The Nuntius & Our Community
and Update Texas/Weekly


Lasting from mid-1970 and into 1976, The Nuntius was the first Houston gay community newspaper.
It as edited by Phil Frank (real name: Floyd Paxton Goff) and it had a good mix of local news, gossip, drag
and bar information and the ever-important bar listing, which is why many customers picked up these papers.
I have not seen the first issue, but by the second it was up to 28 pages. By October 1972 it had merged
with the Dallas publication Our Community, with both names on the cover.

Scans of issues with an * are courtesy of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, And a ** means the scan is from
the U of H LGBT Resource Center. I am very grateful for their help in filling the holes in this history.Thanks!

Nuntius, 1970 - 1976 (?)

Nuntius

The name means 'messenger,' and it often ranged to 30 pages, with fascinating insights regarding the community
(8 1/2x11")

NOTE:
Vol 1-1 is MISSING from this collection, please provide if you can!

 


Vol 1-2, 8/70** PDF
Vol 1-2, 8/70, PDF
customer annotated



Vol 1-3, 9/70* PDF

Vol 1-4, 10/70** PDF

Vol 1-5, 11/70** PDF

Vol 1-6, 12/70* PDF

Vol 2-1, 01/71** PDF

Vol 2-2, 2/71* PDF


Vol 2-3, 3/71* PDF

Vol 2-4, 4/71* PDF

Vol 2-5, 5/71, PDF


Vol 2-6, 6/71**, PDF

Vol 2-7, 07/71** PDF

 

Vol 2-8, 8/71 ?

Vol 2-9, 9/71 ?

who has these issues?

Vol 2-10, 10/71 PDF

Vol 2-11, 11/71* PDF

Vol 2-12, 12/71* PDF

Vol 3-1, 1/72* PDF
For Vol 3-2, this issue of the Nuntius was also Issue #12 of Our Community, from Dallas, a merger.
At 24 pages the size also grew, to 11"x16". Earlier issues were on a stiffer paper stock and
the shift also went to that used in a regular newspaper

Vol 3-2, 2/72* PDF

Vol 3-3, 3/72* PDF

Vol 3-4, 4/72*, PDF

Vol 3-5, 5/72** PDF

Vol 3-6, 6/72** PDF

Vol 3-7, 7/72** PDF

Vol 3-8, 8/72** PDF

Vol 3-9, 9/72, PDF

Vol 3-10, 10/72* PDF

Vol 3-11, 11/72** PDF

Vol 3-12, 12/72** PDF

Vol 4-1, 1/73** PDF

Vol 4-2, 2/73, PDF

Vol 4-3, 3/73** PDF

Vol 4-4, 4/73** PDF

Vol 4-5, 5/73** PDF

Vol 4-6, 6/73** PDF

Vol 4-7, 7/73** PDF

Vol 4-8, 8/73** PDF

Vol 4-9, 9/73** PDF

Vol 4-10, 10/73** PDF

Vol 4-12, 12/73** PDF
(there was no Nov issue)

Vol 5-1, 1 & 2/74** PDF

Vol 5-2, 4/74** PDF

Issue Vol 5-1 gave an indication of winding down, or trying to. See a Letter to the Editor below, from Henry McClurg (Parker) announcing his own new publication, "Contact," which began in March 1974. Also, the first 1974 issue of The Nuntius was a combined one for Jan/Feb, and down to 16 pages, though it was back on thicker and brighter paper stock.

Huge changes, and a gap in what I can tell is the story. I cannot tell when "The Nuntius" ended and "The Nuntius Southwest" began, or why. But it was now a weekly, and only 12 pages, with a new editor, Mel Plummer (see masthead below). And there was a big decrease in meaningful "content" and articles about the community. It's main claim was a regional bar listing.

From the end of 1975 through October 1976, the publication referred to itself as "Nuntius Southwest," and then reverted back to just "The Nuntius." And around that time, October 1976, it changed from a newspaper to magazine format, with glued binding. In May 1976 the paper's address moved to 4319 Montrose Blvd.
Nuntius Southwest

Dec 19, 1975, PDF

Dec 26, 1975**, PDF

Jan 2, 1976**, PDF

Jan 9, 1976**, PDF

Jan 16, 1976, PDF

Jan 23, 1976**, PDF

Jan 30, 1976**, PDF

Feb 6 , 1976**, PDF

Mar 12 , 1976**, PDF

Apr 9 , 1976**, PDF

Apr 16, 1976**, PDF

Apr 23 , 1976**, PDF

Apr 30 , 1976**, PDF

May 7 , 1976**, PDF

May 21 , 1976**, PDF

June 11, 1976, PDF

July 23, 1976, PDF

July 30, 1976, PDF

Aug 6, 1976**, PDF

Aug 13 , 1976, PDF

Aug 20, 1976, PDF

Aug 27, 1976, PDF

Sep 10 , 1976, PDF

Sept 17, 1976, PDF

Oct 8, 1976** PDF

Oct 15, 1976, PDF

Oct 22, 1976, PDF

Oct 29 , 1976, PDF


The editor, annoyingly, did not use volume numbers, so start dates are uncertain.

When did this
publication end?

By this time it had some statewide competition: "Contact" began in March 1974, and "This Week in Texas" began April 1975. The Montrose Star began in July 1976.

 
Our Community, 1971 to 1973

Our Community

An early Dallas publication, shown here as it later merged with The Nuntius, in October 1972, and has a bit of Houston mention. Last issue was #11 (Jan 1972) and it did not merge with Nuntius until October 1972, so there was a gap.

Issue 1, 3/71, PDF
Issue 2, 4/71, PDF

Issue 3, 5/71, PDF

Issue 8, 10/71, PDF

Issue 9, 11/71, PDF

Issue 11, 1/72, PDF

   

     

Update Texas and Update Weekly

Sep 5 , 1975, PDF

Sep 26 , 1975, PDF

Oct 17 , 1975, PDF

Oct 24 , 1975, PDF

Oct 31 , 1975, PDF

Nov 14 , 1975, PDF


Since these are the only issues that I have seen, here's what I can piece together. Mel Plummer became Editor
of Update Texas in September 1975 and continued the publication at least to November. By December he was
Editor of "Nuntius Southwest"...as he did not use Volume numbers for "Nuntius Southwest" I cannot determine
when it began, but it was also a weekly. If anyone knows the story, please let me know. The format for Update
was very similar and it was slim, 8-12 pages, 11"x16". Content was also slight and again the regional bar directory
must have been the main asset. The October 17 issue the name changed to "Update Weekly" and on that issue only a
Volume number, Volume 1, Issue 2. Again, I do not know how long it lasted. Perhaps it ended when he took over
"Nuntius Southwest," rather than trying to juggle two publications, and it would have been hard to sell ads to
the same bars for both. If so that would also be a clue as to when "Nuntius Southwest" began.

  

  Below, article includes rare photo of "Phil Frank"

If you can provide other issues of these and similar publications
for scanning purposes, please contact me.
 Additions are added often, so please check back