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| A reader prepares to enjoy Tod's First Time from 1972. |
Thevis Like Us
And there were Pendulum's X-rated films, including not only features like Ed Wood's Necromania but also hundreds if not thousands of 8mm home market loops. Ed wrote subtitles for these short silent films sold through mail order. He wrote the box cover and catalog summaries for them, too, and contributed in as-yet-undiscovered ways to their making.
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| A kingpin of the porn biz. |
Pendulum's magazines, though, are the constant throughline in the last decade or so of Ed Wood's life. Ed unequivocally wrote across hundreds and hundreds of issues, sometimes using his own name, other times working pseudonymously or anonymously. Eventually, Pendulum Publishing morphed into Calga, then Gallery Press. The company also spawned offshoot imprints like Edusex and Libra Press, in addition to churning out generic "triple-dot" magazines (identifiable because of the tall-tale ellipsis on the cover). The Pendulum empire finally reached its zenith with the multimedia Swedish Erotica franchise, comprised of both pornographic loops and magazines.
The Pendulum story is a long and involving one that we have been chipping away at, one week at a time, in these articles. But we have thus far neglected the genesis of the company. No more. It's a story that starts with a colorful yet infamous businessman named Michael George Thevis, born in 1932 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A key figure at the dawn of the Golden Age of Porn in the 1960s, Thevis rapidly grew his company, Peachtree Books of Atlanta, into a major distributor of adult magazines and paperbacks. By the end of the decade, he had diversified his enterprise into a multimedia porn conglomerate. Pendulum Publishing, also originally based in Atlanta, grew out of Thevis' Peachtree operation.
Seeking to expand his geographical reach and increase in-house production, Thevis bankrolled a Southern California branch for Pendulum. Placed in charge of that operation was Bernie Bloom, who at that time had been a managing editor for a preeminent West Coast mag distributor and sometimes-publisher called Golden State News Ed was already working for Bernie at GSN, writing both paperbacks (many still not identified) and texts for magazines. Incorporating Pendulum's Los Angeles operation in the spring of 1968, Bernie hired Ed first. Their first products for Pendulum were Ed Wood's illustrated paperbacks Raped in the Grass (1968) and Bye Bye Broadie (1968).
The Pendulum story is a long and involving one that we have been chipping away at, one week at a time, in these articles. But we have thus far neglected the genesis of the company. No more. It's a story that starts with a colorful yet infamous businessman named Michael George Thevis, born in 1932 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A key figure at the dawn of the Golden Age of Porn in the 1960s, Thevis rapidly grew his company, Peachtree Books of Atlanta, into a major distributor of adult magazines and paperbacks. By the end of the decade, he had diversified his enterprise into a multimedia porn conglomerate. Pendulum Publishing, also originally based in Atlanta, grew out of Thevis' Peachtree operation.
Seeking to expand his geographical reach and increase in-house production, Thevis bankrolled a Southern California branch for Pendulum. Placed in charge of that operation was Bernie Bloom, who at that time had been a managing editor for a preeminent West Coast mag distributor and sometimes-publisher called Golden State News Ed was already working for Bernie at GSN, writing both paperbacks (many still not identified) and texts for magazines. Incorporating Pendulum's Los Angeles operation in the spring of 1968, Bernie hired Ed first. Their first products for Pendulum were Ed Wood's illustrated paperbacks Raped in the Grass (1968) and Bye Bye Broadie (1968).
Thevis' Atlanta operation also produced illustrated socio-sex paperbacks that served as templates for the ones Bernie Bloom would later produce in Los Angeles. (It was Bernie's innovation to use T.K. Peters' work as source material.) Meanwhile, the Atlanta publisher also released numerous gay-themed magazines, including the one I'll be discussing this week.
Judging by the handful of magazines I have been able to locate, Pendulum's Atlanta branch had no writing staff to speak of in 1972. These issues typically consist of photos only -- no captions, no editorials, no stories. But Tod's First Time, a one-time only "stroke book" from that same year, is an anomaly in that it includes a freewheeling (read: inebriate) text. Who could have written it? Keep in mind that some of Pendulum's early Los Angeles output still carries the Atlanta address.
In any event, the text from Tod's First Time is presented below, spelling and other typographical errors intact, for the first time in 45 years. Read it for yourself.
Tod's First Time
It was Tod's Anniversary today and he planned to celebrate. No, he hadn't been married or even going with anyone for a period of time, it was mearly four years ago today that he had picked up his first paid trick. As he thought back on those first days of sex for hire, the pay as you blow set, he remembered how scared he had been. Now it was old hat for him, and he wasn't half bad at it either. Tod was a thin and somewhat willowy boy of 19, he had started this whole business of sex for the right price when he was only 15. Those were the bad days; thrown out by his parents because he had been caught with another boy in his room, doing those "Unnatural acts!" as his parents had said. Well he liked those things and he had no intention of ever changing his habits. When he first came to Hollywood he had wandered the streets looking for freinds and perhaps a job, then one day near one of the local color spots of the lavender set he was asked by a tather nice gentleman if he would like to make some money. He of course had said yes, and the man promptly ask him to blow him in the front seat of his car as they drove down Hollywood Blvd. Needless to say Tod had been scared stiff, but he needed money to eat on, and what the heck he was a juvenile and they would't put him in a cell; would they. So he did the kindly gentleman, who promtly paid him twenty dollars and made a date fort the next day in the damn same spot.
