Writers Issue: The men behind Peter

By Johnny Ray Huston

This week's Writers Issue includes a page devoted to the visual side of books and magazines, with contributions by comic book artist Eric Haven and comedy routine and joke book specialists Kasper Hauser. You'll notice some compelling ads on the page -- after admiring them, contemplate the fact that they are from Peter, a local men's magazine co-created by David Enos and Tag Savage with a little help from their friends. So, what exactly is Peter? I recently met Enos in the smoking section. When I asked him for some background, I got some priceless rugged poetry for my troubles. Man oh man. Ooh la la!

SFBG How did Peter come to be?
David Enos Well, last year Tag (Savage) found a copy of a '60s-era tabloid for men, a poverty-row Esquire or Argosy, called Man. This was from the Magazine, a great used bookstore in the Tenderloin that also sells found photographs. The voice of Man was that of a tough guy who doesn't mince words, like a Kirk Douglas, but who also has a thirst for some very questionable, morbid information. In the way that Kirk Douglas wouldn't think it odd to go into a book shop and ask the girl behind the counter for a book on Roman entertainment practices; to him it's just part of having a healthy curiosity and he should catch up on the details.
The cover was a grid of boxes, and each one was a tease for an article: "KKK On My Skin" was a headline I remember. We both independently made take-offs after reading it. It was hard to shake. Around the same time, we had been talking about recreating the covers of board games like Mastermind as a photography exercise. Peter was a result of mushing these projects together. Also borne of this was Scumbag, a crasser counterpart to Peter.

SFBG Who is the target or ideal Peter reader?
DE I was never sure who would end up seeing it. Peter is for the reader who enjoys the finer things in life. Scumbag is for a different audience, maybe in jail. I think it was more of a success. It gets right to the point.

SFBG Unlike with so many magazines, Peter's advertisements often have an appeal that matches the editorial content. What advertisers are drawn to you, what do you like about their style or their products, and what advertisers would you like to court in issues to come?
DE Peter is 80 percent ads.
I saw an ad in an issue of Popular Mechanics. They send you the black widow eggs and you build wooden homes for them. You receive blueprints of cubbies for them to get into and build webs.

SFBG What is a Peter editorial meeting like?
DE Sleeves are rolled up. The air is dense with Scrolls and the reek of open paste-pots. Reams of perforated tractor-feed paper are coming out of an electronic whiteboard.

SFBG Peter’s look is distinctive. What are some of Peter’s visual signatures? How did they come to be?
DE The girls who pose for Peter are wholesome. They don't have tattoos. They eat waffles and syrup every day.

SFBG What kind of drink does a Peter man favor, and what is his favorite smoke?
DE Scrolls seemed close to being the absolute worst name for a cigarette. It could be one of the bargain basement brands like Delta. The empty packs on the ground behind hospitals. I used to think the horoscope scrolls at supermarket checkout lanes were a type of cigarette.

SFBG Are there any other stories about Don Bower, whose snow-frozen survival story is recounted in issue one?
DE He seems like a man who could go into politics, or else retreat to the desert. He promises himself he will never feel cold temperatures again.

SFBG Aside from Peter, what are your favorite men’s magazines, and from what era or area are they?
DE Pagan. Adam. Glimpse. It's actually hard to find more than one copy of the same title from that era. Generally they look wrecked; warped from basements or sections are torn out. It adds to the whole aura in a way, like the copy you found may have only survived because it was buried in a box under the bleachers of a junior college. There's a magazine that Michael J. Fox has in his jeans pocket in Back To The Future II: Ooh-La-La.

SFBG What future pleasures can Peter readers expect to enjoy?
DE Peter issue # 2 is almost finished, I'm very excited about it. There's new articles and photo spreads. One of them has to do with Bat Man. If anybody would like to order a copy or help out on new issues of Peter, you can contact me at dedwardenos@gmail.com. Peter #1 is available at the Baer Ridegway Gallery and at [Second Floor Projects].

Comments (2)

Rick Dale:

What happened to the LIT123 contest winners that were supposed to be published today (Oct. 7)?

Posted by Rick Dale | October 7, 2009 08:31 AM

Marke B.:

Hey Rick -- they are in thepaper and also here: http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=9243

Posted by Marke B. | October 7, 2009 08:53 AM

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