Slant

Slant was an interesting magazine that had a relatively short life span, starting out in 1973 and coming to an end in 1974 after just a 17-copy run.

It was a well produced and nicely written magazine with some interesting articles, including a large and lively letters section. Content was mainly centred around spanking with the odd diversion into general fetishism. It did though have more written articles than pictures, which may not have helped it as, at this time, the market was becoming flooded with larger, more picture-focused magazines. From the start of Volume 2, it was obvious that things were beginning to slide; page numbers had dropped from 72 to 64 and the correspondence section was getting bigger and bigger every month (articles cost money but letters are free!) It was in direct competition with Mentor/Janus, which had hit the streets 12 months earlier and had more pictures, and models who were more familiar - as we all know Janus went from strength to strength.

What it did have though, which really made it stand out from the crowd, was fantastic artwork for its covers and throughout the books, all by Rex.

In the 1970’s, Rex was one of the leading figures visualising the fetish and S&M subculture in New York and later San Francisco, having spent time in London and Paris in the late 1960’s.

The original artwork drawings in the later additions were advertised for sale - any Rex drawing could be purchased by Readers for £25.00 - the original, not a copy. So, there must be some of these out there knocking about and worth considerably more that £25, I would guess.

Download a couple of copies and see what you think, they are worth it just for the correspondence section alone.

Below is the Editorial from the opening page of Volume 1 No 1

SLANT is dedicated to a very simple proposition. It believes that if a man or woman hasn't got some secret slant in their sex-life... and either in the sex-life they actually have and enjoy, or the sex-life they dream about... then they're either very dull or very lucky, we're not certain which!

Slant takes the view that anything goes in matters sexual, as long as both partners can come out of it crossing their hearts and saying they feel better for what they've been up to. And just what they've been up to SLANT believes is their business, and SLANT'S, of course, if they like to take up a pen, or even a pencil, and jot it all down in detail and shove it in the post to me!

In other words, don't be selfish and keep good things to yourself! That's really it. SLANT doesn't think sex is a bad thing ... on the contrary, SLANT thinks sex is fabulous, wouldn’t be without it! SLANT thinks women are terrific, too. We don't feel we're being parasitical in discussing women throughout SLANT, nor publishing pictures of them undressed. (And don't they look better than the fellows, stripped?) Rather we feel we're honouring them by worshipping them, flattering them by admitting how much we need them, confessing how much of our thoughts they occupy…. and even giving them ideas on how to save money by just buying, as far as concerned, panties, bra's, stockings, and girdles! We're easily pleased!

Seriously or more seriously ... SLANT is for men and women who don't feel guilty about sex, and the way they practice it, even if it's not in the books on How to be Happy though Married! Let me know what you think, eh? And dreams as welcome as actual experiences, too!

EDITOR