It's no surprise to say that I have always been invested in porn, but even during the time of my sexual awakening, I always knew it was a business and ever-changing industry. One item that unfortunately is now rare to find is good ol’ printed gay porn mags. I know we have fully evolved into the streaming age of porn, but it was great to know that there once existed printed magazines as the source of portable enjoyment. “Rags” usually hidden in closets, drawers, and under mattresses that featured real Pornstars who landed covers, held photoshoots with props and set design, and were more interesting to me than any boring cover of People magazine.
I wish I had invested in getting some gay porn mags back in the day so it was exciting to discover Mega_Zines: a Twitter account that is an online shop selling/buying lots of vintage adult Gay and kink mags. I had the pleasure of buying one magazine off the owner: the September 2001 issue of Torso magazine with none other than Caesar on the cover shown above. Who knows? Maybe I'll find a way for him to sign it after all these years.
Before speaking to Mega_Zines (as I will refer to him for privacy reasons) on the phone, I wondered who the man behind the social media account was. Was he an older gentleman who was getting rid of his personal collection, or was he someone who was closing his long-lasting adult shop and bookstore after years of business? Interesting to note, he happened to be a young middle-aged man with an interest in the vintage, the collectible, vintage erotica, and of course, the men gracing the covers of the timeless pieces.
So, how did Mega_Zines get so lucky to get such a collection of over 500+ magazines? (Yes, 500+) None other than by pure luck! After driving around and coming across a random estate sale, Mega_Zines discovered a backyard with a tool shed that contained boxes and black bags mounted up to the ceiling. After ripping open a bag and dropping a magazine out into the floor, Mega_Zines instantly knew he had come across a giant collection of vintage gay porn. And he knew he had to keep the hoard to himself. Upon receiving the confirmation that everything had to be sold, Mega_Zines quickly claimed most, if not the whole lot as part of his new private collection.
It was interesting to note the items belonged to a Veteran; a man who Mega_Zines learned had fought in wars and had endured some tough times for being gay in the military. One could only wonder how that Veteran came to acquire over 500+ magazines that included issues from Freshmen, Honcho, Instinct, Stallion, Bear, Colt Men, Unzipped, and more.
The glossy magazine is now a relic but it was great to know there once was a time when, besides the classic VHS and DVD, gay porn mags provided endless hours of fun to their readers. A remembrance of favorite pornstars of time past, it is exciting to see stars like Mark Dalton, Billy Herrington, Matthew Rush, Jim Slade, Jason Adonis, Vin Marco, Anthony Gallo all once being printed Coverboys.
While there definitely are some websites out there that may have issues, like oldmags.com, I would love to find out what hidden gem Mega_Zines has in his collection. As of now, I consider the man behind Mega_Zines to be my personal Antiques Roadshow personnel. He has admitted to buying anything that is gay porn, vintage if straight, and currently holds over 500+ magazines, COLT MEN Magnets, and memorabilia from the Military Veteran who once read these magazines.
Of course there are some magazines he will not get rid of. What is in his personal collection? Magazines with Eduardo and Mark Slade on the cover plus a number of Blue Boys and Honcho issues with framable art style covers.
What is the quickest he sells? COLT and anything BEAR with daddies and hairy older men on the cover.
Mega_Zines has grown to have a modest collection of followers that I am sure will grow over time. Once in a while, Mega_Zines has actually gotten messages from former pornstars, including Donnie Russo, commenting on his posts. Instagram has deleted his matching account 3-4 times so I hope his Twitter and current IG account stay strong. While many of the images that are found in his magazines can be found online, it's still great to have the physical item in your hands. I cannot wait to get my copy of Torso with Caesar on the cover in the mail and see its other contents. Who knows, maybe magazines will come back in one way or another? Maybe Muscle Service will even have its own printed version ;).
