THE MAN FROM C.A.M.P.

Full Name:	Jackie Holmes
Series Name:	The Man from C.A.M.P.
Nationality:	American
Organization:	C.A.M.P.
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Don Holliday
Time Span:	1966 - 2006

ABOUT THE SERIES

       Jackie Holmes is an agent for C.A.M.P.
       That organization, the meaning for the acronym never being revealed, is a private group working world-wide in conjunction with official government agencies to root out those groups who most pose a threat to homosexuals. The leadership of this fairly secret bureau is known as the High Camp (without the periods) but whether that is just one person or, more likely, a committee, is uncertain. What is known is that the offices for C.A.M.P. are all over the globe, hidden from view so as to be able to do the job without publicity. One of its main headquarters is beneath Lafayette Park in D.C., across the street from the White House and, in the 60s, a known hangout for homosexuals.
       Holmes is one of C.A.M.P.'s best agents and one willing to head anywhere the need arises. He is traditionally stationed in Los Angeles but it is very common for him to jump on a private jet and head to who-knows-where to fight the enemies of C.A.M.P. and homosexuals everywhere.
       Holmes is a millionaire, inheriting lots when his parents died when he was a teenager, who, when he is not going up against homophobic enemies, enjoys vintage cars. He is of slightly less than average height (5'6"), slender, blond, rakishly handsome, and has exceptional strength and dexterity that he calls upon quite a lot to get out of scrapes and into the beds of fellow agents, many of whom are not gay before they meet him. He is described as very intelligent and possessing a keen sense of humor. He has a fair number of relatives (aunts) who help him out from time to time and who each enjoys his or her own forms of eccentricities.
       The groups that Holmes and C.A.M.P. go up against are varied but chief among them is B.U.T.C.H., or Brothers United To Crush Homosexuality. That group causes trouble for Holmes on several occasions but it not the only one.
       Holmes is serious about his work and dedicated to the task at hand but is playful enough to take time to tease, cajole, charm, and ultimately seduce the different government agents he works with in each book, all of whom are initially phobic about his life style but come around eventually.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	10
First Appearance:	1966
Last Appearance:	2006

       In the mid 1960's with James Bond's popularity going through the roonf, many series were jumping onto that bandwagon, a number of which were capitalizing on one of the Bond hooks - sex. The first year sex-centric series arrived was 1965 which saw three notable series that took sex to an extreme - The Man from O.R.G.Y., the Girl from PUSSYCAT, and the Man from S.A.D.I.S.T.O. The next year gave us the Girl from B.U.S.T., the Miss from S.I.S., and this entry, the Man from C.A.M.P.
       What made this series unique was that it was the first (as of my knowledge at this writing) to have the hero be homosexual and the books aimed at a very niche market. It is no wonder that the original books sell for so much among collectors; with very few printed in an edition and only one edition likely, the books are quite rare.

       The books were the creation of a man who would over the years make a name for himself as a principle writer in the gay market. Victor J. Banis created the series and would write the first 9 of the 10 books. The last book would not come out until 3 years after the previous one and, though still under the same house name, would be likely by Samuel Dodson (according to Lynn Munroe according to Wikipedia).


1			The Man From C.A.M.P. Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1966 Big Daddy is a lesbian gang leader in L.A. counterfeiting diamonds. Jackie Holmes is assigned with a T-Man to bring the group down.

2			Color Him Gay Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1966 The criminal group B.U.T.C.H. is active blackmailing a British rock star.

3			The Watercress File Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1966 Jackie Holmes heads to D.C. to work with a group to stop an assassination.

4			The Son Goes Down Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1966 A gang is kidnapping any blond teenage boy who is a fan of the deceased actor Dean James.

5			Gothic Gaye Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1966 Jackie Holmes has quit to live with his new lover but B.U.T.C.H. is still after him.

6			Holiday Gay Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1967 A gang of midgets calling themselves the Swallows are busy pulling jewelry heists.

7			Rally Round The Fag Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1967 Asked to pretend to be a female double-agent, Jackie Holmes must find a way to stop WWIII.

8			The Gay Dogs Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1967 Anna Lingus is a dominatrix who leads a group kidnapping a prize dog.

9			Blow The Man Down Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1968 Jackie Holmes is brought into action when several ships disappear just before a major summit cruise.

10			Gay-Safe Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 1971 The founder of the Church of the Homosexual Community is killed and Jackie Holmes thinks B.U.T.C.H. is behind it.

10.1			That Man From C.A.M.P. - Rebel Without A Pause Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 2004 An omnibus containing #1, #4, and #6.

10.2			Tales From C.A.M.P. - Jackie's Back Written by Don Holliday Copyright: 2006 An omnibus containing #5, #7, and #9.

MY COMMENTS

       The tongue of the author was firmly in cheek when he penned these many tales of adventure and thrills about Jackie Holmes and the enemies of homosexuality that he must combat. The books were written to amuse and titillate the reader as the character will quite often stray from his task to have sex with whomever might be willing. In the 60s the sex would have been outrageous but reads now as tame.
       Wikipedia has a terrific article about this series and points out that the author admitted that each book took just a few days to write and never enjoyed anything like editting or even reviewing. Still, the author was pretty good at his job and though the books' main purpose was to promote pruriance, he does come up with entertaining plots and fun characters to get to know.
       It is interesting that the publisher took the opportunity to create related items such as a cookbook and a self-help book, purportedly written by one of Holmes' aunts. It is even more fascinating that forty years after the books were published, they enjoyed renewed interest, enough to warrant two omnibus editions and several re-releases.

GRADE

My Grade: C

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