Nude men never go out of fashion

The iconic Berlin-based Bruno Gmunder Publishing House celebrates its 30th birthday this year, at a time when print publishing seems to be under attack from all angles.

The international gay publishing house, famed for producing expansive, premium-priced coffee table books that document every inch of the male frame in exacting detail, appears largely immune from the general belt-tightening occurring throughout the rest of the gay publishing industry.

“There is a secret formula I will share — we are always closely connected to the gay community and we listen carefully and we are not opposed to changes,” Bruno Gmunder said, when asked for a theory about his company’s continued success.

“We are gay and we know about the needs and interests of gay men and we like what we do. It’s as simple as that.”

What started out in 1981 with the publication of the legendary first gay Berlin guide, Berlin von Hinten, has developed into an 80-employee strong business.

In fact, Gmunder is now branching into gay-themed non-photo books, novels and non-fiction works, encouraged by what he sees as the continued neglect of these titles by mainstream publishing houses.

“These days, none of the big publishers take care of gay books. Given the experience we have with best selling non-fiction books and novels in our [German-speaking] home market, we think we can help to fill that gap in the English-speaking part of the world,” he said.

Most of Gmunder’s most popular titles don’t contain the sort of coy, soft-focus nudes you could accidentally leave on the coffee table when your nan pops over for a cup of tea. Several of his (ahem) biggest recent titles — Supersized, Bites XXXL and Un*/Cut — feature close-ups of page after page of oversized male organs, slavishly shot by photographer Giovanni (nice work if you can get it).

Then there’s the recently released Porn: From Andy Warhol to X-Tube, an explicit 260-page journey through the ever-evolving world of adult entertainment.

Is it art? Is it porn? For Gmunder, the question is largely irrelevant.

“Where is the line between art, erotica and porn? I don’t see it! It’s a hallucination of the straight world. Every gay man knows that it can be a turn-on to see an art exhibition and every art expert knows that what was considered porn then is now considered art.

“Except for the censorship offices, nobody is interested in this question. Our artists have individual levels of measurement for their interpretation of human bodies, sexuality and sensuality.”
And despite the fact that innumerable images of male flesh are available nowadays online at the click of a button, Gmunder said he doesn’t view the internet as a threat.

“Who is going to produce something that is only available online on your screen? Will we only enjoy clicking Gaydar profile images in the future? Our experience speaks against it.

“A coffee-table book is a piece of self-representation, something you put in your environment to give a statement of your lifestyle. The look and feel of a heavy, big and beautifully printed book is also part of the experience. Now compare this with a PDF file on your computer.”

That’s not to say the Gmunder publishing house has its head in the sand when it comes to digital publishing — quite the opposite. One of its most popular titles, the Spartacus International Gay Guide, is in the process of being developed into an iPhone app, and Gmunder now offer some of their titles as e-books.

While he finds it too hard to choose a favourite title (“I love all my children, that’s what a daddy says if you ask him,” he joked), Gmunder said he was particularly excited about the 2011 edition of the Spartacus Gay Guide, which now has its own website, www.spartacusworld.com

“Spartacus is always a good parameter about how the international gay community has changed in its self-confidence, its network and its travel behaviour,” he said.

Sydney info: Bruno Gmunder titles are available in store or online from The Bookshop Darlinghurst. To celebrate Bruno Gmunder’s 30th birthday, The Bookshop Darlinghurst is offering a 20 percent discount off the new edition of the Spartacus International Gay Guide (2011/2012). Was $56, Now $44.80. This promotion runs for one week from May 18 – 24. Visit www.thebookshop.com.au

Melbourne info:  Bruno Gmunder titles are available from Hares and Hyenas. To celebrate Bruno Gmunder’s 30th birthday, Hares & Hyenas is offering 20 percent off the new edition of the Spartacus International Gay Guide (2011/2012). Was $56, now $44.80. This promotion runs for one week from May 19 – 25. Visit www.hares-hyenas.com.au