Nostalgic members of the gay community are sure to have fond memories of Blueboy Magazine, the iconic magazine known in its heyday as “the gay Playboy.”

Published from 1974 – 2007, the glossy lifestyle publication began with issues that featured soft-core male images alongside articles covering topics of LGBTQ interest; in the 90s, faced with competition from newer magazines, the format changed to focus more on overtly nude photos, discontinuing most of its non-porn content.

Fans of Blueboy will be thrilled to learn that there’s a nonprofit organization out there, the Blueboy Archives and Cultural Arts Foundation, dedicated “to the preservation and promotion” of the magazine’s archives and legacy; they’ll be even more thrilled to discover that the foundation has announced the relaunch of the classic queer mag later this year, in a contemporary version designed to “resonate the ‘golden era’ of the Blueboy 70s and 80s heyday,” introducing a whole new generation to an important slice of LGBTQ history.

In celebration of the relaunch, Blueboy Archives is planning to host “Blueboy Monday,” the Foundation’s very first meet-and-greet, featuring a special screening of Wakefield Poole’sclassic sexual and avant-garde film, “Bijou,” and billed as “an evening of making new friends and enjoying a classic film of early gay erotica serving sex-driven surrealism.”

Originally released during the summer of 1972, “Bijou” explores less binary sexuality, as a male construction worker enters a minimal – yet lush – realm where he is instructed to remove his clothes. What follows is a hypnotic, Freudian blend of voyeurism, fantasy and sexual exploration, packed with man-to-man action, accompanied with evocative classical music, and featuring an all-male cast that includes Ronnie Shark, Peter Fisk and Bill Cable. Screening at the event will be a beautifully restored version, taken from the original 16mm film negatives.

Blueboy Monday, which will take place at the legendary Faultline Bar in Los Angeles, is hosted by radio personality and columnist Miss Tiger (who is also the Foundation’s Executive Director) and TheeGhettoBlaster. During the evening, Miss Tiger will also discuss the work of the Foundation and moderate a short discussion of the film prior to movie showtime. Attendees are invited to stay throughout the evening for signature cocktails, meet-and-greet, prizes, silent auctions, and more.

The event happens on Monday, March 16, and if you’re in the LA area you can get tickets on Eventbrite.

As for the rebirth of Blueboy Magazine, that’s set to happen with a special debut December 2020 issue, which is available for pre-order now and will be shipped in late September. The Foundation says it has made the decision not to subsequently post the edition’s content online, “In order to evoke the nostalgic thrill of going to the newsstand and cherishing the latest copy.”

Which means you better pre-order now, because once the limited edition issue is sold out, they won’t be printing any more, either.