My farewell column at fab magazine
After more than 3 years, this issue of fab magazine has my 85th and final column.
I will paste the text from the column here:
Todd Klinck retires Trade column, plans to return to novel -
When Mitchel Raphael contacted me in 2002 and told me he was considering taking over the editor’s position at fab magazine, I asked him if he was joking. I thought that after three years at the brand-new National Post writing about drugs, hookers, sex and other counter-culture topics, taking over community rag fab would be a step backwards in his career path. fab used to be a magazine I loathed. I was embarrassed by the poor editorial quality and I didn’t think it could ever rise above its image as a fluffy, trashy gay rag (with tons of typos). But Raphael had a complete make-over of fab in mind, and since I’d always respected him as a man with a vision who knows how to get things done, I signed up to be one of the regular columnists. My column was initially to be titled “Us Whores,” but fab publisher Michael Schwarz had the brilliant idea of naming it Trade to go along with Twink and Troll. When I started working for fab, I had just moved into a 2400-square-foot studio after years of working on and off as an escort and professional dominant. This new studio was a big step for me. I had always admired Andy Warhol and his factory, and I had always dreamt of having a large space in which to build my business. During the studio years, I never ran out of column topics. I would simply write about whatever was happening in my life at the time. I built a dungeon, I tore down a wrestling ring, I shot dozens of porno films, I ran a cyber-sex operation. I worked with my business partner Mandy Goodhandy to build a video company and an alternative strip club. I had a documentary crew from Showcase follow me around for three months to produce the series Kink. I started being recognized as “that guy who shoved a metal rod down his cock on TV” by 12-year-old boys in grocery stores. The few times I did struggle to come up with current topics, I would dig back into my earlier memories of being a 20-year-old male escort in downtown Toronto. A couple of other times, I had my slave fill in and write a column in his voice. And once I resorted to the tried-and-true topic that all lifestyle editors swear by, and wrote about my cat, Mia X. More than three years later, this is my 85th and final column. Writing a regular column has been challenging, fun and, at times, stressful beyond belief. I am honoured to have been part of a publication that was bold enough to have a full-time sex-trade columnist. Being allowed to write about drug use, my unique three-way relationship with my slave and my boyfriend, my sex-trade experiences, including a man who has sex with a raw chicken and an obese client on disability, has been refreshing. But the time has come for me to move on.Six months ago I closed down my studio and moved into a small apartment with my boyfriend. This was so that I could concentrate entirely on editing and releasing the videos we have been shooting, and so that I didn’t have to devote any of my time to being an escort in order to pay the high bills that come with running a studio. My life has not become boring, but it has become extremely focused: I work two days a week with our shemale stripper and at bathhouse events; I work one day a week with our male strippers; and I bartend once a week at El Convento Rico. Every other waking moment I spend editing or shooting videos. I rarely go out. I am not officially retired from the sex trade, but I see almost no clients. The past few months have been difficult for me when it came time to write my column. I’ve struggled to find topics that I have not already written about. I’ve spent hours on columns that in the end didn’t work out. My most popular columns have been the ones that took me 15 minutes to write. I don’t want this job to become a chore, and I certainly don’t want to have to resort to doing book reviews every other issue or going to community events that don’t interest me. After my first novel, Tacones (high heels), appeared in 1997, I told people I was working on a second book called Us Whores. I didn’t intend to finish Us Whores until I reached my 30s. Now that I have, I will get back to it. I also intend to write the occasional feature article for fab and other publications. I have to say thank you to a few people: first, to Mitchel Raphael for giving me this chance, and for making fab into a quality publication. To John Palmer, my writing mentor and the man who made me aware as a strange 20 year old that I had talent. To Mandy Goodhandy, my business partner, who introduced me to the world of adult video and to the management of wayward male strippers. To my boyfriend, who accepts me for whatever I come up with. To my slave, who has been an integral part of this entire experience, and who will always be an important part of my life. And to the countless hustlers, clients and fellow deviants who have shared their stories and lives with me. Over the years, I received my share of letters, good and bad. To those who criticized me for talking openly about sex, porn and drugs, I say, “Fuck you” without apology. To those who have paid me compliments, I say thank you. And to the guy who wrote asking if I was on crack when I encouraged people to do ecstasy instead of crystal meth (he told me that the ecstasy in clubs today is usually laced with crystal meth): I stand corrected.
