In the world of queer art and gay male erotica, big names like Pierre et Gilles and George Platt-Lynes might ring a bell. But where do you go to find the work of artists such as Zachari Logan and Daniel Castillo Reynoso? You can readily find the big name, mainstream queer artists everywhere you turn. Just go to any Borders bookstore and glance over the LGBT section and you’ll bump into your fare share of Tom of Finland collections. When it comes to today’s up and coming queer artists, and especially voices from Latin America, where do you turn? ANAL Magazine offers a refreshing and much needed alternative, an artsy, queer and elegantly designed publication with analysis, critique, smut and vigor. Providing stimulation on all fronts is ANAL’s strategy, be it intellectual or otherwise. And where there’s young queers there’s bound to be a party. In the couple years since ANAL’s debut issue, they’ve amassed quite a following of hipster-crazed party kids in one of the densest cities in the world. With the legalization of gay marriage already under its belt, and high-caliber independent productions such as ANAL in their midst, Mexico City is throwing down and reppin’ hard. With a print version that’s as crisp as your morning porn and a digital version as delightful as ever, ANAL will keep your brain as sticky as your fingers.
Fresh from their summer SKIN party and with much admiration, I corresponded with one of the founding editors of ANAL, Ricardo Velmor, about the trials and tribulations of running your own indie mag, the style and intent of the publication, and a little bit of queer politics. Dissidence and cultural activism are the words of the day kiddos. العاب تربح منها المال Enjoy.
Hello Ricardo. Thanks for the interview. I’m very curious to learn how Anal Magazine started. What were some of the founding moments and why was the magazine formed?
I met Christian Gaudi because of a friend who thought we needed to know each other. He introduced us so I came to his house and after two or three meetings we became close friends. At that time there wasn’t any magazines we would like to buy because of its contents. All of the publications were either cheap porno or just club guides, so instead of complaining we started to do the magazine we wanted. We started making some sketches, taking some photos and meeting people, but unfortunately Christian died because of cancer. Then Víctor Altamirano, who was inside the project but with a low profile status, realized I needed an extra hand and we began to materialize the project together. We contacted Francisco to upgrade the design and finally after a year and several months the magazine came to light.
How did you grow your base of ads and supporters? Was it hard to gain support?
Well, we are still growing it. It is quite hard to introduce a magazine named Anal into a country where gay agenda was taboo a few years ago even with gay people. However, we have been able to get in touch with independent companies and many people who are empathic to our work, and they have helped us a lot.
Who helped found the magazine? What was your vision?
Christian Gaudi was the main actor at the very beginning. However, as I told you before, this would never have happen without Víctor and Francisco. The main goal of Anal Magazine is to bring Mexican audiences male erotica, art and smart but also stimulating literature from talented people all over the world; and, at the same time, bring the work of national artists outside Mexico. All this inside a high quality publication.
What does Anal offer that other publications like Butt and Handbook don’t?
It is not our goal to compete with other publications as our contexts are extremely different. Anal features more than just interviews and photos about sexy guys, it offers visual artist portfolios, essays and paperworks in both Spanish and English, everything from a Mexican contemporary point of view.
Where were you in your life when you started the magazine and where are you now?
It’s been quite a journey, I was just finishing college and beginning to lean about the “real world”. Nowadays the magazine has given me the opportunity to spread ideas in a wide audience, to met a lot of people I admire and to realize the importance of transforming projects into a reality and keeping them alive.
How’s the magazine doing and what do you hope to accomplish in the future?
The magazine is reaching the point of transcendence not only in Mexico but in another countries too. It is also starting to call more supporters and I think that soon it would be sustainable by its own. ربح المال من الالعاب In the future I would like to make it more accurate in times of publication, and to be present in more cities all around the country and the globe. And I would love to do an exhibition with many of the artists that we have featured in the magazine and on the blog.
How do you select your artists and features? Can any queer artist approach you for a feature or present their work in Anal? What are your criteria?
We are open to any kind of submissions, from texts, photos and collaborations to self taken pics reading the magazine in briefs or just naked. However, except from the “i-read-naked” pics, all the proposals have to be in accordance to our editorial line (which means they need to feature masculinity in any possible way) and also they need to show coherence to a body of work and conceptual substance that endorse their quality.
Can you share with us a little about the design and format of the magazine? It has an exquisite presentation.
The size of the magazine is half letter so it can be easily read and transported. The design is meant to give the same importance to images and text with a sober arty book-like aesthetic and with a structure based on our logo which is a square sliced by diagonals. We use bond paper that gives the images a rough texture as an analogy of something more masculine.
