Drummer Magazine Issue 42 Page 97: Phil Andros. (Patreon)

I've been going through old issues of Drummer Magazine (1)  this week, issues of which documented piercing and tattooing from a Gay Leather perspective at a time when that was a rare thing. 

A frequent contributor was a writer of erotica named Phil Andros, who authored a series of gay erotica novels from 1953-1984 with titles that included The Greek Way, My Brother the Hustler, Stud, the Joy Spot, and more. 

More importantly, Phil Andros was the pseudonym for Samuel Morris Steward, who, under  another pseudonym Phil Sparrow, was an influential figure in the history of American tattooing. 

Considered a mentor by a young Bay Area tattooer named Don Hardy, Sparrow is credited for encouraging Hardy (and Cliff Ingram aka Cliff Raven) to incorporate Japanese tattoo concepts into their work, arguably changing the course of American tattooing in ways that are still unfolding. 

This photo, from Drummer Issue 42, Page 97, features Andros/Sparrow/Steward tattooing erotic writer John Preston (2). Photo by Wolfgang. 

1. Drummer Magazine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drummer_(magazine)
2. Jack Preston: Good Reads Stub