Zipper

"Zipper: Art/Entertainment For Men" was a magazine published from 1971 through at least late 1973 in Hollywood. It had a blend of entertainment news, including interviews with major figures, and articles focusing on men, and on adolescent males. For example, one pictorial feature in the June-July 1972 issue was "Zipper's Roommate of the Month: Peter Glawson (Young Star of The Genesis Children)" when Mr. Glawson was about 16. The magazine was able to garner interviews with such mainstream stars as Paul Newman, B.B. King, Rock Hudson, and Roddy McDowell.

Zipper's office was located at the Crossroads Of The World office complex in Hollywood, as was the office of Lyric International. That, along with the large amount of space that Zipper devoted to Lyric's projects, and the number of ads in the magazine purchased by Lyric, suggests that it too may have been owned by Billy Byars, Jr..

The magazine is a relic of a lost time of if not respectability than at least co-existence. However, the magazine apparently cannot be found in any library.

Publication History

The Jan/Feb 1972 issue was labeled Vol 2, Number 1, and the December 1971 issue has the cover logo in a different typeface than the other known issues, suggesting a late 1971 origin for the magazine. The October, 1973 issue is known.

At least two later magazines, one in Japan devoted to women's fashion, and one in London with a homosexual focus, have used the same title.

Rarity

Worldcat finds scattered copies of the magazine in university collections. The Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has Vol. 1 issue 1 (1971); Vol 2 issues 1-3 (1972); Vol 3 issues 2 and 5-7 (1973). Yale University houses its six copies in the rare book collection, and indicates that the sole 1971 issue bore the title "Zia Zipper". Cornell's sole edition, "Zia Zipper" is also in its rare book collection. UC Davis has 9-10 copies of six issues.

Tables of contents and articles of interest

What is most interesting about the magazine is not isolated articles, which out of context are indistinguishable from articles in magazines sold under the counter or mailed in plain wrappers. Rather it is their intermixture with articles that would be right at home in any gossip magazine on the newstand today.

As the magazine is difficult to encounter, here are complete tables of contents from six issued, found in an eBay listing:

Zipper: Art/Entertainment For Men (December 1971)

Reviews

Boys in the Band

Articles

Stud West Contest

Rev. Troy Perry, Big As Life

Donovan Interview

Hollywood Hotline (gossip) by Sparkle Plenty

Ultra Violet Interview

Pictorials

Naked Beach: San Francisco's B.A. Beach

Man: A Photo Study by Fotoflair

Zipper: Art/Entertainment For Men (February 1972)

Reviews

A Clockwork Orange

Articles

Rick Nelson

Hollywood Hotline (gossip) by Sparkle Plenty

B.B. King Interview

Elton John Interview

Pictorials

Brian Reynolds (Actor/Model)

Photographer of the Month: Billy Byars

Zipper's Playboy of the Month: John Henderson

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Art vs. Pornography

Zipper: Art/Entertainment For Men (April 1972)

Reviews

'Tommy' (the Rock Opera) Breaks with Tradition

David Cassidy's Album "Cherish"

The Film Comes of Age - "The Last Picture Show"

Articles

Ted Neeley (star of 'Tommy') Interview

The Who - Pete Townsend Interview

Rod Stewart Interview

The Zipper Advisor: Church that Will Marry Two Men?

Hollywood Hotline (gossip) by Sparkle Plenty

One God for Homosexuals and Heterosexuals

Pictorials

Black/White by Fotoflair, Inc.

Zipper's Playboy of the Month: Chad Martin

There's A Girl in My Box

Every Picture Tells A Story

Poetry

Ode to Kenny by David Morgan

Never Fall in Love by Alan king

Zipper: Art/Entertainment For Men (May 1972)

Articles

Leon Russell (rock star) Interview

Cock Rock: Marc Bolan of T. Rex

Roddy McDowell Interview (focus on role in Planet of the Apes)

Barbra Streisand article: Angelina Scarangela

What's Up in San Francisco

Charlie Steals the Show: Chaplin's Academy Award

Pictorials

Zipper's Roommate of the Month: Walter E. Christian

Prometheus Bound

Zipper Fashion Fling (photospread)

The Ray Daniels Boy

Iowa's Own

Around the World in Pictures

Zipper: Art and Entertainment (June-July 1972)

Articles

Paul Newman Interview

Robert Kennedy: Case Closed?

Grin and Bear It-Disney Bears

Bob Kurston Interview

Jon Voight

Reviews

Ballet Review: Los Angeles Ballet Society

Film Review: The Genesis Children

Film Review: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Theatre Review: Dirtiest Show In Town

Pictorials

San Francisco Updates Embarcadero (Architecture)

Zipper's Roommate of the Month: Peter Glawson (Young Star of "The Genesis Children")

International Boys Camp photo/essay

Belgian Belle

The Mosier Boy

Zipper: Art and Entertainment For Men - Liberty Issue (October 1973)

Reviews

Columbia Records Presents A Week to Remember - An Extraordinary Music Festival

Articles

Zipper Advisor - Self Help Through Modern Hypnosis

What's in a Name? The Importance of Being Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson Interview

Carl Greenberg: A Byline of Distinction

Captain Beyond-6-Member Rock Band

Happiness & Success Through Principle

Pictorials

The Men - David Selby, Bob Kurston, David Bronnenberg, Jay North (Dennis the Menace), Brian O'Dowd, Tom Clarke

Zipper's Roommate of the Month: Captain Beyond

Zipper Salutes: Genya Ravan

New Orleans: A Photo Essay

The Women - Kay Dennis, Casey Lorrain, Ann Dee, Mary Travers, Roberta Flack, Mama Lion, Betty Whitley

Zipper Salutes: Richard Caruso