1991

1991

The Leather Journal

Artist Cirby's illustration of 1990 Man and Woman of the Year Dustin Logan and Jan Lyon which appeared on the cover of Issue #19 received flak. One of the most vicious letters came from one of the club leaders in Chicago - we still consider the letter (scrawled-handwritten pages on both sides of five pages) to be the most venomous and hateful letter ever written to us. We could not publish it because of libel laws and because we felt it would be hurtful to the artist who was dying from AIDS.

Feature articles: Les Robinson interviewed The Leather Journal Man of the Year 1990 and Fantasy weekend coproducer Dustin Logan; Andy Mangels interviewed The Leather Journal Woman of the Year 1990 Jan Lyon who cofounded the NLA and served as its international titleholder in 1989. Jesse Helms won a narrow victory over Harvey Gannt in North Carolina. Dave Rhodes gave his definition of What Constitutes the "Leather community." The Leather Journal moved its offices to the French Quarter building in West Hollywood making it more accessible to the community. Club runs covered included: the Knights d' Orleans' 16th anniversary; SigMa's September dungeon party; Trident: Los Angeles' third anniversary; Autumn Stampede hosted by the Stallions, Cleveland, OH; Show Me XVII by Gateway MC, St. Louis, MO; Leather Festival produced by SLUG, San Jose, CA; COMMAND's second anniversary, Baltimore, MD; Arizona Fellowship Run IV by several Arizona clubs was held in Tucson; Celebration XII, Centurions, Columbus, OH.

One of the most touching of Jason Forever's The Lone Rider stories was "The Last Ride" which was a "tribute to all the human Brothers and Sisters of our community that have crossed over in the past year. He made this special tribute to his cats Chessie and Nuisance. This is a classic and may have been his best piece as a writer for The Leather Journal. Crashing the Golden Gate was the first of a two-part erotic fiction piece by David Minor.

Mark Frazier (Los Angeles) celebrated his second year as an illustrator for The Leather Journal created the motorcyclist that appeared on the cover of Issue #20.

Feature articles: The first Pantheon of Leather Awards were held in Los Angeles. Les Robinson produced the first show.  Andy Mangels interviewed The Leather Journal Man of the Year 1991 Bill Costomiris. The Leather Community Calendar made its debut with a two-page spread. Jason Forever presented a Motorcycle Safety Quiz in The Lone Rider. Runs covered included the Oedipus MC Coronation of Oedipus Rex LVIII at the Musicians Union Hall in Los Angeles with 400 in attendance; Avatar's eighth anniversary at Mike's Corral in Long Beach, CA; FFA Miami held Neon New Year in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Cirby illustration, "Murph," appeared on the cover of Issue #21 and first monthly edition of The Leather Journal.

Feature articles: Les Robinson interviewed International Mr. Leather Contest cofounder and executive producer Chuck Renslow. Karen Kircher interviewed The Leather Journal Woman of the Year 1991 Susie Shepherd. Runs and events covered included Les Robinson's visit to New York City for GMS/MA's 10th anniversary weekend. Seattle Men in Leather's Equinox II featured rain and more rain at a campground in Port Orchard, WA. NLA: San Diego hosted Leatherfest '91 - the event would rival Living In Leather in quality and size within a couple of years. Kay Hallanger won the International Ms Leather Contest in San Francisco. 12 women competed for the title that saw its first titleholder east of the Pacific Coast.

The feature story was Indentured Servitude by Yakov which depicted an Old Testament style indentured servant ceremony at Inferno.

Why not have a boy on the cover? Southern California Drummer Boy John Hare made #22 cover which was photographed by Les Robinson.

Feature articles: Dave Rhodes' Editorial, Much A Doo-Doo About Leather Contests, defended the titleholder system and referred Leatherfolk to read Guy Baldwin's Leather Contest Guide which was reviewed elsewhere in the magazine. The Leather Journal staff reached its highest number at five when assistant editor Luke Owens, art director Jeff Snyder and office manager Tracy Wieland were added. The Leather Journal Travel Club was founded and turned out to be a financial disaster for The Leather Journal. Karen Kircher interviewed International Ms Leather 1991 Kay Hallanger. Runs featured were: Spring Maneuvers hosted by the Regiment of the Black and Tans uniform club in Los Angeles; Scream Break sponsored by NLA: San Francisco Bay Area, Satyricons' MC's Hell on Heels X in Las Vegas, NV got four pages of coverage; Knights On Iron's second anniversary weekend in San Diego, CA; and Discipline VI by Disciples of DeSade in Dallas, TX.