That was four years ago, and since then tricks have come and gone as regularly as the sunsets. Not all of them have been unattractive. Surpriseingly, a rather large number of them would rather cruise the streets and pay for a trick, than go to the bars and pick up on someone. There were a few that Tod might have even thought twice about making it a regular thing with, but this was a business and not a pleasure so best leave it that way. He hadn't even thought about a trick today, perhaps he would just go out and forget about business for today. He could go to a show, or to the zoo, or just anything to get away from Hollywood.
Sean O'Casey was a bright lad of about 17; he was new to Hollywood and very new to GAY sex He wasn't afraid of it, he was just a bit new at it. After all he had only been sexually involved with one person.
Sean had been brought out by a slightly older boy when he was only 16, it was a relationship that lasted all through their last year of high school. Sean was a bright boy, who had a very fine mind. He was an honor student and had graduated from high school with honors. His lover of sorts had decided to break off the relationship since he was headed to oxford for a scholarship that would last six years. This put Sean on his own out in the wild and wooly world fo gay sex and free love. He was the shy type, not quite as forward as he he could have been, but this was soon shed when he met someone he grooved on. Once in bed this half Irish/half Swedish lad was no match for many of the so called great lovers of Hollywood. He had come to Hollywood to see if he could forget Bill and start over. A full year with one person was a lot to forget. All the good times that they had together, the picnics back in Ohio, the summer they had spent together off in the quiet corners of the rolling hills, two people united as one. But now it was all over, and he must strike out a new.
Tod didn't even notice that he was being watched as he talked to several of his fellow "workers" on the street. He didn't even notice when he walked right past Sean to take the under pass to his bus. But Sean was watching, he had not been able to take his eyes off of his for as long ashe had been standing there. Now as Tod walked down the steps that led to the tunnel, Sean watched his with burning intent. His eyes starting to light up with the fire of passion that was sure to excite anyone who might look into them. Suddenly Tod felt something on his ass, he wasn't sure what it was but it was something. He turned around only to find that it was the ever fateful look from an admiring male. To his surprise it was a very good looking male with bright blue eyes and a rather nice crop of blonde hair. Sean thought to himself that this didn't look like the usual Hollywood boy, why he might even be a natural blonde and not a bleached out phony like so many of the others in this town.
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| A chance encounter |
Being an old pro at reading eyes, Tod noticed at once that this might be a good mark to pick up on. Besides., he wasn't at all bad looking. Tod turned around and walked back up the stairs and stopped next to Sean to ask him if he knew where McArthur park was. Well it was a good openning line to get started with. Tod soon learned that Sean had just gotten into town and that he was shy on money as well as nerve when it came to making freinds. On closer inspection Tod found that this one was extremely cute, and he must be OH so young. They talked for a while and Tod had a brain storm: Hee had learned that this boy was only 17 and had no money to speak of, had no place to stay and was interested in a job, Well thought Tod, he had often thought of how it would be to be on the paying end of a trick rather than on the received end. This was his chance to see how it felt, and with a rather good looking number at that. Tod told the boy all about the world of hustling and ask him if he would like to make some quick money; this interested Sean a great deal and he said yes. They walked over to Tod's hotel which was only a few blocks away and proceeded to his room. "GEE! This isn't bad at all." said Sean, "My place is only half this big and not as cheerful." "It does alright for the price, I guess. I only use it when I'm not working in West Hollywood or the 'Hills'. They sat down on the sofa and talked about California and the hip scene out on the west coast. Then Sean reached over and touched Tod's upper thigh. This was a bit more than Tod had expected. His blood pressure went up a bit faster than he had expected it would. He didn't waste much time, promptly reaching over, he began to massage Seans crotch, which very quickly began to bulge nicely. As they sat there playing with each other, and getting more and more excited as time moved on; Sean daydrempt a bit about what this one would look like with out his clothes on and how he would like to get his tongue and mouth on this boys cock.
It wasn't long after they had gotten to the hotel room that Tod became a bit more excited than usual, he started feverously to undo Sean's belt, wanting to see what treasure and delight that noticeable buldge in his crotch had to offer. Wouldn't it be more comfortable if we were in bed? asked Sean. Tod replied in the affirmative and they proceeded to pull out the bed. Once the bed was made up, Tod removed Sean's shirt, and was pleasantly surprised to find that this number was indeed a natural blonde by this time Tod was realy hot for this one. He quickly stripped himself and then practicly tore the pants off of Sean. Although Sean was very very shy he was not all that innocent when it camr to the ever popular ways of sex. He had been well trained by his one and only lover in the art of overt foreplay and teasing. It was no easy trick to control one's self in consitions like this, but they both tried very hard to make this worth while. As they stood there naked as 'Jaybirds' they simultaniously started to caress and fondle each other. "Let me go down on you while you are standing up?" ask Tod as he worked hisway down from Seans mouth to his chest, and on down to his navel, and then to his thighs. Kissing and sucking and licking every inch of his body he could , as he neared that nicely formed jewel that dangled between Seans legs.
