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THAT MAN FROM A.U.N.T.I.E.

man_from_auntie_cb_uncensored chess_harry_cb_tuaohc
 
Full Name: Harry Chess
Codename: Agent 0068 &frac78
Nationality: American
Organization: A.U.N.T.I.E.
Occupation Agent

Creator: A. Jay
Time Span: 1965 - 1966

ABOUT THE SERIES

Harry Chess, aka "That Man From A.U.N.T.I.E.", is an agent with A.U.N.T.I.E.

Well, duh! With the organization, Chess has the codename of Agent 0068 7/8.

Okay, since you were wondering, the acronym stands for "Agents' Undercover Network To Investigate Evil" which, as far as odd acronym-breakdowns go is not too bad. The same cannot be said for the leader of that organization, a man known only by his codename, "FU2".

In the introduction of the operative to us in the first recorded adventure regarding a particularly nasty problem, we are told in a way that made it sound like the solution found was not unusual: "The CIA wouldn't touch it. J. Edgar and his boys(!) thought it too dangerous. The Girl Scouts were busy. So naturally it had to be Harry Chess...that wealthy, young bacherlor-about-town...the crusading editor-publisher of 'WANT' (the physique mag with a difference!). H.C. is in reality secret-super agent '2 For F.U.G.G.', the secret-super protective force of the mottomachine society (...and we all know who they are). [Okay, that last part ... I don't.]"

We are also told how "Harry, FUGG'S top secret-super agent, and his young muscular assistant and confidant [and adopted brother] - the lovely Mickey Muscle - are constantly battling the evil forces of the erotic and the nasty - wherever the heteros fear to tread - and wherever super danger and creamy intrigue call!"

Chess is a former trapeze artist who is quite tall and physically in superb shape, not to mention being "rugged, virile, sensuous, clever". He has a head of thick black hair which seems to match that on his chest (sort of explains his name). His wealth allows him to have a plush house right off Central Park and under that landmark he has his headquarters and garage.

Crew-cut blond-haired Mickey Muscle, as mentioned, is the sidekick of Chess and is always very close to his friend and mentor. This fellow who is also quite muscle-bound, as his name would indicate, is a fellow of few words. In fact, when he speaks at all, he tends to just say, "Gee" - okay, I saw a "Yah" once.

The sort of bad-niks that Chess goes up against are just what you would expect a parody of James Bond and the Man From U.N.C.L.E. to produce, which you really need to read to believe - and even then you won't but you will likely groan.

COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, AND MANGA

Number of Stories:7
First Appearance:1965
Last Appearance:1966

According to Wikipedia: "Harry Chess was created by Allen J. Shapiro (1932–1987) under the pseudonym "A. Jay". The character appeared in a one-off cartoon in November 1964 in Drum magazine, a homophile publication featuring news and erotica. He then became the protagonist of Al Shapiro's Harry Chess: That Man from A.U.N.T.I.E., which began running in Drum in March 1965 and ended in 1966.

"After Drum ceased publication, the character's strips were picked up by Queen's Quarterly. In 1977, the series began appearing in Drummer magazine, where Shapiro served as art director. His role at Drummer brought him into contact with other pioneering gay comic artists including Bill Ward. Strips were reprinted in various volumes of Leyland Publications' Meatmen series in the 1980s."

I do not know how many actual "adventures" were printed. All I have to go on is the collection The Uncensored Adventures of Harry Chess 0068 7/8: That Man from A.U.N.T.I.E. released in 1966 by Drum publisher Clark Polak. The ones listed below have my own titles and the dates are estimated.


1 'The Snatching Of Biff Ripples Mission' 'The Snatching Of Biff Ripples Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1965

At the Mr. Planetarium body builder contest, evil Lewd Leather, lead agent for M.U.C.K. [Maniacal Underworld Control Korp], has kidnapped the winner, Biff Ripples.

2 'The Gay Porn Theft Mission' 'The Gay Porn Theft Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1965

The evil villain Brownfinger has stolen the entire collection of pornography from a famous afficionado, the latest in a string of such heists such as from the Louvre, Yale U, the Vatican, and the NYC Public Library.

3 'The Rescue Of Mickey Muscle Mission' 'The Rescue Of Mickey Muscle Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1965

Even though Brownfinger was defeated, his sadistic henchman, Below Job, has snatched Mickey Muscle and Harry Chess, Agent 0068 7/8, must get him back.

4 'The Stolen Homo-File Mission' 'The Stolen Homo-File Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1965

The world's press is aghast to report that someone had broken into the FBI 'Queer Tier" and taken the prized Home-File! which Harry Chess, that Man from A.U.N.T.I.E., is sent to retrieve. Also, top astro-ace Hunky Dorie has disappeared in California.

5 'The  Shaggy Brown Giant Mission' 'The Shaggy Brown Giant Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1966

After almost getting away from being held prisoner, Harry Chess and Mickey Muscle go up against the Shaggy Brown Giant! Not to mention Postmaster Grown-Upski.

6 'The Attack Of Eggplant Mission' 'The Attack Of Eggplant Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1966

Someone is out to destroy the American Way of Life, according to FU2, by doing all sorts of naughty stuff to nice people so Harry Chess is certain the M.U.C.K. is back in action. Heading up the nefarious action is its training camp head, Eggplant Parmesani.

7 'The Cay-Why Mission' 'The Cay-Why Mission'
Published by Drum Publishing
Contributors: A. Jay (writer and artist)
Copyright: 1966

The work of Eggplant Parmesani intensifies as he puts ground glass in the Cay-Why lubricant vats in a really horrible plot to do really horrible stuff.

MY COMMENTS

I did not give this series a good grade. It was a parody, of course, so the stories and the characters and the plots are expected to be lopsided, skewing the subject matter as it should. However, it missed the mark as a spy parody because it was really out to entertain from a homosexual point of view. Keep in mind that this is 1965, not over fifty years later as I type this.

It is fascinating to read how much furor apparently existed in government over these stories. Nowadays they just seem goofy, not risqué, and certainly not subversive.

GRADE

My Grade: C-

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