Jeff Snyder took the photo of International Mr. Leather titleholders 1988 Michael Pereyra, 1991 "D" Cannon, 1990 Mark Ryan and 1989 Guy Baldwin which appeared on the cover of Issue #11.

Feature articles: This edition featured 14 pages of IML coverage which featured Les Robinson's interview with "D" Cannon; Andy Mangels asked 15 contestants a few interview questions of his own for The Leather Journal, plus several pages of photos. Runs and events featured were the American Uniform Association's Muster Report held in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend. Held at the same time as IML, the event drew a record crowd. Considered to be one of the best runs on the West Coast, it was time to cover Oedipus MC's Grecian Games.

The Leather Journal staff rode in the Los Angeles Christopher Street West Parade in a convertible supplied by Avatar's Jan Verbiesen. Karen Lackey took the photo which appeared on the cover of Issue #24.

Feature articles: There were plenty of Leather/Gay and Lesbian pride events around the continent. Other runs and events were Stars and Stripes by Tarheel Leather Club in Greensboro, NC; the Mudmen weekend in Houston, TX; Clippers summer party; the Knights d' Orleans Bear Contest. The art of Liza Svika from Japan was featured. In a letter to the editor Tom of Finland Foundation vice president announced the creation of the Foundation, seeking financial support. The 13 member selection panel for the second Pantheon of Leather Awards was listed.

Dolph Knight was the Falcon model that appeared on the cover of Issue #25. He starred in the Falcon video The Adbuction.

Feature articles: Luke Owens seized the opportunity to interview International Mr. Drummer Clive Platman and International Drummer Boy John Siracusa. Runs included the June Hot Ash party at Cellblock 28; The Rocky Mountaineers MC Golden Fleece XX run in the mountains west of Denver; Wasatch Leathermen MC's Falcon Flight VII: Flight to Arches run in Zion National Park; COLD (Colorado Outdoor Leather Dykes held When Hell Freezes Over at the Rocky Mountaineers campground in the Rockies west of Denver; NLA: Los Angeles held their Fetish and Fantasy Erotic Art Exhibition; NLA: Arkansas' Lock-Up II. The first URSUS illustration by Michael Schruender appeared along with "A Slave's General Orders and Contract" by Luke Owens. Daddy Bob came up with Awards for Real People in The Wearin' O' The Hides.

(Issue #27 should have been #26. Seems like we've been here before!)

Michael Schruender, better known as Dade, has probably been the premier artist for the Bear movement. His work has appeared in numerous publications, on t-shirts and as logos for clubs and businesses. His photo, by Dave Rhodes, is on the cover.

Andy Mangels interviewed Lee Willis of the Stud Works from Seattle, WA. Respected not only for his community service, Lee was noted for the precision quality of his studded leather.

Feature articles: Assembly '91 was the general assembly of all Knights of Malta clubs hosted by the Yosemite chapter in Fresno. Four pages of coverage went to Fantasy '91 in Omaha, NE; IIR Productions from Dallas produced the show that featured a Phantom of the Opera presentation. Corpus Christi was a popular site for club runs in the early 90s; Beachhead V sponsored by Corpus Christi MC was hot. The Trusted Servants from San Francisco and Knights On Iron from San Diego cohosted Trudge...Into the Woods in Sequoia National Forest in Central California. The Blue Max MC, Los Angels, CA, Red Baron 1991 run was just one of many that the LA bike clubs host each summer. IMsL 1991 Kay Hallanger described the first Midwest Leather Conference held in St. Louis, MO as "an improbable weekend;" because the event was conceived and pulled off in eight short weeks by Bryan Smith.