Tell us a little about Mexico now, where does Anal fall in the dialogue for queer civil unions and the marriage debate in Mexico? Is there a debate?
We celebrate same sex marriage in terms of civil rights, but we think gay mens’ relationships work in a different way that do not exactly fit into that concept. Also, I think Anal’s dissidence and activism is meant to be cultural, which is maybe slower but its radio scope is wider. At the end, art has a huge impact in life and politics.
I’d like to learn a little bit more about your work and history? Where are you from, where’d you study and how has all of that played into your work with Anal, if at all?
I’m a proud Mexico City-born man who studied visual arts in “La Esmeralda”, which is one of the two art schools here. The reason I studied art is because I’m very interested in constructing images. I believe images have an enormous power and impact in society. Anal is artistic in its core and I think that is very helpful to have an interest and culture in visual arts when it comes to building the entire concept and aesthetics behind not only the publication but everything around it. Art makes everything tastier.
Is Anal your full time job? Do you have any other hobbies, passions?
Anal and visual arts are my main interests in life. I split my time between them and design, that is what ultimately gives the money for both. I also love movies and I try to go to the cinema at least once a week.
How can queer fork in Chicago and the states get their hands on a copy of Anal? العاب قمار حقيقي
We are launching the online store in a few weeks so everybody can buy it. We are also always looking for new distribution points, you can keep up to date in our website.
What’s next for Anal? For you?
Anal Magazine Vol. 3 will be out in July and we are working on bringing it to many more places. Many people have asked for Anal parties in other states so I want to prepare something special for them. Also, I’m working on finishing some pieces to join material for a solo exhibition very soon.
And then I was in the room lying on your back, it was a hot afternoon, I saw my watch from time to time trying to accelerate the power of persuasion, but otherwise spent the time seems to act contrary to my desire, more bone I decided to slow as every time I was filled entertainment, turn on my laptop, trying to cover her horn to avoid hearing the annoying little music startup that each time this is a function, I put my password and at any moment was already on the other side in a virtual world full of choices to my boredom, I hurried to the quick options against boredom, MSN, fb, bloggers and everything was the same, so I turned to my second option, a page had the most diverse collection of gay porn films known to me, and after many clicks each was already a fervent erotic story produced by the human need to gain some and the access to images provide the excitement of others, and as was already set and could not stop looking, it would be a waste of time now for the first time my band had plotted internet with my favorite porn site for me so I started to unbutton his pants with his left hand andwhile the right by moving the curtain a little looking on the street trying not to come of course anyone who would remove me from auto-eroticism that time, nobody had a right to such barbarity did my subconscious, that the consent was so late in the film and in the present task of full fantasize about how two men could be played to death, but with a delicious death. He had no pants, my shirt was unbuttoned completely and my boxers wet apart from a bit of instinct, were making only 30% of its work in a matter of course cover my hands seemed to have minds of their own playing and laughing watching could do to the body that were part writhe in pleasure, excitement grew faster every time I needed a minute less to finish the film, yes, the movie that the prohibited conduct incited to do so without a condom, culminating in sexual partner now, and if it were a contest of sync movie – viewer as ¨ ¨ ° refers cum seemed to have won every sensation that my body cast actors imitated her and felt the skin you Enchin I felt tingle, erection was instantly … but end … I clean, wash my hands, I put my decent clothes to go out again and having nothing else to do I went to the street for a ride. While walking was fantasizing ** and if I like the movie were to have an experience with a stranger and someone who even care to know of his life, but that they have it and be inside your body, I imagined someone stocky, medium sized, hairy, a stereotype of a handsome Guadalajara, but I told myself that dumb haha dahhhhh not think of it, so I walked and looked just start to rain and we turned to see the clouds hiso me a coffee to fit a macabre gino to enter into it, and it did not recognize the place had walked about an hour and then between …. At that time did not think more than a gay contact site well known for the homo community, mayate, closetera, chichifa and jota city manager, I was only a purpose to find someone to reveal my thoughts more fanciful day protected by the computer security and a false name, and spent more than two minutes in which I took care of people by machines as if they were watching me, and turning occasionally see a sign to see that said DO NOT ALLOW SEE pornographic sites, and although he did not see pornography photographs of some users when accessed wing action could be misinterpreted to see their profile showing their naked bodies or even close up to its members or your anus, and I was already doing was doing to see the profile enjoyed a stranger who had sent me a gino on page … And then I said … why not? Let’s take a chance …- but clearly had some power over me instinctively ran fast the blood supply to my mind after seeing