• todd klinck
I will paste the text from the column here:
Todd Klinck retires Trade column, plans to return to novel -
When Mitchel Raphael contacted me in 2002 and told me he was considering taking over the editor’s position at fab magazine, I asked him if he was joking. I thought that after three years at the brand-new National Post writing about drugs, hookers, sex and other counter-culture topics, taking over community rag fab would be a step backwards in his career path. fab used to be a magazine I loathed. I was embarrassed by the poor editorial quality and I didn’t think it could ever rise above its image as a fluffy, trashy gay rag (with tons of typos). But Raphael had a complete make-over of fab in mind, and since I’d always respected him as a man with a vision who knows how to get things done, I signed up to be one of the regular columnists. My column was initially to be titled “Us Whores,” but fab publisher Michael Schwarz had the brilliant idea of naming it Trade to go along with Twink and Troll. When I started working for fab, I had just moved into a 2400-square-foot studio after years of working on and off as an escort and professional dominant. This new studio was a big step for me. I had always admired Andy Warhol and his factory, and I had always dreamt of having a large space in which to build my business. During the studio years, I never ran out of column topics. I would simply write about whatever was happening in my life at the time. I built a dungeon, I tore down a wrestling ring, I shot dozens of porno films, I ran a cyber-sex operation. I worked with my business partner Mandy Goodhandy to build a video company and an alternative strip club. I had a documentary crew from Showcase follow me around for three months to produce the series Kink. I started being recognized as “that guy who shoved a metal rod down his cock on TV” by 12-year-old boys in grocery stores. The few times I did struggle to come up with current topics, I would dig back into my earlier memories of being a 20-year-old male escort in downtown Toronto. A couple of other times, I had my slave fill in and write a column in his voice. And once I resorted to the tried-and-true topic that all lifestyle editors swear by, and wrote about my cat, Mia X. More than three years later, this is my 85th and final column. Writing a regular column has been challenging, fun and, at times, stressful beyond belief. I am honoured to have been part of a publication that was bold enough to have a full-time sex-trade columnist. Being allowed to write about drug use, my unique three-way relationship with my slave and my boyfriend, my sex-trade experiences, including a man who has sex with a raw chicken and an obese client on disability, has been refreshing. But the time has come for me to move on.Six months ago I closed down my studio and moved into a small apartment with my boyfriend. This was so that I could concentrate entirely on editing and releasing the videos we have been shooting, and so that I didn’t have to devote any of my time to being an escort in order to pay the high bills that come with running a studio. My life has not become boring, but it has become extremely focused: I work two days a week with our shemale stripper and at bathhouse events; I work one day a week with our male strippers; and I bartend once a week at El Convento Rico. Every other waking moment I spend editing or shooting videos. I rarely go out. I am not officially retired from the sex trade, but I see almost no clients. The past few months have been difficult for me when it came time to write my column. I’ve struggled to find topics that I have not already written about. I’ve spent hours on columns that in the end didn’t work out. My most popular columns have been the ones that took me 15 minutes to write. I don’t want this job to become a chore, and I certainly don’t want to have to resort to doing book reviews every other issue or going to community events that don’t interest me. After my first novel, Tacones (high heels), appeared in 1997, I told people I was working on a second book called Us Whores. I didn’t intend to finish Us Whores until I reached my 30s. Now that I have, I will get back to it. I also intend to write the occasional feature article for fab and other publications. I have to say thank you to a few people: first, to Mitchel Raphael for giving me this chance, and for making fab into a quality publication. To John Palmer, my writing mentor and the man who made me aware as a strange 20 year old that I had talent. To Mandy Goodhandy, my business partner, who introduced me to the world of adult video and to the management of wayward male strippers. To my boyfriend, who accepts me for whatever I come up with. To my slave, who has been an integral part of this entire experience, and who will always be an important part of my life. And to the countless hustlers, clients and fellow deviants who have shared their stories and lives with me. Over the years, I received my share of letters, good and bad. To those who criticized me for talking openly about sex, porn and drugs, I say, “Fuck you” without apology. To those who have paid me compliments, I say thank you. And to the guy who wrote asking if I was on crack when I encouraged people to do ecstasy instead of crystal meth (he told me that the ecstasy in clubs today is usually laced with crystal meth): I stand corrected.
• todd klinck
posted by Todd Klinck at 12:47 AM
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