Mr. Drummer 1991 Woody Bebout, photographed by Luke Owens, graced the cover of Issue #28. Known as the great orator, Woody wowed many crowds with his gentle demeanor and firm words during his speeches. He went on to become The Leather Journal's Man of the Year in 1993 and 1996.

Feature articles: Luke Owens interviewed the first International Mr. Deaf Leather Philip Rubin. San Francisco's Leather Pride Week included the Mr. Drummer Contest, Fetish & Fantasy Ball and Folsom Street Fair. Alan Selby founded the Fetish and Fantasy Ball. One of the photos covering the Ball was of Fakir Musafar hanging a typewriter from his pierced nipples. The Centurions of Columbus' 13th Anniversary. Jonothan Motichka's illustrations highlighted David Minor's erotic fiction. A letter to the editor came from Igor Zlobin from the Soviet Union representing Soviet Pen Pals.

Andy Mangels captured the Issue #29 cover shot of Mr. and Ms National Leather Association Bill Miranda Salzman and Laura Goodwin only moments after they were declared winners.

Feature articles: The NLA's Living In Leather Conference was held in Chicago, marking the first time that the confab was held outside the Pacific Northwest. Perry Watkins, who successfully fought a discrimination dismissal case against the U.S. Army, was the keynote speaker. Jan Lyon and Steve Maidhoff were given Lifetime Achievement honors. Earl Adams was installed as the new president of Avatar in Los Angeles. The Knights d' Orleans sent photos of their 17th Anniversary Run. Spearhead's Round-Up '91 run in Toronto was hot. jay wagner made his debut as a correspondent for The Leather Journal by covering events in Toronto. Hot Air '91 sponsored by the Motorcyclemen of New Mexico drew a big crowd. Rosebud XI, hosted by Texas MC and Dallas MC, had 150 attend at Buzzards Peak, TX.

Clubs

The Centurions of Columbus carted five pickup truck loads of toys to the Franklin County Services and raised $3,000 for the agency to buy "toys for needy children to old to receive stuffed animals." SigMa found a new venue for their monthly meetings in Washington, DC.

The Motorcycle Awards in San Francisco recognized the accomplishments of Northern California's motorcycle clubs and their members. The 25th annual event saw Cycle Runners MC take nine awards including Best Overall Run and Motorcycle Man of the Year (Roland Chavin). Marcus Hernandez and Frank Naccarato were the emcees for the historic event. This was the first year that the Motorcycle Awards were hosted by the Inter Club Fund. The Barbary Coasters MC had produced the show from the first year up to 1991.

Bear clubs started cropping up around the country. A few of the early pioneers were the Bear Paws of Iowa, Leather Bears and Pacific Bears MC.

The Chicago Hellfire Club began holding their SM University seminars at AA Meat Market.

Mr. Southeast Leather 1991 started the Leather/SM/Fetish discussion group in Atlanta. The 15 Association of San Francisco opened a new dungeon space. The Knights On Iron raised over $1,000 for Mama's Kitchen during their San Diego Harbor Boat Cruise. 3,000 filled the St. Bernard Auditorium in New Orleans for the Lords of Leather Ball. ORGASM (ORegon Guild of Activists in SM) found a new dungeon space.

Shannon Kennedy not only resigned as female cochair of the National Leather Association, but yanked her membership as well. Judy Tallwing McCarthey filled as interim cochair. Threshold, Formerly LA Janus, monthly meeting attendance reached the 300 mark.

Stars MC formed in Albany , NY to represent five cities in the New York Capital area: Schenectady, Troy, Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga. This club would be a major force in promoting club brotherhood on the East Coast in years to come. Jan Lyon was elected to fill the vacant female cochair position for the NLA.

SM Gays collected more than 1,000 British pounds for the SM Gays Benevolent Fund in London, UK. Founded by Kelly Thibault, the Orange Coast Leather Assembly (OCLA) started serving the Orange County Leather community in California. About 300 men, total, attended both sessions of the Chicago Hellfire Club's Inferno XX. The Mystic Krewe of Lords of Leather of New Orleans disbanded and reformed under a new charter as Lords of Leather Mardi Gras Krewe and Leather Club.

