Page 498 - Gay Pioneers: How DRUMMER Magazine Shaped Gay Popular Culture 1965-1999

480 Gay Pioneers: How Drummer Shaped Gay Popular Culture 1965-1999

monthly slurs” about Embry that had nothing to do with me, and every-
thing to do with the public disdain around his reputation among staff,
contributors, and subscribers. During that period, my work appeared only
in Drummer 100 and Drummer 107. Hardly monthly. After the first nine
issues (98-107) created by DeBlase, Embry exploded. He penned a “Letter
to the Editor” slashing Drummer for what he felt was bias against himself.
Big mistake.
DeBlase was an S&M sadist top who thought it great sport to let bot-
toms torture themselves, and to let windbag Embry make fun of Embry. So
he published 98% of Embry’s letter dated August 18, 1987, and sent me a
photocopy of the entire 100% excerpted here.

Gentlemen: It would probably be best left ignored, but your almost
monthly slurs and innuendoes regarding Drummer’s past manage-
ment must be addressed. This past issue (#107) was too much even
for me to laughingly pass off as I cried all the way to the bank. [Italics
added.] In the guise of an “In Memoriam” piece on the passing of
Al Shapiro, one-time editor [in chief] of Drummer, Jack Fritscher,
whipped up a self-serving vendetta [said the inventor of his own
vendetta, the Drummer Blacklist] that you have published without
question or even editing [DeBlase and editor JimEd Thompson
vetted my satirical essay, and judged it legally true and accurate for
publication]....

The following final sentence—2% in Embry’s original letter—was deleted
by DeBlase from publication in Drummer because DeBlase knew it was
false. Did DeBlase’s deletion make Embry angry all over again? While he
was crying all the way to the bank?

...In compensating Jack Fritscher for the article, please be advised
that he still owes Drummer nine issues [not true] as editor for which
he was paid in full [not true; Embry, who famously defaulted on
his payments after publication, never paid anyone in advance; nor
did he ever even suggest he had cancelled checks to prove such an
advance]. —John H. Embry

In truth, much careful editorial and design discussion went into the heavy-
duty collaborative tailoring of that DeBlase-Fritscher-Jameo Saunders-
JimEd Thompson production of the A. Jay obituary in Drummer 107. In
the specifics of content and style, we four were honoring one of our own

©Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved—posted 03-14-2017
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