(80) Cruising is Relative

And speaking of rent boys ...

(79) An Authentic Leather Gay Bar

This is a gag about Toledo's long-time leather bar, the Rustler. It had a reputation for a dark after-hours sex room and a heavy S&M crowd. Others had it that it was all a joke, and leather men spent more time exchanging quiche recipes than flogging technique. Me? I never went there except an occasional afternoon sponsored social event. I didn't let that stop me from having fun with its repute.

Note the beer cans in panel 1 with tributes to the Rustler and its owner. -- a trick I cribbed from Walt Kelly's Pogo Possum strips.

(78) In My Next Life ...

In another life I hope to be a history prof. I've always had a fondness for the historical, and occasionally I let Murf enter that realm. Marshfield was of course the original name of my home town.

Jeff obviously likes sex, but he looks like he's thinking of a chocolate milkshake.

Sounds like SF porn -- the invasion of Martians from the 23rd dimension who have delicious bodily fluids ...

(77) In Love with a Stereotype

As Jeff achieves mastery of rationalization, he discovers that our stereotypes can be convenient.

During my coming out days Toledo still had a 1960s view of being gay, with lots of campy butch/fem humor. I didn't feel I met either standard, so stereotypes were much on my mind.

(76) A Cartoon Character in Search of a Voice

Mark Varady, Murf's lover (as we said in those days) was a grad student in Engineering. Considering that I am a Civil Engineer who had graduated with a master's degree it seemed like kind of an .. incestuous (if that's the word for it) romance at the time.

Broadway fan that I am, I recognized Mark as a placeholder for "my someone." Eventfully Mark grew to be more John-like.

But here he is simply a techno-nerd.

(75) My Gay Secret Identity

So Clem the hair stylist turned out to be a straight guy who is pretending to be gay for professional advancement. How often does that happen?

At the time I was working for a homophobic company by day, and at night going to PRO Toledo meetings, Coffees on Tuesdays, and drawing queer cartoons once a week. It felt like a double life. See my story "Saboteur" in Gay Comix #1!

(74) Queer on the Outside, Straight in the Middle

At last the obvious is revealed! Clem the hairstylist is not in love with Jeff!! But Clem, who is three times as queer as Jeff, is straight. What a concept! Or is it just an excuse to let Jeff's feelings off easy?