phallus as erotic images, I gave him the opportunity to accept a conversation with him, from the beginning all was very impersonal, and typical, but a hunch to follow me – Hello Are You? – Bn bn and you? -Super, I love your eyes in your photo bro (stating that I thought that said bro, I thought so macho matador) – Je woe because you could say it -Tell me you know and who have a hunch Jajajajaj simon pssssss woe-be can be … ‘It’s seriously, where you’re I do not know – How do you not know? ‘Well, do not walk a rest and I’m lost in a colony called willow gardens ‘I’ve got going for you car – Lol do not invent and why? -A after eating and even more private place – Well you can but do not promise anything! -Ok give me your cell phone -3310 …….. …. I closed my session and turn off the computer thinking, I hope I do not charge much, I lost track of time – How much? -13 Pesos -Thanks Then I went out and walked aimlessly, I really did not expect Man24 mark …. and because I was so relaxed despite the erection hiding towards putting my penis crotch, always thanking my stiff blue jeans that I never failed, in that just as he passed by a large, leafy tree that exuded an aroma as lemon, my phone rang, it was an unknown number, and list the call that just happened an hour before my number and said chin … his mother, respond, it was a manly and serious than you made me fancy that archetypenice young Mexican and while his work of persuasion to effect quickly in my would agree that for me in 20 minutes, was suspiciously close to that tree that I would wait 20 minutes at the intersection of two streets known, and so I was nervous wait My legs were trembling slightly with fear, and if someone sell my organs? or narquillo? haha so with the last of my credit weight cellular company will send a message to my best friend, with all the data that he knew the guy, even his Nick … and when I sent a black sports car stood beside me, I got a call and it was him, telling hop … and as I got up I saw a young, tall stocky, which exceeded the expectations I had created with his voice before, I got lost in his eyes and felt an instant animal attraction, and indescribable, swallow hard and introduce myself, we started talk while driving and asked me where I wanted to go, and it was logical that although he had never had an experience of casual sex, it was my most intense time with him, I said I was going with him where I want it no plans, we went through a fast food restaurant to have food, I meant to take place later saying I was surprised but I liked the Jacuzzi, I said yes, and reached a very elegant I said Wood city, I imagined full of fear at a cheap motel and it was quite the contrary, went up the elevator to the 11th floor gave me the key to open, and entered the hotel room more beautiful than I had seen in life … I pull up in bed and asked me if I wanted to eat, I said not yet, first I want to bathe in a tone I said I have more manly than that studied .. and went to bathe … had to be spotless wanted to have some fault, I was very excited, and even more lubricated, I went to bathe and then bathed, I expected the hotel towel covering only a very small percentage of my body, then left bathing, and gulps again about ten times, there was a body god among us? he was, I was reluctant to come to me and to be in it, and it did lay down with me and started to tour every part of your body did not want a single pore of your skin is intact, slid my tongue down her neck, smelled it, and I curl skin, stood still at first, I did not know why, as he had never been with a man but he loved more than his wife, and that we just had a year of marriage, I felt empowered wanted to moan, never had so many bites, licks and kisses, never been aggressive, sensual all that power, to tear the towels, slammed into the wall, kissing friction as if theskin did not matter, like redness or bruising pass into the background, was something intense, under to my pubis and began licking at that time felt that if there was a god, dare to work in their language, which was feeling was human? or my nerve endings were starting to clone within me without telling me, was the point of orgasm and that’s what I did to get out of me, although I knew could be several rounds, wanted the term was glorious, lower your buttocks and began to bite and stimulate, after all, was more than clean, poured like a delicious Thai dish and when I saw that it was time to enter it, I did, I put aggressively knees on the floor and started to penetrate, was wooooow, take it from her hair and began my work with pleasure, but aggressive toward rhythmic movements, I went to the bottom, I shifted position as he watched what I liked about him lie his neck and the other hand despite my tiredness I masturbated, and so did we last minute achievement scores and in turn the time, it was time to finish, we were tired and despite the pleasure of the hours tantico wanted to reach that nectar of the gods wouldflow from our inner self, something purely spiritual organic became whitish in color and transparency, it was time, we close our eyes and making a remembrance of all that had been today, my previous masturbation, video, and I had met him, his glorious body, his penis, his testicles, his language, his anus, his lips, it seemed that we had agreed simultaneously ejaculate …. I on her mound on my chest for the power with which she did it, we kiss, we bathe, tenderly hugging, I was grateful for the sensitive, we dress, we said thanks, went down to the lobby, where he had his car ready, I said -I take you -No Thanks – When we meet again? -Leave it to life (after all I had his phone and know how to contact you) And then I went to get my truck, after all was square in front of the sun, and went with an air of relaxation and feeling slightly overstated