#486 - Female Mimics Premiere Selbee Associates

Female Mimics, Premiere Issue,
Selbee Associates, Inc.
New York, New York
1963

digital replica

The Premiere Issue of Female Mimics pictures professional female impersonators as they perform on stage in night clubs and prepare to do so. The layouts and graphics of this magazine are clearly superior to typical Selbee products. E. Stanton is listed as Art Director, and his ingenious illustrations serve as black and white clip art filler on several pages.





A short essay introduces the intentions of the new magazine, launched in 1963. Providing a historical sketch that goes back millennia, this prose focuses on the entertainment value of the magazine and the subject it plans to expose.

Bambi, a blond “French Fooler” who performs a the famous Carrousel Club in Paris, is shown at home, on her bed, in her kitchen and in the bathtub. Appearing in furs, stockings, lingerie, towel and robe, some of her expressions suggest young Janet Leigh.

“Latin Illusion” Shalimar appears on stage at the Rancho Escondido night club in Juarez, Mexico. In gowns and burlesque costumes, as she sings and dances in front of conga drums and palm trees.

The pictorial about the stylish Carrousel Club near the Champs-Elysees shows gentleman artistes on stage and in publicity photos. Calling the place a “merry madhouse”, it appears that this production
was a variety show involving many talented performers, including Bambi, Everest, Sone Teal, and Coccinelle, in gowns and feathers.

Like many other models found in Selbee magazines, “Glamor Man” Marilyn Marks poses in front of Mr. Burtman’s penthouse bar in black stockings, mules, a leather sheath dress and matching gloves. He’s shown fixing his wig, applying make-up, tightening the back laces of his shaping Merry Widow, and pulling on stockings. Even the most careful inspection of his presentation might not disclose the man within the fetish model attire.





The world took notice when Christine Jorgenson underwent surgery that transformed her into a woman. Fifteen snapshots capture her at the swimming pool in a bathing suit, in her convertible, and shopping for dresses and shoes.

We saw Burma with Tana Louise in the Exotique Photo-Fiction Trained in Leather[product #468] from 1959. Four years later, pictures from the same photo shoot show the sultry femme in corset, fishnets and halter dress.

The longest piece in the magazine tells the story of “Mr. Female Mimic: Kim August.” He’s seen on the cover and on many inside pages, posing in Mr. Burtman’s Manhattan apartment. We watch him apply make-up, his wig, stockings, and falsies. In an interview/article, Carlson Wade describes Kim’s early stage work in high school, and his professional appearances as a female impersonator in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Reno, and Las Vegas.

One feature is a collection of “She-Males” that includes snapshots of the Club 82 “Boys Will Be Girls” revue, other venues, publicity photos and backstage candids. After we see T.C. Jones applying his make-up, we find him on stage, impersonating six different actresses. A four-panel, Eric Stanton comic strip, “The Girls,” fills one page.

The original magazine delivers an exuberant photo scrapbook of entertainment professionals. With a festive, cheerful and energetic tone, the only serious note is a dedication to the creation of convincing female illusions.

The tonality of photos was adjusted and pictures were retouched to remove specks on the models. A large-format digital replica, every word and picture of the original, including ads, are included in the ebook. Many page layouts have have been modified to obtain larger pictures on the ebook pages. To do this, some walls, floors, furniture and ceilings were cropped out of photos and margins were reduced. 72 ebook pages.

One digital replica ebook, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.