Now Sean wasn't any giant by any means but he was nicely endowed. It was not one of those grotesque giants that throb even when they are soft, but rather it was one of those nice slightly above average cocks. Just a pleasant six and three quarter inches, thats all [Tod spent a great deal of time preparing the area for the final blow, sort of speaking, by sucking on the skin next to the thigh and the ball bag. This left poor Sean in such ecstacy that he thought he would have and orgasm to beat all orgasrns before Tod had even taken that throbbing hard--on of his into his mouth. Suddenly Tod grasp Seans pulsating phalus with his mouth and with an action that would have had Atlas on his knees, proceeded to suck and blow and do everthing imaginable to Sean. As he went down and then up and then down again, and again, Sean thought that he was going to explode----but Tod the neophite master at keeping a number at baye for long periods of time just so he could let them climax with a giant gushing blast of steaming hot seaman.. Well Sean didn't last very long, and as he was crying out: "I'M CUMMING! OH GOD, I CAN:T HOLD IT ANYMORE!!, Tod began to feather his tongue just below the very head of his cock. Sean's knees began to grow week and he grabbed a hold of Tod's head and rammed his cock down into his throught just as he shot his boiling load deep into Tod's insides.
Tod stood up from his sqat position and was promptly met by an ancious tongue read for another go at it. But this time Sean felt it was his turn to do service to Tod. His hot moist tongue soon traced the entire outline of Tod's thin and well defined body. Going over every inch of it ever so painstakingly. Till he finally reached the area he most enjoyed. Seann had never been much interested in anything but oral sex, oh he had been screwed on many occasions but it wasn;t his total trip. Best of all he liked to suck cock, and this one was a beuty. Once down into the region around the well formed genitals, Sean was unable to control himself. Long and surprisingly fat for a boy the frame and size of Tod. But that was alright, Sean wanted all seven and one half inches [all the way down into his waiting throught. Just as quickly as Tods rod got throbbing hard, he was ready to suck it dry. He didn't bother to take much time with preliminaries of foreplay but rather went right to work sucking and sucking and going all the way down on this groovy number's endowment. Tod had only one bad point, he was an early cummer. Although he could cum and cum for hours he was still and early shooter. It didn't take to many stokes to get him to climax. And particularly today since he was so turned on by the idea of a hustlers hustler, he shot off his hot, large load very quickly. Sean was quite surprised to find that this thin boy could cum like an elephant, almost in quarts it seemed. After he had sucked Tod dry they laid back on the bed and rested for a while, it wasn't long after that however, that Sean decided that he was horny again.. So away they went again starting with extreme foreplay, but this time they began to play a bit more than before. They rangled and moved around until they found themselves in a position that Sean loved best of all---"69". This had to be the best position to ever be into. They sucked on each others cock for about a half an hour before they were ready to come close to a climax. But when they reached that point of no return they were both so hot one could almost fry an egg on either one of them. They sucked and blew and sucked somemore until just as they both thought they would go out of their minds they both shot off their loads of steaming sperm into each others mouth. Their hot cum splattering all over their faces as they did.
Todd and Sean get to know each other.
With all of this oral fun and festivaties, Tod had almost forgotten which was the one paying whom. He had wanted to fuck this kid till his tonsils felt it. But he had almost forgotten about that. As they lie there both of them breathing very hard, he asked Sean if he got fucked, Sean of course said that it happened on occasion, but he didn't like to do it very often. Well ask Tod, can I fuck you then, and Sean ask him if he realy wanted to do so . Tod said very emphaticlly that he did. Sean told him in his soft voice to go ahead. So Tod rolled him over on his stomach and proceeded to get out the Vasaline and to grease up his own cock and Sean's ass hole. He teased Sean by starting and stopping with only the head going in and then taking it out. Soon Tod tired of this game and became horny again, enough so that he could finish the job he had started. He laid his smooth silky tool up into Sean's tight ass to the hilt, and then almost completly out again and then in again. He set up a rythmic pattern which increased in tempo as he went along until he could hold it no longer; he made one last thrust and before he had buried the pubic encrusted hilt of his cock, he was shooting his creamy white sweet cum up into Seans lily white ass hole. They lay there for the longest time, after Tod had finished his climax. Still joined by this strange union. But soon Tod told Sean that he had to get going because he was late for an appointment, he reached over and took a twenty dollar bill out of his pants pocket and handed it to Sean, he thought a minute and then took out another five dollars and gave it to him saying how good a trick he had been. As he left the room Sean wondered if all the hustlers tricks were this easy, if so it would be a great thing to get into. He walked down to the corner where he had met Tod, and stood there wondering still if he could do it, when a car pulled up and a gentleman inside ask'
"WANT TO MAKE SOME FAST MONEY?"
We'll let this one speak for itself. Eddie or not, we hope you enjoyed this epic slice from the Wood Magazine Orbit.