All Star Wrestling Studs
Last month, wrestling photographer Blake Arledge, whose work occupies a substantial part of this blog, sent me the best present I have received in years. A little over seven years ago, he was instrumental in getting me to my first live wrestling show, even introducing me to my favorite wrestler at that time, Stoney Hooker. This year's gift is almost as good as that. It's a 1991 issue of a gay wrestling magazine called All Star Wrestling Studs, and I didn't know such a thing had ever existed.
Keep in mind that this was the year the World Wide Web was launched, giving the masses access to the internet and, over time, changing the way information gets exchanged worldwide. This issue is something to treasure, with Steve Sterling on the cover (a full-color foldout inside), an interview with Kid Leopard, wrestling-centered erotic fiction, a fotonovela-style match report, illustrations by MATT of Drummer magazine, news on wrestling clubs and wrestling videos, results of private matches across North America, and wrestling contacts. It's such a feast, I just have to share it with all my friends here on Skull Island.
Thank you, Blake!
whoa....this is brilliant. Thanks for this post
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Some parts are more interesting then others, but that's the way magazines work.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, when I see older images, I inevitably wonder, "Where are they now?"
I like many of the drawn images.
You have a good friend.
Believe it or not, I had a copy of this magazine. And it was well used. Steve Sterling. Bryan Walsh. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThank you for uploading the magazine and sharing it with all us fans. I still have my copy bought from the magazine rack. The magazine has travelled with me from place to place, always bringing good memories. Not only as the fiction scorching hot, but Kid Leopard's interview portrayed a three-dimensional man I could not have imagined back then. The artist Matt's profile motivated me to buy the fiction books illustrated by him for BG East. I even tried to connect with the guy in Chicago, but I must have missed them back in 1994. For me, this was and is my perfect source material for many happy moments.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a treasure! Brings back memories of the days when wrestling tapes had to be ordered via US Mail. I even remember ordering cassette tapes (audio only), because I couldn't afford the video tapes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this. Do you have any info on the Headbanger spread in the magazine? Such a sexy crew! Because there also was the WWF duo, it makes it a little hard to find anything...
ReplyDeleteReally good post. Reminds us of how it started for some of us in the early 80's away from internet and easy communications from one place to another. Here in France, i discovered the newsletter from another gay wrestler and years later i went to BGeast home and it was (and it is) like being in the heaven of gay pro wrestling !
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot. thanks to those elders who made all that exists !
Frenchprowrestler :-)