Chuck Higgins was voted male cochair of the NLA Nearly $7,000 was raised for the Chicago Hellfire Club's McAdory Fund. Mike Miller won the Mr. Oklahoma Leather sash that was sponsored by TULSA (Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association. Brother Help Thyself held a fundraiser in Washington, DC.

Some clubs are known for their regalia - Blue Max MC in Los Angeles held a terrific change of command at Griff's. Threshold held their Bizarre Bazaar in Los Angeles.

The Brotherhood of Pain held Hell II in Houston.

The Hartford Colts raised $1,100 in their annual Toys for Tots/AIDS Benefit.

NLA: Arkansas and The Officers Club split and went their separate ways in Little Rock, AR.

Leather Titles

 Race Bannon and Mike Truhill (Mike Pierce) won the second Southern California Masters and Slaves Contest at Griff's in Los Angeles. Kerry Richard won the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest sponsored by Centaur MC in Washington, DC; Catrina won the Ms Arizona Leather Contest; JC Collins became Ms San Francisco Leather; Sallee Huber won the Puget Sound Ms Leather title hosted by Leather Star which was a grant-a-wish foundation for persons with AIDS.

Roland Bynum was named Mr. Portland Leather 1991; Leslie McGuire became Portland Leatherwoman 1991 Leonard Martinez was Mr. New Mexico Drummer, Pat Sanchez won Mr. Southwest Drummer; Mr. and Ms Southeast Leather 1991 were Wes Decker and MP Breslin; Mr. Los Angeles Drummer was Marc Lowy.

A panel of judges selected CCMC's Blake Miller as Wolfs Leather Daddy then the bar owner declared Tom Bill a co-titleholder in San Diego, CA; John Thatcher was selected Mr. Leatherman Toronto; John Wilson became Mr. Louisiana Leather; Mitch Johnson won the Mr. San Francisco Leather title; Spike won the Ms Toronto Leather Contest; Jesse Arias won Mr. Long Beach Leather.

Dee Cannon won the International Mr. Leather title at the Vic Theater i Chicago. The host hotel was the Executive House. This was Dave Rhodes' first year to judge IML.

Fresno was the site of the Mr. Northern California Drummer Contest won by Bill Gooch; Mr. Leather Tennessee was taken by Matthew Presley; Murrell Fox won the Mr. Florida Drummer Contest at the Parliament House and Kevin Steadman, who would later become International Drummer Boy, won the Drummer Boy title; Brent Jenson was picked Mr. Inland Empire Drummer in Pomona, CA; the new Mr. Tri-State Cowboy was Sam Walls; Grant Dupont became Mr. Watering Hole Leather in San Francisco. The Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf announced that the first International Mr. Deaf Leather Contest would  be held in Dallas, TX in July.

Tom Palffy won the Mr. Gauntlet II Leather Contest; Mr. Desert Empire Drummer 1991 was Mark Wood. Philip Rubin won the first International Mr. Deaf Leather title in Dallas, TX. Irwin Murphy was named Mr. Oregon Drummer; Mark Frazier became Mr. Gulf Coast Drummer; Mr. Orange Coast Drummer was Kelly "T-Bone" Thibault; Jason Traver won the Mr. San Diego Drummer sash.

 Probably the best-ever produced regional Drummer contest was Southern California Mr. Drummer by Terry LeGrand in 1991. It was also one of the most controversial. Ten preliminaries were held throughout Southern California leading up to the July extravaganza which was won by The Leather Journal art director Jeff Snyder at the Coconut Grove Ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel. Tony Klatt was chosen Southern California Drummer Boy. LeGrand received heavy criticism for what some said was $40,000 spent on promoting and producing the event while others were awestruck by the production that rivaled the finals in San Francisco. Bill Miranda Salzman was Mr. Northeast Drummer; Joe Potter nabbed Rocky Mountain Drummer Kevin Jackson won Mr. Australia Drummer; the new Mr. St. Louis Leather was Tim Bregger; Joe Scibetta became San Francisco Leather Daddy IX.

Mr. Northeast Drummer Bill Miranda Salzman presented a $3,300 check to Chris Babeck of the PWA Coalition in New York City.

