises, epically muscled but with a sweet naïve glint in their eyes that let you know that even if they had biker tattoos and pompadours and could physically beat the hell out of you they’d be more likely to just fuck you senseless—classic rough trade. Fetishized for their godly beauty by every inch of the camera frame, Mizer borrowed from master photographers like Herbert List and Wilhelm von Gloeden to let you know that these boys were ridiculously beautiful and should be worshipped as such, while stoking suburban daydreams of visiting exotic far-off lands. The most fitting testament to the early AMG photographs is that they still make for gorgeous prime j/o fodder—and sell for a small fortune as vintage silver gelatin prints. But the AMG catalogue got much more priceless in 1968, after US obscenity laws were reversed to finally make showing cock legal. While Mizer had denied shooting any hardcore before then, or ever in fact, he was arrested for sending full frontal photos in 1947, and better still a brilliant full—on hardcore short from 1945 called “Shore Leave” was discovered after his death, along with several gorgeous fuck films from the ‘60s and ‘70s (with such goofy but adorable names as “Vito and the Love Bandit,” “Pass the Soap,” “Jailhouse Fun,” “Cowboy Virgin,” and “Night in a Dungeon”) that are collected on two DVDs available from athleticmodelguild.com. Finally legally able to get rid of the posing straps, the AMG aesthetic changed-gone were the muscle boys and in their place were more gruff, more tattooed, often long-haired, and by and large more fucking lovely boys. (Among them was Mizer’s own 1967 discovery—the ever-godly Joe Dallesandro, who did his first ever photo shoot nude in the AMG studio.) These men also looked a hell of a lot more sinister, but Mizer knew how to make them instantly comfortable, and in the short posing films that came after these mean-ass looking boys just melt (think current porn gods Cory Koons and Nick Piston if you need a reference point). Grinning nonstop, the boys seem comfortable doing just about anything, and in the most fortunate bit of luck for those like myself who love nothing more than a tough-looking boy with his hole wide open like he’s about to get pounded, Mizer also had a penchant for gorgeous puckers, and he left behind film after film of boys with their knees against their chests or just bent over with their holes quivering, in the (unfortunately named but otherwise magnificent) 29-volume Anal Erotic series. Mizer knew his niche markets well, and the AMG archive collections are further divided into Bondage, Spanking, Best Size (solo j/o shoots from the ‘80s—all of which are collected in a DVD series all with the same cover—with the perennially sublime Rod Garreto on the cover), and Live Wrestling. Prevalent in all of them is the also gorgeous fact that Mizer loved Latin boys, and photographed countless fine as hell Mexican and Brazilian boys. The settings of the ‘60s and ‘70s shoots in retrospect seem a tad bit unhinged (he often shot Mexican boys wearing giant sombreros), but clearly with the best intentions and much affection. Besides, when I see a beautiful Mexican guy bent over with his ass wide open clearly enjoying himself I don’t care if he’s wearing a sombrero. Mizer died from cardiac arrest in 1992, leaving the massive AMG archives to his friend Wayne Stanley, who later sold it former Falcon photographer Dennis Bell-who’s completely revived the brand, and AMG is thankfully going strong. In 2005, Bell launched his first porn epic, AMG Resurrection, with the always lovely Jason Adonis and Filippo Romano, making sport of the sweetly absurd nature of the original ‘50s shoots, now made much better because the boys are finally actually FUCKING. Bell chased that with the start of the much more prolific AMG Brasil brand, shot entirely in Brazil with plenty of epically exquisite local boys fucking and sucking. And the company’s history of fighting to protect our gay porn rights (and the double standard that it’s alright to bombard us with half-naked women while denying us the right to see fine as hell men) is still going equally strong, with AMG currently battling Apple for the right to keep its own iPhone app in circulation with classic (all mild) Mizer photos for us to keep in our palms when we feel the need to stroke our cocks to some vintage AMG gods.
by Brian Baltin