Bear Magazine
Encyclopedia
BEAR Magazine is a periodical specifically geared toward gay
men who are — or who admire — "bears", i.e., men with facial and/or body hair. It was initially published in San Francisco, California in 1987 by Richard Bulger
and his partner Chris Nelson
and marketed to the bear community
within the larger LGBT
community.
published from their apartment under the name Creative Options Associates (COA). Bart Thomas is listed as the Editor for issues #1 and #2, then replaced by Richard Bulger in issue #3. In 1991, COA became Brush Creek Media Inc., named for Brush Creek, California
, the town where their vacation cabin was located. Brush Creek Media obtained a trademark on the name "Bear" for a men's magazine in 1992, which applies to print, digital media and video.
Originally created as an alternate to the abundance of shaven men represented in gay mainstream media, BEAR grew over the course of years into an internationally distributed glossy magazine, which featured erotic
photographs of masculine, mature men and erotic stories. There was also a classified personals
section which, before the emergence of the internet, was one of the few ways for men to find compatible romantic and sexual partners, and to network
with like-minded men.
The first formal company office was established above a 1908 former fire-house at the corner of 16th and Albion Streets in San Francisco, where their various publications, clothing and lifestyle products were also displayed and sold. Then in 1994 Brush Creek Media moved its office and Bear Store to 367 9th Street in the South-of-Market
district which is the center of San Francisco's gay leather
district and around the corner from Rick Redewill
's Lone Star Saloon.
It is important to mention that the close proximity of Brush Creek Media to the Lone Star Saloon resulted in a synergistic relationship. With the Bear Store and nearby bars, shops and hotels catering to the bear-identified, the Lone Star Saloon eventually became the quintessential bear bar, further igniting the bear movement. This formed a circuit for locals, tourists and visitors to events like International Bear Rendezvous and Folsom Street Fair
among others. Later that year in 1994, Beardog Hoffman purchased Brush Creek Media Inc. and began expanding the company into several special-interest gay magazines and video series.
. BEAR Magazine was one of the casualties and publication ceased after issue #64.
, a creditor
of Brush Creek Media. Similarly, in 2007 the court assigned BEAR Magazine and all the Brush Creek Media copyright
s to Butch Media Ltd. Bear Omnimedia LLC, the parent company of Butch Media Ltd, revived BEAR Magazine in 2008 starting with issue #65. Under the new direction of Steven Wolfe (Publisher/Editor-in-Chief) and Teddy Mark (VP/CCO), the format was again updated in 2010 for an evolved bear movement and LGBT community, and now covers broader aspects of masculinity. BEAR Magazine continues in print as well as digital formats.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men who are — or who admire — "bears", i.e., men with facial and/or body hair. It was initially published in San Francisco, California in 1987 by Richard Bulger
Richard Bulger
Richard Bulger is credited with coining the term "Bear" in 1985 as a description for heavy-set, often bearded and hairy gay men, eventually creating Bear Magazine in 1987. He was a pioneer in the publishing of erotic photography and stories for what grew into today's bear community...
and his partner Chris Nelson
Chris Nelson (photographer)
Chris Nelson , photographer and co-founder of Bear Magazine in the 1980s, was the photographic pioneer in the gay-oriented erotic photography of mature men with hairy bodies and facial hair...
and marketed to the bear community
Bear community
"Bear" is a LGBT slang term that refers to members of a subculture in the homosexual and bisexual male communities and to an emerging subset of LGBT communities with events, codes, and a culture-specific identity...
within the larger LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community.
Beginnings
In 1985 Bart Thomas began putting together a self-published magazine he called BEAR. Before he was able to actually launch the magazine he succumbed to complications from AIDS, but not before passing the torch to Richard Bulger. Bulger, along with partner Chris Nelson, released the first issue of BEAR Magazine in 1987 as a photo-copied flyerFlyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
published from their apartment under the name Creative Options Associates (COA). Bart Thomas is listed as the Editor for issues #1 and #2, then replaced by Richard Bulger in issue #3. In 1991, COA became Brush Creek Media Inc., named for Brush Creek, California
Brush Creek, California
Brush Creek is an unincorporated community near Oroville in Butte County, California, United States....
, the town where their vacation cabin was located. Brush Creek Media obtained a trademark on the name "Bear" for a men's magazine in 1992, which applies to print, digital media and video.
Originally created as an alternate to the abundance of shaven men represented in gay mainstream media, BEAR grew over the course of years into an internationally distributed glossy magazine, which featured erotic
Eroticism
Eroticism is generally understood to refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love...
photographs of masculine, mature men and erotic stories. There was also a classified personals
Personal advertisement
A personal or personal ad is an item or notice traditionally in the newspaper, similar to a classified ad but in nature. In British English it is also commonly known as an advert in a lonely hearts column. With its rise in popularity, the World Wide Web has also become a common medium for...
section which, before the emergence of the internet, was one of the few ways for men to find compatible romantic and sexual partners, and to network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
with like-minded men.
The first formal company office was established above a 1908 former fire-house at the corner of 16th and Albion Streets in San Francisco, where their various publications, clothing and lifestyle products were also displayed and sold. Then in 1994 Brush Creek Media moved its office and Bear Store to 367 9th Street in the South-of-Market
South of Market, San Francisco, California
South of Market is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States.-Name and location:Its boundaries are Market Street to the northwest, San Francisco Bay to the northeast, Mission Creek to the southeast, and Division Street, 13th Street and U.S. Route 101 to the southwest...
district which is the center of San Francisco's gay leather
Leather subculture
The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures...
district and around the corner from Rick Redewill
Rick Redewill
Rick Redewill born Richard Byron Redewill in California on August 9, 1952 was the founder of the "", the gay bar which is credited as helping give birth to the Bear Community in San Francisco. He died on April 14, 1993 at the age of 40. He is buried in Georgetown, CA.-References:...
's Lone Star Saloon.
It is important to mention that the close proximity of Brush Creek Media to the Lone Star Saloon resulted in a synergistic relationship. With the Bear Store and nearby bars, shops and hotels catering to the bear-identified, the Lone Star Saloon eventually became the quintessential bear bar, further igniting the bear movement. This formed a circuit for locals, tourists and visitors to events like International Bear Rendezvous and Folsom Street Fair
Folsom Street Fair
The Folsom Street Fair is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's "Leather Pride Week"...
among others. Later that year in 1994, Beardog Hoffman purchased Brush Creek Media Inc. and began expanding the company into several special-interest gay magazines and video series.
Temporary Setback
In 2002 Brush Creek Media closed its doors when the IRS seized its inventoryInventory
Inventory means a list compiled for some formal purpose, such as the details of an estate going to probate, or the contents of a house let furnished. This remains the prime meaning in British English...
. BEAR Magazine was one of the casualties and publication ceased after issue #64.
A New Chapter
In 2006, the BEAR trademark was judicially assigned and registered to Butch Media Ltd of Las Vegas, NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, a creditor
Creditor
A creditor is a party that has a claim to the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property or service to the second party under the assumption that the second party will return an equivalent property or...
of Brush Creek Media. Similarly, in 2007 the court assigned BEAR Magazine and all the Brush Creek Media copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s to Butch Media Ltd. Bear Omnimedia LLC, the parent company of Butch Media Ltd, revived BEAR Magazine in 2008 starting with issue #65. Under the new direction of Steven Wolfe (Publisher/Editor-in-Chief) and Teddy Mark (VP/CCO), the format was again updated in 2010 for an evolved bear movement and LGBT community, and now covers broader aspects of masculinity. BEAR Magazine continues in print as well as digital formats.