Matthew LeBaron
By the time we showed up at the Spank first anniversary loft party, not an unsoiled copy of the ‘zine could be found. The sixth floor space was crowded with boys (and a few women) dancing and drinking and the flimsy periodical suffered under the revelry. We did discover a few soaked or scuffed copies near Spank stalwart (and Scissor Sister) Del Marquis—but were more interested in why there wasn’t more nudity.
A nearly naked Dazzle Dancer calling himself Negro Noir (aka Willie 
Mullins) danced at one end of the room, near a red-frocked Viva Ruiz whose other pal, Desi Monster (aka Desi Santiago), was more intimidating in his leather outfit with straps and a brown cowl that covered his head. We asked them why there weren’t more bare asses for spanking, “I don’t know, I wish there were,” Ruiz replied. Asked the same question, author and book critic Dale Peck, a friend of Spank founder Jason Roe, tried to remedy the situation by ordering one of his young friends to drop trou.
Thanks, Dale!
Soon enough, we found one bare bottom. A man calling himself Naked Tony wandered amongst the merriment absent of a stitch of stitchery. He had his own thoughts on the overly clothed crowd. “It’s a little early, and they haven’t had cocktails yet,” he said. And did he benefit from being naked? “Of course. I get free drinks. I don’t pay to get into parties.”
One-Half Nelson, who had recently been dyed black for the Grace Jones tribute earlier in the week, was the most flamboyant attendee, dressed in a black suit with white fringe and a black chapeau with jaunty white feather.
We decided to get photographed in Billy Beyond’s corner, where he was
documenting many in a very Warholian manner with a BigShot Polaroid camera. It only got us thinking more about the purpose of the fete. Was it all a bit of inhibited exhibitionism? Maybe the magazine's moniker wasn’t some misinterpreted euphemism for light bondage, but simply a provocative title for a monthly party that has migrated through various venues to end up in a more private zone. Or they were just saving the spanking for later.