Sky Renfro was reinstated as president of the International Ms Leather board. Don Bastian of Calgary, Alberta won the Northwest Mr. Drummer title.

Woody Bebout became Mr. Drummer and Kevin Steadman was named Drummer Boy in San Francisco, CA.

COMMAND's third anniversary saw Bob Saint with the Mr. Maryland Leather Contest. Jose Ucles fame started when he won the American Leatherman Competition in Boston, MA. The second annual Leatherfest bore the theme "Southbay in Gear" with Shiloh Unruh and Beth Key winning the Mr. and Ms Southbay Leather titles.

Mr. Barn Drummer Andy Anderson did piercings during Piercing Night which was sponsored by Mr. Leatherman Toronto John Thatcher. Aubrey Sparks made his debut on national visibility when he won the 1991 Seattle Daddy Contest; Craig Poos became Mr. Oklahoma City Leather; the new Mr. Sacramento Leather was Wes Patterson; Jeff Barrett was chosen Mr. San Diego Leather; Jim Battrell was named Russian River Leather Daddy and Taylor Poff was the new Russian River Leather Daddy's Boy. Rob Welcher became Daddy's Boy; Steve Quintana won Mr. Idaho Leather.

News and Politics

The following were winners at the first Pantheon of Leather Awards Sow held at Circus Dace Club in Hollywood, CA: Man of the Year Bill Costomiris, Woman of the Year Susie Shepherd, Club of the Year Tarheel Leather Club, Non Profit Organization of the Year Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation; Business/Business Person of the Year Lee Willis/Stud Works; Forebearer Tom of Finland, Readers' Choice Award Susie Shepherd, Publisher's Award Bob Craig. Regional awards went to: Jay Evans, George Nelson, Race Bannon and Bill Costomiris. A selection panel of three community leaders, Guy Baldwin, Dustin Logan and Jan Lyon decided the winners. Dave Rhodes started a new tradition by presenting The Leather Journal belts, designed by the Stud Works in Seattle, WA, to Louis Jay, Floyd Ballou, Les Robinson, Susie Shepherd and Bill Costomiris for community service. $1,000 in checks were presented to four organizations by Pantheon of Leather executive producer Dave Rhodes.

Three Boston residents were arrested by police and charged with "offering sex for a fee, operating a house of ill fame," and "possession of a dangerous weapon." The case would cost nearly $10,000 to defend and the Leather community raised funds to fight it.

The Crypt added two new stores to its chain in San Diego followed by another in Long Beach with nearly 250 Leatherfolk attending the midweek grand opening there.

Three writers: Guy Baldwin, Mark Thompson and Craig Lee participated in a Gay Writers Series hosted by A Different Light Bookstore in Los Angeles.

Andy Mangels announced that he was starting on a book, The Right to Remain Silent? Gay Cops Tell Their Story, which would be a compilation of testimonies from gay and lesbian peace officers.

A video production seminar to be held at Timberfell Lodge in Tennessee was announced. The weekend would end up a big financial loss for its promoter. AMBUSH! raised $2,000 to benefit the AIDS Resource Center in Dallas, TX.

The sixth Wally Look Alike Contest netted $1,500 for San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund.

Zeus Studious held their annual summer party at the Zeus Studios loft in downtown Los Angeles. $10.633 was raised at Pride Night in New York City.

The Crypt, based in San Diego, CA, opened up a store in Seattle, WA.

Lee Willis and the Stud Works hosted a dinner and presented a large memorial plaque honoring those who have died in the Northwest. 60 names were added for the first showing - the memorial maintained, updated and is on display at The Cuff bar in Seattle today.

The world's largest Leather shop began to take shape as Richard Hunter announced that his Eagles Shop and Fetters were moving to San Francisco to become part of Mr. S Leather. Mr. S became large with the merger. Alan Selby founded Mr. S several years before and the store had a terrific reputation under his ownership. Mr. S has won Business of the Year twice at Pantheon of Leather.

Gauntlet, Inc. opened a new store in New York City.

Frank Strona was appointed managing editor at Brush Creek Media which owned Bear and Powerplay Magazines. House O' Chicks began producing the Safe Sex for Women video.

