What Gay Magazines Did You Used to Buy?

[Vessey]

For those of us of a certain age, pre-internet, our porn mostly came in the form of top-shelf magazines from our local corner shops. 

Like others I used to have quite a little collection built up during the 1970s and 1980s when a more liberal view was then being taken on what could or could not be published and sold over (or occasionally under) the counter.

Most of my 'porn mags' were disposed of years ago, much to my regret now. I found a copy or two of my then favourite 'Vulcan' for sale on ebay recently and managed to buy them - they were not cheap! But now I am immersed in a wave of nostalgia.

Mostly it was 'soft porn' as they say, flaccid cocks only, occasionally one a little thicker, but non erect, and certainly no active sex. Sometimes the pics were a bit grainy, almost armature looking, but some of the guys were hot. Very few proper twink boys; mostly 'men' in various form of hunkiness or not.

So I just wondered, which were your favourite 'gay mags' back in the day.

I post below a few pictures of some that have recently been on ebay to trigger memories.

First my favourite, Vulcan

Mister Magazine

Him Magazine 

Zipper

The above I was familiar with but the following two are new to me

The above were available in the UK, and there were probably others, and no doubt other countries had their own publications.

What do you remember and what were your favourites?

 

[forrestreid]

I remember Zipper magazine, and a Blue boy. My earliest memories when I’ve been out of the early 1990s. I don’t have hugely specific memories of porn mags, I remember flicking through a few nervously in porn shops in Dublin.

There is some non-porny magazines that stick in my mind more. I remember Gay Times and Attitude. At first when I saw Attitude in a magazine stand in the shop I frequented, I didn’t realise it was a gay mag at first, until I remember there was a cover with Jean Paul Gaultier. Then I flicked through it, and realised that it was purely gay. When  I started buying magazines, the two you might find at a standard newsagents were Gay Times (which was a bit more newsy and boring), and Attitude, with Attitude being a bit more fun.

Your magazines above certainly bring forth nostalgic thoughts. The travel articles in the first Him magazine above seem intriguing, I would definitely be interested to read what Peter Tatchell thought of gay Paris in the 80s, and the review of Agadir would probably also be an fascinating read also.

[Keithambrose]

Gay Times, and the USA ,The Advocate.

[PeterRS]

I don’t remember seeing more than an occasional gay mag when I worked in the UK. After a few years of moving to Asia and visiting Thailand, I became aware of some appearing. In the early 1980s. Mithune was the first one. It came in a pocket book format like many of the free mags that were later to be published and available in many gay venues. But these were mostly filled largely with info about the gay scene and without full nudity. I believe they  sprouted up after the Thaksin government’s Social Order campaigns at the start of the millennium.

For at least a dozen years prior to that time, though, there were many full-size gay magazines with many nude photos available in not-so-discretely wrapped cellophane covers and available at street vendors at the top of Suriwong near Soi Twilight (and probably elsewhere). These included K, Hunt, His, M and others. Eventually Door appeared with not just full nudity but full-on porn pics. And then came Thaksin!

Then about 15 or so years ago, the Thai Rainbow archive started collecting old gay magazines to digitize them and maintain a record. There are 646 covers on this site, but an article in the Bangkok Post a few years later suggests it could have increased to as many as 1,000.

https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP128/search?page=0

https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/905080/pages-of-glt-history

[unicorn]

I still get the print copies of The Advocate and OUT sent to me in the mail. When there were print hardcore magazines, I would rifle through them and buy the one with the men I thought would get the biggest loads outa me. One of the most common was Mandate. Sometimes could be Blueboy...

 

[Mavica]

In my teens, I'd frequent a very busy paperback book / magazine store Downtown Chicago to thumb through the muscle magazines seeking a glimpse of guys as naked as they could be.  The store was owned / staffed by two older gay guys (which it took me some time to understand, who / what they were) who, obviously, spotted me hanging around the store for an hour or two every now and then ... as I attempted not to be conspicuous.  One day, one of the men said to me, "Young man, the magazine you ordered is here, behind the counter."  "Come over here."  Surprised, and not knowing what to do - I went behind the counter where the man lifted some magazines and underneath were gay, nude photo magazines.  The men, on many occasions, allowed me behind the counter to discretely thumb through the magazines - without making a purchase.  I don't remember the name of any of the magazines.

These were my first gay magazine experiences and 60+ years later I've never forgotten the kindness and "wink, wink" relationship with these men (who never attempted to touch me or invite me to have sex).  Many times in my adult life I've met young men on their "coming out" journey and have sought to assist in the journey to whatever extent I can/could - remembering the kindnesses shown me (no jokes, please! 😉).

[Keithambrose]

Also, in UK, the Gay Times, that had escort ads.