Randy Sauder and Gary from Pink Triangle were named Leathermen of the Year; it was the first time that the Broward (Ft. Lauderdale) Dixie Awards had awards for Leather.

New on the Scene

VILE (Vancouver Independent Leather Enthusiasts), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Bear Paws of Iowa, Iowa City, IA; CLUB Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; BALLS (Bay Area Levi & Leather Society), Corpus Christi, TX; Leather Bears/Bear Fax Magazine, San Francisco, CA; The Regiment, Fort Wayne, IN; Melbond (Melbourne Bondage Club), Melbourne, Australia; STARS MC, Albany, NY; Pendragons, Birmingham, AL; Denver Smoke, Denver, CO; Sacramento Leather Association (SLA), Sacramento, CA; Leather First BBS club, Sacramento, CA; Deaf Leather/SM Outreach, Dallas, TX; OCLA (Orange Coast Leather Assembly, Garden Grove, CA; Mountain Men of Leather, Denver, CO; Demons, Staten Island, NY; Patrol Uniform Club, Austin, TX; NLA: Buffalo; Sadie Masie Club opened in London, UK; Cigar Studs, Los Angeles, CA; Dads and Sons, Laguna Beach, CA; The Norsemen, Chocorua, NH; The Boot Co., Brisbane, Australia; Nightcrawlers, Worcester, MA; Bluegrass Bears, Louisville, KY; Defenders: DC, Washington, DC; South Florida Bondage Club, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Ringed Men, Sydney, Australia; United Leatherfolk of Connecticut, East Hartford, CT; NLA: Indianapolis; NLA: Toronto; NLA: Deaf; Temple of Hecate, Cincinnati, OH; Baltimore Alliance of the Deaf; Leather Corps, Los Angeles, CA; Wolf Pack S&M, Dearborn, MI; NLA: Houston, Houston, TX

Books and Publications

Frank Strona was appointed managing editor at Brush Creek Media which owned Bear and Powerplay Magazines.

The NLA announced the release of its publication Quarter Link.

Milestones

20 Years: The Eulenspiegel Society, New York, NY; Golden Fleece Run XX, Rocky Mountaineers MC, Denver, CO; Unicorn MC, Cleveland, OH, Rites of the Full Moon/20th Anniversary; Inferno XX by Chicago Hellfire Club, Chicago, IL

15 Years: FFA - Capital Area Chapter, Washington, DC

10 Years: MC Faucon; Satyricons MC, Las Vegas, NV; Corpus Christi MC and the Mr. Hidden Door Contest sponsored by Corpus Christi MC; Trident: DC, Washington, DC

Five Years: Trademark V run by the Tradesmen, Charlotte, NC; Club Mud, Rio Nido, CA; Fifth Annual Leather Weekend, Guerneville, CA; Dressing for Pleasure Gala in Seacaucus, NJ; Beachhead V run, Corpus Christi MC, Corpus Christi; Firedance V run, Firedancers LL, Dallas, TX

Gone, But Not Forgotten

MSC Finland founder Meeku died.

Playwright and actor and contributing writer to The Leather Journal Anthony Bruno, Los Angeles, CA passed away.

San Francisco Leather Daddy V Zach Long died.

Died: erotic artist and International Mr. Leather Contest and Gold Coast bar cofounder Dom "Etienne" Orejudos. He was also recognized as a master of ballet having appeared on PBS many times and winning three Emmy Awards. He was considered to be one of the best male erotic artists of all time. Dom's murals covered the walls of the Gold Coast in Chicago. His lifetime partner was Chuck Renslow.

World-renowned male erotic artist Tom of Finland in Helsinki passed away. Tom was, and still is, considered the dean of all male erotic artists.

The Leather Journal art director Jeff Snyder. Jeff had won the Mr. Southern California Drummer title only a few months before he passed on. He was the one who inspired the notorious and infamous Mama Ucci columns that later appeared in The Leather Journal.

California Eagles MC president Keith Bishop of San Francisco, CA.

King of Leather 1990 Rich Demarest, San Francisco, CA died.

National Leather Association founder Steve Maidhoff, Seattle, WA passed away.

Erotic artist Robert Wiley "Cirby" Kirk, Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA died.